Requirements

Majors in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures

Students may declare a major in Francophone studies, Hispanic studies, Italian studies, or in romance languages and literatures (with a concentration in two of the three areas: Francophone studies, Hispanic studies, and Italian studies). All majors are expected to achieve breadth in their knowledge of the French-, Italian-, and/or Spanish-speaking worlds by taking courses on the literatures and cultures of these areas across all genres from the medieval period to the present, including at the 3000 level. Students should also take complementary courses in study-away programs or in other departments and programs.

Francophone Studies Major

Students who place out of any of the courses listed above must still take at least nine courses in Francophone studies or Romance languages and literatures for the major.  

Hispanic Studies Major

Nine courses higher than HISP 2204 Intermediate Spanish II, including:

Students who place out of any of the courses listed above must still take at least nine courses in Hispanic studies or Romance languages and literatures for the major.  

Italian Studies Major

Nine courses higher than ITAL 1101 Elementary Italian I, including:

Students who place out of any of the courses listed above must still take at least nine courses in Italian studies, or Romance languages and literatures, or approved courses for the major.

Romance Languages and Literatures Major

Nine courses higher than 2204. Students must fulfill the requirements below from two different areas.

Minors in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures

Students may declare a minor in Francophone studies, Hispanic studies, or Italian studies.

Francophone Studies Minor

• at least four Bowdoin courses in Francophone studies numbered higher than 2204
• One must be an advanced course (3000–3999) taught in French.
• Courses taken away do not satisfy the requirements for the minor.

Hispanic Studies Minor

• at least four Bowdoin courses in Hispanic studies numbered higher than 2204
• One must be an advanced course (3000–3999) taught in Spanish.
• Courses taken away do not satisfy the requirements for the minor.

Italian Studies Minor

• at least four Bowdoin courses in Italian studies numbered higher than 1101 taught in Italian.
• Up to one 2000-level course taken away in a semester or yearlong program may be applied to the minor, pending departmental approval.

Additional Information and Department Policies

• No fewer than five courses for the majors must be taken at Bowdoin.
• Students must achieve a grade of C- or higher in all courses for the major or minor, including prerequisites.
• Courses that count toward the major or minor must be taken for regular letter grades (not Credit/D/Fail).
• No more than one course for the major may be in independent study. Courses taken in independent study do not fulfill the advanced course (3000–3999) requirement.
• Majors and minors may double-count one course in the target language with another department or program.

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate

Students who receive a minimum score of four on the French Language and Culture AP exam, or a minimum score of six on the French IB exam, are eligible to receive a general credit toward the degree, not the major/minor, if they complete FRS 2305 Advanced French through Film or higher and earn a minimum grade of B-. Students meeting these criteria do not receive credit if they place into or elect to take a course lower than FRS 2305 Advanced French through Film.

Students who receive a minimum score of four on the Italian Language and Culture AP exam, or a minimum score of six on the Italian IB exam, are eligible to receive a general credit toward the degree, not the major/minor, if they complete ITAL 2305 Advanced Italian I or higher and earn a minimum grade of B-. Students meeting these criteria do not receive credit if they place into or elect to take a course lower than ITAL 2305 Advanced Italian I.

Students who receive a minimum score of four on the Spanish Language AP exam or the Spanish Literature and Culture AP exam, or a minimum score of six on the Spanish IB exam, are eligible to receive a general credit toward the degree, not the major/minor, if they complete HISP 2305 Advanced Spanish: Language, Culture, and Politics or higher and earn a minimum grade of B-. Students meeting these criteria do not receive credit if they place into or elect to take a course lower than HISP 2305 Advanced Spanish: Language, Culture, and Politics.

In order to receive credit for Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate work, students must have their scores officially reported to the Office of the Registrar by the end of their sophomore year at Bowdoin. 

Study Away

A period of study in an appropriate country, usually in the junior year, is strongly encouraged. Bowdoin College is affiliated with a wide range of excellent programs abroad, and interested students should seek the advice of a member of the department early in their sophomore year to select a program and to choose courses that complement the offerings at the College. Students who study away for one semester receive a maximum of three credits toward the major. Those who study away for the academic year receive a maximum of four credits toward the major. Courses taken away cannot count toward the Francophone or Hispanic studies minors.

