The graduate program in French offers course work and research supervision in French / Francophone literature and applied linguistics. Related courses in critical theory, philosophy, and religious studies enrich the interdisciplinary nature of our program. Our relatively small program affords students individualized attention in small seminars with the graduate faculty in French. Students work with various faculty members to get training in teaching both French language and literature. In addition, students have unique opportunities to work with various affiliated programs and centers, including the Program in African American & Diaspora Studies, the Jewish Studies program, the program for Women's and Gender Studies, the Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities, the Center for the Study of Religion and Culture, and the Center for the Americas. In addition, students may choose to focus on Québec and Canadian Studies. The Bandy Center for Baudelaire and Modern French Studies offers many resources for students interested in research in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Since its founding in 1969, the graduate program in French has granted more than sixty Ph.D. degrees.
All students who have earned a B.A. degree (or equivalent) should apply to the Ph.D. program in French. The M.A. degree is earned as a stage in the doctoral program.
The Vanderbilt University Graduate School site contains the online application.
The M.A. program
Students who are admitted to the graduate program after completing the B.A. degree prepare the reading list for the M.A. exam,generally taken early in the fourth semester of study. The M.A. degree reflects a general understanding of all areas of French and Francophone literature and culture. After completing the M.A. degree students must formally apply for admission to the Ph.D. program.
The Ph.D. program
Students who are admitted to the Ph.D. program with a M.A. degree in French from another institution are granted up to 21 hours of credit for previous work. They take courses and prepare for the Ph.D. qualifying exam, generally taken during the fifth semester of study. This exam reflects expertise in the chosen area of research and includes a dissertation project proposal. After successful completion of the qualifying exam, students work on their dissertation under the supervision of the dissertation director and other members of the faculty.
Awards and scholarships
Students admitted to both the M.A. and Ph.D. programs are offered full tuition remission and a stipend. First-year M.A. students with fewer than 18 hours of graduate work are granted a service-free year. Other graduate students have a teaching obligation of one course per semester. All students in good standing may benefit from a service-free semester or year while working on the dissertation. In addition, the Provost or the College of Arts and Science may offer additional support to eligible students.
Study and teach in France
All graduate students who are native speakers of English have the opportunity to spend a year teaching and studying in Paris or in Aix-en-Provence.
Apprenticeship in Teaching Literature or Culture
This program is available to students who hold the M.A. Its purpose is to provide a guided teaching experience in either literature or civilization/culture. The apprenticeship may be undertaken in conjunction with the following courses: French 220 (Introduction to Literature) and French 207 or 208 (Civilization). Any other courses that a student might wish to use for the apprenticeship must be approved by the Chair and the DGS. Students must obtain the consent of the instructor of the course, prepare a plan of study, and register for French 289 (Independent Study) for 3 hours. A maximum of 6 credits may be taken in the apprenticeship program. Any credits of independent study in an apprenticeship are electives and do not count as a seminar. Students will attend all classes of the course, teach one unit, do research on the subject in question and on the critical or methodological issues involved, write a paper, and meet regularly with the supervisory professor. Only one apprentice may work in each section. The graduate student is not to serve as a "teaching assistant" or "grader" for the entire course.
Other funding opportunities
Graduate students are eligible to apply for a range of summer research fellowships, travel grants, and dissertation enhancement grants. The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) works closely with students to prepare them for these competitive awards.
Click here for a list of current graduate students and links to their web pages.
Click here to see where our former graduate students have gone.
