Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
French and Italian
Courses of Instruction
French and Italian
The terms indicated are expected but are not guaranteed. For the courses offered during any given term, consult the Schedule of Classes.
French (FREN)
FREN 020x Course in Reading French (2, FaSpSm) For graduate students who wish help in meeting the French reading requirement for the Ph.D. degree. Synoptic presentation of French grammar. Emphasis on development of reading skills. Not available for degree credit. Graded CR/NC.
FREN 120 French I (4, FaSpSm) Introduction to current French. Oral practice, listening and reading comprehension; grammar necessary for simple spoken and written expression. Prerequisite: No previous experience or appropriate placement score.
FREN 150 French II (4, FaSpSm) Continuation of FREN 120. Prerequisite: FREN 120 or appropriate placement score.
FREN 220 French III (4, FaSpSm) Continuation of FREN 150. Review of structural patterns of French; selected cultural and literary readings; conversation and composition. Prerequisite: FREN 150 or appropriate placement score.
FREN 235x Intermediate Conversational French: Culture, Society, and Communication (2, FaSp) Designed for non-majors/minors interested in maintaining and developing French language competency. Builds vocabulary, ease of communication, and cultural knowledge through discussion of contemporary topics. Graded CR/NC. Not available for credit to French majors. Not open to French majors. Prerequisite: FREN 220.
FREN 236x Professional Communication in French (2, FaSp) Professional communication skills and cultural competency as preparation for working in an international environment. Not available for major credit to French majors or minors. Prerequisite: FREN 220.
FREN 250 French IV (4, FaSpSm) Introduction to French literature through the study of texts and audiovisuals organized around a central theme; develops close-reading techniques and discursive skills; reviews French grammar. Prerequisite: FREN 220 or French placement exam.
FREN 300 French Grammar and Composition (4, FaSpSm) Grammatical structure and vocabulary building with practical application to written composition. Prerequisite: FREN 250.
FREN 310 French Pronunciation and Conversation (4, FaSpSm) Practice in sustained conversation. Emphasis on spoken sentence patterns. Prerequisite: FREN 250.
FREN 320 French Cinema and French Society: 1900 to the Present (4) Film-making in France from the earliest experiments to current trends. Emphasis on the political, social, historical context of French films. Taught in English. Reading knowledge of French recommended.
FREN 330 Writing about Literature (4, FaSpSm) Critical reading of literary texts; comprehensive analysis of difficult grammatical structures and stylistics; advanced composition. Prerequisite: FREN 300.
FREN 347 Race, Gender and Power in Francophone Literature (4, FaSpSm) Study of post-colonialism as a ferment for literary creation in the literature of French expression from Africa, the Caribbean and Canada. Conducted in French. Corequisite: FREN 330.
FREN 351 Early Modern French Cultures (4, FaSpSm) Study of France’s cultural development to the end of the Ancien Regime. Special attention to events, trends and ideas that helped shape today’s France. Conducted in French. Corequisite: FREN 330.
FREN 352 Modern French Cultures (4, FaSpSm) Study of the major intellectual, artistic and sociopolitical trends that have shaped French culture from the Revolution to the present. Conducted in French. Corequisite: FREN 330.
FREN 360 Business and Technical French (4) Specific vocabulary and formulae used in international commerce. Attention given to developing vocabulary and standard forms appropriate to individual career objectives. Recommended preparation: FREN 330.
FREN 370m Equality and Difference around the Enlightenment (4, FaSpSm) 18th- and 20th-century debates around the idea of equality and the notion of difference. Relevance of the Enlightenment to contemporary discussions of identity, citizenship, and human rights. Conducted in English.
FREN 373 Remembering Loss, Writing Memory (4, FaSp) An exploration into how genocides and episodes of mass violence have been thought about, remembered and expressed in France and the Francophone world. Conducted in English.
