French (BA)

Because of the size of the university and the strength of the French and Francophone Studies program, it offers multiple sections of all three of the introductory courses and a variety of intermediate and advanced courses in language, culture, literature and film every semester. While the program is relatively large for a department of French and Italian (around 100 majors and 200 minors), the class sizes are small (18-30 students per class) and the faculty are easily accessible. Unlike in many departments, each majoring student is assigned a faculty advisor who can help him/her choose courses, identify and fund an appropriate study abroad program, pursue research opportunities and devise a post-graduation plan.

The Department of French and Italian was one of the first departments in the country to offer courses on French-speaking literatures and cultures from outside of France. It currently has several faculty members who teach courses on French-speaking North Africa, West Africa, the Caribbean and Quebec, and on the cultural production of the millions of recent immigrants (and their descendents) in France. The Department of French and Italian is an innovative department that strives to offer a variety of courses each semester to fit students' diverse interests and professional goals.

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Academic Advisors

Andrew Spencer

spencer.4@osu.edu
(614) 292-8485
355 Hagerty Hall

Affiliated Departments & Centers

Associated Facilities

Degree Outcomes

In browsing the alumni update pages of the bi-annual alumni newsletter, you will find that French majors go on to become doctors, lawyers, professors, teachers, business people and scientists. Most are double majors in another discipline, from international studies to marketing to molecular genetics. There are few things more practical than good writing and communication skills, which language majors possess in abundance. French is an official language in twenty-nine countries around the world and is spoken in yet more, many of which have emerging economies where opportunity abounds. French could be your passport to a career in international business, international law, international aid, diplomacy or tourism.

Humanities Strong

People who look at the same problems through different lenses will make us better in the long run. -Dr. David Muller, Dean for Medical Education, Mount Sinai

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

Courses throughout the undergraduate curriculum are enriched by the use of media and Internet resources such as online newspapers, magazines, YouTube, music CDs and videos, television programs, and through videoconferencing with French speakers around the world. As students progress, they choose from a variety of intermediate- and advanced-level language, culture, literature and film courses. Students are encouraged to study abroad through a summer program, a semester-long stay or a year-long study abroad experience.

Department of French and Italian Website More French Courses

French is applicable in a variety of settings in the United States and abroad. Mastery of French allows students to consider careers in education, government, business, print and electronic media, scientific and medical research, and trade and tourism industries. Many employers are eager to hire graduates who are fluent in French because their businesses involve French speakers.

courses you might take:

FRENCH 2501: What's 'French' Anyway?: Multiculturalism in Contemporary France

A spring course on multiculturalism in contemporary France with a ten-day May trip to Paris, Marseille, and Toulouse to attend popular music concerts; learn about immigration and its cultural contributions; and meet musicians, journalists, and filmmakers of international origins.

FRENCH 3501: French for the Professions

An introduction to the language and culture of the work-world in France.

FRENCH 3201: French Literature and Fashion

Through the lens of the history of French fashion from the Middle Ages to the present, improve your reading, writing, and speaking skills by analyzing and discussing full-length French literary works alongside paintings, photographs, and actual garments in the OSU Historic Costume museum.

FRENCH 3103: French Conversation

Practice your oral French in small groups through discussions about current events in France and the Francophone World.

FRENCH 5403: Marseille, the City with a Bad "Rap"

In this course we explore what makes Marseille unique and examine how the representation of this Mediterranean city in popular literature, music, and film provides a new perspective on France. Marseille is the perfect mescla (provençal for mixture) for a multilingual, cross-cultural, transnational and multimedia encounter in our new experimental classroom, where we shall pedagogically test and intellectually tackle burning questions pertaining to “Frenchness” and “foreignness.”

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Senior thesis

Honors and non-Honors students alike can embark on a senior thesis with their faculty advisor or another faculty member in the department. Recent thesis topics include Foreign Identities and Otherness in Contemporary France, The Rise of Evangelical Protestantism in France, Women in the Science Professions in France, and French Cinema of the Occupation.

Le Cercle Français (the French Club)

The department's student-run French Club, which organizes monthly conversation tables, outings, and activities to give students the opportunity to practice their French and meet students with similar interests.

Facebook Group

Summer Study Abroad in Montpelier, France

Participate in a four- or eight-week summer program in the South of France within easy reach of both the Mediterranean Sea and the Alps. Make weekend excursions to Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, and other nearby nations.

Montpelier

Summer Study Abroad in Quebec, Canada

Participate in a five-week study abroad experience in historic Quebec City, led by Professor Danielle Marx-Scouras. Stay with a host family, take top-notch courses in French, and go on numerous excursions to explore both the city and the countryside.

Quebec

Summer Study Abroad in Dakar, Senegal

Learn about Senegalese literature, culture and society first-hand with Professor Cheikh Thiam while improving your French and advancing toward your French minor or major.

Dakar

ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT STEP?

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