French Cultural Studies Major
Goals for the French Cultural Studies Major
- Students will achieve skill in speaking, writing, reading, and understanding French at the advanced level, as detailed in the ACTFL proficiency guidelines.
- Students will be able to identify major themes in the histories and in the contemporary cultures of France and other Francophone places.
- Students will learn to recognize and construct well-formed arguments about cultural artifacts and historical events that rely on clear writing and in-depth understanding of both primary and secondary sources.
- Students will learn to grasp the complexity of cultural differences. They will know how to spot clichés and avoid using them in thinking about France and the Francophone world in particular, and other cultures in general. As global citizens, they will come to value tolerance, appreciate diversity, and be prepared to face the challenges and reap the benefits of living in an increasingly interconnected world.
French Cultural Studies Information
FREN 101, FREN 102, and FREN 201 count toward the degree but not toward the major. First-year students who begin with FREN 101-FREN 102 in college and who wish to study internationally should consult the chair of the department during the second semester of their first year.
Requirements for the French Cultural Studies Major
Wellesley offers an interdepartmental major in French Cultural Studies, which combines courses from the Department of French with those in Africana Studies, Art, History, Music, Political Science or any other department offering courses on France or Francophone countries. French Cultural Studies majors ordinarily work closely with two advisors, one from the French Department and one from the other area of concentration.
The major in French Cultural Studies consists of a minimum of eight units. At least four units in the French department above FREN 201 are required, including FREN 207 and one of the following: FREN 210, FREN 211 or FREN 212.
In special cases, an upper-level culture course in French approved by the program director may be substituted for FREN 207. At least two units in French at the 300 level are required.
FRST 350, FRST 360 and FRST 370 do not normally count towards the minimum requirement of two 300-level courses for the major. In exceptional cases this requirement may be waived by the FCS director and/or the chair of the French department. No more than two courses taken credit/noncredit at Wellesley College may be applied to the French Cultural Studies major. Students planning to major in French Cultural Studies should consult with advisors to the major. For related courses for credit toward the FCS major, please see list below.
Honors in French Cultural Studies
The only route to honors in the major is writing a thesis and passing an oral examination. To be admitted to the thesis program, a student must have a grade point average of at least 3.5 in all work in the major field above the 100 level; the department may petition on her behalf if her GPA in the major is between 3.0 and 3.5. Students must complete a 300-level course or its equivalent before the fall of senior year. In addition, a 300-level course is to be taken concurrently with FRST 360-FRST 370. See Academic Distinctions.
Teacher Certification in French Cultural Studies
Students interested in obtaining certification to teach French in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts should consult the chair of the Education Department.
Courses for Credit Toward the French Cultural Studies Major
| AFR 242 / REL 214 | New World Afro-Atlantic Religions |
1.0 |
| AFR 264 / ARTH 264 | African Art: Powers, Passages, Performances | 1.0 |
| AFR 341 | Africans of the Diaspora |
1.0 |
| AFR 345 | Enslaved Women in the Atlantic World |
1.0 |
| ARTH 100 | The Power of Images: An Introduction to Art and its Histories |
1.0 |
| ARTH 224 | Modern Art Since 1945 |
1.0 |
| ARTH 228 | Modern Architecture | 1.0 |
| ARTH 259 | The Art and Architecture of the European Enlightenment |
1.0 |
| CAMS 202 | Between Magic and Reality: A Century of Cinema, Part 2 |
1.0 |
| CPLT 247 / ENG 247 / MER 247 | Arthurian Legends |
1.0 |
| CPLT 275 | Translation and the Multilingual World |
1.0 |
| CPLT 375 | Translation and the Multilingual World |
1.0 |
| FREN 235 / PEAC 235 | Antislavery Literature and Abolition in Nineteenth-Century France |
1.0 |
| HIST 205 | The Making of the Modern World Order |
1.0 |
| HIST 208 | Society and Culture in Medieval Europe |
1.0 |
| HIST 232 | The Transformation of the Western World: Europe from 1350 to 1815 | 1.0 |
| HIST 233 | In Search of the Enlightenment | 1.0 |
| HIST 234 | The Holy Roman Empire |
1.0 |
| HIST 279 | Heresy and Popular Religion in the Middle Ages |
1.0 |
| HIST 302 | Seminar: World War II as Memory and Myth | 1.0 |
| HIST 334 | Seminar: World Economic Orders, 1918-2008 |
1.0 |
| HIST 352 | Seminar: Mental Health in European History |
1.0 |
| HIST 379 | Heresy and Popular Religion in the Middle Ages |
1.0 |
| MES 263 / REL 263 | Islam in the Modern World | 1.0 |
| MUS 201 | Music History II: The Classical and Romantic Symphony |
1.0 |
| MUS 230 | Opera: Its History, Music, and Drama |
1.0 |
| PHIL 221 | History of Modern Philosophy |
1.0 |
| POL2 202 | Comparative Politics |
1.0 |
| POL2 306 | Seminar: Revolution |
1.0 |
| REL 226 | The Virgin Mary |
1.0 |