Undergraduate Program in French

Faculty

Susan Blood, Associate Professor (PhD - Johns Hopkins University) Baudelaire; 19th Century French literature, literary and aesthetic theory

Brett C. Bowles, Assistant Professor (PhD - Pennsylvania State University) 20th century cultural history; cinema, society, and politics; cultural history of the popular front and Vichy; literature and ideology

Eloise A. Brière, Associate Professor (PhD - University of Toronto) literatures, cultures and language issues of the Francophone areas of the world, particularly West Africa, the Caribbean (Haiti, Guyana, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and North America (Quebec, New England, Louisiana): women's writing; cinema of Francophone West Africa, Caribbean and Quebec

Jean-François Brière, Associate Professor (PhD - York University) cultural studies; social and cultural history of France; history of French expansion; political and intellectual developments connected to the evolution of the French colonial empire in the late 18th and early 19th centuries

Cynthia A. Fox, Associate Professor (PhD - Indiana University, Bloomington) French linguistics; sociolinguistics; applied French linguistics

Herman P. Salomon, Professor (PhD - New York University) Portuguese Inquisition; Portuguese, Dutch and French literatures and culture

Joan Savitt, Adjunct Associate Professor (PhD - SUNY Buffalo) linguistics; French; study abroad; secondary education

David Wills, Professor (doctorat - Université de Paris-Sorbonne Nouvelle) French and comparative literature; contemporary French philosophy, particularly post-structuralism, deconstruction and the work of Jacques Derrida; film theory; theories of technology

Mary Beth Winn, Professor (PhD - Yale University) French literature; Medieval and Renaissance studies; women in Medieval and Renaissance French literature; literature through music; the history of the book

Faculty Emeriti

Arnolds Grava, Professor (PhD - University of Nebraska)
Robert W. Greene, Professor (PhD - University of Pennsylvania)
Martin Kanes, Professor (PhD - University of Pennsylvania)
Frederick W. Moore, Professor (PhD - Yale University)
Carl J. Odenkirchen, Professor (PhD - University of North Carolina)
Raymond J. Ortali, Professor (PhD - University of Michigan)
Jack Richtman, Associate Professor (PhD - Columbia University)
George Santoni, Professor (PhD - University of Colorado)

French Studies offers a wide range of courses in language, literature, civilization, mass media, French press, French cinema as well as in business French. The program combines innovative and traditional approaches leading to teaching, graduate work or other career objectives requiring a comprehensive background in French studies.

Full B.A. and M.A. and Ph.D. programs in French are available as well as a combined B.A./M.A. program and a combined B.A. in French/M.B.A. A French minor is also available.

A number of courses of general interest, given in English and requiring no knowledge of French, are also regularly scheduled.

Careers

Teaching, government service, translating, editing, interpreting, librarianship, international business and computer-related technologies are some of the traditional areas in which jobs are available to French majors. Any field of work that requires a broad liberal education, linguistic skill and a knowledge of French-speaking cultures will offer job opportunities for majors.

Special Programs and Opportunities

Various programs of study in France and Quebec for a year, a semester, or a summer are available. For more detailed information, contact the Office of International Programs.

Certain courses prepare students for the Diplôme supérieur de français des affaires conferred by the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Paris. Opportunities to use French and to exchange ideas outside of class are provided through Le cercle français, lecture and film series, and other activities.

Language Placement
How do I know what level French is for me?

Students wishing to enroll in French for the first time at the University at Albany must follow these guidelines in selecting the appropriate level:

A Fre 101 Students who have no previous experience with French or whose experience is the equivalent of less than one year of high school level French;

A Fre 102 Students who have completed one year of high school level French or its equivalent;

A Fre 221 Students who have completed two years of high school level French or its equivalent;

A Fre 222 Students who have completed three years of high school level French or its equivalent. These students should see the Undergraduate Adviser to discuss the possibility of majoring or minoring in French;

A Fre 301 Students who have completed four years of high school level French or its equivalent. These students should see the Undergraduate Adviser to discuss the possibility of majoring or minoring in French.

Exceptions:

1. Students may elect to enroll one level higher or lower than the level suggested by the above guidelines. Factors which could be taken into consideration in making this decision are: the length of time which has elapsed since last formal study of French; additional travel or home experience with the language; quality of previous program of study; grades earned (overall performance) in previous study. Note, however, that the Language Placement rules of the Undergraduate Bulletin state that A Fre 101 may not be taken for credit by students who have taken three years of high school French or passed the Regents examination within the last five years.

2. Students who wish to be placed more than one level higher or lower than the placement suggested by these guidelines must have written permission from the Coordinator of the Language Sequence.
   
