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 at least a cumulative 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. Any exceptions to these stipulations are indicated in the major and minor degree requirements listed below.
All majors in the French and Francophone Studies department are required to:
All French Language Studies, French Literary Studies, French Comparative Literature, French Culture and Francophone Culture majors are required to submit a senior paper to satisfy graduation requirements for the major by April 15. An explanation of this requirement is available on the department home page.
Eight units in French at the 201 level or above, to include:
Ten units in French at the 201 level or above to include:
Eleven units:
Ten units in French at the 201 level or above to include:
Ten units in French at the 201 level or above to include:
Refer to home departments regarding prerequisites for all courses having other than the FREN designation. For example, PG 321 has a prerequisite of PG 102.
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. No course taught in English may count for the minor.
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 supports the learning concept of a living-learning residential atmosphere and encourages students to participate in a living-language program. Students have the opportunity to live in university-owned houses on campus and communicate in French in a small group environment. The International District located in Thomas Hall offers cultural programs and activities to students with varied international experiences and backgrounds. Applications for the Michel Rocchi International District, and for language-based theme houses are available from the Office of Residence Life and on the department home page.
The department of French and Francophone 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 and Francophone 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 minor.
Credit is accepted from endorsed programs in Dijon, Nantes, and Paris, as well as Senegal and Madagascar. 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 faculty 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.