35 courses with the subject FREN, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Cat (revised 9/7/2026 3:36 PM) SPR 2025 SPR 2025 SPR 2026 FA 2025 SPR 2024 SPR 2024 SPR 2026 SPR 2024 (150) SPR 2025 (150) SPR 2027 SPR 2024 FA 2023 FA 2025 SPR 2025 SPR 2026 SPR 2024 SPR 2024 FA 2024 FA 2026 Begin Term End Term FA 2023 FA 2023 FA 2023 FA 2023 FA 2023 FA 2023 FA 2023 Begin Term End Term FA 2023 alog Page 188
This elementary-level course condenses one year of French into one semester and is designed for students who have studied French previously, but who need a comprehensive review of grammar and vocabulary at the introductory level. In addition to traditional class time, students spend one hour each week with our Fulbright French language assistant. Prerequisite: Placement or permission. (partially fulfills LAN or WL) FREN 111: INTERMEDIATE FRENCH I (4); FREN 112: INTERMEDIATE FRENCH II (4) A year-long systematic review of the fundamentals of French language. Students will review the basic elements of French grammar and expand their communicative abilities by acquiring a higher functional level of grammar competence and vocabulary acquisition. All four language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing will be covered using internet and various audio-visual multi-media resources, and weekly conversation groups with the Fulbright French language assistant. Prerequisite: FREN 102 or FREN 110, placement or permission. FREN 111- 112 fulfills the ESP language requirement (LAN) for students who studied French in high school and the CORE World Languages requirement. FREN 111 offered every fall; FREN 112 offered every spring. (LAN or WL)
This course is an expansion of oral and writing skills. In addition to three hours per week in class, students practice conversational skills for one hour per week with the Fulbright French language assistant. Fulfills the language requirement. Prerequisite: Placement or permission. Offered in both fall and spring term. (LAN or WL)
This two-credit course is offered to students who have progressed beyond the level of intermediate French and wish to take a class focused just on improving their speaking abilities. Students will identify individual problem areas in their spoken French, which they will strengthen through the study of elements of French phonetics and conversational French. first-year students. Does not count towards the CORE World Languages requirement. FREN 211: FRENCH LITERATURE BEFORE 1789 (4) “Rendez-vous with the Classics 1” is a course of literary, cultural, and historical studies spanning from the Middle Ages to the French Revolution. This course is designed to develop cultural competence in French and includes strong historical and literary components. It will also emphasize proficiency in the four basic communicative skills of speaking, listening, reading, Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 268
FREN 303: the French Novella
Development of conversational and writing skills through discussion and analysis of an aspect of French literature, language, society, or culture. The topic changes each time the course is taught. Open to first-year students. (o, AES, MOD, WL)
Taught in French, this course explores the history of theatre in France, from the medieval stage to contemporary playwrights. Students will learn how to analyze both the written text of a play and its staging as performance. Through close reading, we will study dramatic structure, language, characterization, and genre conventions. At the same time, we will consider theatre as a living, embodied art form by examining mise-en-scène, scenography, acting styles, and audience reception. We will also study how theatre reflects, critiques, and reimagines society. From religious drama and classical tragedy to avant-garde experimentation and postcolonial critiques, the course highlights the ways in which the stage has served as a space of representation, debate, and innovation.
In this course, students will study major cultural movements, political events, and environmental issues in African countries where French is widely spoken. Through literary and historical texts, journalism, and film, students will gain a better understanding of the diversity Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 269
This course explores the unique cultural identity of the French Caribbean through an analysis of its literature and historical context. Students will examine the historical roots of colonization, slavery, and resistance in the French Caribbean, as well as the ongoing impact of these legacies on contemporary society. Through a close reading of key texts from authors such as Aimé Césaire, Maryse Condé, Edouard Glissant, and Patrick Chamoiseau, students will gain a deep understanding of the complexities of Caribbean identity, diaspora, and post-colonialism. By engaging with a range of literary and theoretical perspectives, students will develop critical thinking skills and learn to critically analyze the intersection of history, culture, and literature in the French Caribbean. This course is taught in French. to first-year students. (o, DIV, AES, WL)
This course will examine Francophone literatures and cultures in the Indian Ocean, exploring the diverse range of cultures and literary works produced by writers and artists from the region. We will explore themes such as coloniality, decoloniality, creolization, cosmopolitanism, oceanic poetics, and language, with a focus on how these themes are reflected in the cultural production of the Indian Ocean. Students will watch and analyze movies, read and analyze texts from various genres, including novels, poetry, short stories, and comic books with a special emphasis on works produced in Mauritius, Reunion Island, Seychelles, and Madagascar. Throughout the semester, students will gain a deeper understanding of the complex historical, cultural, and social contexts in which these works were produced. The course will be conducted in French, and all the readings will be in French. to first-year students. (o, MOD, WL)
An examination of French and Francophone cinema in relation to literary, philosophical, social, psychological, and cultural issues. to first-year students. (WL) Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 270
An introduction to the history, geography, literature, art, political, economic, and social aspects of France and the Francophone world. Open to first-year students. Prerequisite: FREN 112 or FREN 121, or placement in a 200-level FREN course, or permission. (GLO, MOD, WL)
This course explores the socio-historical legacies of French colonialism in Asia, Oceania, and the Pacific, focusing on regions often overlooked in Francophone studies, such as Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos), the French Establishments in India (Pondicherry), French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Wallis and Futuna. Through the lens of social justice, we will examine the complex histories of colonization, decolonization, and the ongoing struggles for recognition and equity in these regions. By integrating a wide range of materials-including films, short stories, poetry, songs, and novels, students will engage critically with the narratives of resistance, resilience, and cultural survival in these "forgotten" Francophone communities. We will explore topics such as the impacts of colonial rule on indigenous populations, environmental degradation, economic exploitation, and cultural erasure, alongside contemporary movements for independence, social equality, and cultural revival. first-year students. (WL or DJP)
Independent study conducted below the advanced level. Application must be made with and approved by faculty prior to registration. Offered any term.
