The French Department publishes a series of Placement Guidelines to help students determine which level is appropriate, based on the student’s previous study of French. Additional questions should be directed as follows:

French 1 or 2:

Daniel Hoffmann
Coordinator of First Year French Language Program

French 3 or 4 + French 102:

Vesna Rodic
Coordinator of Second-Year French Language Program and Placement Coordinator

French 13, 14, 35, and other questions:

Nina Rennert Cohen
French Undergraduate Adviser

Maximum enrollment for French 1 and 2:  20 students

Maximum enrollment for French 3 and 4:  19 students.

Maximum enrollment for French 13 and 14: 18 students.

Contact the French Undergraduate Adviser and attend the section you wish to add.   Solutions to this issue can usually be worked out.  Let your instructor know that you are working with the French Adviser on adding the class.

Before Instruction Begins:  If there is room on the wait list, sign up for the section that fits your schedule.  If a seat opens up, students are automatically enrolled from the wait list.  If you are still on the wait list once classes begin, you should attend for the first week and check with the instructor about open seats.   

After Instruction Begins:  For the first two weeks of instruction, daily attendance numbers are monitored by instructors.  The daily attendance numbers show how many students from the official enrollment list are actually attending class and, therefore, how many potential openings there are. Your instructor will know if there are open seats, based on daily attendance numbers.  Often the number of students attending is different from the number of students enrolled on CalCentral.

If you see a section that (1) fits into your schedule and (2) has potential openings based on attendance trends, add yourself to the CalCentral wait list for that section, and attend and stay current with the assignments. If/as the number of students attending class falls below the limit, the instructor can add students from the CalCentral wait list for that section.

Attendance fluctuates during the first two weeks of the semester. After students are dropped for non-attendance from class- and wait-lists, students who have been attending can be added as space allows. If a space opens up during the first two weeks of instruction, the Instructor can approve enrollment from the official CalCentral wait list for that section.

Students on the wait list for a French section should always carry enough units to meet their minimum course load requirements not counting the section of French they are trying to get into.

If the section you want is full, look for other sections with possible openings. Once classes begin, you can contact your instructor about other sections with openings.   If you see a section that has attendance below the enrollment limit, add yourself to the wait list for that section and attend. Be sure and let the instructor know that you are trying to add the section.

Enrollment lists and wait lists are specific to each section. To switch to another section, it is necessary to drop the section that no longer fits into your schedule and add the desired section.  If the class you wish to add is full, add yourself to the wait list and let the new instructor know.

Students on the wait list for a French section should always carry enough units to meet their minimum course load requirements not counting the section of French they are trying to get into. If the French course that fits into your schedule is still full at end of the 3rd week of classes, you cannot be added and cannot continue attending. If you have a course program that meets your minimum course load requirements (not counting the section of French), you will be able to discontinue the French course without complications to your schedule. It can be difficult to find a new course to add in the 3rd or 4th week of the semester if you have not been attending and staying current with readings and assignments.

Class limits are set according to contractual agreements and cannot be increased.

Additional questions?
Contact Nina Rennert Cohen, Undergraduate Major Advisor.