Independent Study

This is an option primarily intended for students who are working on honors projects. It is also available to students who have taken advantage of the regular course offerings and wish to work more closely on a particular topic. Independent study is not an alternative to regular coursework. An application should be made to a member of the department prior to the semester in which the project is to be undertaken and must involve a specific proposal in an area in which the student can already demonstrate knowledge.

Honors in Romance Languages and Literatures

Majors may elect to write an honors project in the department. This involves two semesters of independent study in the senior year and the writing of an honors essay and its defense before a faculty committee. Candidates for departmental honors must have an outstanding record in other courses in the department. Seniors engaging in independent study toward the completion of an honors project must enroll concurrently in another course in the department in the first semester of their senior year.

Placement

Entering first-year and transfer students who plan to take Francophone studies, Hispanic studies, or Italian studies courses must take the appropriate placement test administered online. Students with questions regarding placement or who wish to take the placement test after matriculating should contact a faculty member in the department.

Information for Incoming Students

Francophone Studies

Bonjour et bienvenue à Bowdoin! We look forward to meeting you. Maybe you took French in high school, maybe you grew up speaking French, or maybe you’re thinking of starting French at Bowdoin. Whatever your experience, our Francophone Studies program at Bowdoin will meet you where you are, give you the tools to communicate effectively in French, deepen your knowledge and understanding of the French-speaking world, and encourage you to think globally about big questions: cultural values and differences, orality and writing, race, power, and inequity. Our students study abroad in several locations in France and Francophone Africa, win summer research grants, and conduct honors theses on a wide variety of exciting topics. We look forward to accompanying you on this journey!

The most important piece of information of all: If you want to take a language, start right away. Students should begin their French language study at Bowdoin in their first semester. Our language courses are sequential, with the first course in the sequence offered only in the fall semester. FRS 1101 Elementary French I, FRS 2203 Intermediate French I, and FRS 2305 Advanced French through Film are offered only in the fall. These courses prepare you for the next course in the sequence in the spring. Remember: Use it or lose it! Not starting in the fall could make you wait an entire year before beginning your study of French at Bowdoin, which is a long time and will cause your proficiency to slide. We know you’re excited about so many things and the choices can be overwhelming, but we strongly encourage you to dive into French in your first semester!

Here's how Francophone Studies course sequencing works:

Offered in the fall semester:

• FRS 1101 Elementary French I
• FRS 2203 Intermediate French I
• FRS 2305 Advanced French through Film
• FRS 2409 Spoken Word and Written Text
• FRS 2410 Literature, Power, and Resistance
• Two 3000-level seminars

Offered in the spring semester:

• FRS 1102 Elementary French II
• FRS 2204 Intermediate French II
• FRS 2407 Francophone Cultures
• FRS 2408 Contemporary France through the Media
• FRS 2409 Spoken Word and Written Text
• FRS 2410 Literature, Power, and Resistance
• Two 3000-level seminars

Thank you for taking our placement survey! We will use it to make our best determination as to where you should start in French at Bowdoin. Don’t worry if you think you’ve been placed at too advanced a level. Most students tend to underestimate their abilities. You should pre-register for the recommended course. Once classes begin, you may move between course levels during the first two weeks in consultation with your professor, should you determine together that another course would better allow you to thrive.

Please use the guide below to understand your placement and pre-register for that course. If you were given a choice between courses, please use the guidance provided to help you decide which course is right for you. Should you have any concerns or questions regarding pre-registration, please don’t hesitate to contact Professor Charlotte Daniels. We would be happy to help.

What does my placement mean?

• I was placed into FRS 1101 Elementary French I:

This course is open to students who either have no previous exposure to the language or who have studied the language for no more than two years or have not benefitted from consistent preparation and would benefit from a fresh start. Elementary French is a great place to start studying French at Bowdoin. Some of our strongest majors started in 1101!

• I was placed into FRS 2203 Intermediate French I:

This is our most common placement for students who took French in high school. This course begins a two-course sequence and allows students to review French grammar, build their vocabulary, practice their listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills, and deepen their knowledge and understanding of the French-speaking world. A great place to gain a strong foundation and build your fluency in French.

• I was placed into FRS 2305 Advanced French through Film:

You were placed here because have a strong level of French and would benefit from some grammar review and writing practice before moving on to the 2400-level introduction to culture, history, and literature courses. Advanced French through Film has three emphases: review of the greatest hits of French grammar; practice writing short pieces in a variety of genres; and enjoying and learning to analyze films. This course fulfills the Visual and Performing Arts distribution requirement (VPA).

