The Minor

The registrar requires you to already have a major before you declare a minor.

Requirements: The French minor consists of 18 credit hours of courses with a minimum grade of “C” in the FREN sequence at and above the level of FREN 3020, with the further provisions 1) that FREN 3031 and 3032 are required, unless the student receives exemption from the Director of the Undergraduate Program; and 2) that at least 3 of those hours must be at the level of FREN 4000 or above.

In Brief: Eighteen hours = 3031 + 3032 + four additional FREN courses, including at least one 4000-level course.

Exemptions: Students presenting a 4 or a 5 on the AP Language test will receive exemption from and credit for FREN 3031. 

With permission of the instructor or a faculty advisor, a minor may take a 4000-level course without a prior 3000-level offering.

Note: 

• Up to six hours toward the minor may be earned in approved foreign-study programs (see Study Abroad). Study Abroad courses are pre-approvedin person by the DUP. For final approval and transfer of credits, meet with the DUP once you have returned and received your transcript. (The French Department does not receive your transcripts directly).
• Undergraduates may take a 5000-level course with the instructor's permission.
• A grade of C or better must be earned in each and every course counted toward the minor.
• French in Translation courses (FRTR) do not count toward the French major or minor.

Click Here for the Declaration Minor Form. Fill in "Jennifer Tsien" and "tsien@virginia.edu" as the Declaration of Major Contact.  Check the Minor box on the Declaration Form as this form is used for both declaring major and minors.

FIll out the courses you have taken (at the 3000 level and higher, including 3031) and those you will potentially take to fulfill the requirements, then submit the form. After you submit the form, you will receive an email from either Professor Tsien to confirm your French minor.

The Major

Requirements: The French major consists of 30 credit hours of courses with a minimum grade of “C” in the FREN sequence at and above the level of FREN 3020, with the further provisions 1) that FREN 3031 and 3032 are required, unless the student receives exemption from the Director of the Undergraduate Program; and 2) that at least 9 of those hours must be at the level of FREN 4000 or above.

Exemptions: Students presenting a 4 or a 5 on the AP Language test alone will receive exemption from, and credit for, French 3031. Students presenting scores of 4 or 5 on both the AP Language and Literature tests will receive exemption from, and credit for, both French 3031 and French 3032.

With permission of the instructor or a faculty advisor, a major may take a 4000-level literature course without a prior 3000-level offering.

Note:

• Up to twelve hours toward the major may be earned in approved foreign-study programs (see Study Abroad). Study Abroad courses are pre-approvedin person by the DUP. For final approval and transfer of credits, meet with the DUP once you have returned and received your transcript. (The French Department does not receive your transcripts directly).
• Undergraduates may take 5000-level courses after having earned a "B" or better in two 4000-level courses and obtaining the instructors' permission.
• Special rules govern the taking of independent study courses (FREN 4993 and 4994). See the "Policy on Undergraduate Tutorials" section below.
• French in Translation courses (FRTR) do not count toward the French major or minor

Pathways Through the Major

Depending on what level of French you begin with, here are various scenarios for finishing the French major:

 

Starting in 1010 (no study abroad)

Semester 1

FREN 1010 (pre-major)

Semester 2

FREN 1020 (pre-major)

Semester 3

FREN 2010 (pre-major)

Semester 4

FREN 2020 (pre-major)

Semester 5

FREN 3031 (3 credits)

FREN 3030 or FREN 3034 or FREN 3036 (3 credits)

Semester 6

FREN 3032 (3 credits)

FREN 3030 or FREN 3034 or FREN 3036 or FREN 3039* (3 credits)

*requires 3031 and 3030

Semester 7

FREN 3xxx (3 credits)

FREN 3xxx (3 credits)

FREN 4xxx (3 credits)

Semester 8

FREN 3xxx (3 credits)

FREN 4xxx (3 credits)

FREN 4xxx (3 credits)

 

