Off-Campus Study Guidelines for Francophone Studies
First Steps
Students interested in studying abroad should first think about where they would like to study. Students should think not only about the country, but also about the kind of program (courses, internships, etc.) they would prefer.
Students should review the recommended programs offered by the Office of Off-Campus Study, and attend the Francophone studies department's informational meeting in early October to hear from their peers who have studied abroad in countries and programs.
Meeting with Faculty
After looking through the list of options, students should meet with a faculty member to discuss the programs and the courses they wish to take. The faculty member will then advise students and help them determine which program is the best for them.
Receiving Credit
Students are guaranteed credit for the courses that their advisor have approved; however, students are not locked into these courses and are allowed to change these courses at any time with consultation with their advisor.
Once abroad, when choosing courses, students should consult with their Francophone studies advisor at Bowdoin via email to receive approval. Final credit for these courses will be awarded upon submission of course materials, so students must keep all course syllabi and coursework completed in the courses they wish to have count toward the major. Students studying abroad must also receive a C or above in approved classes to receive credit.
There are also certain limitations on how many credits can be transferred:
- up to three credits toward the major for a semester of study away in a French-speaking country
- up to four credits toward the major for a year-long program (or a summer plus a semester)
- Two courses counted toward the Francophone studies or Romance languages and literatures major may also be counted toward another major, but not all departments have this policy.
- Most will only “double count” one course. Be sure to talk with faculty from other departments for which you wish to receive credit.
Courses taken abroad will not count as credits toward the Francophone studies minor. All courses toward the minor must be taken at Bowdoin.
Fulfilling Requirements Abroad
Students who have not fulfilled the requirements at the 2400 level prior to departure must fulfill these requirements abroad.
- For the culture course (2407, 2408), courses dealing with current events and politics will fulfill this requirement.
- For the literature courses (2409, 2410), courses that ideally deal with more than one literary genre and traverse at least two historical periods will fulfill this requirement.
In addition, one upper-level literature or cinema studies course taken abroad may count as one of the three 3000-level courses required for the major.
Students completing their first 3000-level course or fulfilling a 2400-level course abroad must contact their advisor before they return, so they can obtain the appropriate overide from the professor teaching a course that they wish to take.
- Students returning from study away should not take courses at the 2400 level, but will take 3000-level seminars instead.
After Study Abroad
Within a month of return to campus, students should schedule a meeting with their advisor to discuss courses taken abroad. Faculty members will then give final approval for the courses taken abroad and students must assemble the following materials:
- course syllabi and coursework from completed courses abroad
- a three- to four-page personal reflection in French describing their experience abroad, submitted to the advisor a week before the meeting. This personal reflection must describe:
- What the student has learned
- The courses they have taken abroad
- Outside activities
- How their worldview has changed
- How the courses they took abroad have changed their approach and understanding of Francophone cultures and literatures.