• I was given a choice between FRS 2203 Intermediate French I and FRS 2305 Advanced French through Film:

We’ve given you this choice because you would benefit from some grammar review, but how you go about this depends on your comfort level and goals. The difference here is between a two-course sequence (FRS 2203 Intermediate French I and FRS 2204 Intermediate French II) that would last the whole year and spread material out, and a one-semester course (FRS 2305 Advanced French through Film) that would allow you to review the greatest hits of French grammar and practice your writing, to prepare you in one semester for courses at the 2400 level. FRS 2305 Advanced French through Film is also a cinema course, which many students find exciting. It fulfills the Visual and Performing Arts distribution requirement (VPA).

• I was given a choice between FRS 2305 Advanced French through Film  and the 2400-level:

Your decision here depends on whether you feel you would benefit from one last semester to work explicitly on French grammar and written expression (all while learning the ins and outs of film analysis!), or whether you would prefer to move onto discussing history, culture, oral and written culture of the French-speaking world. This placement means you are ready for either, but you may have a preference between them. The difference is that while language learning never stops, courses at the 2400-level no longer explicitly focus on grammar. All of these courses fulfill distribution requirements. FRS 2305 Advanced French through Film fulfills the Visual and Performing Arts distribution requirement (VPA), while FRS 2409 Spoken Word and Written Text and FRS 2410 Literature, Power, and Resistance each fulfill either the Difference Power and Inequity (DPI) or the International Perspectives (IP) distribution requirements.

• I was placed at the 2400-level:

Trust us! If you were placed here, you are ready for these courses. All four courses we offer at the 2400-level allow you to examine the histories, cultures, and oral and written expression of the French-speaking world, while helping you build the knowledge, analytical abilities, and linguistic skills to study abroad and to take courses at the advanced seminar level. Each has a different focus and emphasis, but all of them are at the same level (course numbers may run from 2407 to 2410, but these numbers do not imply any difference in difficulty). The two courses offered in the fall semester are FRS 2409 Spoken Word and Written Text and FRS 2410 Literature, Power, and Resistance. Both examine oral, literary, and historical sources from across the French-speaking world. FRS 2409 Spoken Word and Written Text looks at the period from the medieval Crusades though the end of enslavement in the French Antilles, while FRS 2410 Literature, Power, and Resistance focuses on the 19^th through 21^st centuries. Each of these courses fulfills either the Difference Power and Inequity (DPI) or the International Perspectives (IP) distribution requirements.

Finally, did you take the Advanced Placement exam or complete the International Baccalaureate?

If you’ve sent Bowdoin your official scores or reported them to us, we have taken them into account in determining your placement. For more information on how AP and IB courses count once you’ve taken a course in Francophone Studies, please see that section above.

We encourage you to explore our website to learn more about our exciting program in Francophone Studies at Bowdoin and please don’t hesitate to come to our open house or contact Professor Charlotte Daniels with any questions. We would be happy to talk with you! À bientôt!

Hispanic Studies

¡Bienvenidos a Bowdoin! We look forward to meeting you. Maybe you have taken past coursework in Spanish, maybe you grew up speaking Spanish, have family that are Spanish speakers, or maybe you're thinking of starting Spanish at Bowdoin. Whatever your experience, our Hispanic Studies program at Bowdoin will meet you where you are, give you the tools to communicate effectively in Spanish, deepen your knowledge and understanding of the Spanish-speaking world, and encourage you to think globally. Our students study abroad in several locations in Latin America and Spain, win summer research grants, and conduct honors theses on a wide variety of exciting topics. We look forward to accompanying you on this journey!

The most important piece of information of all: If you want to take a language, start right away. Students should begin their Spanish language study at Bowdoin in their first semester. Our language courses are sequential, with the first course in the sequence offered only in the fall semester. Please note HISP 1100 Elementary Spanish is only offered in the fall semester and HISP 2308 Spanish in the Latinx and Diaspora Communities in the U.S. is offered in a non-standard rotation (fall 2024 this year). 

Thank you for your interest in taking Spanish at Bowdoin! Please take the placement exam regardless of your level or previous experience with the language

We will try to make our best determination as to where you should start in Spanish at Bowdoin. Don’t worry if you think you’ve been placed at too advanced a level. Most students tend to underestimate their abilities. You should pre-register for the recommended course. Once classes begin, you may move between course levels during the first two weeks in consultation with your professor, should you determine together that another course would better allow you to thrive.

