Majors & Minors
Our majors offer solid preparation and guidance for students interested in teaching, graduate studies, or careers in fields such as law, medicine, interpreting, publishing, and international business. Contact Franco Mormando, Director of Undergraduate Studies with any questions.
Programs
A French Studies major assures exceptional competence in French, allowing students to work extensively and closely with literary and cultural artifacts that language makes possible. Building on their linguistic proficiency consolidated in the language program, majors expand that proficiency to a wide variety of French texts. This training exercises and assures our students' ability to analyze texts and contexts, as well as to conceive, articulate, and defend an original idea.
French Studies minors reap similar benefits, albeit to a lesser extent, by attaining linguistic proficiency and taking at least two 4000-level courses.
Language Courses for the Major and Minor
Students begin the program at the level most appropriate for their linguistic proficiency. Contact Prof. Andrea Javel (andrea.javel@bc.edu) for guidance about placement.
French Studies majors and minors may begin their program with Conversation, Composition and Reading I (FREN2209) or II (FREN2210).
30 credits (10 three-credit courses), which must include:聽
12 credits (4 foundation courses)
To be chosen from among the following:
- FREN 3303 French Writing Workshop
- FREN 3305 Introduction to Drama and Poetry
- FREN 3306 Introduction to Narrative Forms
- FREN 3307 Masterpieces of French Literature
- FREN 3308 Advanced Language Studies in French
- FREN 3309 Topics in French Culture and Civilization
Please note:聽Students may repeat a semester of FREN 3307, FREN 3308, or FREN 3309 as an elective with the permission of the instructor and the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
12聽credits (4 advanced courses) in French language, literature, or culture at the 4000 level or above
6 credits (2 elective courses)
To be chosen among the following:
- FREN 2210 French Composition, Conversation and Reading II (as entry level courses only)
- Additional Courses at the 3000 or 4000 level in French
- Related courses with departmental permission
Notes & Conditions
- Maximum transfer credit from study abroad toward a major: 15 credits (5 three-credit courses) for one year of study,聽9 credits (3 three-credit courses) for one semester of study.聽No RLL credit will be granted for courses abroad conducted in English taken during a semester or academic year program.
- Students who do not study abroad are allowed a maximum of two related courses outside the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures. Students who transfer a minimum of 9 credits (3 three-credit courses) from study abroad must take their remaining courses towards the major in the department.
- All RLL majors are required to enroll in an advanced course each semester of their senior year, regardless of whether they have completed the ten-course requirement for the major.
18 credits (6 three-credit courses), which must include:
6 credits (2 foundation courses)
To be chosen from among the following:
- FREN 3303 French Writing Workshop
- FREN 3305 Introduction to Drama and Poetry
- FREN 3306 Introduction to Narrative Form
- FREN 3307 Masterpieces of French Literature
- FREN 3308 Advanced Language Studies in French
- FREN 3309 Topics in French Culture and Civilization
3 credits (1 advanced course)聽at the 4000 or 7000 level
9 credits (3 elective courses)
To be chosen among the following
- FREN 2209 and FREN 2210 French Composition, Conversation and Reading I and II (as entry level courses only)
- Additional Courses at the 3000 or 4000 level in French
Notes & Conditions
- Maximum transfer credit from study abroad toward a minor: nine credits (3 three-credit courses) for one year of study, 6 credits (2 three-credit courses) for one semester of study.聽No RLL credit will be granted for courses abroad conducted in English taken during a semester or academic year program.
- All RLL minors must enroll in one advanced course during their senior year, regardless of whether they have completed the six-course requirement for the minor.