   
3. Students who have completed A Fre 200L or A Fre 221L through the University in High School Program should enroll in A Fre 222L; students who have completed A Fre 210L or A Fre 222L should enroll in A Fre 301. 4) Students who have received Advanced Placement (AP) credit should see the Undergraduate Adviser to discuss their program of study.

4. Students whose experience with French has not been primarily through organized study in an American high school setting should consult with the Coordinator of the Language Sequence or the Undergraduate Adviser for help in selecting an appropriate class.

Students are strongly encouraged to see the Coordinator of the Language Sequence if they feel they are in the wrong class or if they have any questions about placement. Decisions to change courses should be made no later than the fourth week of classes.

Degree Requirements for the Major and Minor in French

* Advisement Information for French Studies *

General Program B.A.: a minimum of 36 credits above A Fre 222L. These include: 21 credits of core courses (A Fre 301, 341L or 341E, 306, 340Z, 355, 360, 440Z); 15 credits of elective courses at the 300 level and/or 400 level, including at least 6 credits at the 400 level.

A Fre 306, 355, and at least two 400-level courses must be taken in residence at the Albany campus. Credits earned through study abroad programs will not fulfill this requirement.

Examples of the order in which students might take classes toward achieving their major are available at the advisement website, and are listed alphabetically by major.

The French minor requires 18 credits, three in the core requirement, A Fre 341Z, and a minimum of 15 credits above A Fre 101 with a maximum of three credits in A Fre courses in English. Students minoring in French may also wish to consider study abroad opportunites.

Honors Program in French

The honors program in French is designed to promote opportunities for advanced work to highly motivated, mature undergraduate majors and prepare them to do independent work.

Students may apply for admission to the Honors Program after the beginning of the second semester of their sophomore year. To gain admission to the program students must have formally declared a major in French and have completed at least 12 credits toward their major, including A Fre 341 and 355. In addition, they must have an overall GPA of at least 3.25, and 3.50 in their major, both of which must be maintained in order to graduate with honors.

Students must complete a minimum of:

1. 12 credits of courses in the major above A Fre 341 and 355,
2. a 3-credit independent study course (A Fre 397), and
3. a 6-credit major project or series of projects, to be completed during the junior and senior year. Prior to beginning the project, the student must have written approval from the Academic Committee of French Studies. The project will be evaluated not later than the third quarter of the senior year and submitted in final form by the end of the fourth quarter.

Combined B.A./M.A. Program

The combined B.A./M.A. program in French provides an opportunity for students of recognized academic ability and educational maturity to fulfill integrated requirements of the undergraduate and master's degree programs from the beginning of their junior year. A carefully designed program can permit a student to earn the B.A. and M.A. degrees within nine semesters.

The combined program requires a minimum of 138 credits, of which at least 30 must be graduate credits. In qualifying for the B.A., students must meet all University and college requirements, including the requirements for the major listed previously, the minor requirement, general education requirements, the minimum 90-credit liberal arts and sciences requirement and residency requirements. In qualifying for the M.A., students must meet all University and college requirements as outlined in the Graduate Bulletin, including completion of a minimum of 30 graduate credits, and any other conditions such as a research seminar, thesis, comprehensive examination, professional experience and residency requirements. Up to 12 graduate credits may be applied simultaneously to both he B.A. and M.A. programs.

Students are considered as undergraduates until completion of 120 graduation credits and satisfactory completion of all B.A. requirements. Upon meeting B.A. requirements, students are automatically considered as graduate students.

Students may apply for admission to the combined degree program in French at the beginning of their junior year or after the successful completion of 56 credits, but no later than the accumulation of 100 credits. A cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher and three supportive letters of recommendation from faculty are required for consideration. In exceptional cases, students with more than 100 undergraduate credits may apply to the program for exemption from the 100-credit rule.

Combined B.A. in French/M.B.A. in Five Years

On an individual basis, in consultation with the French Program and the Business School, freshmen at the University at Albany who have taken four years of French in high school (or A Fre 222I or 222L through the University in the High School Program) may have the unique opportunity to combine a BA in French and a MBA and to receive two degrees in five years. Students formally apply for admission into the MBA at the end of their sophomore year. The junior year is normally spent studying in France. By the end of their junior year, students have completed requirements for the French major. Completion of requirements for the MBA takes place during the fifth year.

In order to complete all requirements for this program in five years, students should plan o enter the program at the beginning of their freshman year and take all courses as scheduled on the BA in the French/MBA program chart (available from the department). They should consult with their undergraduate adviser before registering for courses.

Courses In French

For a complete listing and descriptions of French undergraduate courses offered please visit the online Undergraduate Bulletin. Courses being currently offered may be found at Classes and Schedules.

How to Apply

For information on applying for admission to the University at Albany, click here.