French Studies (B.A.)

Program Coordinator/Contact

Marie-Pierre Caquot Baggett, Professor of French
School of American and Global Studies
Wagner Hall 111, Box 2275
605-688-4278

Program Information

The French Studies program allows students to learn a language, gain intercultural competence, and communicate effectively and appropriately with all people.  Studying French provides models to deal with cultural differences that are applicable in any part of the world, including the U.S Students engage with the contemporary norms that structure societies’ politics, religions, identities, and workplaces, as well as with the heritage and diversity of cultures in the French-speaking world. Students also participate in internships, study abroad, and experiential learning opportunities both locally and internationally. Courses in the French Studies program provide students with the flexibility to pair with another major, and with the skills to function and communicate effectively in any environment, and ultimately, to work competitively in the global marketplace.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon the completion of the French major, students should be able to:

• Speak, read and write French at the Intermediate-High or Advanced level, developing solid competence in the language needed for everyday life and advanced narrative skills in the past, present, and future.
• Demonstrate understanding of and growth in the skills required for intercultural communication and competence and life-long learning.
• Identify the cultural perspectives of the French-speaking world’s civilizations and their cultural products, such as literatures, arts, institutions, pop cultures, etc. and compare the cultural frames that determine everyday life in French- speaking cultures and the U.S.
• Adapt behavior to a variety of cultural contexts through critical analysis of cultural frames.
• Articulate the value of their language and cultural studies and apply this knowledge in future employment.

Academic Requirements

Students with previous knowledge of the language must take the placement test and register for an appropriate course. The program requires all French courses must be passed with a grade of “C” or better.

Course Delivery Format

Most courses in the French major are offered face-to-face on campus. Some upper-division courses are offered as part of the French cooperative program with NSU and USD and they use different types of distance delivery, including simultaneous television (DDN) and online delivery.