Sherry Zhang '25 in front of the Eiffel Tower

French and Francophone Studies draws from many disciplines to explore the language and cultures of French-speaking regions of the world. Students master French language and literature through a varied curriculum. We offer extensive extracurricular activities and an off-campus study option in France.

Sherry Zhang '25 in front of the Eiffel Tower

About French and Francophone Studies

The Department of French and Francophone Studies sees language as fundamental to the study of literatures and cultures. Committed to helping students attain proficiency in the language sequence (French 101-204), the department strives at all levels to introduce students to the rich and complex endeavors of literary and cultural analysis.

Carleton’s study abroad programs in Paris and Senegal provide opportunities for using and enhancing these skills in situ, broadening horizons while also training students in one of the world’s major languages. Our courses in literary and cultural studies are appropriate for students wishing to do advanced work in French or who hope to use French language and important critical skills in future careers or studies.

Language Courses

French 101, 102, 103, and 204 are a sequential series of courses designed to prepare students in the basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) through the study of grammar, literature, and culture, and/or to provide the foundation for pursuing advanced work in language and literature. French 206 is designed to develop the students’ spoken and written mastery of the language through compositions and intensive oral work based on cultural and literary topics. Admission to these courses is determined either by appropriate high school AP or Carleton placement test scores, or by completion of the previous course in the sequence with a grade of C- or better.

French and Francophone Studies Courses

Most courses in the department address both literary and cultural questions, stressing a number of goals: to refine and expand students’ linguistic ability, to broaden their cultural understanding, to improve their ability to engage in literary and cultural analysis, to enhance their knowledge of French and Francophone history and literary criticism, and to help students better understand themselves and the human condition. In our discussions, we address universal themes and concerns, but we also try to uncover what is peculiarly French or Francophone about the works.

Programs Abroad

Participation in a Carleton program or in another approved French language program is highly recommended for students majoring or minoring in the above areas. The department operates a program in Paris, and non-Carleton programs are also available in other Francophone areas of the world. Students interested in study abroad should visit the Off-Campus Studies website and discuss alternatives with faculty in the department and with the director of Off-Campus Studies.

Cultural Activities

The French Language Associate and the French Student Council organize numerous cultural activities (films, political discussions, game nights, African dinners, crêpe-making gatherings, poetry readings) that provide opportunities for speaking French on campus.

Requirements for the French and Francophone Studies Major

Major Requirements – 69 Total Credits

The major consists of intensive work in language, literature, and culture, and it may include courses in film or other arts. All courses in the Department of French and Francophone Studies are conducted in French.

69 credits beyond French 103.

Core Courses – Required 6 credits

  • CCST 245: Meaning and Power: Introduction to Analytical Approaches in the Humanities

CCST 245: Meaning and Power: Introduction to Analytical Approaches in the Humanities is usually taken in the junior year. (HIST 298: Junior Colloquium or ENGL 295: Critical Methods may be substituted for CCST 245: Meaning and Power: Introduction to Analytical Approaches in the Humanities with departmental approval.)

Elective Courses – Required 60 credits

Students should generally begin with courses at the 200 level (FREN 204: Intermediate French, FREN 206: Francophone Emotions: Science and Culture, FREN 231: Paris: The Eras Tour, FREN 236: Francophone Cinema and the African Experience, FREN 240: Imagining North Africa: Arabs, Berbers, and Beurs, etc.), but at least twenty-four credits must be taken at the 300 level (400 does not count in this category). Up to twelve credits may be taken in other departments or programs (see pre-approved courses in the Requirements for the Minor in French and Francophone Studies). All courses on the Paris program may be applied to this category, as long as the requisite number of 300-level credits is attained. French 210 does not count for the French and Francophone Studies major.

