French

Your passport to an international education

Minoring in French, you'll acquire advanced language skills as well as knowledge of diverse cultures. You and other students from a variety of backgrounds will develop critical thinking skills and the capacity for positive interaction with people from around the world.

School/Division

Campus Locations

Main Campus - Alfred, NY

Major

none offered

Minor

French

(Prerequisites: FREN 101, 102, 201, 202 or equivalent)

Students wishing to minor in French take one required course:

FREN 302 Advanced French Grammar and Composition I

They then select a minimum of 16 credit hours of 300-400 level French

*Please be advised all courses taken abroad or in affiliated fields (e.g. history, art history or linguistics) must be pre-approved by the minor advisor.

  • French Film Criticism
  • Contes et nouvelles: Short Fiction in French
  • French Women Writers
  • The Art of French Translation
  • Advanced French Conversation
  • French Pronunciation and Phonetics
  • Survey of French Literature I: Middle Ages to 18th Century
  • Survey of French Literature II: 19th and 20th Centuries
  • Le Monde Francophone
  • Les Femmes et la Justice Sociale
  • Global Perspectives: Paris (travel course)

*Please Note: This list is not exclusive and may change according to staffing and course offerings.

Who needs to take the Placement Exam?

  • Students who have taken more than two years of a language in high school and who intend to take the same language at AU must take the exam.
  • Students who are bilingual or native speakers of the language they wish to take or who have spoken the language at home.
  • Students do not need to take the exam if they did not study a language previously or if they are planning to take a different language in college.

Exams are given in French, German and Spanish. Results will be posted for the Advisors only on Banner under Test Scores. Students cannot access their own scores.

Procedure to Demonstrate Proficiency in a Language other than French, German and Spanish:

Once you have obtained test scores from Banner, please use the following guidelines for registration:

  • 0 - 200 You should start with the first semester course (101)
  • 201-400 You should start in the second semester of the language (102)
  • 401-600 You should start in the third semester course (201)
  • Students who have completed the foreign language requirement are encouraged to continue their foreign language studies. Please contact any faculty member or the office of Modern Languages for guidance choosing which level would be most appropriate.
  • Please Note: To be considered for membership in Phi Beta Kappa students must have, among other qualifications, demonstrated intermediate proficiency in a foreign language through 200-level coursework.

International Students:

Foreign Language Requirement Waiver Request Policy and Form

Modern Languages - Online Course Policy

General Education Foreign Language Competency (III)

The Division of Modern Languages does not accept courses taken online for transfer credit in fulfillment of the General Education Foreign Language Competency (III). The position of the Division of Modern Languages regarding courses taken online is based upon the National Standards for Language Learning as delineated by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). In exceptional circumstances, the Division of Modern Languages may choose to review this policy on a case by case basis.

World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages

All Undergraduate Programs