PhD French Studies and French

The joint Ph.D. program in French Studies and French is designed for students interested in developing research expertise in the history and analysis of literary texts closely linked to their social, culture, and political contexts. It prepares students to teach both literature and civilization in French departments and gives them the scholarly expertise to integrate the two. The joint program combines strong training in literary analysis with substantial exposure to the study of France, Europe, and the Francophone world offered by historians and social scientists. Students applying to the program should have background both in French literature and in history and the social sciences. The program covers French politics, society, culture, and literature since the French Revolution, although students develop a narrower research specialty within this time period.