Fall 2023

Enrollment in a FREN-UA 4-6 pts course taught in French is required for all students. This course must be taken for a letter grade.

Language Course Requirements and Placement- NYU Paris 

Other students should refer to the NYU French Department's webpage here: http://french.as.nyu.edu/object/language.placement (under the heading language placement) for information about placement based on Exams. Please note that students that have some experience in the language but do not have a AP/IB/SAT test score or prior university course work in the language must take the NYU's Online Placement Examination to determine placement.

Presentation and systematic practice of basic structures and vocabulary of oral French through dialogues, pattern drills, and exercises. Correct pronunciation, sound placement, and intonation are stressed. For students with little or no command of French. Completes the equivalent of one year's elementary course. Textbook: Alors? 

Intensive Elementary French - Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite: FREN-UA 10 or FREN-UA 1-2. Open to students who have completed the equivalent of a year's elementary level and to others on assignment by placement test. Completes the equivalent of a year's intermediate level in one semester.

A continuation of FREN-UA 10, this course is designed to provide students that have already studied one year of French (or the equivalent thereof) with the remainder of the fundamentals of the French language and to give those students that have mastered the basics of French vocabulary, culture, pronunciation, and grammar the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the French language and the cultures for which it is a vehicle. Conducted in French.

Intensive Intermediate French - Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite: FREN-UA 11-12 or FREN-UA 20. Open to students who have completed the equivalent of a year's intermediate level and to others who have passed the proficiency examination but who wish to review their French in order to take advanced courses in language, literature, and civilization.

This course is designed to give those of you who have already begun to deepen your understanding of the French language and French and francophone cultures the opportunity to complete your fifth semester of French by mastering a fuller range of vocabulary, structures, pronunciation, and cultural information. This class will thus prepare you to tackle the classes at the advanced level and eventually to delve into more specialized literature and civilization courses. 

French Grammar and Composition - Sample Syllabus

 Prerequisite: FREN-UA 30, or assignment by placement test, or approval of the director.

Assumes a mastery of the fundamental structures of French. May be taken concurrently with FREN-UA9105. Helps the student to develop vocabulary, to improve pronunciation, and to learn new idiomatic expressions. Introduction to corrective phonetics and emphasis on understanding contemporary French through a study of authentic documents; radio and television interviews, advertisements, spontaneous oral productions, etc.

Spoken Contemporary French - Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite: FREN-UA 30 or assignment by placement test.

Use of drama and theatre techniques to help students overcome inhibitions in their oral use of language. Exercises and activities are designed to improve pronunciation, intonation, expression, and body language. Students work in collaboration with the professor, trained in the experimental methods of the French director Jacques Lecocq. This semester's focus will be to analyze and reenact excerpts from Molière’s plays.  

Acting French - Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite: FREN-UA 30, FREN-UA 105, or permission of the instructor.

Designed for students who wish to become familiar with the specialized language used in French business. Emphasis is on oral and written communication and the acquisition of a business and commercial vocabulary dealing with the varied activities of a commercial firm: advertising, transportation, banking, etc. Group work in simulated business situations and exposure to "authentic" spoken materials are stressed. Qualified students have the option of taking the Exam of the Chamber of French Commerce at the end of the course. 

Business French - Sample Syllabus

Open to students of all French language skill levels.  

In this workshop students have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of phonetics and improve their pronunciation and comprehension of spoken French. Through listening exercises, poetry, and role-plays, students will work on articulation, rhythm and intonation. 

French Phonetics Workshop - Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite of FREN-UA 30 or FREN-UA 9030

A historical and political inquiry into the French system of relations with Francophone Africa from the ‘race to Empire’ in the 19th century to the current day. The main goals of the course are: to describe the historical development of French-African relations from the colonial to the post-independence era; to investigate the political, economic and cultural mechanisms of French influence in contemporary Francophone Africa; to understand the consequences for France of complex developments subsequent to colonialism, such as African immigration in France. 

French-African Relations - Sample Syllabus

This course presents the linguistic situation in greater Paris from the perspective of urban sociolinguistics. Topics include the range of French dialects spoken in Paris, their origins and their future; the linguistic situation of immigrants whose first language is not French, particularly immigrant communities from North Africa and Arabic-speaking communities; the connections between language and social and educational issues within and around Paris. 