General Elective Courses – (36 credits)

300-Level Elective Courses – (24 credits)

Senior Integrative Exercise – Required 3 credits

Requirements for the French Minor

Minor Requirements – 36 Total Credits

The French minor foregrounds students’ proficiency and use of the French language, since all required courses are taught in French. In order to complete the French minor, students must fulfill the general requirements in the following course distribution: 36 credits completed with a grade of C- or better in French beyond 103, including at least two upper-level literature courses (300-395). French 210 does not count for the French Minor. No more than 12 credits from non-Carleton off-campus studies programs may be applied toward the minor.

300-Level Literature Courses – Required 12 credits

Elective Courses – Required 24 credits

Requirements for the French and Francophone Studies Minor

Minor Requirements – 42 Total Credits

The French and Francophone Studies Minor unites a diversity of disciplinary approaches to France while extending the notion of French and Francophone Studies beyond the specific territorial and linguistic boundaries of France and Parisian French. Relying on significant language training, courses in Francophone literature and culture (continental Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and North America) as well as in other disciplines, this minor will afford a synthetic view of the evolution and impact of French and Francophone cultural institutions. The majors most organically connected with this interdisciplinary curriculum are history, anthropology, art history, political science, film studies, and international relations, although students majoring in other disciplines may also minor in French and Francophone Studies. No more than 12 credits from non-Carleton off-campus study programs may be applied toward the minor. French 210 does not count for the French and Francophone Studies Minor.

French Language Requirement – Required 6 credits

  • FREN 204: Intermediate French or equivalent

Elective Courses – Required 36 credits

Group I: French and Francophone Literature and Culture – 24 credits

Four courses required, two of which must be at the 300 level

  • CCST 245: Meaning and Power: Introduction to Analytical Approaches in the Humanities
  • FREN 206: Francophone Emotions: Science and Culture
  • FREN 231: Paris: The Eras Tour
  • FREN 236: Francophone Cinema and the African Experience
  • FREN 240: Imagining North Africa: Arabs, Berbers, and Beurs
  • FREN 244: Contemporary France and Humor (not offered 2025-26)
  • FREN 245: Francophone Literature of Africa and the Caribbean (not offered 2025-26)
  • FREN 253: The French Revolution, Then and Now (not offered 2025-26)
  • FREN 256: French and Francophone Studies in Paris Program: Politics and Cultures in Contemporary France
  • FREN 259: French and Francophone Studies in Paris Program: Hybrid Paris
  • FREN 302: Creative Writing in French
  • FREN 303: That’s Entertainment!
  • FREN 308: France and the African Imagination (not offered 2025-26)
  • FREN 310: The Art of Scandal (not offered 2025-26)
  • FREN 336: Francophone Cinema and the African Experience
  • FREN 350: Middle East and French Connection (not offered 2025-26)
  • FREN 359: French and Francophone Studies in Paris Program: Hybrid Paris
  • FREN 360: The Algerian War of Liberation and Its Representations (not offered 2025-26)
  • FREN 380: Comics: Sequence with Consequence

Group II: History and Art History – 6 credits

One course required

  • ARTH 140: African Art and Culture (not offered 2025-26)
  • ARTH 172: Modern Art: 1890-1945 (not offered 2025-26)
  • ARTH 236: Baroque Art (not offered 2025-26)
  • ARTH 245: Modern Architecture
  • ARTH 263: Architectural Studies in Europe Program: Prehistory to Postmodernism (not offered 2025-26)
  • FREN 254: French and Francophone Studies in Paris Program: French Art in Context
  • HIST 137: Early Medieval Worlds in Transformation
  • HIST 139: Foundations of Modern Europe (not offered 2025-26)
  • HIST 141: Europe in the Twentieth Century
  • HIST 243: The Peasants are Revolting! Society and Politics in the Making of Modern France (not offered 2025-26)
  • HIST 244: The Enlightenment and Its Legacies
  • HIST 247: The First World War as Global Phenomenon
  • HIST 289: Gender and Ethics in Late Medieval France (not offered 2025-26)

Group III: Anthropology, Political Science, Media Studies – 6 credits

Once course required.

