French

French BA

Capstone Major

The French major is a designated capstone major. Students are required to complete a capstone seminar that is thematically devised to reflect current trends in the discipline. Through the capstone experience, students work closely with a faculty member on a focused topic of research. They engage in presentations and weekly discussions and write a research paper demonstrating language proficiency, critical and creative thinking, analytical skills, and a cultural perspective.

The French major has the following learning outcomes:

• Demonstrated written and oral mastery of the French language
• Demonstrated specific skills and expertise, including research, analysis, and writing
• Identification and analysis of appropriate primary sources
• Conception and execution of a project that identifies and engages with a specialized topic
• Acquisition of working knowledge of scholarly discourse relative to a specialized topic
• Engagement with peers through presentation, discussion, and critique of student work

Required: French 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, or equivalent. Students normally take course 6 before undertaking course 12. Students who receive a grade of A in course 5 may enroll in course 12 concurrently with course 6, with consent of the instructor.

Transfer applicants to the French major with 90 or more units must complete the following introductory courses prior to admission to UCLA: two years of French and one French literature course.

Refer to the UCLA transfer admission guide for up-to-date information regarding transfer selection for admission.

Two plans are offered by the department:

Required: French 100, 101, two courses from 114A, 114B, and 114C, one senior capstone seminar (191B), and six 4-unit courses in French and Francophone literature and/or culture selected from upper-division offerings in the department in language, civilization, literature, or the arts. One upper-division elective course from outside the department may be substituted in the major program with consent of the undergraduate adviser. Each course must be taken for a letter grade.

Required: French 100, 101, one course from 114A, 114B, or 114C, one senior capstone seminar (191B), four upper-division elective courses in French and Francophone studies, and three upper-division elective courses in fields relevant to French and Francophone studies to be selected from outside the department in consultation with the undergraduate adviser. Each course must be taken for a letter grade.

Plan II, with emphasis on French and Francophone culture, is a core program in French allowing for individual selection of relevant courses in related fields such as gender studies, humanities, linguistics, and social sciences.

It is strongly advised that students who intend to pursue advanced degrees begin preparation for the language requirements at the undergraduate level.

If students’ knowledge of French exceeds the preparation usually received in courses preparing for the major and if they demonstrate the requisite attainment in French 100 or 101, they may substitute for those courses in grammar and composition an equivalent number of upper-division courses in the French and Francophone Studies Department in consultation with an adviser. All prospective French majors who are native or quasi-native speakers of French must see the undergraduate adviser before beginning upper-division work in the major.

All majors must complete a minimum of nine courses of appropriate upper-division work in the UCLA French and Francophone Studies Department. Freshmen and sophomores may take up to two courses taught in English, selected from French 164 through 167, in fulfillment of major requirements (if taken in the junior or senior year, these courses count as electives). A maximum of 8 units of course 199 may be applied toward the elective requirements for the major if approved in advance by the undergraduate adviser. Students must maintain a C average in upper-division major courses in order to remain in the French major.

Coursework taken on a Passed/Not Passed basis is not acceptable in any area of the major program.

It is recommended that students intending to major in French consult with the undergraduate adviser before enrolling in upper-division courses.