For information about the admission process, including deadlines, visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website. Applications can be submitted via the Common Application.

Supporting documents not submitted online should be mailed to:

Office of Undergraduate Admissions
The George Washington University
800 21st St NW Suite 100
Washington, DC 20052

For questions visit undergraduate.admissions.gwu.edu/contact-us.

The following requirements must be fulfilled:

The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate Programs.

Program-specific curriculum:

The following requirements must be fulfilled:

The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate Programs.

Program-specific curriculum:

Prerequisite courses
FREN 1001Basic French I
FREN 1002Basic French II
FREN 1003Intermediate French I
FREN 1004Intermediate French II
Required for the major
Required courses
FREN 3100Introduction to French Literature
FREN 4910Advanced Studies in French Culture
Elective courses
Eight additional upper-level courses numbered 2005 and above. Four of these courses must be in French literature and culture. Two must be FREN courses in the 4000 range. With approval of the major advisor, two may be in a related field.
FREN 2005Language, Culture, and Society I *
FREN 2006Language, Culture, and Society II
FREN 2500Cultural Politics of Food in France
FREN 2600French Culture in Context
FREN 3010WAdvanced French Language, Structure, and Composition
FREN 3020Contemporary France
FREN 3100WIntroduction to French Literature
FREN 3210Medieval and Early Modern French Literature in Context
FREN 3220Modern French Literature
FREN 3300Topics in French and Francophone Literatures and Cultures in Translation
FREN 3400Studies in Genre
FREN 3500Race, Religion, and Identity in France
FREN 3520The Age of Classicism
FREN 3530The Age of Enlightenment
FREN 3550Studies in Twentieth-Century French Literature
FREN 3560Topics in Contemporary Francophone Literature and Cinema
FREN 3600Special Topics in French Literature
FREN 3700History of French Cinema
FREN 4470Writing Women
FREN 4500Studies in Medieval French Literature
FREN 4510French Literature of the Renaissance
FREN 4540Nineteenth-Century French Literature and Culture
FREN 4600Special Topics in French Literature
FREN 4700Race Matters: Literature, Culture, and Identity in Contemporary France
FREN 3030French for Professional Purposes
FREN 4920WSenior Honors in French

*AP credit for FREN 2005 allows students to place into higher-level FREN courses, but those credits do not count toward the total required for the major

In addition to the University General Education Requirement, undergraduate students in Columbian College must complete a further, College-specific general education curriculum—Perspective, Analysis, Communication (G-PAC) as well as the course CCAS 1001 First-Year Experience. Together with the University General Education Requirement, G-PAC engages students in active intellectual inquiry across the liberal arts. Students achieve a set of learning outcomes that enhance their analytical skills, develop their communication competencies, and invite them to participate as responsible citizens who are attentive to issues of culture, diversity, and privilege.

Coursework for the University General Education Requirement is distributed as follows:

  • One course in critical thinking in the humanities.

  • Two courses in critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, or scientific reasoning in the social sciences.

  • One course that has an approved oral communication component.

  • One course in quantitative reasoning (must be in mathematics or statistics).
  • One course in scientific reasoning (must be in natural and/or physical laboratory sciences).
  • UW 1020 University Writing (4 credits).
  • After successful completion of UW 1020, 6 credits distributed over at least two writing in the discipline (WID) courses taken in separate semesters. WID courses are designated by a "W" appended to the course number. 

Coursework for the CCAS G-PAC requirement is distributed as follows:

  • Arts—one approved arts course that involves the study or creation of artwork based on an understanding or interpretation of artistic traditions or knowledge of art in a contemporary context.
  • Global or cross-cultural perspective—one approved course that analyzes the ways in which institutions, practices, and problems transcend national and regional boundaries.
  • Local or civic engagement—one approved course that develops the values, ethics, disciplines, and commitment to pursue responsible public action.
  • Natural or physical science—one additional approved laboratory course that employs the process of scientific inquiry (in addition to the one course in this category required by the University General Education Requirement).
  • Humanities—one additional approved humanities course that involves critical thinking skills (in addition to the one course in this category required by the University General Education Requirement).
  • CCAS 1001 First-Year Experience

Certain courses are approved to fulfill GPAC requirements in more than one category.

Courses taken in fulfillment of G-PAC requirements may also be counted toward majors or minors. Transfer courses taken prior to, but not after, admission to George Washington University may count toward the University General Education Requirement and G-PAC, if those transfer courses are equivalent to GW courses that have been approved by the University and the College.

Lists of approved courses in the above categories are included on each undergraduate major's page in this Bulletin.

Special Honors

In addition to the general requirements stated under University Regulations, in order to be considered for graduation with Special Honors in French language, literature, and culture, candidates must have attained a 3.75 GPA in the major and at least a 3.0 average overall. Qualified students may be invited to write an honors thesis by their major advisor and proseminar professor by the beginning of the fall semester of the senior year.