Undergraduate French Courses

For current and past semester course offerings and descriptions, check out the French Program Blog. 

100 Level Courses

There are three options for students beginning French at Hunter. A regular sequence (FREN 101, 102, 201, 202), an intensive sequence (FREN 103, 203) which covers in two semesters material normally covered in four and a course for students who use French as a heritage language.

FREN 101 Elementary French I : Language lab mandatory. Not credited without FREN 102. 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 102 Elementary French II : Language lab mandatory. prereq: FREN 101 or one yr high school French. 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 102.50 Beginning French Conversation and Cultural Enrichment : Not credited toward language requirement. Conversational practice, cultural texts and activities for second-semester French students. coreq: FREN 102 2 hrs, 2 cr.

FREN 103 Intensive Elementary French : Equivalent to material covered in 101 and 102.Language lab mandatory.6 hrs, 6 cr.

200 Level Courses

FREN 201 Intermediate French I : Language lab mandatory. prereq: FREN 102 or two yrs high school French 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 202 Intermediate French II : Language lab mandatory. prereq: FREN 201 or three yrs high school French 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 203 Intensive Intermediate French : Equivalent to material covered in 201 and 202. Language lab mandatory. prereq: FREN 102 or two yrs high school French 6 hrs, 6 cr.

FREN 208 French for Francophones : An intermediate-level language course designed for French speakers who have acquired the language in the family, local Francophone communities or abroad. Emphasizes the development of oral and written skills to the advanced level through interviews, readings and writing assignments. Spelling and grammar are also highlighted. prereqs: intermediate-level ability as determined by dept. exam or interview; perm dept. 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 220 Advanced French Conversation : prereq: FREN 202 or four yrs high school French 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 241 Early French Civilization: From Gothic to Revolution : GER 2/C PD/D Conducted in English; readings in English. 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 242 Modern French Civilization: From Revolution to Present : GER 2/C Conducted in English; readings in English. 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 251 French Literature and the Arts : Conducted in English; readings in English and French. Particular attention to theme, image and structure as they may be compared in literary and artistic works. 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 252 From Symbolism to Surrealism in French Literature : GER 3/A Conducted in English; readings in English. Impressionist, symbolist, cubist, Dada and surrealist movements in literature and art from the late 19th to 20th century. 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 253 Modern French Theatre: Theory and Practice : GER 3/A Conducted in English. Giraudoux, Sartre, Camus, Beckett, Ionesco. 4 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 254 Film and the French Novel : GER 3/A PD/D Conducted in English. Truffaut, Godard, Resnais, Robbe-Grillet and others.3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 255 New Approaches to Modern French Literature : GER 3/A Conducted in English; readings in French and English. Investigation of various currents of 20th century literary and aesthetic criticism as practiced in France.3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 256W Dream and Image : GER 3/A Conducted in English. Analysis of literary representations of dreams. Exploration of the relationship between word and image in French and Francophone Literature. Such authors as Flaubert, Maupassant, Gautier, Barthes and Djebar. 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 257 Literary Cross-Currents : Conducted in English. Topics: Interaction of French and Russian literature, of French and American literature; the myth of Germany in French literature; Shakespeare in France; Dante and French literature. prereq: reading knowledge of French 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 258 French Poetry in Translation : Conducted in English. Study of major themes, theories and texts from 16th century to contemporary period. 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 259 French Theatre in Translation : PD/D Conducted in English; readings in English. Development of French theatre from 17th to 20th century. Great plays that have become known in English translation. 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 260 French Novel in Translation (1600-1900) : PD/D Readings in English; conducted in English. Development and evolution of French novel; its relationship to other literary genres. 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 261 Modern French Novel in Translation (1900-Present) : PD/D Conducted in English; readings in English. From Gide and Proust to present.3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 262 Perspectives on Women in French Literature : GER 3/A PD/C or D The representation of women in literary texts from the Middle Ages to the present. Conducted in English. Readings in English translation. 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 275 Selected Masterpieces of French Literature : PD/D Readings in French of some outstanding works of French literature. Emphasis on development of selected genres or literary themes. prereq: FREN 202 or four yrs high schoolFrench 3 hrs, 3 cr.

