Discover the French and Francophone Studies Curriculum
French and Francophone Studies offers a diverse, expert-led curriculum that fulfills Core requirements and prepares students for the global job market. Through language and cultural study across the Francophone world, students build strong communication and analytical skills. The program explores literature, history and traditions, while offering opportunities in tutoring, study abroad, internships and a student club. French pairs well with majors like business, law, and more, enhancing students’ cultural and linguistic fluency. You will be surprised how easily it can be achieved and combined with another field of interest!
Explore French and Francophone Studies Courses
Read descriptions of our French and Francophone Studies classes on our Courses page!
Program Requirements
Each student declares their major(s) and minor(s) under a single catalog of record that is identified on the student's degree audit (available on Degree Works).
The program requirements below are based on the current course catalog and may not be applicable if a student is declared in an earlier catalog.
Find all previous course catalogs under on our Archived Catalogs of Record page.
25-27 units
Major
12-18 units
Minor
- Major
- Minor
The French and Francophone Studies Major
Preparation for the French and Francophone Studies Major
Students must have finished FREN 202 or the equivalent (e.g. placement in upper-division through the Department's Placement exam), thereby demonstrating proficiency in oral and written expression. Lower-division courses provide the necessary training in the four basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) as well as basic cultural competency. Upper-division courses further develop these skills and bring students to a level of proficiency of Advanced Low to Advanced High on the ACTFL scale. The experience of living and studying in France or a Francophone country is highly recommended.
The Major
Option 1
This option requires a minimum of 24 upper-division units that must include:
FREN 301 | Advanced Grammar and Composition (or equivalent) | 3 |
FREN 320 | Early Modern Cultures and Contexts | 3 |
or FREN 321 | Modern Cultures and Contexts | |
or FREN 322 | Francophone Cultures and Contexts | |
Four upper-division FREN courses at any level | 12 | |
Two FREN courses at the 400 level | 6 | |
FREN 495 | Senior Capstone Project (optional) (The optional capstone project (1-3 units) is carried out in the student’s last year in the program, and it often is linked thematically to one of the last two upper-division courses taken for the major. Students interested in a capstone project should consult the Director of French and Francophone Studies. The student must meet with her or his capstone advisor to determine the parameters for the project and consult with the program director to enroll either in FREN 495 or in FREN 497) | 1-3 |
or FREN 497 | Senior Capstone Project with Advanced Integration | |
Total Units | 25-27 | |
A minimum of 15 upper-division units must be taken on the USD campus. Up to 6 units taught in French at the 300 level may be transferred from accredited American or International programs.
Option 2
This option requires a minimum of 27 upper-division units that must include:
Courses in the French and Francophone Studies section of the Department of Languages, Cultures and Literatures (21-24 units) | ||
FREN 301 | Advanced Grammar and Composition (or equivalent) | 3 |
FREN 320 | Early Modern Cultures and Contexts | 3 |
or FREN 321 | Modern Cultures and Contexts | |
or FREN 322 | Francophone Cultures and Contexts | |
Three upper-division FREN courses at any level | 9 | |
Two FREN courses at the 400 level | 6 | |
FREN 495 | Senior Capstone Project (optional) (The optional capstone project (1-3 units) is carried out in the student’s last year in the program, and it often is linked thematically to one of the last two upper-division courses taken for the major. Students interested in a capstone project should consult the Director of French and Francophone Studies. The student must meet with her or his capstone advisor to determine the parameters for the project and consult with the program director to enroll either in FREN 495 or in FREN 497) | 1-3 |
or FREN 497 | Senior Capstone Project with Advanced Integration | |
Courses in Other Departments (6 units) | ||
Select six units of upper-division courses from the following. (All of the units must be taken at USD or in a course taught by a USD professor in a USD study abroad program. Additional courses may be accepted in satisfaction of this requirement, with approval of the Director of French and Francophone Studies) | 6 | |
ANTH 328 | Caribbean Cultures | |
ANTH 339 | Post Medieval Seafaring and Empire | |
ANTH 385 | Course ANTH 385 Not Found | |
ARCH 321 | City and Utopia: Introduction to History of Urbanism | |
ARCH 340 | Biographies of World Cities | |
ARTH 323 | Memory, Monument, Museum | |
ARTH 334 | Art of the Twentieth and Twenty First Centuries in Europe and the Americas | |
ARTH 336 | History and Theory of Photography | |
ARTH 361 | Chinoiserie and Japonisme | |
COMM 380 | International Media | |
COMM 475 | Intercultural Communication | |
ECON 333 | International Economics | |
ENGL 315 | Literary Periods | |
ENGL 321 | Literature of Race, Gender and Sexuality | |
ENGL 366 | Modern and Contemporary European Literature | |
ENGL 372 | Film Studies | |
ENGL 374 | Gender and Literature | |
ETLW 302 | Business and Society | |
FILM 301 | Introduction to Film Theory | |
FINA 405 | International Financial Management | |
HIST 304 | Africa in the Western Imagination | |
HIST 322 | Castles and Crusades: Medieval Europe, 1050-1450 | |
HIST 323 | Course HIST 323 Not Found | |
HIST 331 | The Global Renaissance | |
HIST 339 | Americans in Paris through War and Peace | |
HIST 340 | World War I | |
HIST 341 | World War II | |
HIST 342 | From Subjects to Citizens: Nation Building in France and India | |
HIST 348 | France in Revolution and War | |
HIST 378 | The History of World War I and World War II through Literature and Film | |
MGMT 309 | International Comparative Management | |
MKTG 305 | Global Marketing | |
MKTG 306 | Global Marketing Alternative | |
MUSC 317 | Course MUSC 317 Not Found | |
PHIL 474 | Twentieth Century Continental Philosophy | |
POLS 302 | Political Thought:Modern and Contemporary | |
POLS 307 | Feminist Political Theories | |
POLS 352 | Comparative Politics of Developing Countries | |
POLS 353 | Politics and Religion | |
POLS 354 | Course POLS 354 Not Found | |
POLS 355 | Politics in Europe | |
POLS 359 | Politics in the Middle East | |
POLS 360 | Politics in Sub-Saharan Africa | |
POLS 363 | Politics in France | |
POLS 377 | Regional Security | |
POLS 378 | Transnational Crime and Terrorism | |
POLS 380 | Theories of International Political Economy | |
POLS 381 | Migration & Immigration Politics and Policy | |
POLS 382 | International Human Rights | |
POLS 383 | International Organizations | |
SOCI 374 | Social Movements | |
SOCI 410 | Social Change: Global Perspectives | |
THEA 360 | Theatre History 1 | |
THEA 362 | Theatre History 2 | |
THRS 315 | Islamic Thought and Culture | |
THRS 318 | Islam, Women and Literature | |
THRS 323 | War and Peace in the Christian Tradition | |
THRS 331 | Sexual Ethics in the Catholic Tradition | |
THRS 353 | Early Christianities | |
THRS 367 | Feminist Theology and Ethics | |
THRS 372 | Women, Gender, and Christianity in the Ancient World | |
Total Units | 27-30 | |
A minimum of 15 upper-division units must be taken on the USD campus. Up to 6 units taught in French at the 300 level may be transferred from accredited American or International programs.