The Department of French aims at flexibility and responds to the plans and interests
of the French major within a structure that affords diversity of experience in
French literature and continuous training in the use of the language.
A major in French (both rite and Honors) will normally consist of a minimum
of eight courses. Students may choose to take (a) eight courses in French literature
and civilization; or (b) six courses in French literature and civilization and
two related courses with departmental approval. In either case, a minimum of
four courses must be taken from the French offerings in the Amherst College
French Department. One of these four must be taken during the Senior year.
All courses offered by the Department above French 3 may count for the major.
The one rule of selection is that two of the eight courses submitted for the
major must be chosen from offerings in French literature and culture before
the nineteenth century. One of these must be a course that covers the Medieval
period or the Renaissance, the other a course that examines the seventeenth
or eighteenth centuries. (French 11 may be counted toward the major as one of
these two courses.) Up to four courses taken in a study abroad program may count
toward the eight required courses for the major. Comprehensive examinations
must be completed no later than the seventh week of the second semester of the
senior year.
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