FREN 375m Global Narratives of Illness and Disability (4, Fa) Study of difference as represented through French, Francophone and related narratives of disability and illness, with attention to race and gender. Conducted in English.
FREN 381 Studies in an Author (4, max 8) Close readings in the works of a single influential French or francophone author. Focused study of style, creative developments, historical context. In French. Corequisite: FREN 330.
FREN 382 Paris Avant-Gardes (4) Exploration of experimental artistic collaborations between poets, novelists, art critics and artists of the Paris Avant-gardes in 19th and 20th century. Taught in French. Paris Semester. Prerequisite: FREN 300; corequisite: FREN 330.
FREN 383 French Women Writers (4) Major figures and their role in French society and contribution to literature. Conducted in French. Recommended preparation: FREN 330.
FREN 385 Colloquium: French Literature (4, FaSpSm) Selected topics from literature of the French-speaking community. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: FREN 330.
FREN 386 Autobiographical Writing (4) Explores the complexities and challenges involved in writing and reading the autobiographical discourse, both as genre and literary theme in French writing. In French. Corequisite: FREN 330.
FREN 390 Special Problems (1–4) Supervised, individual studies. No more than one registration permitted. Enrollment by petition only.
FREN 400 20th Century France (4, FaSpSm) French culture since 1900; emphasis on major intellectual, sociopolitical, and artistic trends, including cinema and television. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: FREN 330.
FREN 410 Actualités Françaises (4, Sp) Present day French life through readings in French periodicals and viewing of French films and art exhibits. Non-majors prepare assignments in English. Conducted in French. Spring semester in Paris only. Recommended preparation: FREN 330.
FREN 432 French Theatre (4, Sp) (Paris Semester only) A survey of French theatre from the 17th century to the present. Students read plays ranging from classical comedy and tragedy to modern movements. Live theatre performances will supplement class work. Taught in French. Prerequisite: FREN 330; recommended preparation: familiarity with French history since the Renaissance.
FREN 445 Studies in Gender and Feminism (4, FaSpSm) Major feminist thinkers and writers seen in the perspective of the evolution of gender roles in France today. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: FREN 330.
FREN 446 Contemporary French Thought (4, max 8) Introduction to important trends in recent French philosophy, political and social theory, psychoanalysis, ethnology, semiotics, and media studies. Readings in structuralism, post-structuralism, feminism, and deconstruction. Conducted in English.
FREN 447 Decadence (4) Decadence in French literature and thought from 1650 to the present. Close textual analysis of works by Colette, Huysmans, Rousseau, Tocqueville, and others.
FREN 448m France and Islam (4, FaSp) Historical and theoretical analyses of the complex history of Western perceptions of Islam, focusing on France. Taught in French. Prerequisite: FREN 330; recommended preparation: REL 137g for Religion majors and minors.
FREN 449 Studies in French Civilization (4, Sp) (Paris Semester only) An analysis of the prestige of Paris, past and present, based upon close examination of literary texts and graphic materials, and visits to sites and monuments. Recommended preparation: FREN 300.
FREN 464 Colloquium: French Civilization (4, max 8, FaSpSm) Selected topics such as the press, educational institutions, French cinema today, and French colonial history. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: FREN 330.
FREN 470 Readings in Medieval and Renaissance French Literature (4, FaSpSm) Study of modernized versions of major medieval and Renaissance texts. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: FREN 330.
FREN 471 Readings in 17th Century French Literature (4, FaSpSm) Close reading of texts by Descartes, Pascal, Corneille, Racine, Moliere, La Fontaine, and others. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: FREN 330.
FREN 472 Readings in 18th Century French Literature (4, FaSpSm) Study of the major figures of the Enlightenment: Prevost, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Diderot, Rousseau, and others. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: FREN 330.
FREN 473 Readings in 19th Century French Literature (4, FaSpSm) Texts selected from the works of Balzac, Stendhal, Flaubert, Zola, Hugo, Musset, and Baudelaire, illustrating the century’s major literary movements. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: FREN 330.
