French Program Requirements

Faculty

• Steve Haslam

View French Courses

Objectives

The French Program offers a minor in French. This program is designed to help students deepen their sensitivity of language in its everyday and artistic forms and to understand cultures other than their own.

Placement

Only students who have never studied French before may register for FREN 110. Students with prior study or knowledge of French can consult with program faculty on appropriate course placement through an interview. Students who have completed one or two years of high school French language study are usually eligible for FREN 111. Students who have completed three or more years of high school French language study are generally not eligible to take FREN 110 or FREN 111. Based on their prior study and demonstrated proficiency, faculty may place these students in a 200-level FREN course. French placement exams, such as the CLEP, can also help determine whether a student should register for French 110, 111, or higher. Please note that language placement at a higher level does not reduce the total number of world language credit hours required for a major or minor.

Program Requirements

Students wishing to minor in French are advised that, due to the size and staffing of the Language Department, some French courses have only one section in a given semester or may be offered on a rotating basis. A maximum of 12 external hours (transfer, CLEP, Prior Learning, Challenge exam, or other approved external language exams) may be applied toward the minor (see below under “Additional Requirements and Procedures”). For further information and advising please schedule an appointment with the chair of the Language Department or French faculty.

Students must meet the university-wide graduation requirements in addition to the French Minor:

• 124 total hours
• 30 upper division hours
• WCore or Honors College requirements

French Minor

Additional Academic Requirements and Procedures

Note: Please consult your individual academic major listings in this catalog for any language requirement under their governance.

Native Fluency—Students demonstrating native fluency in a language other than English may request and receive, upon proper documentation, a waiver for the world language requirement in their major (see Language Department or Registrar’s Office for proper procedure). No credit, however, is awarded for this waiver.

Transfer Credit—A maximum of 12 credit hours of transfer credit or credit by examination may be applied toward the French minor. Transfer credit may apply toward the 12 hours world language required for the International Business major. Transfer hours beyond the 12-hour limit may apply toward total hours for graduation.

Examinations

Credit by examination is not counted as in-residence credit. Questions regarding French exams and placement should be directed to a faculty member.

CLEP Exam—The CLEP exam is a national standardized test of listening/reading comprehension in French. Westminster students successfully passing this exam receive up to a maximum of 12 credit hours equivalent to FREN 110, 111, and 220. Note: Only partial CLEP credit may be applied toward a language major or minor if the student is applying transfer or other exam credit toward the same major or minor.

External World Language Exam—Up to 12 credit hours may be obtained by successfully passing an accredited world language exam administered by another institution, (e.g., University of Utah, Brigham Young University; contact the individual institution directly for world language exam information). It is the student’s responsibility to pre-approve transfer credit with the Registrar’s Office. External tests generally cover the equivalent of the first year and one-half of the second year of a language.

Challenge Examination—Students who have an advanced academic ability in a subject matter may “challenge” a course for credit. See Academic Catalog listing and/or language faculty for details.

Advanced Placement (AP)—Students who received a score of 3 or higher on the French AP exam earn 8 credit hours, distributed as FREN 110 and 111. Students who received a score of 4 or higher on the French AP exam earn 12 credit hours, distributed as FREN 110, 111, and 220. Students with AP credit are encouraged to continue their French studies at Westminster; please direct placement questions to program faculty.