Overview
Martine Guyot-Bender (HiF fall 2024)
Cheryl Morgan, chair (HiF fall 2024)
Claire Mouflard
Joseph Mwantuali
Lukas Ovrom
Special Appointment
Juliette Haon
The goal of the French and Francophone Studies Department is to encourage an appreciation of the heritage and culture of French-speaking peoples and help students develop language proficiency necessary for a mature understanding of France and Francophone countries, past and present.
Students Will Learn to:
- Communicate effectively in oral and written French
- Construct interpretive arguments about a variety of works, and/or historical or contemporary events from areas of the world in which French is spoken
- Research and present clear results in written and spoken form
GENERAL
A concentration in French and Francophone Studies consists of nine courses (equalling nine full credit hours) numbered 140 or higher. All courses must be taught in French and include: one course focusing on writing (FRNCH-200); one course in text analysis and critical reading (FRNCH-211, FRNCH-212, or approved equivalent); one course focusing on historical/social/cultural/political aspects of France (FRNCH-250, FRNCH-285 or approved equivalent); one course focusing on historical/social/cultural/political aspects of another Francophone area of the world or African/North African diaspora in France (FRNCH-280, or equivalent); two 400-level seminars during senior year, one each semester; two electives beyond Fr 200 taken on campus or abroad. Majors fulfill the Social, Structural, and Institutional Hierarchies requirement by taking a course that focuses on historical/social/cultural aspects of any Francophone areas of the word, including France (FRNCH-250; FRNCH-285; FRNCH-280 or approved equivalent).
Note: At least one course taken for the concentration must include literature, history or the arts from before the twentieth century.
Any course in the arts and the social sciences offered by another department and concentrating specifically on France or another Francophone region can satisfy one of the 200-level culture courses requirement but does not count as one of the nine concentration courses. The student would need to take a third elective.
With the department’s permission, students who start their study of French at Hamilton in French 110 and attend HiF or another approved Francophone program abroad entirely conducted in French (e.g. Hamilton in France) for at least one semester may count FRNCH-130 toward the total of nine courses for the major.
Students placed by the Department in or above FRNCH-200 and who complete the course in the Fall semester of their first year may count one course taught in English from another department that focuses specifically on France or another Francophone area of the world as part of the nine courses.
No courses taken C/NC may be counted toward the concentration or the minor.
SENIOR YEAR
During their senior year, concentrators must: 1) enroll in one 400-level course during both the fall and spring semesters; 2) complete a senior paper in conjunction with one of the 400-level seminars; 3) participate in an assessment of their oral proficiency in an interview conducted by outside examiners.
Concentrators may not normally fulfill the requirement for the major through the election of a 200-level course during their senior year. A complete description of the Senior Program is available in Christian Johnson 202.
HONORS
Students with a cumulative average of A- for the nine courses in the Department are eligible for honors. A senior completing an independent research project in FRNCH-550 is exempted from writing the senior paper in the spring seminar, but is expected to complete all the other assignments.
MINOR: A minor in French consists of five courses numbered 140 or higher, including at least one course focusing on literature (FRNCH-211, FRNCH-212 or other) and one course at the 300 level or higher.
COURSES IN ENGLISH
The Department offers a limited number of courses in English on French and Francophone topics that may be of interest to students from any number of departments. Please see FRNCH-160 and FRNCH-240 below at the end of the list.
HAMILTON IN FRANCE
Open to students in good standing at the Fr 140/200 level, Hamilton in France is fully integrated with Hamilton’s academic program. It can enhance every student’s studies, regardless of his or her major.
After a preliminary orientation and in consultation with the director, students choose to enroll in courses among those designed for Hamilton students and those offered at various Paris universities and post-secondary institutions in all academic fields.
Depending on their linguistic ability and academic preparation, HiF students may choose from among a wide variety of courses in the Arts and Art History, Cinema, Economics, French language and literature, History, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Natural Sciences and Math, Sociology, and Theatre, at the University of Paris 3, Paris 6, Paris 7 or at institutes such as the Institut d’Etudes Politiques, the Institut Catholique and the Ecole du Louvre. With permission of their department, majors in the Arts may take courses in their field including Studio Art, Photography, and Theater. For more complete information refer to hamilton.edu/academics/offcampusstudy/france
All courses taken through Hamilton in France count toward Hamilton’s graduation requirements. In addition, students with concentrations other than French and Francophone Studies may, with approval from the appropriate department, apply HiF courses to their concentration (e.g. Political Science, History).
While the French and Francophone Studies department believes that far greater linguistic and cultural benefits are gained from an academic year in France than from a semester, Hamilton in France program welcomes students for either a full academic year or for one semester. Concentrators and other engaged language students are encouraged to participate in the nine-month program.