The Department of French and Italian Studies strives to prepare students to become leaders in an increasingly diverse society by providing them with French and Italian cultural literacy in dialogue with global contexts, and professionally relevant linguistic, research, interpretive, and expressive skills and tools. Students learn to understand their multilingual, multicultural world in historical perspective, to convincingly convey this understanding to others in both English and French or Italian, and to articulate and implement the career transferability of their skills. The department also houses the Textual and Digital Studies Program, which oversees the Minor in Textual Studies and Digital Humanities and the Graduate Certificate in Textual and Digital Studies, which offer students the opportunity to undertake interdisciplinary coursework in book arts, editing, digitization and humanities data.
French Studies allows you to develop advanced French language skills and cultural fluency. French is a key language of government and non-governmental organizations, business, and the arts and an official language of countries in Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Southeast Asia. You will refine your skills in French while pursuing topics ranging from the development of the French language to contemporary debates on immigration. As you engage with cultural forms (art, literature, cinema, environment, sport) through a variety of lenses (language, gender, race, religion), you will develop robust analytical and rhetorical skills to accompany advanced proficiency in the language.
Suggested First- and Second-Year College Courses: Transfer students should take as many lower-division French language courses as possible before transferring to the UW.
Students in good academic standing may declare this major at any time.
French Studies allows you to develop advanced French language skills and cultural fluency. French is a key language of government and non-governmental organizations, business, and the arts and an official language of countries in Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Southeast Asia. You will refine your skills in French while pursuing topics ranging from the literature of the European Middle Ages to contemporary popular culture. As you engage with cultural forms (art, literature, cinema, environment, sport) through a variety of lenses (language, gender, race, religion), you will develop robust analytical and rhetorical skills.
50 credits
Italian Studies allows you to develop advanced Italian language skills and cultural fluency. Italy, the birthplace of the Renaissance, remains central in the realms of art, design, food, and manufacturing. In the major, you will refine your skills in Italian while pursuing topics ranging from Dante to contemporary popular culture. As you engage with cultural forms (art, literature, cinema, language and identity, fashion, immigration, religion), you will develop robust analytical, rhetorical, and methodological skills.
Suggested First- and Second-Year College Courses: Community college students should take as many lower-division language courses as possible before transferring to the UW.
Students in good academic standing may declare this major at any time.
Italian Studies allows you to develop advanced Italian language skills and cultural fluency. Italy, the birthplace of the Renaissance, remains central in the realms of art, design, food, and manufacturing. In the major, you will refine your skills in Italian while pursuing topics ranging from Dante to contemporary popular culture. As you engage with cultural forms (art, literature, cinema, language and identity, fashion, immigration, religion), you will develop robust analytical, rhetorical, and methodological skills.
55 credits
The French minor provides students with the language skills and cultural knowledge that serve as the basis for further study and foster more meaningful experiences abroad. Language courses develop skills in oral and written expression while introducing cultural knowledge. Core courses that pursue topics ranging from the development of the French language to contemporary debates on immigration deepen cultural knowledge and refine language skills.
30 credits
The minor in Italian language and culture provides students with the language skills and basic cultural knowledge that serve as the basis for further study and foster more meaningful experiences abroad. Language courses develop skills in oral and written expression while introducing cultural knowledge. Core courses that pursue topics ranging from Dante to contemporary popular culture deepen cultural knowledge and refine language skills.
The Italian minor provides students with the language skills and basic cultural knowledge that serve as the basis for further study and foster more meaningful experiences abroad. Language courses develop your skills in oral and written expression while introducing cultural knowledge. Core courses that pursue topics ranging from Dante to contemporary popular culture deepen your cultural knowledge and refine your language skills.
25 credits
Study of textual forms from scrolls, manuscripts and printed books to digital texts and textual data, highlighting factors that have shaped their creation, editing, publication, and reception, historically and globally. Courses offer opportunities to work with primary sources and archival materials and to learn techniques for digitizing, editing and curating these materials as well as for analyzing digitized text as data. May be of interest to undergraduates interested in careers in editing and publishing, libraries, archives, cultural institutions, and working with cultural and literary texts in digital environments.
25 credits
Formerly the Department of French and Italian Studies offered two minor credentials: (1) Minor in French Language, Sociolinguistics, and Translation; and (2) Minor in French Language, Literature, and Culture. As of winter quarter 2023, however, these two minor credentials have been replaced by a single minor. Please refer to the UW Seattle General Catalog Archive for information about the minor credentials.
Student Outcomes and Opportunities
Students with substantial foreign language fluency who combine language skills with a solid foundation in liberal education and adequate job preparation and internships find fulfilling occupations. . The combination of studies in foreign languages and international affairs is ideal for students seeking job opportunities in government (foreign service and diplomatic fields, intelligence agencies, immigration and customs, Department of Labor, law enforcement, armed forces, legal agencies, public aid, social and community work, and international agencies, such as the United Nations and UNICEF), business (airlines, marketing, banking/finance, multi-national corporations, shipping industry, travel and hotel industries, import/export firms, publishing houses, and consulting), and communication fields (journalism, radio and television, fashion enterprises, teaching/counseling, translation, bilingual office work, library/museum work, nursing, phone companies, art and cultural affairs, and film and theatrical industries).
Beyond the practical, the department's commitment is to impart to our students the skills and the genuine desire to learn throughout their lives, fostering the type of cultural and intellectual flexibility that lends itself to the multiple work and personal changes that most will face over the course of their lives.
Of Special Note: The department sponsors study-abroad programs in France, Italy, and Martinique. See adviser for details.
Contact department for requirements.
Contact department for requirements.
Contact department for requirements.
Contact department for requirements.
Contact department for requirements.
Contact department for requirements.