French Studies

Hello, Friends,
My name is Matthew Motyka, I am the Director of French Studies at the University of San Francisco, and it is my great pleasure to welcome you to our program. You will find here a warm welcome from my colleagues who will support you during the time of your studies. You may also spend a year or a semester in France, in particular in Paris, doing an internship. After graduation, you will likely find employment in an international company or you may want to apply to graduate schools for a master or a doctoral program. You may also spend a year in France working as an assistant of English in a French high school. There are many options. We are absolutely delighted to have you at our university, we are looking forward to meeting you in person. The video following this introduction will instruct you how to enroll in your classes in the fall. Once more, welcome!

A student typically registers for 16-18 credits per semester.  Four, 4 credit courses and perhaps 1 or 2 credits of extracurricular activities.

The first class you should register for is a French Language Course.  If you are beginning the French language, you should register for first semester French.  If you are continuing your French language education, you should take the Foreign Language Placement Test to determine your level of competency.

For your next course, you should register for a Composition course. Developing good writing and speaking skills is essential to your success in the classes you will take at USF.  All students must complete Core A2 to graduate. To determine which Rhetoric & Composition class to choose, you should complete the Directed Self-Placement process. For more information, please review the chapter called Rhetoric and Composition.


Here are some options for your remaining classes:

A first-year seminar or a transfer year seminar.  These seminars serve as a great introduction to the academic environment at USF and will fulfill a Core requirement. We recommend French 195 offered this fall. It will ease your transition from the high school to university environment and help you organize your four-year program as a French Studies major.  

You can enroll in Public Speaking which is an important course to take early in your college career.  This course fulfills your Core A1 requirement. 

Or, you can choose another core course such as Philosophy, Theology & Religious Studies, Ethics, or Visual and Performing Arts. 

There are also many 1-2 credit courses that you may like to consider. 
A College success course,
A Physical activity course,
A Computer Science course,
You can get involved in play production,
Or you can join a choir or vocal group.

Once you have selected your classes, your schedule should resemble something like this:

FREN 101 First Semester French
Rhetoric and Composition* or core course
Public Speaking or core course
First Year Seminar

Or this, for transfers:
FREN 201 Third Semester French
Rhetoric and Composition* or core course
Core course
Transfer Year Seminar or Core course

*depending on your Directed Self placement

If you are a transfer student, you may have completed some of these courses. It is important for you to review your degree evaluation to determine which courses you need to complete.  

Spend some time navigating the Schedule of Classes to familiarize yourself with the layout.  Look for courses that you would like to register for, including specific sections. Spend some time doing this to find a schedule that works for you. You should also keep a back up list in case some classes are closed.
 
Once you have completed the Webtrack quiz, you will be eligible to sign-up for classes when registration opens.  After you register we will review the classes you have selected.  If necessary, we will recommend course adjustments. 

If you need help, please contact us.
mcl@usfca.edu
415.422.2802

We look forward to meeting you during Orientation.  During Orientation, we will review the major requirements and you will have the opportunity to meet faculty and fellow students.  


Welcome to USF!