Seminar: The Languages of Paris - Sample Syllabus

Students may work in a variety of realms such as drawing, painting, photography and/or folding. Students have the opportunity to create alongside the professor in her art studio, to develop a cohesive body of work over the course of the semester.  The course includes visits to museums to explore the wide range of subjects and materials available to contemporary artists, and concludes with an exhibit of student work at the end of the semester.

Conducted in English.

Introduction to Interdisciplinary Art Practice - Sample syllabus

This course aims to understand and appreciate the creativity and dynamism of the Parisian art scene today through an exploration of contemporary art in the capital. The course will focus on the diversity of resources provided by the city, with special attention to new artistic practices and loci of production, as well as the multiple actors involved, from artists themselves to private galleries to art critics and museum curators. Reference to major avant-garde art movements of the past such as dada, geometrical abstraction, surrealism and expressionism will also be made in order to better situate today’s artistic concerns.

Conducted in English.

Topics in Visual Art & Culture: Art in Contemporary Culture - Sample Syllabus

Note: Students are advised to leave space open in their schedule immediately (before/after) this course in order to allow travel time to and from museum visits which constitute an integral part of the class program.

This course examines medieval art and architecture of France through an exploration of the monuments and moments that define our understanding of the period. The course moves from the Early Christian Church to late Gothic to help students gain an understanding of medieval France through an analysis of monuments in their historic and cultural contexts. From the portals of Notre-Dame of Paris to the collections of the Musée de Cluny, we will seek to decode the symbolic language of medieval sculpture and architecture. Pairing texts and monuments, we will consider the writings of authors such as the Abbot Suger as we inspect his church of Saint-Denis, or as we study liturgical objects in the collections of the Louvre. Throughout the course we will consider how visual art during the Middles Ages helped shape cultural identity and express the political and religious agendas of the age. The course ends with a study of E.E. Viollet-le-Duc’s work during the 19th century, together with his legacy and role in constructing our notions of medieval art and architecture.  Taught in English.

The Glory of Medieval France: Museums and Monuments in Paris and the Region - Sample Syllabus

Registration priority for CORE courses will be given to NYU College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) students. Other students will be able to register as space remains available. Please pay close attention to course notes displayed in Albert.

French films and French culture, examined by situating the films in their social, historical, and philosophical context. Topics include the relationship between the Avant-garde artistic movements of the early 20th century (futurism, cubism, expressionism, surrealism) and the cinematographic Avant-garde (Buñuel, L’Herbier, Cocteau), the echoes of classical French theatre (Marivaux, Beaumarchais, Musset) in the cinema of Renoir, the troubled period of the German Occupation and the work of filmmakers who deliberately chose to stay in France to continue their calling (Clouzot, Carné), and the influence of the existentialist circles of Saint Germain des Prés (Sartre, Camus) on the Nouvelle Vague.

Expressive Culture: Film - Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite of FREN-UA 30 or FREN-UA 9030

On December 28th, 1895, cinema was given its official characteristics by the Lumière brothers in Paris. If for over a century, the “Seventh Art” has been an essential element and a vehicle for French culture, the city of Paris has epitomized the evolution and contradictions of the French cinema industry. Focusing on the main tendencies in contemporary French cinema, we will ask the following questions: How do the French filmmakers depict the city of Lights, the City of Love, the City of Horror? How decisive a representation of Paris and its suburbs can be? Why do the images of Paris illustrate the history of French cinema? What do they show about French culture?

French Cinema, French Culture - Sample Syllabus

This course investigates the history, the structure and the inner logic and working of European integration from the end of the Second World War to present day. It will provide students with an overview of the political institutions, the member states and the current developments of the European Union while focusing on the paramount role played by France throughout the years. 

France and the European Union - Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite of FREN-UA 30 or FREN-UA 9030

Focuses on the historical and institutional bases of European integration in order to provide students an understanding of the European Union and how it works, its impact on everyday policies of the member states as well as the life of European citizens, and the kind of world actor the EU is or might become.  Focuses as well on current-day concerns and in particular the on-going sense of crisis that has rocked the Union for the past several years.

France and the European Union: Europe in Crisis - Sample Syllabus

Enrollment by permission only. Application required. 

