French

Also see Department Website:
http://web.gc.cuny.edu/French/

The Ph.D. Program in French stresses a broad interdisciplinary approach as well as strong traditional training in the various periods and genres of French literature. Works of literature are studied in relation to stylistics, aesthetics, philosophy, psychoanalysis, and critical theory, as well as to history, politics, sociology, the arts, and other literatures.

Optional Specializations

Besides the possibility of specializing in any field of French literature, from medieval to Francophone/non-Hexagonal, candidates can elect one of five individualized curricular options: comparative studies, cultural studies, international studies with a human rights focus, performance studies, or translation studies. Additionally, many of our students complete the course work in certificate programs such as Film Studies, Medieval Studies, Renaissance Studies, and Women’s Studies.

Each semester, seminars cover periods from the Middle Ages to the present, as well as a range of theoretical questions. Pedagogical training for college-level teaching of French is mostly done on-site at the various CUNY campuses through courses and workshops. CUNY’s consortial arrangement allows the program to draw faculty from colleges in the system, and thus to provide a broad range of coverage and depth of field. Particular faculty strengths include critical theory, poetics, Francophone literature, postmodern thought, postcolonial theory, film theory, visual cultures, history and politics, theatre studies, feminist theory, gender theory, queer theory, cultural studies, translation theories and practice, and multimedia technologies and cybertext.