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2024-2025 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

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French Minor

Requirements for a Minor in French

Students choosing French as a minor program must complete a minimum of 21 hours of French beyond the FRE 201 course, including FRE 202 or its equivalent and the French core curriculum (FRE 315, FRE 316, FRE 317, and FRE 318). Six credits of electives beyond the core must be completed at the 300- or 400-level.

Required Courses

Core courses (12 credits):

Plus the following:

  • Two electives at the 300- or 400-level. (6 credits)

Alternative Path

Students who begin the program at the 300-level are required to complete 21 credits including the following.

Core courses (12 credits):

Requirements for a French PK-12 Education Minor

Students choosing French as a PK-12 education minor must complete 25 hours of French beyond the FRE 202 course.
Note: FRE 202 does not count toward the secondary education minor. Per program accreditation requirements, teacher certification coursework in world languages must be at the 300-level or above. Students may need to take up to 16 additional credits (FRE 101, FRE 102, FRE 201 and FRE 202) before beginning the 300-level coursework, depending on language placement or credits earned by exam.

Required courses (19 credits):

Elective courses (6 credits):

  • Two electives at the 300- or 400-level.

Oral Proficiency Requirement

It is a requirement of the Michigan Department of Education and Grand Valley's College of Education and Community Innovation that teacher candidates achieve the Advanced Low-level on the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) in French before student teaching. The OPI should be taken right away after returning from a study abroad program. Information sessions on the OPI and other requirements for certification are provided each semester.

Study Abroad Requirement

Students with a French PK-12 education minor must study abroad in a French-speaking country for a minimum of one semester (12 to 15 credits in French at the 300- or 400- level) in a departmentally approved program. Courses taken during the study abroad semester normally fulfill course requirements for the French minor, but these need to be determined ahead of time by a French advisor. Advising is critical. Students interested in pursuing a teaching degree in French are urged to meet with a French advisor as early as possible in their program.

Students are advised to complete at least one course (three credits) of French at the 300- level prior to studying abroad to maximize proficiency gains abroad.

Students who cannot meet the study abroad requirement will need to propose an alternative plan approved by a French advisor.


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