French

The French department offers a doctoral program with a strong critical, cultural, and historical orientation. In addition to their respective specialties in French and Francophone literature, the faculty pursue research in related disciplines such as philosophy, aesthetics, psychoanalysis, rhetoric, intellectual history, and postcolonial studies. 

Our interdisciplinary curriculum is designed to train teachers and researchers who:

• understand the nature of French literature and the theoretical idioms that inform and shape our understanding of that literature; 
• are acquainted with the critical tradition, especially the main currents of continental theory that have in recent decades oriented literary critical studies in America; 
• are familiar with current developments in the field of criticism, such as the rise of cultural studies; and 
• know the fundamentals of second language acquisition and technology-aided instruction.

Graduate courses reflect the faculty’s interest in viewing French literature  rom multi-disciplinary critical approaches, emphasizing both the close reading of texts and modern theories of interpretation. Through cooperation with programs in Comparative Literature, Philosophy, Women’s Studies and Film Studies, students can readily incorporate an interdisciplinary focus into their coursework and dissertation.

We offer a PhD in French and a PhD in French and Educational Studies, offered jointly with the Division of Educational Studies.