  • CAMS 219: African Cinema: A Quest for Identity and Self-Definition (not offered 2025-26)
  • EUST 159: “The Age of Isms” – Ideals, Ideas and Ideologies in Modern Europe (not offered 2025-26)
  • FREN 255: French and Francophone Studies in Paris Program: Islam in France: Historical Approaches and Current Debates (not offered 2025-26)
  • FREN 257: French and Francophone Studies in Paris Program: The Culture of Activism in France
  • POSC 255: Post-Modern Political Thought (not offered 2025-26)
  • POSC 282: Terrorism and Counterterrorism (not offered 2025-26)
  • POSC 348: Strangers, Foreigners, and Exiles (not offered 2025-26)
  • POSC 352: Political Theory of Alexis de Tocqueville
  • POSC 359: Cosmopolitanism (not offered 2025-26)
  • SOAN 256: Africa: Representation and Conflict

Additional Departmental Notes

For students who wish to make the most of the French and Francophone Studies Minor, we strongly recommend taking classes that reflect the diverse geography of the French and Francophone world. For courses other than those in the French and Francophone Studies department, students may be expected to do source reading in French, but papers and exams will be written in English. Check with the department for other on- or off-campus courses that may count for the minor.

French and Francophone Studies Courses

  • FREN 101 Elementary French

    This course introduces the basic structures of the French language and everyday vocabulary in the context of common cultural situations. Students are exposed to all four skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking). Taught five days a week in French.

    • Fall 2025
    • 6
    • No Exploration

    • Not open to students whose previous French language experience exceeds the requirements of FREN 101.
    • CL: 100 level
    • Stephanie Cox 🏫 👤 · Sandra Rousseau 🏫 👤 · Sarah Anthony 🏫 👤

  • FREN 102 Elementary French

    Building on the material covered in French 101, this course introduces complex sentences and additional verb tenses. Students apply the tools of narration in context through the reading of short literary and cultural texts. The focus of the course is on all four skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking). Taught five days a week in French.

    • Winter 2026
    • 6
    • No Exploration

    • Student has completed any of the following course(s): FREN 101 with a grade of C- or better or received a score of 102 on the Carleton French Placement exam.
    • CL: 100 level
    • Chérif Keïta 🏫 👤 · Sarah Anthony 🏫 👤 · Sandra Rousseau 🏫 👤

  • FREN 103 Intermediate French

    This course continues the study of complex sentence structures and reviews basic patterns in greater depth, partly through the discussion of authentic short stories and cultural topics. Throughout the course, students practice all four skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking). Taught five days a week in French.

    • Fall 2025, Spring 2026
    • 6
    • No Exploration

    • Student has completed any of the following course(s): FREN 102 with a grade of C- or better or received a score of 103 on the Carleton French Placement exam.
    • CL: 100 level
    • Chérif Keïta 🏫 👤 · Stephanie Cox 🏫 👤 · Sarah Anthony 🏫 👤 · Katharine Hargrave 🏫 👤

  • FREN 204 Intermediate French

    Through readings, discussions, analysis of media, and other activities, this course increases students’ skill and confidence in French. Continuing the emphasis on all modes of communication begun in French 101-103, French 204 focuses on Francophone cultures, contemporary issues, and an iconic text in French. Taught three days a week in French.

  • FREN 206 Francophone Emotions: Science and Culture

    Through texts, images, and films coming from different continents, this class will present how various French-speaking communities describe and represent emotions such as love, fear, or anger. Focused on oral and written expression this class aims to strengthen students’ linguistic skills while introducing them to the key themes of French and Francophone studies: colonialism, gender, class, art, and intellectual production. Most importantly, this class will highlight how the sciences and the humanities are interdependent and closely connected.

  • FREN 210 Coffee and News

    Keep up your French while learning about current issues in France, as well as world issues from a French perspective. Requirements include reading specific sections of leading French newspapers, (Le Monde, Libération, etc.) on the internet, and then meeting once a week to exchange ideas over coffee with a small group of students.

    • Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026
    • S/CR/NC
    • 2
    • HI, Humanistic Inquiry IS, International Studies

    • Student has completed any of the following course(s): FREN 204 with a grade of C- or better or received a score of 4 or better on the French Language and Culture AP exam or received a score of 6 or better on the French: Language B IB exam or received a score of 205 on the Carleton French Placement exam. .
    • CL: 200 level
    • Éva Pósfay 🏫 👤 · Sandra Rousseau 🏫 👤

  • FREN 231 Paris: The Eras Tour

    American-born entertainer, civil rights activist, and spy for the French Resistance, Josephine Baker famously sang, "I have two loves, my country and Paris." What attracts people to Paris and does the reality live up to the fantasy? Explore the evolution of Paris from the Gallo-Roman period to the present through art, literature, music, and film. Learn about its visitors and residents, from individuals buried in the Catacombs to a Jewish student at the Sorbonne during the Nazi occupation, and analyze how lived experiences are shaped by the politics, culture, and infrastructure of the cities we call home. Conducted in French.

  • FREN 236 Francophone Cinema and the African Experience

    Born as a response to the colonial gaze (ethnographic films, in particular) and ideological discourse, African cinema has been a determined effort to capture and affirm an African personality and consciousness. Focusing on film production from Francophone Africa and its diaspora over the past few decades, this course will address themes such as slavery, colonialism, and national identity, as well as the immigrant experience in France and in Quebec. It will provide an introduction to African symbolisms, world-views, and narrative techniques. Offered at both the 200 and 300 levels; coursework will be adjusted accordingly.

  • FREN 240 Imagining North Africa: Arabs, Berbers, and Beurs

    How have North African identities been represented in literature and film? How has the sustained presence of French language, and culture in the region shaped how North African authors and directors envision their relationship with their land, their languages, and their identities? This class is an introduction to literature and film from the Francophone Maghreb. Through careful and thoughtful analysis of canonical and contemporary sources, students will question how North African identities have evolved with and against French racial categories, and most importantly how they have transformed the aesthetics and politics of Francophone cultural productions.

  • FREN 244 Contemporary France and Humor

    This class is an overview of France’s social, cultural, and political history from 1939 onwards. The core units of this class (WWII, decolonization, May 1968, the Women’s liberation movement, the rise of the National Front, globalization, and immigration) will be studied through their comic representations. Sources for this class will include historical, political, literary and journalistic texts as well as photographs, paintings, videos, blogs, and music. The contrast between comical and non-comical texts and objects will highlight the uses and functions of humor in communicating about history, and illustrate the impact of comic discourses in everyday culture. In French.

    Not offered in 2025-26

  • FREN 245 Francophone Literature of Africa and the Caribbean

    Reading and discussion of literary works, with analysis of social, historical and political issues, with an emphasis on cultural and literary movements such as Négritude (El Negrismo, in Cuba) and their role in shaping ideas of self-determination, Nationalism and Independence in the French colonies of the Caribbean and Black Africa. We will read works by Aimé Césaire (Martinique), Léopold Sédar Senghor (Senegal), Léon Gontran Damas (French Guiana), Jacques Roumain (Haîti), Laye Camara (Guinea), Mongo Béti (Cameroun), Simone Schwartz-Bart (Guadeloupe) and Alain Mabanckou (Congo). Conducted in French.

    Not offered in 2025-26

  • FREN 253 The French Revolution, Then and Now

    From an ad campaign showing Kylie Jenner dressed as Marie Antoinette to the mascot for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, the French Revolution is alive today. What does this say about its legacy? This course first investigates the systemic inequalities that contributed to the storming of the Bastille. Through texts, films, and music, we will analyze the denunciation of these inequities and the consequent transatlantic engagement with Haiti and the U.S. We will finish by discussing whose rights were affirmed during the French Revolution, whose were denied, and how this continues to inform contemporary culture and society.

    Not offered in 2025-26

  • FREN 254 French and Francophone Studies in Paris Program: French Art in Context

    Home of some of the finest and best known museums in the world, Paris has long been recognized as a center for artistic activity. Students will have the opportunity to study art from various periods on site, including Impressionism, Expressionism, and Surrealism. In-class lectures and discussions will be complemented by guided visits to the unparalleled collections of the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, the Centre Pompidou, local art galleries, and other appropriate destinations. Special attention will be paid to the program theme.