We will study the emergence of the French novella over more than 500 years as a distinct genre with its own national characteristics, exploring the interaction of individual and social dramas while blending realism and fantasy. Texts will vary, but include work by authors such as Marguerite de Navarre, Honore de Balzac, Gustave Flaubert, Colette, Albert Camus, and Marie Ndiaye. major. (SMN)
This course will provide students with an overview of the literary representation of gendered experiences in personal stories authored by a range of leading female French-speaking writers. Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 271
Taught in French, this course explores the history of theatre in France, from the medieval stage to contemporary playwrights. Students will learn how to analyze both the written text of a play and its staging as performance. Through close reading, we will study dramatic structure, language, characterization, and genre conventions. At the same time, we will consider theatre as a living, embodied art form by examining mise-en-scène, scenography, acting styles, and audience reception. We will also study how theatre reflects, critiques, and reimagines society. From religious drama and classical tragedy to avant-garde experimentation and postcolonial critiques, the course highlights the ways in which the stage has served as a space of representation, debate, and innovation.
Please see the description for FREN 244 above. FREN 344 is a 300-level version of FREN 244, and the two courses meet at the same time. Students enrolled in FREN 344 will complete all the requirements for FREN 244 as well as additional work as assigned by the instructor. This work might include longer or additional papers, more in-depth research, additional presentations, being a discussion leader, or serving as a mentor to students enrolled at the lower level. The instructor will make clear what the additional responsibilities are in the syllabus for the course. Counts as a 300-level literature course in the major. Prerequisite: A 200-level FREN course or permission. (DJP)
Please see the description for FREN 247 above. FREN 347 is a 300-level version of FREN 247 and the two courses meet at the same time. Students enrolled in FREN 347 will complete all the Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 272
Please see the description for FREN 248 above. FREN 348 is a 300-level version of FREN 248, and the two courses meet at the same time. Students enrolled in FREN 348 will complete all the requirements for FREN 248 as well as additional work as assigned by the instructor. This work might include longer or additional papers, more in-depth research, additional presentations, being a discussion leader, or serving as a mentor to students enrolled at the lower level. The instructor will make clear what the additional responsibilities are in the syllabus for the course. Counts as a 300-level literature course in the major. Prerequisite: A 200-level FREN course or permission.
This course will explore the complex relationship between French citizens of African descent and the French nation, and study how this relationship manifests itself in literature & the arts. This course focuses on the experience of Afro-French citizens in twentieth & twentieth-first century France. We will also address the topics of ethnicity, religion, and national identity in France, comparing them to the American understanding of citizenship and race. This course explores these and other questions over the course of the semester through a close consideration of the literature, arts, culture, history and politics emanating from or dealing with Black France.
Advanced French Translation provides students with a grammatical, cultural, and theoretical foundation for translation between French and English, which we will practice through in-class exercises, workshops, and projects. We will also explore the applications of translation in different professional, cultural, and political settings to consider the central, albeit often Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 273
Please see the description for FREN 249 above. FREN 375 is a 300-level version of FREN 49 and the two courses meet at the same time. Students enrolled in FREN 375 will complete all the requirements for FREN 249 as well as additional work as assigned by the instructor. This work might include longer or additional papers, more in-depth research, additional presentations, being a discussion leader, or serving as a mentor to students enrolled at the lower level. The instructor will make clear what the additional responsibilities are in the syllabus for the course. Counts as a 300-level literature course in the major. Prerequisite: A 200-level FREN course or permission. (SMN)
Independent study conducted at the advanced level. Application must be made with faculty prior to registration. Offered any term.
Application must be made with faculty prior to registration. May be proposed in any term.
A capstone experience and culminating academic achievement for French majors and minors. The topic changes each year. This course takes an interdisciplinary approach which encourages students to delve into areas of research which include politics, literature, history, and the arts. Students are introduced to investigative techniques and research tools necessary for the completion of a major paper in French or Francophone cultures or literatures. Successful completion of this course counts as one means of demonstrating the skills that senior majors must exhibit before leaving Hollins. course and carries the ESP or CORE designations assigned to that course. Offered spring term. Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 274
A one-term research paper based upon an inquiry into a specific area of the French language or Francophone literatures or civilizations. Prerequisite: Senior standing and invitation by the department. Offered in fall and/or spring upon consultation with department.
A year-long thesis based on a specific area of the French language or Francophone literatures and civilizations. Research begins during the fall term, continues during Short Term, and is completed during spring term. Gender and Women’s Studies
Source: Hollins University's catalog, linked per course · table learning_unit · CourseShelf publish 59