Starting in 1010 (with summer study abroad or J-Term/summer sessions)

Semester 1

FREN 1010 (pre-major)

Semester 2

FREN 1020 (pre-major)

Semester 3

FREN 2010 (pre-major)

Semester 4

FREN 2020 (pre-major)

Semester 5

FREN 3031 (3 credits)

FREN 3030 or FREN 3034 or FREN 3036 (3 credits)

Semester 6

FREN 3032 (3 credits)

FREN 3030 or FREN 3034 or FREN 3036 or FREN 3039* (3 credits)

*requires 3031 and 3030

Summer Abroad in Lyon or J-Term/summer sessions

FREN 3xxx (3 credits)

FREN 3xxx or FREN 4xxx (3 credits)

Semester 7

FREN 3xxx or 4xxx (3 credits)

FREN 4xxx (3 credits)

Semester 8

FREN 4xxx (3 credits)

FREN 4xxx (3 credits)

 

Starting in 2010 (no study abroad)

Semester 1

FREN 2010 (pre-major)

Semester 2

FREN 2020 (pre-major)

Semester 3

FREN 3031 (3 credits)

Semester 4

FREN 3032 (3 credits)

Semester 5

FREN 3xxx (3 credits)

FREN 3xxx (3 credits)

Semester 6

FREN 3xxx (3 credits)

FREN 3xxx (3 credits)

Semester 7

FREN 3xxx (3 credits)

FREN 4xxx (3 credits)

Semester 8

FREN 4xxx (3 credits)

FREN 4xxx (3 credits)

 

Starting in 2010 (with summer study abroad or J-Term/summer sessions)

Semester 1

FREN 2010 (pre-major)

Semester 2

FREN 2020 (pre-major)

Semester 3

FREN 3031 (3 credits)

Semester 4

FREN 3032 (3 credits)

Summer Abroad in Lyon or J-Term/summer sessions

FREN 3xxx (3 credits)

FREN 3xxx (3 credits)

Semester 5

FREN 3xxx (3 credits)

Semester 6

FREN 4xxx (3 credits)

Semester 7

FREN 3xxx (3 credits)

FREN 4xxx (3 credits)

Semester 8

FREN 4xxx (3 credits)

FREN 4xxx (3 credits)

 

Starting in 3031 (no study abroad)

Semester 1

FREN 3031 (3 credits)

Semester 2

FREN 3032 (3 credits)

Semester 3

FREN 3xxx (3 credits)

Semester 4

FREN 3xxx (3 credits)

Semester 5

FREN 3xxx (3 credits)

Semester 6

FREN 3xxx or 4xxx (3 credits)

Semester 7

FREN 3xxx (3 credits)

FREN 4xxx (3 credits)

Semester 8

FREN 4xxx (3 credits)

FREN 4xxx (3 credits)

 

Starting in 3031 (with summer study abroad or J-Term/summer sessions)

Semester 1

FREN 3031 (3 credits)

Semester 2

FREN 3032 (3 credits)

Semester 3

FREN 3xxx (3 credits)

Semester 4

FREN 3xxx (3 credits)

Summer Abroad in Lyon or J-Term/summer sessions

FREN 3xxx (3 credits)

FREN 4xxx (3 credits)

Semester 5

FREN 3xxx or 4xxx (3 credits)

Semester 6

FREN 3xxx or 4xxx (3 credits)

Semester 7

FREN 4xxx (3 credits)

Semester 8

FREN 4xxx (3 credits)

 

How to Declare a Major or Minor in French

 Click here for the Major Declaration Form and fill in "Jennifer Tsien" and "tsien@virginia.edu" as the Declaration of Major Contact: 

Fill out the top and your course history so far, as well as the classes that you will potentially take to fulfill the requirements. After you submit the form, the Director of the Undergraduare program, Jennifer Tsien, will contact you. 