  • FREN 255 French and Francophone Studies in Paris Program: Islam in France: Historical Approaches and Current Debates

    In this course, students will explore the historical, cultural, social, and religious traces of Islam as they have been woven over time into the modern fabric of French society. Through images drawn from film, photography, television, and museum displays, they will discover the important role this cultural contact zone has played in the French experience. The course will take advantage of the resources of the city of Paris and will include excursions to museums as well as cultural and religious centers.

    Not offered in 2025-26

  • FREN 256 French and Francophone Studies in Paris Program: Politics and Cultures in Contemporary France

    This course on French political life and society aims to facilitate students' integration into their host country by providing them with a good understanding of France's political culture, as well as an insight into the habits of French people. Accordingly, it covers key aspects of French political life (political regime, party system, European and foreign policy). It also offers a socio-economic overview of contemporary France, such as family, social security system, education, and addresses social issues, including social inequalities, immigration, and secularism.

    Formerly listed as FREN 208 French and Francophone Studies in Paris Program: Politics and Cultures in Contemporary France.

  • FREN 257 French and Francophone Studies in Paris Program: The Culture of Activism in France

    This course explores the diverse cultures and practices of activism in France and Paris. Through lectures, site visits, films, and artefact analysis, students will engage with the ways individuals and collectives resist systems of domination, claim rights, and imagine alternative futures. We will examine the theories and practices that shape activism, ranging from ecological and feminist struggles to LGBTQIA+ movements, artistic interventions, and festive forms of protest. Combined conceptual readings and experiential learning will emphasize critical reflection. Students will develop tools to understand activism as political action and cultural practice that reshape identities, communities, and public space.

  • FREN 259 French and Francophone Studies in Paris Program: Hybrid Paris

    Through literature, cultural texts, and experiential learning in the city, this course will explore the development of both the "Frenchness" and the hybridity that constitute contemporary Paris. Immigrant cultures, notably North African, will also be highlighted. Plays, music, and visits to cultural sites will complement the readings. Offered at both the 200 and 300 levels; coursework will be adjusted accordingly.

  • FREN 280 Argue! Practicing Eloquence

    Eloquence has been described as being able to say what is necessary and not say what is not. The idea of “speaking well” has changed over time and continues to evolve in French society. Can one speak well with an accent, with grammatical mistakes, with slang, or with curse words? How has France fabricated its language as a sacred treasure, and how has this vision excluded native and non-native French speakers? The history of eloquence will be complemented by its practice as students learn to master different registers of French language and learn to argue effectively.

    Not offered in 2025-26

    • 6
    • IS, International Studies LA, Literary/Artistic Analysis

    • Student has completed any of the following course(s): FREN 204 with a grade of C- or better or received a score of 4 or better on the French Language and Culture AP exam or received a score of 6 or better on the French: Language B IB exam or received a score of 205 on the Carleton French Placement exam. .
    • CL: 200 level

  • FREN 302 Creative Writing in French

    This course will give students the opportunity to refine their knowledge of French by practicing the art of creative writing. Guided by short readings in a variety of genres, students will engage in workshop-based activities, including class discussion, creative writing exercises (some using visual media or music), and constructive peer review. No previous experience in creative writing necessary.

  • FREN 303 That’s Entertainment!

    Blaise Pascal wrote, “[t]he only thing that consoles us from our miseries is our diversion. And yet, it is the greatest of our miseries.” In other words, amusement is a way of avoiding one’s own unhappiness. Is the role of entertainment to escape reality? If so, what role do politics play in shaping the cultural scene? Read the queer fairy tales of Madame de Murat, listen to French podcasts currently topping charts, and discuss theatrical performances in Charleston’s French Quarter as you examine the interaction between politics and play from the Middle Ages to the present day. Conducted in French.