300 Level Courses

Conducted in English and, whenever possible, in French; readings in French. Designed for acquisition of and workable reading knowledge of the language. prereq: FREN 202 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 311 Advanced French Grammar : prereq: FREN 202 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 312 French Oral and Written Expression : prereq: FREN 202 or equiv. 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 321 French Translation : prereq: FREN 202 or equiv. 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 331 French Phonetics and Diction : prereq: FREN 202 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 335 French Culture I : PD/D Main intellectual and artistic currents from the Gauls to the French Revolution. Conducted in French. prereq: FREN 202 or four yrs high school French 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 336 French Culture II : PD/D Main intellectual and artistic currents from the French Revolution to 1958. Conducted in French. prereq: FREN 202 or four years of high school French 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 337 Contemporary French Culture : Contemporary French civilization and culture from 1958 to the present, as seen in its press. World events observed through the lens of French culture and politics. Comparison of current events coverage by French and U.S. press. prereq: FREN 311 or 312 or perm instr. 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 341 Survey of French Literature from the Middle Ages to the End of the 17th Century : GER 3/A PD/D prereq: FREN 202 or four yrs high school French 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 342 Survey of French Literature from the 18th Century to the Modern Period : GER 3/A PD/D prereq: FREN 202 or four yrs high school French 3 hrs, 3 cr. Note: FREN 341 and 342 are prerequisite to all courses numbered 343 and above.

FREN 343 Medieval and Renaissance French Literature : GER 3/A PD/D From medieval epics, lyrical poetry and mystery plays to writers such as Scève, Du Bellay, Ronsard, Rabelais and Montaigne. 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 344 17th Century French Literature : GER 3/A PD/DSuch authors as Boileau, Bossuet, Corneille, Cyrano de Bergerac, La Bruyère, Mme de Lafayette, La Fontaine, Malherbe, Molière, Pascal, Racine, Mme de Sévigné, Saint Simon. 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 346 18th Century French Literature : GER 3/A PD/D Such authors as Beaumarchais, Buffon, Chénier, the Encyclopedists, Diderot, Laclos, Marivaux, Montesquieu, Prévost, Rousseau, Sade, Voltaire.3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 348 19th Century French Literature (1800-1850) : GER 3/A PD/D Such authors as Balzac, Chateaubriand, Constant, Gautier, Hugo, Lamartine, Musset, Sand, Mme de Staël, Stendhal, Vigny. 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 349 19th Century French Literature (1850-1900) GER 3/A PD/D Such authors as Barbey d’Aurevilly, Barrès, Baudelaire, Daudet, Flaubert, France, Huysmans, Leconte de Lisle, Mallarmé, Maupassant, Renan, Rimbaud, Sainte-Beuve, Taine, Verlaine, Villiers de l’Isle-Adam, Zola. 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 350 20th Century French Literature (1900-1950) : GER 3/A PD/D Such authors as Apollinaire, Beauvoir, Breton, Claudel, Cocteau, Colette, Gide, Giraudoux, Malraux, Mauriac, Péguy, Proust, Sartre.3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 351 Contemporary French Literature (1950-present) :GER 3/A PD/D Such authors as Beckett, Bon, Butor, Camus, Duras, Echenoz, Ernaux, Koltès, NDiaye, Perec, Redonnet, Robbe-Grillet, Sarraute. 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 353 Survey of Francophone Literature : GER 3/A A study of literature produced in French-speaking regions and nations (other than France) such as North and West Africa, the Caribbean, Vietnam and Quebec. 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 360 French Literature: Special Topics : GER 3/A PD/D 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 361 Middle Ages and the Renaissance: Special Topics : GER 3/A PD/D 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 362 The 17th Century: Special Topics : GER 3/A PD/D 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 363 The 18th Century: Special Topics : GER 3/A PD/D 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 364 The 19th Century: Special Topics : GER 3/A PD/D 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 365 The 20th Century: Special Topics : GER 3/A PD/D Topics to be offered may include single authors, themes, genres, movements, or approaches.3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 375 Seminar in French Literary History : GER 3/A PD/D Readings, discussion and reports. prereqs: five courses in French major 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 399 Second Language Acquisition : prereqs: at least three courses at the 300 level in the language; ENGL 120 3 hrs, 3 cr.

400 Level Courses

FREN 491 Honors Course in French : PD/D Open to Jr/Sr only. Research in history of French literature. prereqs: FREN 344, 346, 348; major GPA 3.2, cum GPA 2.8; perm adviser 3 hrs, 3 cr.

FREN 495 Independent Study in French Literature : prereq: perm adviser 1-3 cr.