Click here for the Minor Declaration Form and fill in "Jennifer Tsien" and "tsien@virginia.edu" as the Declaration of Major Contact. Check the Minor box on the Declaration Form as this form is used for both declaring major and minors.

FIll out the courses you have taken and those you will potentially take to fulfill the requirements, then submit the form. After you submit the form, you will receive an email from either Professor Tsien to confirm your French minor and assign an advisor to you.

Independent Study Policy

Guidelines and Policies: Because the French Department provides a wide range of courses on French and Francophone literature, film, linguistics, history, and cultural studies, it rarely offers Independent Study courses. The French Department reserves this option for exceptionally qualified fourth-year students with clearly defined and justified project goals. Fourth year French majors or minors may enroll in Independent Study course (FREN 4993) after obtaining permission from the supervising faculty member, the Director of the Undergraduate Program (DUP), and the Department Chair. Only students with a GPA in French of 3.5 or higher and overall GPA of 3 may apply. Only 1 independent study course may be counted toward the major or minor.

• Click here for application
• A complete description of the project
• Evidence of prior courses which have adequately prepared the student for the project
• A bibliography of the works to be studied
• A brief statement from a faculty member who accepts responsibility for directing the independent study

The Distinguished Majors Program

Above: A recent cohort of Distinguished Majors in French celebrating their accomplishments (marked by certificates and honorary cocardes) at the department's graduation ceremony at the Maison Française.

Application and Admission: In consultation with the Committee on Undergraduate Studies, the Director of the Undergraduate Program will admit applicants, normally in the spring of their third year, on the basis of the following factors:

• An overall GPA of 3.4 and a departmental GPA of 3.5 in FREN courses at the 3000 level or above, evidenced by a current college transcript or a SIS form.
• A pledged 500-word statement of purpose composed in French.
•  An email from a French Department faculty member agreeing to direct the applicant's thesis
•  The above should be emailed to dup-french@virginia.edu 

Prospective applicants planning to be abroad during the application period should contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies for further information, before departure if possible.

Required Course Work and Thesis: The DMP program consists of 36 semester hours: that is, 6 credits on top of the 30 credits needed for the major. These 6 credits include French 4998 (Pre-thesis Tutorial), in which background reading, research, and a thorough working outline of the thesis will be completed under the director's supervision, and French 4999 (Thesis), in which the candidate will, under the director's supervision, draft and revise the work, defined as a 30-50 page study, in French. The thesis should demonstrate mastery of relevant theories, research techniques, appropriate methods of analysis and interpretation, as well as expository writing. Two readers will examine the document: the thesis director and either the Director of the Undergraduate Program, another member of the French faculty, or a qualified professor from another UVA department. The final version of the thesis will be prepared according to the MLA Handbook.

Continuance: The DUP will monitor each candidate's progress on a term-to-term basis. Failure to maintain the overall or departmental GPA required for admission, or failure to complete program requirements on time, will result in probation for one semester. If the candidate's record is then cleared, good standing will be restored; otherwise, the candidate will be dropped from the program.

Degrees of Distinction: The DUP, in consultation with the thesis director and, if required, the Committee on Undergraduate Studies, will recommend conferral of Distinction, High Distinction, or Highest Distinction. The bases for judgement will be the quality of the thesis and work in the Distinguished Majors Program, the major, and the College. All queries concerning the program should be addressed to the Director of the Undergraduate Program.

Deadlines:

Third Year:
Application to DMP: May 15
Announcement of admissions: May 25

Click here for previous Distinguished Majors.