  • FREN 308 France and the African Imagination

    This course will look at the presence of France and its capital Paris in the imaginary landscape of a number of prominent African writers, filmmakers and musicians such as Bernard Dadié (Côte d’ Ivoire), Ousmane Sembène (Senegal), Calixthe Beyala (Cameroun), Alain Mabanckou (Congo-Brazzaville), Salif Keïta (Mali) and others. The history of Franco-African relations will be used as a background for our analysis of these works. Conducted in French.

    Not offered in 2025-26

  • FREN 310 The Art of Scandal

    What is scandal? Is it a product of the time and place where it occurs, or can it transcend national and temporal boundaries? This course seeks answers to these questions by examining the texts, films, and artistic productions that caused, exposed, or critiqued a scandal. We will explore topics such as passion, lies, revenge, rumor, and murder. From the Affair of the Poisons during the reign of Louis XIV to controversy over France’s literary prize (the Goncourt), we will analyze the evolution of social norms and public opinions in global French culture from the seventeenth century to the present day.

    Not offered in 2025-26

  • FREN 336 Francophone Cinema and the African Experience

    Born as a response to the colonial gaze (ethnographic films, in particular) and ideological discourse, African cinema has been a determined effort to capture and affirm an African personality and consciousness. Focusing on film production from Francophone Africa and its diaspora over the past few decades, this course will address themes such as slavery, colonialism, and national identity, as well as the immigrant experience in France and in Quebec. It will provide an introduction to African symbolisms, world-views, and narrative techniques.  Offered at both the 200 and 300 levels; coursework will be adjusted accordingly.

  • FREN 350 Middle East and French Connection

    Persepolis, Syngue Sabour, Le rocher de Tanios—three prize-winning texts written in French by authors whose native tongue was not French but Arabic or Farsi. In this class we will direct our attention to the close—albeit problematic—relations between France and the Middle East (broadly considered) through an analysis of cultural and literary objects. What has this “French connection” meant for the Middle-Eastern and for French culture?

    Not offered in 2025-26

  • FREN 359 French and Francophone Studies in Paris Program: Hybrid Paris

    Through literature, cultural texts, and experiential learning in the city, this course will explore the development of both the "Frenchness" and the hybridity that constitute contemporary Paris. Immigrant cultures, notably North African, will also be highlighted. Plays, music, and visits to cultural sites will complement the readings. Offered at both the 200 and 300 levels; coursework will be adjusted accordingly.

  • FREN 360 The Algerian War of Liberation and Its Representations

    Over fifty years after Algeria’s independence from France, discourses and representations about the cause, the violence, and the political and social consequences of that conflict still animate public life in both France and Algeria. This class aims at presenting the Algerian war through its various representations. Starting with discussions about the origins of French colonialism in North Africa, it will develop into an analysis of the war of liberation and the ways it has been recorded in history books, pop culture, and canonical texts. We will reflect on the conflict and on its meanings in the twenty-first century, and analyze how different media become memorial artifacts.

    Not offered in 2025-26

  • FREN 380 Comics: Sequence with Consequence

    In the Francophone world comics are known as the ninth art, a popular, legitimate–albeit contested–art form. What then differentiates this art form from others? How do comics create meaning? How do they tell stories? What stories do they tell? In this class we will develop a multilayered approach to comics by analyzing the form and content of texts, but also by questioning the place of comics in French, Algerian, and Québecois societies. Readings will include iconic texts (Asterix, Tintin), alternative comics (by Fabcaro, Louerrad, Ziadé), theoretical pieces on bandes dessinées, and conversations with working artists.

  • FREN 400 Integrative Exercise

    During their senior year, students expand and deepen an essay in French from one of their advanced courses in the major. Normally, but not always, the director for this project will be the professor from that course. This essay may be completed during any term, but must be finished by the end of winter term. In the spring term, students deliver an oral presentation (in English) summarizing their work. Seniors may choose either of the following: 1) A substantial individual essay, or 2) An individual essay that complements work done in a second major (subject to approval by the Department). Further details are available on the Department’s website.