This 4 credit course includes a weekly seminar and two full days and one half day (Monday-Friday) for their internship.  Internship placements are made by EUSA, an organization partnering with NYU.

The seminar portion of the course explores many different aspects of your internship site. The goal is to finish the semester with an in-depth understanding of the company or organization, including its approach, its policies, and the context in which it operates. We will also discuss more generally the state of the contemporary workplace and ourselves as workers. Finally, you will use the seminar to reflect critically and analytically on the internship experience and as a way to refine your own personal and professional goals.

Experiential Learning Seminar - Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite of FREN-UA 30 or FREN-UA 9030

Focuses on the historical and institutional bases of European integration in order to provide students an understanding of the European Union and how it works, its impact on everyday policies of the member states as well as the life of European citizens, and the kind of world actor the EU is or might become.  Focuses as well on current-day concerns and in particular the on-going sense of crisis that has rocked the Union for the past several years.

France and the European Union: Europe in Crisis - Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite of FREN-UA 30 or FREN-UA 9030

The aim of this course is to give the students a broad view of french history since the end of Middle-Ages to the beginning of the 20th century. We will explain the main political events as well as the main cultural, artistic, and intellectual events. This course will be based on readings and on visiting museums and exhibitions.

French Civilization in the Making: From the Gauls to the Revolution - Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite of FREN-UA 30 or FREN-UA 9030

On December 28th, 1895, cinema was given its official characteristics by the Lumière brothers in Paris. If for over a century, the “Seventh Art” has been an essential element and a vehicle for French culture, the city of Paris has epitomized the evolution and contradictions of the French cinema industry. Focusing on the main tendencies in contemporary French cinema, we will ask the following questions: How do the French filmmakers depict the city of Lights, the City of Love, the City of Horror? How decisive a representation of Paris and its suburbs can be? Why do the images of Paris illustrate the history of French cinema? What do they show about French culture?

French Cinema, French Culture - Sample Syllabus

This course allows students to discover “Theater of the absurd”, a theoretical and practical approach to theater born of the complex historical, literary, and philosophical context of the Second World War. We will analyze the characteristics of this type of theater which continues to influence avant-garde themes and esthetics. Students will perform excerpts from selected works with a focus on the absurdity of situations, de-structuring language, and corporal expression. The approach of the course is intellectual, physical and creative. Theater outings and projections will be included.  The principal works studied include: Ubu Roi d’Alfred Jarry, La Cantatrice Chauved’Eugène Ionesco et Huis Clos de Jean-Paul Sartre.

Experimental Theatre Workshop - Sample Syllabus

This course explores the connections between major French and American expatriate writings of the Modernist period and beyond. As the site of unprecedented cosmopolitanism and creativity, early 20th-century Paris saw the emergence of artistic and intellectual movements that were to have a considerable impact on Western culture to this day. The texts we will be looking at (memoir, autobiography, novel, poem, and essay) reflect a shared sense of inner and outer exile inherent in the modern condition. They deal explicitly with the experience of living and writing on the margins, of belonging or not belonging, of otherness and estrangement in relation to class, gender, sexuality, language, and to Paris as a specific urban environment. Conducted in English

French and Expatriate Literature - Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite of FREN-UA 30 or FREN-UA 9030

The course aims to introduce students to contemporary French society through an examination of particular social groups and categories, with a focus on French youth and notions of gender. Through an exploration of contemporary issues and social movements, we will focus on how these groups have been constructed over time as historical and political categories with significant implications for social practice. Students will be encouraged to draw on resources in and around Paris as well as current events as an integral part of the course. 

France: Gender, Class, Race - Sample Syllabus

Enrollment by permission only. Application required. 

This 4 credit course includes a weekly seminar and two full days and one half day (Monday-Friday) for their internship.  Internship placements are made by EUSA, an organization partnering with NYU.

The seminar portion of the course explores many different aspects of your internship site. The goal is to finish the semester with an in-depth understanding of the company or organization, including its approach, its policies, and the context in which it operates. We will also discuss more generally the state of the contemporary workplace and ourselves as workers. Finally, you will use the seminar to reflect critically and analytically on the internship experience and as a way to refine your own personal and professional goals.

