In addition to supporting two graduate programs, four undergraduate majors, and two undergraduate minors, FRIT is committed to providing a variety of General Education (GE) courses to students across the university. GE courses, taught in English, aim to satisfy one of the GE categories required by the college, while also introducing students to an aspect of French, Francophone, or Italian Studies. FRIT offers courses in five GE categories: Language Proficiency, Literature, Global Studies, Cultures and Ideas, and Visual and Performing Arts.
During academic year 2018-2019, GE courses accounted for 75% of the total credit hours generated by FRIT. Of these, 76% came from language course. Students are able to satisfy the language proficiency requirement by completing the 1101-1103 sequence in French or Italian. To provide students with flexibility and an opportunity to learn in the way that is best for them, FRIT has created several versions of these courses.
French 1101-1103 is available in three different formats: the classroom track, where students meet 4 days a week, the Individualized Instruction version, where students work on their own pace and meet with an instructor at certain checkpoints, and online, where all work and meetings are completed online. The French language program also offers French 1155, an intensive course that covers the material of 1101-1102 in a single semester. This course is frequently taken by students who have taken French previously (for example, in high school), but need to refresh their memory before going into 1103. Italian 1101-1103 is available in two formats: a blended version, with three in-class meetings and online work, and a fully online version. Italian 5101 is an intensive five credit hour course that combines 1101-1103 into one semester. This course is recommended for students with experience in another Romance language.
Hundreds of students also enroll every semester in FRIT’s GE literature, culture, and film courses. Most courses fall into more than one GE category. The specific topics covered in these courses often vary from semester to semester. Courses that satisfy the Literature requirement include French 1801: Masterpieces of the French-Speaking World, Italian 2051: Fictions of Italy: Medieval and Renaissance Literature and Society, Italian 2052: Fictions of Italy: Modern and Contemporary Literature and Society, Italian 2054: Dante in Translation, and Italian 3051: The Crossroads of Romance: Tales of Heroes and Monsters from the Odyssey to Star Wars.
FRIT also offers a number of courses that satisfy the Visual and Performing Arts GE requirement. This includes French 2801: Classics of French Cinema, Italian 2053: Introduction to Italian Cinema, and Italian 2055: Mafia Movies. The Culture and Ideas requirement can be explored in a number of ways including French 1802: Cultures of the French-Speaking World or French 3801 - French-American Culture Wars.
In 2018 the department launched two study abroad courses that satisfy GE requirements. Italian 3789.01: The Italian City takes students on a four week trip to Bologna and several other cities in Italy. The program examines Italian society and culture from the Middle Ages to the present through the examination of the important cities that have shaped its history. French 1803.03 is a Global May program that takes students to Paris and allows them to experience the cultural history of the city. Both programs are faculty led and do not require knowledge of French or Italian language. You can read more about these programs here.
Recently, FRIT has also created two GE courses that focus on the Global Mediterranean. Italian 3052: Mediterranean Voyages: Migration and Travel focuses on human movement in the contemporary Mediterranean. Italian 2061: Mediterranean Food Culture, offered for the first time during spring semester of 2020, explores culinary metaphors and the relationships between cuisine and language.
For detailed descriptions of GE courses that will be offered during next semester, visit Spring 2020 Course Offerings.
