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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.

Fall 2026

Recorded this term
courses with offerings
instructors recorded

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

Find your next class

26 courses

Historical grades cover up to five years through the selected term. Grade sorting prioritizes courses with at least 100 letter grades.

First Semester French covers oral practice, conversation, grammar, reading, vocabulary building, and the study of French and Francophone cultures.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Cara Torres, Melissa Henderson: Grading is described as easy and lenient for tests and homework, with one review noting a TA who grades pretty easily.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

Second Semester French covers oral practice, conversation, grammar, reading, vocabulary building, and the study of French and Francophone cultures.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Hugo Torres, Maggie Hughes: Workload expectations vary by instructor. Some teachers are described as fair but requiring effort, while others are noted as tough graders who demand participation and hard work for good grades.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

ACCELERATED INTRODUCTORY FRENCH teaches accelerated communicative literacy skills and explores the contemporary French-speaking world.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2026–Spring 2026 · limited sample

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

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Workload includes tedious grammar assignments and group projects. Grades depend heavily on attendance and participation, with some noting a nice pacing of content.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

Fourth semester French focusing on advanced oral practice, conversation, grammar, reading, vocabulary, creative writing, and cultural study.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Kelsey Roy, Kimberly Rooney, Vlad Dima: The course focuses on grammar with short writing assignments and requires completion of workbook exercises for grades, while tests are generally considered fair.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

FRENCH 211 is an introductory course in interdisciplinary French studies focusing on literary texts in English translation.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Ritt Deitz: The class requires a significant amount of reading and analysis, which some find heavy but rewarding. Midterms are reported as easy, though students must attend lectures because no slides or recordings are provided.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

FRENCH 228 is an intermediate language and culture course that enhances writing and speaking proficiency through cultural readings on France and the francophone world.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

The course requires significant pre-class reading and memorized presentations, though the class is generally considered easy if students apply themselves to the readings.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

FRENCH 271 introduces students to reading and analyzing literature, comics, and film in French, emphasizing the development of writing skills.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

The course involves assigned reading and a couple of papers, with very little other homework and tests based on class discussions.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

FRENCH 288 provides an overview of Doctors Without Borders, exploring its history, mission, and the cultural, political, and ethical challenges of global humanitarian action.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

The course involves significant reading, with one reviewer noting that completing at least 80% of readings is necessary for essay success. Grading relies on participation, speaking presentations, in-class essays, and critical commentaries, though the workload is generally considered manageable.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025

Advanced composition and speaking course focusing on essay writing, pronunciation, and conversation in French.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews describe the workload as excessive, citing busy work and 1.5 to 3 hours of pre-class preparation per session, though one reviewer notes the instructor is not a hard grader.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025

FRENCH 321 introduces medieval and early modern French literary works, taught in French.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Students must put in work to get an A, but the workload is not overwhelming, and grading is not an issue.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

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

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Jennifer Gipson: Reviewers describe the course as accessible, with one noting a low difficulty rating and praising the instructor's care for student progress.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

FRENCH 348 introduces political, social, intellectual, artistic, and literary developments in French and Francophone culture from the French Revolution to the present, taught in French.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Florence Vatan: The course is considered difficult, with one fluent student noting it was among the hardest French classes they have taken.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026 · limited sample

FRENCH 462 explores the evolution of French culture across history through a specific topic, taught entirely in French.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2023–Spring 2025 · limited sample

Explores health and illness in French and Francophone cultures through historical surveys and close examination of literary genres responding to biomedical knowledge.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sample

FRENCH 672 explores specific topics in French and Francophone literature and culture through historical analysis and interpretation.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sample

FRENCH 698 is a directed study course offering advanced independent study arranged with a faculty member.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

No recorded grade history

An introduction to graduate studies in French covering research basics, program structure, and scholarly identity.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2025–Spring 2025 · limited sample

FRENCH 799 is an independent study course arranged with a faculty member.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sample

A graduate seminar on French literature and culture, taught in French, organized thematically or by time period.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026 · limited sample

Explores how women in francophone regions gain agency through cultural media to contest injustice.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Nevine El-Nossery: The course requires frequent homework, including long movies and dense books, alongside two papers, a midterm, and a final.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2023 · limited sample

Study of professional culture and sociology in French and Francophone business, government, and NGO environments, focusing on communication skills.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Gilles Bousquet: Gilles Bousquet's class was rated as easy with low difficulty.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sample

Covers communicative and literacy-oriented teaching methods and classroom techniques for instructing Italian at the collegiate level.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2023–Spring 2026 · limited sample

Across course levels

Recorded this term

No released grades for this term.

Recorded offerings over time

Offering snapshots currently cover Fall 2026. Earlier grade records do not provide a complete offering history.