The B.A./M.A. in French

The BA/MA program is a five-year program that will interest students wishing to exercise their French skills at the near-native level while developing their cultural knowledge, keen analytical capacities. Students who are on track to complete at least one 4000-level French course during their 3rd Year, or students in their 4th Year about to complete the major, may apply. We offer a wide range of courses on the relationship between French culture, society and expression of the human condition (in literature, in language, in visual media). Intrinsic to these courses is the development of skills that will serve students in a variety of professional fields: analytical, creative and critical thinking; problem-solving (individually and collaboratively); the capacity to recognize and transcend one's own cultural perspective in order to better understand other points of view; the ability to make connections to other times and places. ***More information and how to apply here!***

The Hugh M. Davidson Essay Prize

The Hugh M. Davidson Essay Prize commemorates a beloved teacher and colleague who was also internationally admired for his scholarly publications, particularly on Blaise Pascal. Each year, one undergraduate student will receive the $500 prize at the Maas Awards ceremony in March. Eligible topics will concern any aspect of French or Francophone culture before the year 1800 and students may submit revised papers from one of their courses.

Deadline: February 20

Selection criteria: The winning essay will possess the following characteristics

Former prize winners and titles.

• 2022, Schyler Vander Schaaf, L’Amour, l’amitié et le milieu : une analyse des Essais de Montaigne
• 2021, Katherine Knipmeyer, Les caprices de la mode, chez les Français: une analyse brève de la satire de la mode présentée dans ​Lettres persanes

MAAS Essay Prize

The Department of French at the University of Virginia holds an annual essay competition in honor of the Lieutenant Commander Charles Oscar Maas, USNRF, Assistant Naval Attaché to the  American Embassy, Paris, France, World War I. The prize was established in 1953 by the late Mrs. Kitty M. Maas as a memorial to her husband, who presided at the ceremony in Paris on 13 April 1919 at which the University of Virginia presented the Republic of France with a plaque in memory of Thomas Jefferson.

The Maas Prize awards prizes of up to $5,000 for continued learning about France and French-­speaking cultures. Undergraduates in all schools of the University are invited to submit essays in French on a topic concerning Franco-American relations, broadly interpreted to be any topic of a comparative nature dealing with the language, culture, politics, society, business (or some similar or allied subject) of the United States and of France or any French-speaking nation or region. 

Deadline: February 20

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

• The contest is open to all undergraduate students of French at the University who are not native speakers of French and who have not learned their French primarily in French-speaking schools.
• The essay must not have been previously submitted for another essay contest.
• Former winners of a Maas prize are excluded from the present competition.
• Each contestant may submit a single essay.
• Contestants who do not win a prize in a given year may submit a new essay the following year.

SOME RULES

• The length of the essay should be between 2000 and 2500 words, double-spaced, in Times New Roman.
• Each essay should have a title and pages should be numbered. Titles must follow French capitalization rules (only the first or the first important word is to be capitalized)
• Essays are to be entirely the work of the participant; research materials must be referenced.
• In terms of sources, the selection committee prefers a combination of French and English-language sources to exclusively English sources; it also prefers peer-reviewed sources which you can find on library databases such as cairn.info or JSTOR to non-peer-reviewed internet sources.
• Students are permitted, indeed encouraged, to consult dictionaries and grammar books, but they may not seek anyone’s help with French while writing their essays. They may not use translation software for whole sentences.

HOW ARE ESSAYS SELECTED FOR PRIZES?

• Essays are judged on originality of topic, clarity of argument, and quality of French grammar.
• Each essay should contain a thesis and an argument that supports it.
• The decision of the selection committee is final. It reserves the right to award more prizes or fewer based on the quality of the submissions.

WHAT ARE THE PRIZES?

• The Winner of the first prize will be entitled to receive $5,000 in documented expenses of an educational or scholarly purpose related to enhancing knowledge of the French language or Francophone culture (airfare to a French-speaking country or region, per diem living expenses when such travel is related to specific educational endeavors, consultation of archives, tuition in a degree program in a French-speaking country or region, graduate work in French, etc.)
• The committee may select a second prize, third prize, and/or honorable mention recipients. These awardees will be entitled to prize money to be used for similar expenses. Previous awardees of second and third prizes have received awards of $3000 and $2000.
• Authors will be informed of the outcome of the essay contest by email before the Maas reception in the spring semester. Prize winners will be publicly announced at this event and all participants are invited to attend.

