May 03, 2024  
2019-2020 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
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2019-2020 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Descriptions

SUNY Oneonta offers students more than 1,400 courses—from Accounting to Zoology—from over 25 separate departments. Requirements for majors and minors and course descriptions are listed under the departments that offer them; and these departments are arranged in alphabetical order. See the “Course Index” for details.

Please note that requirements, courses, and course descriptions are subject to change after publication of this catalog. Contact the appropriate departments for updated information. Also note that some course descriptions have been edited for clarity and consistency. Complete descriptions are available from the instructors or the departments concerned.

Key to Course Descriptions

Abbreviation   Meaning
(PACT)   Activity course in Health & Fitness
(LA)   Liberal Arts (course is a Liberal Arts offering)
SUSF   Sustainability Focused Courses
AWR   Advanced Writing Requirement (pending)
s.h.   Semester Hour(s)
SoS   Sophomore standing
JrS   Junior standing
SrS   Senior standing

Course Numbering System

001 - 099   No credit; usually developmental in nature.
100 - 199   Lower-division undergraduate-level courses.
200 - 299   Upper-division intermediate undergraduate-level courses.
300 - 499   Upper-division advanced courses.
500 - 699   Graduate-level courses.
 

French
  

  • FREN 101 - Introductory French I 3 s.h.

    French for beginners: for students who have studied no more than 2 years of high school French. Studies basic language skills, including comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing. Use of language laboratory and audio-visual materials.
    LA
    FL3
  

  • FREN 102 - Introductory French II 3 s.h.

    A continuation of FREN 101 , including a review of basics covered in FREN 101 .
    LA
    FL3
    Prerequisite(s): FREN 101 , or equivalent proficiency.
  

  • FREN 103 - Intermediate French I 3 s.h.

    An intensive review of basic French grammar and language with emphasis on preparing students to take classes in the major. Students may request to take FREN 103 and FREN 104  in the same semester if needed for timely completion of the degree.
    LA
    FL3
    Prerequisite(s): FREN 102 , or equivalent proficiency.
  

  • FREN 104 - Intermediate French II 3 s.h.

    A continuation of French 103. Students may request to take FREN 103  and 104 in the same semester if needed for timely completion of the degree.
    LA
    FL3
    Prerequisite(s): FREN 103  or equivalent proficiency.
  

  • FREN 201 - Advanced French I 3 s.h.

    A thorough review of French grammatical structures with an emphasis on written and oral expression. FREN 201 and FREN 202  may be taken in any order, and they may profitably be taken simultaneously with FREN 204  or FREN 205 . Offered Spring only.
    LA
    FL3
    Prerequisite(s): FREN 103  or equivalent proficiency.
  

  • FREN 202 - Advanced French II 3 s.h.

    A thorough review of French grammatical structures with an emphasis on written and oral expression. FREN 201  and 202 may be taken in any order, and they may profitably be taken simultaneously with FREN 204  or FREN 205 . Offered Fall only.
    LA
    FL3
    Prerequisite(s): FREN 103  or equivalent proficiency.
  

  • FREN 204 - French & Francophone Civilization I 3 s.h.

    A study of the political, social, cultural, intellectual, artistic, and literary development of France and the Francophone world, from prehistoric times to the French Revolution. FREN204/205 may be taken in any order. A-E only Offered once per year.
    LA
    Prerequisite(s): FREN 103  or equivalent proficiency.
  

  • FREN 205 - French & Francophone Civilization II 3 s.h.

    A study of the political, social, cultural, intellectual, artistic, and literary development of France and the Francophone World, from the French and Haitian Revolutions to the present. FREN204/205 may be taken in any order. A-E only Once per year.
    LA
    Prerequisite(s): FREN 103  or equivalent proficiency.
  

  • FREN 208 - French Literature & Culture 3 s.h.

    Study of French and Francophone literatures and cultures from the Middle Ages through to the Enlightenment. Provides the historical context for major literary movements and authors, as well as a for a critical exploration of other forms of cultural expression, and trains students to read and write critically. Students also learn to use the methods and language of literary and cultural analysis and explore essays illustrating recent trends in literary and cultural theory.  A-E only. Offered irregularly.
    LA
    Prerequisite(s): FREN 201  or FREN 202 . 
  

  • FREN 209 - French Literature & Culture II 3 s.h. -

    Study of French and Francophone literatures and cultures from the French and Haitian Revolutions to the present. Provides the historical context for major literary movements and authors, as well as a for a critical exploration of other forms of cultural expression, and trains students to read and write critically. Students also learn to use the methods and language of literary and cultural analysis and explore essays illustrating recent trends in literary and cultural theory.  A-E only. Offered irregularly.
    LA
    Prerequisite(s): FREN 201  or FREN 202 .
  

