French

Requirements for Major

The French major consists of 30 credit hours of courses  with a minimum  grade of “C” in the FREN sequence at and above the level of FREN 3020, with the further provisions 1) that FREN 3031 and 3032 are required, unless the student receives exemption from the Director of the Undergraduate Program;  and 2) that at least 9 of those hours must be at the level of FREN 4000 or above.

Distinguished Majors Program in French

The DMP is available to French majors presenting a university cumulative Grade point average of at least 3.400 and departmental GPA of 3.500 in courses at the 3000-level or above. Students typically apply for admission in the spring of their third year. They take one advanced major course for honors credit, and they pursue an independent project and write an honors thesis under the direction of a faculty advisor (FREN 4998 and 4999). The faculty advisor and the Director of Undergraduate Programs determine the degree of distinction earned by the DMP student.

B.A.-M.A. Program

The B.A./M.A. program allows motivated undergraduate French majors to enhance their understanding of French and Francophone culture and society, equip themselves with superior fluency in the language, and obtain the M.A. degree with one additional year of study beyond the B.A. For more information please consult the director of graduate studies.

Requirements for Minor

The French minor consists of 18 credit hours of courses  with a minimum  grade of “C” in the FREN sequence at and above the level of FREN 3020, with the further provisions 1) that FREN 3031 and 3032 are required, unless the student receives exemption from the Director of the Undergraduate Program;  and 2) that at least 3 of those hours must be at the level of FREN 4000 or above.

Credit for Study Abroad

With approval by the director of undergraduate studies, up to twelve credits toward the major (or six credits toward the minor) may be earned in an approved program abroad. Summer in Lyon and J-Term abroad provided direct UVA credit, not transfer credit. 

Placement

Placement of first-year students presenting admissions credit in French is normally based on standardized test scores or on the placement test that can be taken online: https://french.as.virginia.edu/placement-french. Students with an AP language score of 3 have fulfilled the College language requirement and are placed in FREN 3031. Students with an AP language score of 4 or 5 receive three credits for FREN 3031 and should enroll in FREN 3032.

Additional Information

For more information, contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of French, 358 New Cabell Hall, P.O. Box 400770, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4770; (434) 924-7158; https://french.as.virginia.edu.

Course Descriptions