Catalogue

French Studies

french.bard.edu

Faculty

Éric Trudel (director), Katherine M. Boivin, Odile S. Chilton, Christian Ayne Crouch, Laurie Dahlberg, Tabetha Ewing, Peter Laki, Gabriella Lindsay, Alys Moody, Rufus Müller, Masha Shpolberg, Karen Sullivan, Marina van Zuylen 

Overview

Students in French Studies are expected to reach a high level of competence in the French language. The program emphasizes in-depth study of literature, history, philosophy and theory, art history and visual culture, and cinema.

Areas of Study

The program allows students to choose one of three areas of specialization: French and francophone literature; civilization, culture, and history; and translation. For students beginning the study of French, an intensive program (one semester of study followed by four weeks in France) is offered every spring.

Requirements

Prior to Moderation, students must take at least five courses (20 credits) that are accredited by the French Studies Program, or must have reached the equivalent level of fluency. Over four years, students must take 13 program-accredited courses (52 credits), including the 8-credit Senior Project. At least six of the 13 courses must be conducted entirely in French. At least two of the courses should be devoted to French history.

Recent Senior Projects in French Studies

• “Breaking the Genius Myth: Henri Bergson and Musical Intuition” 
• “The Origins of Modern Anti-Semitism in France: A Study of Jewish Experience from the Ancien Régime to the Second World War” 
• “Wild Wales: How Cultural Discrimination Transformed Merlin from Brittonic Legends to French Arthurian Romances”(w/Medieval Studies)