  • FREN 210 - Survey of Francophone Literature 3 s.h.

    A study of Francophone literature of Quebec, the French West Indies, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia during the 20th century. Offered irregularly.
    LA
    Prerequisite(s): FREN 201  and FREN 202 .
  

  • FREN 217 - Contemporary France 4 s.h.

    This is a course in contemporary French civilization using Paris as a microcosm of modern French life. The course will include intensive reading, research and discussion on various aspects of contemporary French culture and language and will incorporate a 10-12 day stay in Paris during a college vacation week. While in Paris, the students will work daily from 9am to 9pm with the instructor doing walking tours related to French history, art, architecture, and everyday life. In Paris students will also complete work on a pre-designed project related to an element of French culture. Students will be expected to function exclusively in French during this program. Students will be responsible for the cost of their airfare, lodging, meals, ground transportation, and incidental expenses while in France. Offered irregularly.
    LA
    Prerequisite(s): FREN 104  or equivalent, and SoS and permission of instructor.
  

  • FREN 218 - Culinary French 1 s.h.

    An intermediate-level conversation course to provide students with focused practice of vocabulary and structures useful to both clients and food service personnel in restaurant settings. Some reading and written work required, mostly for reading and preparing menus in French. Conducted entirely in French. Offered irregularly.
    Prerequisite(s): FREN 104 , FREN 201 , or equivalent proficiency.
  

  • FREN 219 - Advanced French Conversation 3 s.h.

    Intensive practice in oral expression and comprehension in French, with particular emphasis on pronunciation, accent, and intonation patterns. Offered Fall only.
    LA
    Prerequisite(s): FREN 201  and FREN 202 .
  

  • FREN 220 - Advanced French Composition 3 s.h.

    Intensive work on writing in French, including creative and analytic writing, as well as practical forms such as letter-writing, blogs, etc. Offered Spring only.
    LA
    Prerequisite(s): FREN 201  and FREN 202 .
  

  • FREN 221 - France and the Arab World: Culture, History, Politics 3 s.h.

    This course examines the relationship between France and the Arab world from the Middle Ages to the present.  Focusing on the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia), but also including Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, and Syria, the course explores key moments in this history in order to provide a deeper understanding of contemporary issues such as immigration, secularism, imperialism, nationalism, and the role of mass media in representing Arab and Muslim peoples and societies.  Readings include The 1001 Nights, The Song of Roland, as well as a range of French and Arab writers such as Voltaire, Montesquieu, Victor Hugo, Albert Camus, Assia Djebar, and Joyce Mansour. Taught in English. A-E only. Offered irregularly. 
    LA
    Prerequisite(s): COMP 100 . 
  

  • FREN 222 - French and Francophone Cinema 3 s.h.

    This course explores the history of French and Francophone cinema from its origins to the present.  Includes study of the film-making process, cinematic techniques, and corresponding vocabulary.  The course focuses on cinema as an art form, as popular culture, and as a commentary on society and politics.  Attention will be paid to the relationships between cinema in metropolitan France and in other parts of the French-speaking world such as Africa, the Caribbean, Québec, and the Middle East. Taught in English. A-E only. Offered irregularly.
    LA
    Prerequisite(s): COMP 100 . 
  

  • FREN 223 - Graffiti & Street Art in the Francophone World 3 s.h.

    This course examines graffiti and street art from around the world, with a special focus on works produced in the French-speaking world (Africa, the Caribbean, North America, and Europe).  We will consider graffiti and street art from a variety of perspectives: marginalized cultures, youth culture, punk, hip-hop, the intersections between local and international communities, as criminal activity, political protest, and as art.  Students will do original research with online and/or in-situ graffiti. Taught in English.  A-E Only. Offered irregularly.
    LA
    Cross-listed with ALS 223 .
  

  • FREN 224 - French Music and Poetry 3 s.h.

    This course is designed to familiarize students to French culture and literature through a form likely to attract French, English and Music majors. Taught in English, the offering will be a survey course providing an approach to French music and lyric poetry from the Middle-Ages to the present, including Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Twentieth Century. The course will examine the development of the French mélodie and its intimate connection with French poetry. A-E only. Offered every two years.
  

  • FREN 225 - France and the Challenge of Globalization 3 s.h.

    This course will allow students to analyze the impact of globalization on France. The French narrative of universalism has become an unreachable fantasy of homogeneity, and has created an internal contradiction between integration and repression, as it only offers assimilation or segregation to immigrants and refugees, scapegoating the absolute others whose behavior and culture cannot match the model. While immigration, had provided the cheap labor necessary for postwar industrial reconstruction, it had become a “social problem.” This course, taught in English, will introduce students to a deep understanding of the global, national, and local processes that shape the evolution of French culture into the XXIst century. A-E only. Offered every two years.
  

