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FRENCH

French (French and Italian)

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The department at a glance

All recorded grades
average GPA
A / AB grades
letter grades

How grades break down

Grades over time

Red: department · Gray: UW–Madison

About these statistics

GPA and percentages are weighted by recorded letter grades. UW comparisons use the same terms. Cross-listed courses count once within this department and once across UW; department totals should not be added together. Grade counts are not unique students. Offering counts reflect captured records, not a complete historical schedule.

Spring 2027

Recorded this term
courses with offerings
instructors recorded

Grades have not been recorded for this term. Historical results remain in the overview above.

Across course levels

Recorded this term

No released grades for this term.

Recorded offerings over time

Find your next class

27 courses

First Semester French covers oral practice, conversation, grammar, reading, vocabulary, and Francophone culture.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Melissa Henderson

One student described Melissa Henderson as very lenient when grading tests and homework.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

Second Semester French covers oral practice, conversation, grammar, reading, vocabulary, and Francophone cultures.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Hugo Torres

The course is not easy but fair, expecting students to put in work while ensuring that effort is rewarding through original lesson plans.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

Accelerated introductory French course developing communicative literacy and exploring the contemporary French-speaking world; equivalent to completing FRENCH 101 and FRENCH 102.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2026–Spring 2026 · limited sample

Third Semester French focuses on oral practice, conversation, grammar review, reading, vocabulary expansion, creative writing, and the study of French and Francophone cultures.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Jacqueline Ebelabena

Jacqueline Ebelabena assigned far too many tedious grammar assignments, with one student reporting seven per day.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

Fourth Semester French covers advanced oral practice, conversation, grammar, reading, vocabulary, creative writing, and Francophone cultures.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Kimberly Rooney

Students were required to complete workbook exercises, which counted toward the grade, though the online component was optional. Clear rubrics were provided for small essay assignments.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

Accelerated intermediate French developing speaking and writing skills through topics like social media, food cultures, and globalization within the French-speaking world.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

No recorded grade history

This course improves French proficiency and Francophone cultural understanding through literature, film, advertising, journalism, grammar review, and discussion.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Ritt Deitz

The course required extensive reading, including finishing a book within a two-day window, and mandated attendance with a written insight submitted after every class.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

Introduction to reading and analyzing literature, comics, and film in French, emphasizing the development of writing skills and close reading techniques.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Gwenola Caradec

The class involved significant work, requiring students to read, participate, and ask questions while being graded on multiple components.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

A course that uses cinema, television, and literary texts to study Montreal and Quebec, with emphasis on identity, cultural history, the Quiet Revolution, and cultural diversity.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

No recorded grade history

Directed Study is an independent study course in French arranged with a faculty member.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

No recorded grade history

Advanced Writing Workshop develops writing and oral expression in French through internet journalism, translation, or creative genres.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2023–Spring 2026 · limited sample

An introduction to important literary works from the medieval era to the French Revolution, taught in French, covering key writers, texts, and cultural evolution.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Anne Vila

Getting an A required consistent effort, though the workload was never overwhelming. Taking good lecture notes was helpful when writing essays.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

Introduction to important literary works of modernity from the French Revolution to the twenty-first century. Taught in French.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Jennifer Gipson

The course involved thought-provoking conversation and was rated as moderately difficult by a past student who had previously struggled in other classes.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

Examines French fashion from the Middle Ages to today through literary texts and visual arts, analyzing clothing as a reflection of aesthetic, social, and gender values.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Anne Theobald

The course included many homework assignments written on paper, a format one student found appealing despite it being old-fashioned.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2024–Spring 2026

French for Reading Knowledge offers intensive grammar and reading for students with little or no French experience, using texts from humanities, sciences, and social sciences.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2024–Spring 2024 · limited sample

Study of how culture evolved over French history relative to a chosen topic, taught in French as part of Francophone Cultural Studies Across the Centuries.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2023–Spring 2025 · limited sample

Graduate seminar exploring a specific topic in French/Francophone literature and culture, analyzing texts/film in historical contexts using diverse methodologies, taught in French.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sample

Individual mentored study for seniors completing theses for Honors in the Major as arranged with a faculty member.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

No recorded grade history

Graduate-level course on French grammar and style, taught in French, focusing on grammatical review, stylistic practice, and analysis of various textual forms.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

No recorded grade history

A graduate seminar on French literature and culture, organized thematically or chronologically, taught entirely in French.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026 · limited sample

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2023–Spring 2026 · limited sample

Cultural study of contemporary Francophone Africa's government, organizations, and enterprise, exploring relations with France, the EU, and US while developing bilingual networking and communication skills.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2023–Spring 2026