HOW TO SUBMIT THE ESSAY

• The deadline for the competition is February 20, 5pm. No late entries will be accepted.
• The name of the writer should not figure within the essay itself but should be given in the e-mail message. The judges will not know the identities of the writers.
• Please send the essay as e-mail attachments in Word or pdf format to Ms. Paw Kamjan 
• The e-mail message will contain a pledge that the work is that of the author alone.

For any questions, contact Prof.Tsien.

Former prize winners and titles.

• 2023, (Tie) Ella Dailey, Réalisme dénudé et dégénératif : une comparaison de deux tendances littéraires émergentes
• 2023, (Tie) Elise Kalhor, La Révolution américaine contre la Révolution française à travers une analyse contextuelle de l’art
• 2022, Marina Peebles, John Kerry, l’air français et le langage de la politique en France et les États-Unis
• 2021, Chloe Suzman, Le rôle de la race dans le droit constitutionnel: une perspective transatlantique

 

MAAS Essay Prize for Intermediate French Language and Culture

The Maas Essay Prize for Intermediate French Language and Culture awards up to $500 for excellent written essays by intermediate-level learners in FREN 2010, 2020, and 2320 in the French Department at the University of Virginia.

Undergraduates are invited to submit essays written in French in an intermediate-level course at the University of Virginia (FREN 2010, 2020, 2320) within the current semester or previous calendar year, whether on Grounds or in the UVA program in Lyon.

• Topic: Any subject concerning Franco-American relations, broadly interpreted to be any topic of a comparative nature dealing with the language, culture, politics, society, business (or some similar or allied subject) of the United States and of France or any French-speaking nation or region. Essays are to be entirely the work of the participant; research materials (if applicable) must be referenced.
• All topics comparing France and the United States are welcome, but we especially encourage essays that deal with the subject of freedom, race, and inequality in the US and in France.

Students may submit an essay written for an intermediate-level French class at UVA for which they did not receive extensive feedback and error correction advice from the instructor. Essays written for class may be revised and expanded to strengthen them, if desired, provided the work is that of the author alone and written without use of translation software.

For the Intermediate-Level Maas Essay Competition:

Students in a 2000-level FREN course may choose to write an original essay on the topics indicated above, provided it adheres to the guidelines above and is entirely their own work, written without the use of any translation software or editorial assistance from others.

Students also have the option of submitting one of the following assignments completed for class:

• FREN 2010 students may choose to submit their written proposal for study abroad (tâche écrite 2 for Spring/Summer 2023 or final IPA, part 3, for Fall2023/Spring2024).

• FREN 2020 students may submit the written portion of their second culture project exposé (“une comparaison culturelle”). Alternatively, FREN 2020 students may choose to submit an essay based on the final culture project presentation. In that case, students should keep in mind that the “script” for their presentation in 2020 will need to be adapted to fit the format of a written essay. FREN 2020 students have the option to submit an essay jointly with their culture project partner, provided that both students have contributed equally to both the final project and the reformulation of the script into an essay for the Maas prize.

The submission deadline for the 2023-2024 Maas Prize competition for Intermediate French is at 5pm on Monday, March 11, 2024. Email submissions of essays must be received by Ms. Paw Kamjan in the Department of French no later than 5pm on March 11th. In the Subject Line, please indicate:  Intermediate Maas Essay Entry.