  • FREN 299 - Independent Study in French 1 s.h. - 6 s.h.

    Special studies under department supervision for students who have shown unusual ability in French and other areas. May be continued in successive semesters.
    LA
    Prerequisite(s): SoS and permission of department and instructor.
  

  • FREN 312 - Studies in Medieval French Literature 3 s.h.

    A study of selected authors of medieval texts from the tenth through the fifteenth centuries. The student will acquire a reading ability in old French through the study of works and authors such as: La Chanson de Roland, Marie de France, Chretien de Troyes, Le Roman de la Rose, Rutebeuf, Thibaut de Champagne, Froissart, Christine de Pisan, Charles d’Orleans, Commynes. Offered irregularly.
    LA
    Prerequisite(s): FREN 208 , or equivalent proficiency.
  

  • FREN 316 - French Literature of the Renaissance 3 s.h.

    A study of selected authors of the 16th century. Offered irregularly.
    LA
    Prerequisite(s): FREN 208 , or equivalent proficiency.
  

  • FREN 317 - French Neo-Classical Literature 3 s.h.

    A study of selected authors of the 17th century. Offered irregularly.
    LA
    Prerequisite(s): FREN 208 , or equivalent proficiency.
  

  • FREN 318 - The French Enlightenment 3 s.h.

    A study of selected authors of the 18th century. Offered irregularly.
    LA
    Prerequisite(s): FREN 208 , or equivalent proficiency.
  

  • FREN 319 - French Literature of the 19th Century 3 s.h.

    A study of selected authors from the French Revolution to World War I. Offered irregularly.
    LA
    Prerequisite(s): FREN 208 , FREN 209 , or equivalent proficiency.
  

  • FREN 320 - Modern French Literature 3 s.h.

    A study of selected authors of French expression from World War I to the present. Offered irregularly.
    LA
    Prerequisite(s): FREN 208 , FREN 209 , or equivalent proficiency.
  

  • FREN 322 - Francophone Literature 3 s.h.

    Will explore the richness and diversity of francophone literature through texts and films from French-speaking areas such as Louisiana, Quebec, Haiti, Morocco, Algeria, Mali, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Course will be conducted in French. Offered irregularly.
    LA
    Prerequisite(s): FREN 208  or FREN 209  or FREN 210  or equivalent proficiency
  

  • FREN 325 - Sustainability in Francophone Literature and Culture 3 s.h.

    The breakdown of ecosystems around the world in the early twenty-first century plunges human civilization into a crisis that urgently prompts us to re-evaluate our own cultural resources in meeting the global challenge of sustainability.  This course explores French and Francophone literatures and cultures through the lenses of sustainability, ecocriticism, and environmental activism.  Beginning with attitudes and perceptions of the natural world expressed in literature, the course branches out to consider the interconnected questions of culture, society, and politics viewed from the broad, holistic perspective of sustainability. This course critically examines the connections between abstract ideas about the natural environment and concrete practices that either sustain or fail to sustain it.  While providing students with critical tools for thinking and writing broadly about sustainability and culture, individual instructors may teach different iterations of this course that focus on particular aspects of these larger issues, and which zoom in on specific histories and contours of this problematic.  Issues examined may include colonialism and war; racism, immigration, and incarceration; sustainable communities; the metaphorical exploitation of nature in light of policy and practice; and activism, fair trade, and eco-tourism as three possible solutions to these challenges. Taught in English. A-E only. Offered irregularly.
    LA
    Prerequisite(s): COMP 100 . 
  

  • FREN 327 - The Female Voice in French Literature 3 s.h.

    This course is designed to familiarize students to the female voice in French literature and society through the Ages. Students will explore the various challenges raised by the issues of gender, literary merit, values and philosophy in the contributions of women in French literature. They will also learn how to assess feminist, anti-feminist, and ambivalent attitudes in treatments of female characters and feminist concerns. Finally, they will study French feminist criticism in the discussion of women’s feminist philosophy and literature in the twentieth century, from Marie de France to Virginie Despentes. A-E only. Offered every two-three years.
    LA
  

  • FREN 398 - Seminar in French 3 s.h.

    Investigation or research of particular literary or cultural interests. Includes regular group meetings, but emphasis is on individual work. Offered irregularly.
    LA
    Prerequisite(s): SrS.
  

  • FREN 399 - Independent Study in French 1 s.h. - 6 s.h.

    Special studies under department supervision for students who have shown unusual ability in French and other areas. May be continued in successive semesters.
    LA
    Prerequisite(s): JrS and permission of department and instructor.