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First-Year Focus

Welcome to french at nu!

Bienvenue from the French Department at Northwestern, where small class sizes, a vibrant community and our interdisciplinary, multi-award-winning faculty looks forward to welcoming you.

Below you will find the most important information and links for first-year students: how to fulfill the WCAS language requirement, information on the language placement test, common courses taken by first-year students, etc. Feel free to browse our website to learn more about the French major and minor, activities for French-department students and information on Studying Abroad in a French-speaking country. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at any time.

WEINBERG Language Requirement in French

There are several ways to fulfill the Weinberg College Language Requirement in French:

Please use the following table to determine which course best suits your level of French:
If you have...
Advanced proficiency (ex: French baccalauréat, lycée, or your education has been predominately in French): Please follow the policy to demonstrate your proficiency. We encourage you to continue your French studies at Northwestern. For placement into advanced French courses, please contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Prof. Cynthia Nazarian.
IB HL French Language A score of 6 or 7: Congratulations! You have satisfied the Weinberg Language Proficiency Requirement in French.  We encourage you to continue your studies in French at Northwestern. Please consult the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Prof. Cynthia Nazarian, with questions.
A score of 5 on the Advanced Placement (AP) French Language and Culture Exam: Congratulations! You have satisfied the Weinberg Language Proficiency Requirement in French. We encourage you to continue your French studies at Northwestern. You may automatically register for French 210, 211, or 300-309. More advanced options may be possible for your individual level: please consult the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Prof. Cynthia Nazarian, with questions.
A score of 4 on the Advanced Placement (AP) French Language and Culture Exam: Great! Welcome to the French Language Program. You can register for French 201 (offered in Fall only). When you complete this course with a grade of C- or above, you will have fulfilled the WCAS language requirement. Please contact the placement coordinator, Prof. Dominique Licops, with questions.
A score of 1, 2, or 3 on the Advanced Placement (AP) French Language and Culture Exam or prior knowledge or study of French: Great! Welcome to the French Language Program. You NEED to take the French Placement Test, which will place you in the appropriate course for your level. Please contact the placement coordinator, Prof. Dominique Licops, with questions.
Prior knowledge of French,  from studying in high school, speaking the language at home, living abroad, or engaging in self‑study, but have not taken AP or IB HL, and cannot demonstrate proficiency based on your high school diploma:

Great! Welcome to the French Language Program. You NEED to take the French Placement test. The placement test will

  • Place you in the appropriate course for your level, so you can continue your French studies at Northwestern and satisfy the language requirement.
  • Invite you to the validation of proficiency. This means either:
    • We need to validate your level before placing you into a course leading up to the language requirement.
    • Or that you have scored high enough to validate your proficiency. If you pass the validation of proficiency, you will have satisfied the language requirement and are encouraged to continue your French studies.
Please contact the placement coordinator, Prof. Dominique Licops, with questions.
Never studied any French before:

Welcome to the French Language Program. You DO NOT NEED to take the placement test. You may register for 111-1 Elementary French (offered only in the Fall). You will need to complete six courses to satisfy the Weinberg Language Proficiency Requirement in French. Please contact the placement coordinator, Prof. Dominique Licops, with questions.

 Placement TEST

The online French Placement Test places students into the appropriate French class from which to work toward fulfilling the French Language Requirement and/or continue on to studying for a French Major or Minor.

You can find the Placement exam and information about it at the French Language Placement page.

If you have any questions, please contact Prof. Dominique Licops or Prof. Margaret Dempster.

common courses for First-Year Students

These are typical schedules for First-year students, depending on where you place (see table above):

Year 1 Fall Winter Spring
111-1 111-2 111-3
115-1 115-2 125-1
121-1 121-2 121-3
125-2 125-3 202
201 202 210 or 211
202 210 or 211 OR 300-309 271, 272, or 273
210 or 211 271, 272, or 273 OR 300-309 310+

Majoring or Minoring in French

Once you have fulfilled the Language Requirement in French, you are ready to sign up for a French Major or Minor. Both the Major and the Minor in French are open to all students at Northwestern. They are highly flexible programs suited to students with a variety of interests and other majors/minors. Both are designed to introduce you to the cultures, literatures, media and thought of the French-speaking world.

Learning French, a language spoken by 200 million people in the Americas, Africa, Europe and the Middle East, is a valuable asset for those interested in careers as varied as business, global health, the Foreign Service, fine arts, journalism, international law, media, education, and tourism.

The French undergraduate program reflects the diversity of the French-speaking world, spread over 5 continents and over 43 countries worldwide, through its multidisciplinary approach. We offer courses, both in English and French, in literature, cinema, theater, as well as philosophy, literary theory and history, ranging from the Medieval period to contemporary French and Francophone studies. Students also have a wide choice of language courses, including career-specific business French.

You can take a look at major and minor requirements on our website, and if you have questions about our major, minor, and courses, please contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Prof. Cynthia Nazarian.

Study Abroad

Study Abroad is a valuable way to enhance language skills and cultural competency. The Department of French and Italian works carefully with students to integrate a period of study in France and / or other French-speaking countries into their overall academic plans. Students studying abroad expand their language skills and also live and interact with native French-speakers in a fully immersive experience. Students typically return from their time abroad with a much firmer grasp of both written and spoken French and a deeper understanding of French-speaking people, their societies and cultures.

For more information on studying abroad and for language interviews, please contact Prof. Thao Nguyen, the Study Abroad Advisor. For advice on the role of study abroad in a student's academic progress towards the French major or minor, as well as credit transfers for courses taken abroad, see Prof. Cynthia Nazarian, Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Activities

The French department others varied opportunities for students to expand their understanding of the French culture and language in and beyond the classroom. To learn more, visit the Activities page and the Events page.


Contact Information

If you have questions, please contact us: