French Major

The study of French offers many opportunities to a wide variety of students. Whether pursuing a major in French or supplementing a program in business, engineering, chemistry, history, or other areas with French courses, students find that learning French offers many future opportunities.

Requirements

The major in French requires 24 hours in courses numbered 3000 or above with a minimum grade of "C" in each course. There are 7 courses (21 hours) required of French majors:

The remaining 3 hours of coursework required for the major in French will be chosen in collaboration with the student's adviser.

For more information, contact one of the French major advisors: Dr. Hope Christiansen (hopec@uark.edu) or Dr. Kathy Comfort (kcomfort@uark.edu)

Honors

For information about graduating with honors, click here.

FRENCH MINOR

The French minor allows students to add an advanced study of the French language to their degree program. Consisting of 15 hours of courses numbered 3000 or above, the minor requires students to examine literature, expand their oral proficiency, and study advanced grammatical structures while still allowing for some flexible according to the students interest.

There are four classes (12 hours) required to earn a minor in French:

The remaining 3 hours of coursework may be selected from other French courses, including French civilization, Business French, and several literature courses.

French Minor with a Business Orientation

Students may earn a Minor in French with a Business orientation, which consists of 15 hours of course work at the 3000- and 4000-levels. The required courses are:

FREN 3003: Advanced French
FREN 3103: Cultural Readings
FREN 4003: Grammar and Composition
FREN 4033: French for Oral Proficiency
FREN 4333 Business French
For more information, contact the French minor advisor, Dr. Nancy Arenberg (arenberg@uark.edu)

MA Reading List:
Reading list: updated Fall 2012

French MA

The French MA Program at the University of Arkansas offers a balanced course of study. Graduate students take courses in language, French and Francophone literature and culture, and foreign language teaching methodology. The program provides a solid preparation for students who intend to pursue a Ph.D. Its comprehensive curriculum also provides a sound base for a career in education, government, or the private sector.

With a low student-faculty ratio, our well-trained faculty provide support and mentoring to a small body of graduate students. Incoming candidates are offered workshops on how to succeed in academia (i.e. how to research, write, present, and publish papers).

Teaching Assistants

The department is able to offer teaching assistantships to qualified applicants. Teaching assistants teach two courses per semester with funding for two years contingent on satisfactory progress toward the degree and satisfactory teaching evaluations. They receive tuition remission for as many as 10 graduate credit hours. Teaching assistants enroll in a one-semester methods course that provides training in both the theory and practice of teaching. Summer teaching is often available. On-campus student housing and day care are available. Since the French graduate program is relatively small, teaching assistants share in the collegiality of a department where good teaching is valued and appreciated.

Click here for more information or to apply for a teaching assistantship.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the MA program in French requires a Bachelor of Arts degree or the equivalent from an accredited institution with suitable preparation in French. Individuals interested in a teaching assistantship should submit an Application for Graduate Assistantship form to the Department of Foreign Languages by February 1. In order to demonstrate oral and written proficiency in French, prospective teaching assistants must send a cassette tape with reading passages in English and French as well as a two-to-three page paper in French on a subject of their choosing. The Graduate School requires that international students score a minimum of 550 on the TOEFL for admission to the program and 50 on the TSE in order to qualify for an assistantship. Results from these exams must be received before admission to the Graduate School or an application for a teaching assistantship can be considered.

Click here to visit the Graduate School's website and to apply.

Le Mans Exchange

The graduate program in French offers a direct exchange with University du Maine in Le Mans, France. One TA is selected to spend a semester teaching abroad, while one TA from Le Mans travels to the University of Arkansas to teach courses in our program here. For more information, contact Dr. Kathy Comfort.

Graduate Advisor

Dr. Nancy Arenberg

TA Coordinator

Oana Cimpean