French (B.A., m.)

You will benefit from majoring (or minoring) in French if you

• Plan to become a doctor, lawyer, business person, college professor, or journalist
• Would like to work or volunteer in a French speaking community abroad
• Learned French at home and want to develop your skills professionally and academically
• Are interested in the culture of French speaking populations abroad

Student Learning Outcomes will be assessed through a Senior Capstone Project (FREN 4990), which consists of a portfolio during the last semester of the senior year. The portfolio is a collection of multiple samples usually compiled over time accompanied by a personal reflection essay, which would show that the student has met the objectives of the French program.

Majors in French will know:

• The variety and nature of linguistic practices of French-speaking populations
• The variety and nature of cultural texts of French-speaking populations
• The variety and nature of cultural perspectives in the Francophone world at large
• The representative literary works and cultural texts of Francophone cultures and civilizations, and other diasporic French-speaking populations
• The principal aspects of cultural expressions such as literature, art, social practices, gender, and media of the Francophone world at large
• Theoretical terminology and concepts essential to analyze literary and cultural products.

Majors in French will be able to:

• Understand spoken French at the appropriate level
• Speak French at the appropriate level
• Read French at the appropriate level
• Write French at the appropriate level
• Use acquired theoretical and critical skills to textual analysis and scholarly research
• Demonstrate an informed knowledge of literary works developed by French-speaking populations
• Demonstrate an informed knowledge of cultural works developed by French-speaking populations
• Demonstrate an informed knowledge of linguistic varieties developed by French-speaking populations.

Majors in French will demonstrate an appreciation for:

• The evolution and variety of perspectives in French-speaking cultures
• The mission of our University
• Transcultural similarities and differences.

Prerequisite

• FREN 2101 French 1 4 semester hours

Lower Division Requirements

12 semester hours in lower division courses:

• FREN 2102 French 2 4 semester hours
• FREN 2103 French 3 4 semester hours
• FREN 2104 French 4 4 semester hours

Note: These requirements may be waived or modified based upon proficiency demonstrated on the LMU French Placement Examination. For majors, a minimum grade of C (2.0) is required in all pre-major courses.

Upper Division Requirements

25 semester hours in upper division courses:

• FREN 3240 History of Ideas 4 semester hours
• FREN 3450 Stylistics and Translation 4 semester hours
• FREN 3850 Writing Workshop in French 4 semester hours
• Three (3) courses in the FREN 4000-level series 12 semester hours
• FREN 4990 Senior Capstone Project 1 semester hours

Note: A minimum grade of C (2.0) must be maintained in all upper division courses.

Any student who has knowledge of or has had prior instruction in French in high school or at a college or university other than LMU must take the French Placement Exam.

To know when and how a student should take a language placement exam in French, please refer to the guidelines provided under Modern Languages and Literatures.

French courses in lower division (FREN 2102, FREN 2103, FREN 2104) can be waived without credit if students placed in upper-division courses in their placement exam. Waived no-credit classes do not have to be made up to complete the French major.

In the event that there are no courses in the language, students may take MDLG 3400, MDLG 4400, or FNLT 4200 (provided it is related to language concentration). If additional classes are not available in the Modern Languages and Literatures Department, students may fulfill those credits with courses in the appropriate cultural studies areas, with pre-approval from the French coordinator and the Department Chair.

For more information, see the LMU Bulletin.

Need a major/minor worksheet or 4-year-plan? Check here.

The French minor consists of 20 semester hours taken beyond FREN 2103:

• FREN 2104 French 4 4 semester hours
• FREN 3240 History of Ideas 4 semester hours 
• FREN 3450 Stylistics and Translation 4 semester hours 
• FREN 3850 Writing Workshop in French 4 semester hours 
• One (1) course in the FREN 4000-level series (elective) 4 semester hours 

Note: The FREN 2101, FREN 2102, FREN 2103, and FREN 2104 series is recommended for those who seek basic proficiency in the language. This series requires attendance of a one hour weekly language lab.

Any student who has knowledge of or has had prior instruction in French in high school or at a college or university other than LMU must take the French Placement Exam.

To complete the French minor, students need to make up FREN 2104 with an additional course in upper division if they are placed in upper division courses. In the event that there are no courses in the French language, students may take MDLG 3400, MDLG 4400, or FNLT courses, provided it is related to French language concentration, with pre-approval from the French program coordinator and the Department Chair.

Course offerings for French Spring 2025 

See all French courses offered in the LMU Bulletin.