30 credits (10 three-credit courses), which must include:
3 credits (1 course) in SPAN 3395 Contextos
12 credits (4 advanced courses)聽at the 6000-level in Literature and Culture
Must include one course in each of the following categories:
- Pre-1800 Peninsular literature and culture
- Pre-1900 Latin American literature and culture
- Post-1800 Peninsular literature and culture
- Post-1900 Latin American literature and culture
15 credits (5 elective courses), which can be chosen from:
- SPAN 2215聽Spanish Composition, Conversation and Reading I (as entry-level course only)
- SPAN 2216 Spanish Composition, Conversation and Reading II
- Additional courses at the 3000 or 6000 level in Hispanic Studies
- Related courses with departmental permission
Notes & Conditions
Maximum transfer credit from study abroad toward a major: 15 credits (5 three-credit courses) for one year of study, 9 credits (3 three-credit courses) for one semester of study.聽No RLL credit will be granted for courses abroad conducted in English taken during a semester or academic year program.
Students who do not study abroad are allowed a maximum of two related courses outside the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures. Students who transfer a minimum of 9 credits (3 three-credit courses) from study abroad must take their remaining courses towards the major in the department.
All RLL majors are required to enroll in an advanced course each semester of their senior year, regardless of whether they have completed the ten-course requirement for the major.
18 credits (6 three-credit courses), which must include:
3 credits (1 course) SPAN 3395 Contextos
6 credits (2 advanced courses)聽at the 6000-level in Literature and Culture
9 credits (3 elective courses)
Can be chosen from:
- SPAN 2215聽Spanish Composition, Conversation and Reading I (as entry-level course only)
- SPAN 2216 Spanish Composition, Conversation and Reading II
- Additional courses at the 6000 level in Hispanic Studies
Notes & Conditions
Maximum transfer credit from study abroad toward a minor: nine credits (3 three-credit courses) for one year of study, 6 credits (2 three-credit courses) for one semester of study.聽No RLL credit will be granted for courses abroad conducted in English taken during a semester or academic year program.
All RLL minors must enroll in one advanced course during their senior year, regardless of whether they have completed the six-course requirement for the minor.
An Italian Studies major assures exceptional competence in Italian, allowing students to work extensively and closely with literary and cultural artifacts that language makes possible. Building on their linguistic proficiency consolidated in the language program, majors expand that proficiency to a wide variety of Italian texts. This training exercises and assures our students' ability to analyze texts and contexts, as well as to conceive, articulate, and defend an original idea.
Italian Studies minors reap similar benefits, albeit to a lesser extent, by attaining linguistic proficiency and taking at least two advanced courses.
30 credits (10 three-credit courses), which must include:
18 credits (6 advanced courses)聽in Italian literature or culture (5000 level and above)
12 credits (4 elective courses)聽
To be chosen from the following:
- ITAL 2213 and ITAL 2214 (Italian Conversation, Composition and Reading I and II) (as entry-level courses only)
- Additional courses at the 3000, 5000 or 8000 level.
- Related courses with departmental permission.
Notes & Conditions
Maximum transfer credit from study abroad toward a major: 15 credits (5 three-credit courses) for one year of study, 9 credits (3 three-credit courses) for one semester of study.聽No RLL credit will be granted for courses abroad conducted in English taken during a semester or academic year program.
Students who do not study abroad are allowed a maximum of two related courses outside the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures. Students who transfer a minimum of 9 credits (3 three-credit courses) from study abroad must take their remaining courses towards the major in the department.
All RLL majors are required to enroll in an advanced course each semester of their senior year, regardless of whether they have completed the ten-course requirement for the major.
18 credits (6 three-credit courses), which must include:
6 credits (2 foundation courses)聽in ITAL 2213 and ITAL 2214 (Italian Composition, Conversation and Reading I and II)
6 credits (2 advanced courses)聽in Italian Literature or Culture at the 5000 level or above (for Undergraduates)
6 credits (elective courses)聽in Italian Literature or Culture at the 3000 level or above
Notes & Conditions
- An Advanced Placement (AP) high school course in Italian with an exam score of 4 or 5 will count as an elective.
- Maximum transfer credit from study abroad toward a minor: nine credits (3 three-credit courses) for one year of study, 6 credits (2 three-credit courses) for one semester of study.聽No RLL credit will be granted for courses abroad conducted in English taken during a semester or academic year program.
- Italian minors may take one of their six courses in English here at Boston College.
- All RLL minors must enroll in one advanced course during their senior year, regardless of whether they have completed the six-course requirement for the minor.