Ph.D. Program in French

The Ph.D. Program in French combines traditional training in French and Francophone Literatures with several broad curricular options. While specializing in one of the literary periods, students are able to enrich their academic experience with the curricular option that best suits their interests.

These options—Translation Studies, Comparative Studies, Cultural Studies, Performance Studies, and International Human Rights in the French-Speaking World—draw from an array of courses offered either by our program or by others at the Graduate Center. In addition, students are encouraged to opt for one of the Graduate Center’s Interdisciplinary Certificates in American Studies, Critical Theory, Film Studies, Medieval Studies, Renaissance Studies, or Women’s Studies. These certificates are important assets for increasing students’ marketability in the academy and related professions.

First-year students take a seminar in research and scholarly writing in which they hone their interests and intellectual skills. Beyond completing our rigorous program of study, students teach French in a CUNY college where they receive training in pedagogy.

With its commitment to interdisciplinary research, our program draws an international student body from a variety of backgrounds, including, among others, art history, philosophy, journalism, and political science. Among our twenty-eight faculty members, we count Distinguished Professors Mary Ann Caws, Nancy K. Miller, and Domna C. Stanton. This scholastic diversity makes our program, located in the heart of New York City, a vibrant place to study.