- Mission
- Acknowledging Bard's Origins
- History of Bard
- Learning at Bard
- Admission
- Academic Calendar
- Division of the Arts
- Division of Languages and Literature
- Division of Science, Mathematics, and Computing
- Division of Social Studies
- Interdivisional Programs and Concentrations
- Interdivisional Overview
- Africana Studies
- American and Indigenous Studies
- Asian Studies
- Classical Studies
- Data Analytics
- Environmental Studies
- Experimental Humanities
- French Studies
- Gender and Sexuality Studies
- German Studies
- Global and International Studies
- Global Public Health
- Human Rights
- Irish and Celtic Studies
- Italian Studies
- Jewish Studies
- Latin American and Iberian Studies
- Medieval Studies
- Middle Eastern Studies
- Mind, Brain, and Behavior
- Russian and Eurasian Studies
- Science, Technology, and Society
- Spanish Studies
- Theology
- Victorian Studies
- Multidisciplinary Studies
- Interdisciplinary Curricular Initiatives
- The Bard Conservatory of Music
- Bard Abroad
- Additional Study Opportunities and Affiliated Institutes
- Civic Engagement
- Open Society University Network
- Campus Life and Facilities
- Graduate Programs
- Educational Outreach
- Levy Economics Institute of Bard College
- The Bard Center
- Finances
- Scholarships, Awards, and Prizes
- Faculty
- Honorary Degrees and Bard College Awards
- Boards and Administration of Bard College
- Bard College Contact Information
- Bard Campus Map and Travel Directions
Bard College Catalogue 2024–25
French Studies
Faculty
Éric Trudel (director), Katherine M. Boivin, Odile S. Chilton, Christian Ayne Crouch, Laurie Dahlberg, Tabetha Ewing, Peter Laki, Gabriella Lindsay, Alys Moody, Rufus Müller, Masha Shpolberg, Karen Sullivan, Marina van Zuylen
Overview
Students in French Studies are expected to reach a high level of competence in the French language. The program emphasizes in-depth study of literature, history, philosophy and theory, art history and visual culture, and cinema.
Areas of Study
The program allows students to choose one of three areas of specialization: French and francophone literature; civilization, culture, and history; and translation. For students beginning the study of French, an intensive program (one semester of study followed by four weeks in France) is offered every spring.
Requirements
Prior to Moderation, students must take at least five courses (20 credits) that are accredited by the French Studies Program, or must have reached the equivalent level of fluency. Over four years, students must take 13 program-accredited courses (52 credits), including the 8-credit Senior Project. At least six of the 13 courses must be conducted entirely in French. At least two of the courses should be devoted to French history.
Recent Senior Projects in French Studies
- “Breaking the Genius Myth: Henri Bergson and Musical Intuition”
- “The Origins of Modern Anti-Semitism in France: A Study of Jewish Experience from the Ancien Régime to the Second World War”
- “Wild Wales: How Cultural Discrimination Transformed Merlin from Brittonic Legends to French Arthurian Romances”(w/Medieval Studies)