FREN 474 Readings in 20th Century French Literature (4, FaSpSm) Representative novels, plays, and essays exemplifying such movements as Modernism, Surrealism, Existentialism, the Theatre of the Absurd, and Post-modernism. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: FREN 330.
FREN 490x Directed Research (1–8, max 12) Individual research and readings. Not available for graduate credit.
FREN 499 Special Topics (2–8, max 8) Selected topics in French. Prerequisite: FREN 330.
FREN 501 Early Modernities (4, FaSp) Broad introduction to French culture from the late Middle Ages through the 18th century; investigation of works of literature, philosophy, and visual culture.
FREN 503 Modernities (4) An intellectual genealogy of French modernity and modernism through the examination of canonical literary texts and theories.
FREN 504 Studies in Francophone Literature and Thought (4) Topics in Francophone literature and intellectual history of Africa, Asia and the Americas. Emphasis on colonial history and political and aesthetic concerns.
FREN 520 Studies in Diaspora and Transnationalism (4) Introduction to contemporary literature and thought on the dynamics of diaspora, transnationalism, and globalization.
FREN 530 Studies in a Genre (4) Studies one of the genres in French literature (including novel, poetry, drama, and essay) in any historical period or periods.
FREN 540 Studies in French Literature and Philosophy (4) Examines literary and philosophical works side by side in any historical period or periods in France.
FREN 550 Studies in Literature and Other Media (4) Survey-like review of the interaction between verbal and other artistic media such as print, music, dance, theater, and painting and the visual arts.
FREN 590 Directed Research (1–12) Research leading to the master’s degree. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.
FREN 593 Practicum in Teaching the Liberal Arts (2, FaSp) (Enroll in MDA 593)
FREN 603 Seminar on an Author (4) Examines the work of a significant French author along with its critical and theoretical assessments.
FREN 604 Topics in Contemporary French Thought (4) Examines French thought from 1960 to the present day.
FREN 695 Topics and/or Themes in French Literature (4, max 12)
FREN 696 Topics and/or Themes in Francophone Literature (4, max 12) Advanced seminar with varying focus on the Francophone literature and culture of West Africa, North Africa, the Caribbean, Quebec and Southeast Asia.
FREN 790 Research (1–12) Research leading to the doctorate. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.
FREN 794abcdz Doctoral Dissertation(2-2-2-2-0) Credit on acceptance of dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.
Italian (ITAL)
ITAL 020x Course in Reading Italian (2) For graduate students who wish help in meeting the Italian reading requirement for the Ph.D. degree. Synoptic presentation of Italian grammar. Emphasis on development of reading skills. Not available for degree credit. Graded CR/NC.
ITAL 120 Italian I (4, FaSpSm) Introduction to current Italian. Oral practice, hearing and reading comprehension; grammar necessary for simple spoken and written expression. Lecture, classroom drill, laboratory drill. Prerequisite: Italian placement exam.
ITAL 150 Italian II (4, FaSpSm) Continuation of Italian I. Prerequisite: ITAL 120 or Italian placement exam.
ITAL 220 Italian III (4, FaSpSm) Continuation of Italian II. Review of structure of the language, drill in aural and reading comprehension, practice in oral expression. Prerequisite: ITAL 150 or Italian placement exam.
ITAL 224 Italian Composition and Conversation (4, FaSpSm) Practice in composition and conversation; organized around a set of themes; develops close-reading techniques and discursive skills; reviews Italian grammar. Prerequisite: ITAL 220 or Italian placement exam.
ITAL 235x Intermediate Conversational Italian (2, FaSp) Designed for students interested in maintaining and developing Italian language competency. Builds and reinforces vocabulary, idioms, communication skills and knowledge of Italian cultural aspects through discussion of contemporary topics. Graded CR/NC. Prerequisite: ITAL 220.
