French, Bachelor of Arts

Admission

For more information, please visit the Office of Undergraduate Admission.

Courses

The French Major
French majors must complete 33 credits in the language, including the following:

• FRE 3090; 3100 Masterpieces of French Literature Part I; II
• FRE 3550; 3560 French Civilization Part I; II
• FRE 3870; 3880 Advanced French Grammar and Composition Part I; II

Fifteen elective French credits are also required for the major.

Students are encouraged to participate in double and supplemented majors that include: French with International Business Concentration, French and Education, French and Hospitality, and the combined BA French / MBA program.

The French Minor
Completion of a minor in French requires the completion of 18 credits in the language chosen in consultation with a departmental advisor.

Course Offerings
FRE 3150 Review of French Grammar
FRE 3260 History of French Cinema
FRE 3280 20th Century French Literature, Film, Media, Culture
FRE 3300 France Within the European Union and the World
FRE 3570 Urban Culture in Contemporary France
FRE 3600 Life in Contemporary France
FRE 3620 Paris in the French Culture
FRE 3690 20th Century French Literature
FRE 3810 Advanced Commercial French
FRE 3820 Afro-Caribbean Francophone Literature
FRE 3830 French and Francophone Women Writers
FRE 3840 Survey of Francophone Literature
FRE 3860 Human Rights and Globalization in Francophone Africa
FRE 3870; 3880 Advanced French Grammar and Composition Part I; II
FRE 3900 Art and Skills of Translation
FRE 4980 International Internship in France

Internships

French majors and minors can participate in summer internship programs in France through the Trans-Atlantic Student Internship Program (TASIP), as well as in the New York area. Internships are selected to correspond to the student's field of interest and specialty. Scholarships for internships are available.

Information about internships in France: 

Major French companies where internships may be offered:

Companies that have recently hosted French American Chamber of Commerce trainees:

The visa process is initiated once a student receives a concrete offer from a host company in France. Contact the French-American Chamber of Commerce at 212-867-2069 or [email protected].

Global Approach to Education

Study Abroad 
Study abroad programs in France are a unique opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the French language and culture. Scholarships to study abroad are available through Global Education. In addition to classroom courses, students are also able to take online learning courses while they are abroad.

Study abroad opportunities include:

• Summer program in France
• Semester/Year in France
• Exchange program with Université Dauphine in Paris
• Global Passport Program

Internships in Paris
St. John's University offers internships in Paris to students in their junior year who have completed at least one advanced course. Opportunities include positions at government offices, local universities, private companies, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

Additional Information

Student Experience
“I consider myself an extremely fortunate person because I had the opportunity to study abroad in France. I believe that along with learning a new language one learns a new culture. And what a rich culture the French have! On my first trip to France, my surrounding was my textbook. I experience this new culture first-hand, in the open-air markets, trips to different towns in the south and my interactions with the people in the monastery. 

“Perhaps, my favorite part of this interactive textbook was the cuisine. There is only one word to describe French cuisine: delicious! It has changed the way I think – of people and their background. I have met so many different and friendly people I will never forget.  I have definitely gained an appreciation for differences, and developed a profound curiosity for history as well. One aspect of French culture is the deep understanding of their history – as a country, a culture and a people. Paris, for example is historically rich.  On a daily basis, Parisians pass sites that we read about in history books. I couldn’t help but appreciate this fact. This was a wonderful experience that I will never forget. I would love to go again.”

- Ashley Bernardes, Summer 2007

French Honor Society
Pi Delta Phi is the French National Honor Society for undergraduate and graduate students at accredited public and private colleges and universities in the United States. The purpose of the Society is to recognize outstanding scholarship in the French language and its literatures, to increase the knowledge and appreciation of Americans for the cultural contributions of the French-speaking world, and to stimulate and to encourage French and francophone cultural activities.

The Pi Delta Phi chapter at St. John’s inducts students in the spring. Membership is open to students who have taken at least three semesters of college French, of which one must be at an upper level, and have shown a high level of achievement in their French courses and in their courses overall. During the year, members participate in cultural activities in conjunction with the Cercle Francophone. Members of Pi Delta Phi are eligible for the Joseph W. Yedlicka Award for summer study in French language and literature in either Paris or Avignon. For more information, contact Steve Puig, Ph.D. at 718-990-8094 or [email protected].

Global Language and Culture Center (GLCC)
The Global Language and Culture Center  (GLCC) is a state-of-the-art language resource center where students can come and start practicing one or several of the languages currently offered at St John’s University. Students do not have to be currently registered in a language course to use the GLCC.

Faculty
Zoe Petropoulou
Steve Puig
Sara Hanaburgh
Michele Jones
Mary Jane Highfield