DETAILED GUIDELINES

• The contest is open to all undergraduate students of French in intermediate-level courses at the University (FREN 2010, 2020, 2320) who are not native speakers of French and who have not learned French primarily in French-speaking schools.
• Students may submit an essay written in one of the intermediate-level French courses at UVA in the current semester or within the previous calendar year, or a new essay written in the current academic year, following the guidelines indicated here.
• Students who will graduate before May 2024 are not eligible for the competition. 
• Please contact the Language Program Director in French (Karen James) if you have any questions about eligibility.
• The length of the essay submitted will align with the length of the writing assignment in the intermediate level course. These will range from about 350 words in 2010 up to 500 words in 2020/2320. Submissions for the Maas Essay Prize for Intermediate French Language and Culture should not exceed 750 words.
• Essays are to be entirely the work of the participant and should reflect the original guidelines for the written assignment in the FREN 2010, 2020, or 2320 class. Any research materials used must be referenced. Essays are judged on choice of topic, clarity of argument, and quality of French, using the standards for students’ written work in our intermediate-level courses. Students are permitted, indeed encouraged, to consult dictionaries and grammar books, but they may not use any translation software or AI (including Google Translate or Chat GPT) or seek anyone’s help with French while writing (or subsequently revising) their essays.
• The essay must not have been previously submitted for another essay contest. Former winners of a Maas Essay Prize for Intermediate French may and are encouraged to submit new essays in subsequent years for the larger Maas Essay Prize competition at the advanced level.
• Each essay should be a typed document, double spaced. Each essay should have a title, and pages should be numbered. Essays should be submitted as email attachments in Word or pdf format. The name of the writer should not figure within the essay itself but should be given in the email message. The email message will contain a pledge that the work is that of the author alone. The judges will not know the identities of the writers. 

The email message must include:

• Student’s name
• Title of the essay being submitted
• Word or pdf file attached (The file should include the essay title, but not the student’s name.)
• Semester/term when the student took the course and wrote the essay. Also, French course (2010, 2020, or 2320) for which the essay was originally written. Students currently in FREN 2010 or 2020 (spring semester) who have written an essay specifically for this year’s competition should indicate the course level in which they are now enrolled.
• Honor Pledge: “On my honor as a student at the University of Virginia, this essay is my work. I have followed the published guidelines for submissions and have not received assistance on this essay other than the normal feedback provided by the instructor on the final written assignment in my class.” Please include the pledge in the email in which you submit your essay.
• FREN 2020 students who submit an essay jointly will include a joint pledge, and should send the submission in one email, not two, with both author’s names included along with the other required information.
• Please remember to indicate in the subject line of your email: Intermediate Maas Essay Entry.

Winners will be recognized at the French Department Annual Maas Event, which will be at 5pm on Thursday., March 28, 2024, in the Colonnade Club Solarium. All essay authors will be invited and encouraged to attend as well. 

The winner will receive a prize award of up to $500, intended for any educational purposes related to enhancing knowledge of the French language or francophone culture. (Suggested uses include purchasing books or software, or application of award money to travel expenses related to study or internships abroad.) The committee may select second prize, third prize, and/or honorable mention recipients, with prize money awarded (up to $500) as deemed appropriate.

The decision of the judges is final. The Maas Prize Committee reserves the right to withhold the announced prize if, in its opinion, essays submitted are not of sufficient merit.

The Mass Essay Prize was established in 1953 by the late Mrs. Kitty M. Maas as a memorial to her husband, Lieutenant Commander Charles Maas, USNFR, who presided at the ceremony in Paris on 13 April 1919 at which the University of Virginia presented the Republic of France with a plaque in memory of Thomas Jefferson.

Former prize winners and titles.

• 2023, Margaret Cox, Savoir faire la fête, repensé
• 2021, John Lindsey, Un Semestre au Québec

The T. Braxton Woody Award

Endowed by Professor Emeritus T. Braxton Woody, this $1500 award, administered by the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society, honors a French major in their next to last year of study who, through academic achievement and other activities, has contributed to the advancement of French studies. Nominations from the French faculty are gathered in January by the chair of the Undergraduate Studies Committee, and the recipient is selected the following month by the department chair. The award is presented at a Rotunda dinner on or about Founder's Day.

Former prize winners.

• 2023, Felix Worthen
• 2022, Casey Fishman
• 2021, Madeleine Poché
• 2020, Claire Koeppen and Zola Price