Please use the guide below to understand your placement and pre-register for that course. If you were given a choice between courses, please use the guidance provided to help you decide which course is right for you. Should you have any concerns or questions regarding pre-registration, please don’t hesitate to contact Professor Margaret Boyle or Professor Christian Puma Ninacuri. We would be happy to help.

What does my placement mean?

• I was placed into HISP 1100 Elementary Spanish:

This course is open to students who either have no previous exposure to the language or who have very limited proficiency with the language. 

• I was placed into HISP 2203 Intermediate Spanish I or HISP 2204 Intermediate Spanish II: 

This is one of our most common placements for students who took Spanish in high school. This sequence allows students to review Spanish grammar, build their vocabulary, practice their listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills, and deepen their knowledge and understanding of the Spanish-speaking world. A great place to gain a strong foundation and build your fluency in Spanish.

• I was placed into HISP 2305 Advanced Spanish: Language, Culture, and Politics: 

You were placed here because you have an advanced level of Spanish and will enjoy a deeper dive in the cultural production of the Hispanic World with an advanced Spanish review. 

• I was placed into HISP 2305 Advanced Spanish: Language, Culture, and Politics and HISP 2308 Spanish in the Latinx and Diaspora Communities in the U.S.:

This is one of our most common placements for students who were exposed to Spanish at home or had extended exposure in a Spanish-speaking community or country. In HISP 2308 Spanish in the Latinx and Diaspora Communities in the U.S., you will have an introduction to the (socio)linguistic and cultural diversity of Latinx and diaspora communities in the U.S. with an advanced Spanish review. 

• I was placed at the HISP 2400-level: 

Students with placement at the 2400-level typically have past coursework in Spanish speaking countries and are prepared for Spanish literature courses taught in the target language. Both survey courses provide an introduction to literature from the medieval period through the 20th century, but focus on different genres (2409, poetry and theater, fulfilling the VPA requirement; and 2410, narrative). 

Finally, did you take the Advanced Placement exam or complete the International Baccalaureate? 
If you’ve sent Bowdoin your scores or reported them to us, we have taken them into account in determining your placement. For more information on how AP and IB courses count once you’ve taken a course in Hispanic Studies, please see that section above.

We encourage you to explore our website to learn more about our exciting program in Hispanic Studies at Bowdoin and please don’t hesitate to come to our open house or contact us with any questions. We would be happy to talk with you! 

Italian Studies

Buongiorno e benvenuti/e a Bowdoin! We look forward to meeting you. Maybe you took Italian in high school, maybe you grew up speaking Italian, or maybe you’re thinking of starting Italian at Bowdoin. Whatever your experience, our Italian Studies program at Bowdoin will meet you where you are, give you the tools to communicate effectively in Italian, deepen your knowledge and understanding of the Italian-speaking world, and encourage you to think globally about big questions: cultural values and differences, orality and writing, race, power, and inequity. Our students study abroad in several locations in Italy, win summer research grants, and conduct honors theses on a wide variety of exciting topics. We look forward to accompanying you on this journey!

The most important piece of information of all: If you want to take a language, start right away. Students should begin their Italian language study at Bowdoin in their first semester. Our language courses are sequential, with the first course in the sequence offered only in the fall semester. ITAL 1101 Elementary Italian I, ITAL 2203 Intermediate Italian I, and ITAL 2305 Advanced Italian I are offered only in the fall. These courses prepare you for the next course in the sequence in the spring. Remember: Use it or lose it! Not starting in the fall could make you wait an entire year before beginning your study of Italian at Bowdoin, which is a long time and will cause your proficiency to slide. We know you’re excited about so many things and the choices can be overwhelming, but we strongly encourage you to dive into Italian in your first semester!

Offered in the fall semester

• ITAL 1101 Elementary Italian I
• ITAL 2203 Intermediate Italian I
• ITAL 2305 Advanced Italian I
• ITAL 3000-level seminar

Offered in the spring semester

• ITAL 1102 Elementary Italian II
• ITAL 1103 Accelerated Elementary Italian
• ITAL 2204 Intermediate Italian II
• ITAL 2408 Introduction to Contemporary Italy: Dalla Marcia alla Vespa
• ITAL 3000-level seminar