Experiential Learning Seminar - Sample Syllabus

This course explores the connections between major French and American expatriate writings of the Modernist period and beyond. As the site of unprecedented cosmopolitanism and creativity, early 20th-century Paris saw the emergence of artistic and intellectual movements that were to have a considerable impact on Western culture to this day. The texts we will be looking at (memoir, autobiography, novel, poem, and essay) reflect a shared sense of inner and outer exile inherent in the modern condition. They deal explicitly with the experience of living and writing on the margins, of belonging or not belonging, of otherness and estrangement in relation to class, gender, sexuality, language, and to Paris as a specific urban environment. Conducted in English

French and Expatriate Literature - Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite of FREN-UA 30 or FREN-UA 9030

The course aims to introduce students to contemporary French society through an examination of particular social groups and categories, with a focus on French youth and notions of gender. Through an exploration of contemporary issues and social movements, we will focus on how these groups have been constructed over time as historical and political categories with significant implications for social practice. Students will be encouraged to draw on resources in and around Paris as well as current events as an integral part of the course. 

France: Gender, Class, Race - Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite of FREN-UA 30 or FREN-UA 9030

A historical and political inquiry into the French system of relations with Francophone Africa from the ‘race to Empire’ in the 19th century to the current day. The main goals of the course are: to describe the historical development of French-African relations from the colonial to the post-independence era; to investigate the political, economic and cultural mechanisms of French influence in contemporary Francophone Africa; to understand the consequences for France of complex developments subsequent to colonialism, such as African immigration in France. 

French-African Relations - Sample Syllabus

This course proposes an introduction to French history, politics ,and society from the French Revolution to the present.  Attention is paid to the successive crises that have challenged France's stature, its national identity, and its republican model. Topics include the gradual consolidation of democratic political and social systems following the Revolution, and the continuities and contestations of that legacy as reflected in the rise of France as an imperial power, the Dreyfus Affair, two World Wars, and the loss of empire.

Topics in French History: Modern France from the Revolution to the Present - Sample Syllabus

This course presents the linguistic situation in greater Paris from the perspective of urban sociolinguistics. Topics include the range of French dialects spoken in Paris, their origins and their future; the linguistic situation of immigrants whose first language is not French, particularly immigrant communities from North Africa and Arabic-speaking communities; the connections between language and social and educational issues within and around Paris. 

Seminar: The Languages of Paris - Sample Syllabus

Registration priority for Media, Culture, and Communication (MCC) courses offered at NYU Paris will be given to NYU MCC majors. Other students will be able to register as space remains available. Please pay close attention to course notes displayed in Albert.

This course introduces students to the basic structures and practices of media in Europe and their relationship to everyday social life. It pays special attention to the common models and idioms of media in Europe, with an emphasis on national and regional variations. Specific case studies highlight current trends in the production, distribution, consumption, and regulation of media. Topics may include: national or regional idioms in a range of media genres, from entertainment, to advertising and publicity, to news and information; legal norms regarding content and freedom of expression; pirate and independent media; and innovations and emerging practices in digital media. Conducted in English.

Global Media Seminar: Media & Cultural Globalization in France - Sample Syllabus

The aim of the Collegium is to provide music students with a variety of experiences which reflect Paris's unique musical history and culture. The course has two strands: a series of weekly lectures and/or concerts to acquaint students with French music and culture, and guided projects to ensure each student's contact with Parisian peers, institutions, or mentors in their chosen area.

Collegium & Program Seminar - Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite:  MPATC-UE 36 Music Theory II, or success in placement exam
Corequisite: MPATC-UE 9008, Aural Comprehension in Music III

In this course students will follow up with their harmony studies. We will go through harmonic instances of advanced chromaticism of the late 19. century and up to the very edge of tonality. Emphasis will be put on assignments and exercises in order to develop good creative and analytical
skills in harmony. Concurrently we will examine the main formal principles of tonal music and apply
our knowledge in analysis of selected compositions. We will use various analytical approaches and
test them on a large scale of historical musical material. Every student will be due to realize at least one analysis of assigned composition during the semester.
 

Music Theory III - Sample syllabus

Prerequisite: MPATC-UE 36 Music Theory II or success in placement exam.

