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Romance Studies Major

The Romance studies major provides students the opportunity to develop a broad knowledge of two or more of the Romance cultures taught at Wesleyan (French, Italian, Spanish/Spanish American) through a flexible, interdisciplinary program combining course work in a number of fields that may serve as the basis for future work or further academic or professional studies. Students who are interested in this major should contact the chair of the department.

The major consists of a minimum of 12 courses, six in each of two Romance cultures (option A), or four in each of three cultures (option B), as defined below. Students writing an honors essay or thesis may substitute one semester of their honors essay or thesis tutorial for one of these 12 courses.

All majors are strongly encouraged to spend at least one semester studying abroad in a Romance-language-speaking country. In addition to Wesleyan's own programs in Bologna, Madrid, and Paris, there are currently Wesleyan-approved study abroad programs in Argentina, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France (internships in Francophone Europe in Paris, Aix-en-Provence, Grenoble), Italy (Florence, Padua, Rome), Madagascar, Mexico and Senegal. Wesleyan also sends one exchange student a year to the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris. Students who have strong academic reasons for wishing to participate in other programs may also petition the International Studies Committee for permission to do so. For information on the approved programs and the petition process, contact the Office of International Studies, 105 Fisk Hall (x 2550, gwinter@wesleyan.edu).

Majors with a minimum grade point average of 92 in courses taken for the major may choose to complete a one- or two-semester project for departmental honors. Students who are interested in this opportunity should read the description of the Departmental Honors Program (<http://www.wesleyan.edu/romance/rllhonors.html>).

French

Option A. Students planning to pursue a Romance studies major combining French with one other Romance culture should take:

* Three FREN courses numbered 220-399.

FREN215 or the equivalent is the prerequisite for all FREN courses numbered 220 or higher.

Courses numbered 220-299 are introductory courses intended for students who have completed FREN215 or who have taken an equivalent course elsewhere or who have placed out of FREN215 through the placement test. In general, these courses are designed for students who have not yet studied abroad in a French-speaking country.

300-level courses are upper-level courses intended for students who have already completed two courses in French beyond FREN215 or who have studied abroad in a French-speaking country for at least a semester:

* Three other courses whose content is devoted substantially to the study of French or Francophone literature, history, culture, or society. Students writing an honors essay or thesis may substitute one semester of their honors essay or thesis tutorial for one of these courses. 

One of these courses must be in French; the other two may be in French or English. These courses may include

  • courses from the French section's normal offering of 200- or 300-level courses.

  • courses listed as FRST (French Studies) or FIST (French, Italian, Spanish in Translation).

  • courses taken through approved study-abroad programs.

  • courses offered by other departments and programs on campus that treat French or Francophone culture, politics, or history. These courses must be approved by the student's major advisor. 

Option B. Students planning to pursue a Romance studies major combining French with two other Romance cultures should take

* Two FREN courses numbered 220-399.

FREN215 or the equivalent is the prerequisite for all FREN courses numbered 220 or higher.

Courses numbered 220-299 are introductory courses intended for students who have completed FREN215 or who have taken an equivalent course elsewhere or who have placed out of FREN215 through the placement test. In general, these courses are designed for students who have not yet studied abroad in a French-speaking country.

300-level courses are upper-level courses intended for students who have already completed two courses in French beyond FREN215 or who have studied abroad in a French-speaking country for at least a semester.

* Two other courses whose content is devoted substantially to the study of French or Francophone literature, history, culture, or society. Students writing an honors essay or thesis may substitute one semester of their honors essay or thesis tutorial for one of these courses.  

One of these courses must be in French; the other may be in French or English. These courses may include

  • courses from the French section's normal offering of 200- or 300-level courses.

  • courses listed as FRST (French Studies) or FIST (French, Italian, Spanish in Translation).

  • courses taken through approved study-abroad programs.

  • courses offered by other departments and programs on campus that treat French or Francophone culture, politics, or history. These courses must be approved by the student's major advisor.

Italian

Option A. Students planning to pursue a Romance studies major combining Italian with one other Romance culture should take

*Three ITAL courses numbered 222-249.

ITAL221 or the equivalent is the prerequisite for all ITAL courses numbered 222 or higher.

Courses numbered 222-249 are upper-level courses intended for students who have completed ITAL221 or who have taken an equivalent course elsewhere, or who have placed out of ITAL221 through the placement test. In general, these courses are designed for students who have studied in Italy for at least a semester.

*Three other courses whose content is devoted substantially to the study of Italian literature, history, art history, culture, or society. Students writing an honors essay or thesis may substitute one semester of their honors essay or thesis tutorial for one of these three courses.

These courses may include

  • courses from the Italian section's normal offering of upper-level courses.

  • courses listed as ITST (Italian Studies) or FIST (French, Italian, Spanish in Translation).

  • courses taken through approved study-abroad programs.

  • courses offered by other departments and programs on campus that treat Italian culture, politics, or history. These courses must be approved by the student's major advisor.

Option B. Students planning to pursue a Romance studies major combining Italian with two other Romance cultures should take

*Two ITAL courses numbered 222-249.

ITAL221 or the equivalent is the prerequisite for all ITAL courses numbered 222 or higher.

Courses numbered 222-249 are upper-level courses intended for students who have completed ITAL221 or who have taken an equivalent course elsewhere or who have placed out of ITAL221 through the placement test. In general, these courses are designed for students who have studied in Italy for at least a semester.

*Two other courses whose content is devoted substantially to the study of Italian literature, art history, history, culture, or society. Students writing an honors essay or thesis may substitute one semester of their honors essay or thesis tutorial for one of these courses.

These courses may include

  • courses from the Italian section's normal offering of upper-level courses.

  • courses listed as ITST (Italian Studies) or FIST (French, Italian, Spanish in Translation).

  • courses taken through approved study-abroad programs.

  • courses offered by other departments and programs on campus that treat Italian culture, politics, or history. These courses must be approved by the student's major advisor.

Spanish

Option A. Students planning to pursue a Romance studies major combining Spanish with one other Romance culture should take:

EITHER six literature courses in Spanish. Four of these six courses must be SPAN courses numbered 223-299 taken with Wesleyan faculty in the Spanish section.

These courses are upper-level courses intended for students who have already completed SPAN221 or who have placed out of SPAN221 either by taking the language exam. 

OR five literature courses in Spanish and one nonliterature course related to the student's program of study in Spanish or English. Four of these six courses must be SPAN courses numbered 223-299 taken with Wesleyan faculty in the Spanish section. Students writing an honors essay or thesis may substitute one semester of their honors essay or thesis tutorial for the non-literature course.

Option B. Students planning to pursue a Romance studies major combining Spanish with two other Romance cultures should take

EITHER four literature courses in Spanish. Three of these four courses must be SPAN courses numbered 223-299 taken with Wesleyan faculty in the Spanish section.

These courses are upper-level courses intended for students who have already completed SPAN221 or who have placed out of 221 either by taking the language exam.

OR three literature courses in Spanish and one nonliterature course related to the student's program of study also in Spanish. All three literature courses must be SPAN courses numbered 223-299 taken with Wesleyan faculty in the Spanish section. Students writing an honors essay or thesis may substitute one semester of their honors essay or thesis tutorial for the non-literature course.