General university degree requirements stipulate that 1) at least four units of the major or three units of the minor be taken in residence at Puget Sound; 2) students earn a GPA of 2.0 in courses taken for the major or the minor; and 3) all courses taken for a major or minor must be taken for graded credit. Additional stipulations are indicated in the major and minor degree requirements listed below.
A grade of C or higher must be earned in each course for a French Studies major or minor.
Refer to home departments on prerequisites for all courses having other than the FREN designation. For example, PG 321 has a prerequisite of PG 102.
All majors in the French Studies department are required to:
French Studies majors in any of the Literature emphasis areas (Literary Studies, Cultural Studies, French and the Arts, and Comparative Literature) are required to submit a senior paper to satisfy graduation requirements for the major by April 15 of their senior year. An explanation of this requirement is available on the department home page.
Ten to 12 units (depending on area of emphasis), a senior portfolio, a senior paper (for all majors except FLIA), and a semester of study abroad in a French speaking country (see General Requirements above).
Fourteen units, a senior portfolio, and a semester of study abroad in a French speaking country (see General Requirements above).
Completion of a minimum of five units in French at the 201 level or above. One unit must be at the 300 or 400 level taken at the Tacoma campus.
Students minoring in French may satisfy the university's three (3) unit upper-division requirement by completing French courses 210 or above because such courses have two (2) prerequisite units (201-202).
The department of French Studies is fully committed to the concept of study abroad as a complement to students' intellectual trajectory as they learn about the culture, history and literature of another country or countries. While all students are strongly encouraged to participate in endorsed study abroad programs in France or a Francophone country, majors in the department are required to complete a semester of study abroad in a French speaking country. Details of these and other Francophone study abroad programs may be obtained from department advisors and the Office of International Programs.
Because not all study abroad programs are suited for French Studies majors and minors, only departmentally sanctioned coursework earned through university study abroad programs may be counted towards degrees in the department's majors and minors.
Credit is accepted from endorsed programs in Dijon, Nantes, and Paris, as well as Senegal and Madagascar. Programs are also offered in Francophone Africa. To ensure that credit will transfer, any student who plans to apply study abroad credit to a major or minor should consult with a department academic advisor prior to enrollment.
Students with previous high school French study may enroll in higher-level language courses by estimating that three to four years of high school concentration are approximately equivalent to one year of college work in French. Other factors such as study abroad, living with exchange students or Francophone parents, and other intensive studies may warrant special consideration on a case-by-case basis. To assure proper placement, all students should consult department advisors in the French Studies Department prior to enrollment.
All transfer students, especially those who have had prolonged periods of time elapse since their last academic coursework, will be evaluated on an individual basis. Their placement will be based on consultation and observation in courses at the Tacoma campus.
Advanced Placement Examinations (AP) with scores of 4 or 5, or International Baccalaureate (IB) Higher Level Examinations with scores of 5, 6, or 7, apply toward majors or minors for a maximum of one unit at the 200 level. French coursework completed at other accredited institutions may be accepted toward the major or minor subject to the stated requirements for each major or minor.
The university does not give credit for ACTFL exams nor does it accept exams or courses taken via distance learning or hybrid methods toward the foreign language graduation requirement. Similarly, the department does not apply courses taken via distance learning or hybrid methods towards the major or the minor in French.