Degree: B.A., Modern Foreign Languages
Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
The French major leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern Foreign Languages. Through courses in French, students gain linguistic proficiency, as well as understanding of the literatures and cultures of the French-speaking world. Laboratory facilities are used extensively to supplement classroom instruction. Classes are conducted in French.
Double majors are possible, and non-majors may also take advantage of the language program. Students have the opportunity to reside in a campus residence area in which French is spoken and which sponsors various intercultural programs each year. The resident language director of this area is a native speaker of French.
The Department of Modern Languages and Literature cooperates with a variety of overseas study programs, advises and encourages students wishing to study abroad, and helps in planning their foreign study programs. Credits can be accepted from abroad to fulfill major requirements. The French program runs a 3-week (3 credit) and 6-week (6 credit) UMW faculty-led summer study abroad programs in Aix-en-Provence, followed by an optional sightseeing week in Paris.
In addition, French majors can take advantage of a number of internship opportunities in businesses, government offices, and non-profit agencies located in the Fredericksburg and Washington, D.C. area.
Graduates in French may pursue careers in government or in private fields in which the knowledge of this language and culture is essential, including interpreting, translating, research, social services, education, or international business.
Student Learning Outcomes
1. Students will use language to engage in meaningful exchanges, to understand and interpret spoken language and written text, and to present information, concepts and ideas.
2. Students will frame, analyze, and synthesize information as well as negotiate meaning across language and culture in order to explore problems and issues from their own and different perspectives.
3. Students will evaluate literary works in order to understand main themes and movements.
4. Students will respond to new perspectives in order to understand diverse cultures within the world of a specific language.
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| FREN 202A | Intermediate French II | 3 |
| FREN 311 | Composition | 3 |
| FREN 312 | Oral Communication and Phonetics | 3 |
| FREN 326 | Introduction to Pre-Revolutionary French Literature | 3 |
| FREN 327 | Introduction to Post-Revolutionary French Literature | 3 |
| FREN 411 | Stylistics | 3 |
| or FREN 412 | Translation | |
| Select six additional courses from the following: | 18 | |
| French and Francophone Literature in Translation | ||
Any FREN 300- or 400-level courses | ||
| Total Credits | 36 | |
General Education Requirements
The general education requirements for Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degrees apply to all students who are seeking to earn an undergraduate B.A., B.S. or B.S.Ed. degree.
Students seeking a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree have a separate set of BLS general education requirements.
Electives
Elective courses are those that are not needed to fulfill a general education requirement or major program requirement but are chosen by the student to complete the 120 credits required for graduation with a B.A./B.S./B.S.Ed. degree or the BLS degree. These courses may be taken graded or pass/fail (or S/U in the case of physical education and 100-level dance). No student in a regular B.A./B.S./B.S.Ed. program may count more than 60 credits in a single discipline toward the 120 credits required for graduation.
Total Credits Required for the Degree: 120 credits
Plan of Study
For a suggested plan of study for the French major, please contact the Modern Languages and Literatures Department directly.
Modern Languages and Literatures Faculty
Marcel Rotter, Chair
Brooke E. Di Lauro, Career Advisor, French
Marcel Rotter, Career Advisor, German
Elizabeth F. Lewis, Career Advisor, Spanish
(The person’s subject field is indicated in parentheses.)
Professors
Ana García Chichester (Spanish)
Brooke E. Di Lauro (French)
Jeremy G. Larochelle (Spanish)
Elizabeth F. Lewis (Spanish)
María Isabel Martínez-Mira (Spanish)
Scott M. Powers (French)
Associate Professors
María Laura Bocaz-Leiva (Spanish)
Gonzalo S. Campos-Dintrans (Spanish)
Marcelo Fajardo-Cárdenas (Spanish)
Antonia L. Delgado-Poust (Spanish)
Jennifer Hansen-Glucklich (German)
Leonard R. Koos (French)
Marcel Rotter (German)
Jose A. Sainz (Spanish)
Senior Lecturers
Maysoon Fayez Al-Sayed Ahmad (Arabic)
Martha Patricia Orozco (Spanish)