An exploration of 19th Century musical styles, chiefly romanticism, through the works of composers from 1790-1880.
Desired Outcomes:

• Students will be able to recognize, describe, and discuss features of romantic style.
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of the origins of romanticism including the
  differences from Classical style as manifest in musical practice.
• Students will be able to recognize, identify, and discuss works typical of the romantic period
  including symphony, symphonic poem, concerto, opera, lied (song), and solo/chamber works
  including the sonata and string quartet.
  

Music History III: Nineteenth Century Music - Sample syllabus

Prerequisite: MPATC-UE 7, Aural Comprehension II, or success in placement exam
Corequisite: MPATC-UE 9037, Music Theory III

Aural Comprehension III is a one-credit course, building on the foundations you have created in AC I and II. The two weekly class sessions will be devoted to group work in sight-singing and dictation: melodic, rhythmic and harmonic -- and in listening to longer segments of work to sharpen your perception of musical form. You will be expected to keep up a regular practice of these skills outside of class. In addition, we will arrange tutorials (at least three per semester) for individual work and assessment.

The musical materials of AC III will be taken mostly from 19th-century sources, reinforcing your work in Music Theory and Music History III. We will also work with more chromatic music of the 18th century, as well as jazz, popular music and relevant world cultures.

Aural Comprehension in Music III - Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite: Keyboard Skills II, or success in placement exam

Development of keyboard skills through improvisation and approaches to accompanying movement, singing and instrumental playing. Techniques of sight-reading, transportation, and score reading are emphasized.

Keyboard Skills III - Sample Syllabus

By Permission only. Private lessons are available only to Steinhardt performance majors for whom lessons are required every semester. Students may register for only one private lesson per semester.

PRIVATE LESSONS: 2 credits (30 minute lesson/week); 3 credits (60 minute lesson/week)

By Permission only. Private lessons are available only to Steinhardt performance majors for whom lessons are required every semester. Students may register for only one private lesson per semester.

PRIVATE LESSONS: 2 credits (30 minute lesson/week); 3 credits (60 minute lesson/week)

By Permission only. Private lessons are available only to Steinhardt performance majors for whom lessons are required every semester. Students may register for only one private lesson per semester.

PRIVATE LESSONS: 2 credits (30 minute lesson/week); 3 credits (60 minute lesson/week)

An introduction to philosophy through the study of issues in cognitive science. Topics may include the conflict between computational and biological approaches to the mind; whether a machine could think; the reduction of the mind to the brain; connectionism and neural nets. Gives training in philosophical argument and writing.

Minds and Machines - Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite: one introductory course. Offered every other year.

A survey of important issues in contemporary political philosophy, with a particular focus on the questions of social justice and political legitimacy. How should a just society be organized? Does justice require citizens and governments to follow some procedures, and/or does it involve reaching particular outcomes – for example particular patterns of wealth distribution? How should important social and political decisions be taken for them to be (and not just appear) legitimate? Is the majority always right? Should we elect representatives or practice a more direct form of democracy? What are the rights of minorities? Is there a right to civil disobedience when you disagree with a legitimately reached political decision? How should states interact with cultural minorities and particular identity groups?

Political Philosophy - Sample Syllabus

This course investigates the history, the structure and the inner logic and working of European integration from the end of the Second World War to present day. It will provide students with an overview of the political institutions, the member states and the current developments of the European Union while focusing on the paramount role played by France throughout the years. 

France and the European Union - Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite of FREN-UA 30 or FREN-UA 9030

Focuses on the historical and institutional bases of European integration in order to provide students an understanding of the European Union and how it works, its impact on everyday policies of the member states as well as the life of European citizens, and the kind of world actor the EU is or might become.  Focuses as well on current-day concerns and in particular the on-going sense of crisis that has rocked the Union for the past several years.

France and the European Union: Europe in Crisis - Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite of FREN-UA 30 or FREN-UA 9030

The course aims to introduce students to contemporary French society through an examination of particular social groups and categories, with a focus on French youth and notions of gender. Through an exploration of contemporary issues and social movements, we will focus on how these groups have been constructed over time as historical and political categories with significant implications for social practice. Students will be encouraged to draw on resources in and around Paris as well as current events as an integral part of the course. 

France: Gender, Class, Race - Sample Syllabus