Home
Upcoming Events
In the Spotlight
Why Study French & Italian?
The Department of French and Italian provides instruction in the languages, literatures, cinema, and cultures of France, Italy, and other areas where these languages are spoken.
We offer a wide selection of undergraduate courses, covering topics ranging from the Middle Ages to Italian-American culture and the Francophone literature of Africa, the Caribbean and the Middle East.
Our MA and PhD graduate programs in French are among the national leaders in successfully placing students in academic positions, and the highly productive research faculty provide expertise in all areas of French and Italian literature.
Featured Courses - Fall 2025
Fall 2025
TuTh 5:00-6:15PM
In this class, we will explore the rich tradition of literature and art that takes the Middle East and North Africa as its subject matter—before, during, and after colonization, by both French and Arab authors; how some such works created a fictionalized image of Arabs that existed only as a fantasized, exotic “other” to the “enlightened” European subject; and how authors of the postcolonial period have responded to French political and cultural imperialism.
TAUGHT IN ENGLISH
Fall 2025
W 3:35-6:05PM
This course explores the cultures and artistic production of Sub-Saharan Francophone Africa with a focus on the major political movements and global intersections connecting the African continent with the rest of the French-speaking world.
TAUGHT IN FRENCH
Fall 2025
TuTh 11:00-12:15PM
In this class, you will study how fairy tales have changed through time and across cultures by studying examples different tale types (Cinderella, Dragon-Slayers, Puss-in-Boots) from the Italian and French traditions from the 1500s–1700s and contemporary, popular culture (films, television, comics, advertising and art).
TAUGHT IN ENGLISH!