ITAL 320 Writing About Italian Literature (4, FaSpSm) Critical reading of literary texts; comprehensive analysis of difficult grammatical structures and stylistics; advanced composition. Prerequisite: ITAL 224.
ITAL 330 Advanced Italian Composition and Style (4) Original composition in Italian; written translation of English material; analysis of stylistic techniques of contemporary Italian authors. (Duplicates credit in former ITAL 444.) Recommended preparation: ITAL 220.
ITAL 335 Cinematic Rome and the Cultural Imagination (2, Sm) On-site investigations of cinematic representations of Rome. Topics include ancient Rome, World War II, the Economic Boom, Immigration, homosexuality, the Catholic Church and contemporary Rome.
ITAL 340 Italian Literature from Unification to Fascism (4, FaSp) Reading of standard English translations of selected novels by leading Italian writers (1861–1945).
ITAL 345 Contemporary Italy (4) Italian literature and arts in Italy following World War II. Conducted in English.
ITAL 350 Italian Renaissance Literature in Translation (4) Readings of major texts of Italian literature of the 15th and 16th centuries, including works by Petrarch, the Humanists, Lorenzo de Medici, Ariosto, Machiavelli, Castiglione, and Tasso.
ITAL 352 The Holocaust in Italian Fiction and Film (4, FaSp) The transformation of the Italian Jewish community before, during and after World War II, through an examination of modern novels, essays and films. Taught in English.
ITAL 380 Italian Women Writers (4) Selected poetry, prose, and drama by outstanding Italian women authors and their role in Italian society from the Middle Ages to 20th century. Taught in Italian. Recommended preparation: ITAL 320.
ITAL 390 Special Problems (1–4) Supervised, individual studies. No more than one registration permitted.
ITAL 430 Readings in Medieval and Renaissance Italian Literature (4) Introduction to principal works and movements of Italian literature from 1226 to 1600. Recommended preparation: ITAL 320.
ITAL 435 Ruins, Magic and Melancholy: Italian Literature 1600–1860 (4) Introduction to principal works and movements of Italian literature from 1600 to 1860. Recommended preparation: ITAL 320.
ITAL 440 Futurism and Fascism in Italy (4) Literature, theatre, visual arts, and politics, from the Futurist Avant-Garde through the reign of Mussolini. Recommended preparation: ITAL 320.
ITAL 446 Italian Cinema and Society (4) Survey of Italian cinema in its relation to social transformation, from the silent era to the present. Weekly screenings, lectures, and discussions. Conducted in English. (Duplicates credit in former ITAL 346.)
ITAL 450 Dante (4) Analysis of the Divina Commedia and other works.
ITAL 461 Theatre, Spectacle, Drama and Performance in Italy (4, FaSp) Italian dramatic literature from the earliest written documents to the present. Reading and close textual scrutiny of plays by major dramatists from the Renaissance to the present. Recommended preparation: ITAL 320.
ITAL 462 The Novella Tradition: Fables and Stories (4, FaSp) Reading and close textual scrutiny of major short stories from Boccaccio’s Decameron to the present. Recommended preparation: ITAL 320.
ITAL 470 Modern and Postmodern Italian Literature (4, FaSp) Reading and close textual scrutiny of works of the 20th century from Verga’s I Malavoglia to the present. Recommended preparation: ITAL 320.
ITAL 480 Perceptions of the Exotic in Italian Culture (4) The “exotic” as a cultural concept in Italian literature, popular genres, and film. Conducted in Italian. Recommended preparation: ITAL 320.
ITAL 490x Directed Research (1–8, max 12) Individual research and readings. Not available for graduate credit.
ITAL 499 Special Topics (2–4, max 8) Special topics in Italian literature, culture, and society. Conducted in Italian. Prerequisite: ITAL 224.
ITAL 590 Directed Research (1–12) Research leading to the master’s degree in cognate fields. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.
ITAL 593 Practicum in Teaching the Liberal Arts (2, FaSp) (Enroll in MDA 593)