French
Director of Graduate Studies:
2090 Foreign Languages Building
707 South Mathews Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-2020
E-mail: french@illinois.edu
Major: French
Degrees Offered: M.A., Ph.D.
Graduate Concentration: Medieval Studies (available to all)
Graduate Degree Programs
The Department of French offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Arts and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Candidates for the master's degree may specialize in French Studies, French Linguistics, or French Language Learning. Candidates for the doctoral degree may choose one of three specializations: French Studies, French Linguistics, or Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education (SLATE).
The following minors may be pursued: Cinema Studies, Gender and Women's Studies, Translation Studies, Criticism and Interpretive Theory
Admission
Students considering admission to the master's program should usually have had a college major in French. Applicants should apply online and submit a statement of purpose and three letters of recommendation. Original transcripts showing all undergraduate and graduate work completed should be sent to SLCL Graduate Student Services. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are required of students whose native language is English. Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and must score at least 79 on the internet-based test (iBT); they must also pass the speaking sub-section of the iBT with a minimum score of 24. See http://www.grad.illinois.edu/Admissions/instructions/04c.cfm. Admission for the spring semester is rare. Students seeking admission to the Ph.D. program with a Master of Arts degree earned elsewhere are expected to have a minimum 3.5 grade point average in graduate coursework. The master's degree should be in French literature, French studies, or French linguistics, except that candidates seeking admission to the Ph.D. specialization in Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education may hold a Master of Arts in Teaching degree.
For more information about how to apply, see www.french.illinois.edu/grad/application.html. Application questions may be directed to SLCL Graduate Student Services at slclgradservices@illinois.edu.
Degree Requirements
*For additional details and requirements refer to the department's graduate programs and the Graduate College Handbook.
Master of Arts
| Required Courses: | Required Hours |
|---|---|
| Course work dependent on specialization area | 32 |
| Total Hours | 32 |
Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall |
12 |
| Other Requirements:* | |
| Comprehensive exam | |
| Minimum GPA: | 2.75 |
Candidates in French Studies must take an examination based on a reading list covering the fields of French literature and culture. The examination in French linguistics is based on a list of readings in linguistics and in literature and/or civilization. The examination in French language learning/teaching includes readings in second-language acquisition and teaching methods in addition to selected readings in French literature and/or civilization. Candidates in all programs are required to demonstrate, at the time of the master's examination, an ability to communicate effectively in both written and oral French.
Doctor of Philosophy
| Required Courses: | Required Hours |
|---|---|
| Course work in specialization area | 32 |
| Language Requirement: depends on specialization area | |
| Thesis Hours Required– FR 599 (min/max applied toward degree): | 32 |
| Total Hours | 64 |
| Other Requirements:* | |
| Minimum GPA: | 2.75 |
| Masters Degree Required for Admission to PhD? | Yes |
| Qualifying Exam Required | No |
| Preliminary Exam Required | Yes |
| Final Exam/Dissertation Defense Required | Yes |
| Dissertation Deposit Required | Yes |
Specialization in French Studies
The doctoral program in French Studies is designed to prepare specialists in literature and culture. Candidates are required to include courses in textual criticism, linguistics or linguistically oriented textual theory, and French/Francophone literature and culture. Students are expected to demonstrate a reading proficiency in one modern foreign language (other than French or English). They may fulfill this requirement by passing a fourth-semester reading course with a grade of B or better or by demonstrating an equivalent ability by examination. In addition, students specializing in medieval or Renaissance studies must demonstrate an equivalent reading knowledge of Latin. Students may choose to complete a minor in Cinema Studies, Gender and Women’s Studies, or to obtain a certificate in Medieval Studies, Translation Studies or in Criticism, and Interpretive Theory.
Specialization in French Linguistics
This Ph.D. curriculum in linguistics offers training in French and Romance linguistics in cooperation with the Department of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese and the Department of Linguistics. Candidates selecting this option are required to complete course work in at least three areas of linguistic theory, advanced study of French language and culture, and French and Romance linguistics beyond the requirements of the M.A. Advanced course work related to the candidate’s research area is chosen in consultation with the advisor from courses offered by participating departments. Students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in at least one other Romance language and may select a concentration in Romance Linguistics.
Specialization in Second Language Acquisition/Teacher Education
The multidisciplinary Ph.D. concentration in Second-Language Acquisition and Teacher Education (SLATE) is available to candidates with an M.A. in French and at least one year of experience in teaching French as a second language. Candidates selecting this option are required to complete courses within the SLATE curriculum in linguistics/language structure, psycholinguistics/sociolinguistics, second language studies, research methodology, as well as advanced study in French language and culture. Courses are selected from a group of rotating topics related to the student's particular interests. Minimum requirements for the degree in all the participating departments are 64 graduate hours of credit beyond the master's degree.
Graduate Teaching Experience
Although teaching is not a general Graduate College requirement, the Department of French requires Ph.D. candidates to do some teaching as part of their academic work because such experience is considered a vital part of the graduate program. Non-native English speakers must first pass a test of their oral English ability. See www.grad.illinois.edu/admissions/taengprof.htm.
Teaching Assistants are required to take FR 505 (Teaching College and Secondary French, 4 hours) as part of their contractual obligation. The course does not count toward the graduate degrees.
Faculty Research Interests
Our faculty possess strengths in literary interpretation, critical theory, the study of civilization, cinema, Francophone literature, theoretical and applied linguistics, and computer-assisted teaching. Members of the faculty have received national and international recognition; graduates serve on the faculties of numerous colleges and universities both in this country and abroad. View the faculty's areas of research at www.french.illinois.edu/people/faculty.
Centers, Programs, and Institutes
Our faculty appointments with the Departments of African American Studies, Gender and Women’s Studies, Linguistics, Media and Cinema Studies, as well as the European Union Center and the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, the Programs in Comparative and World Literature, the Program in Jewish Culture and Society, the Program in Medieval Studies, and the Unit for Criticism and Interpretive Theory, broadening opportunities for interdisciplinary work.
Facilities and Resources
A language learning lab provides computer-based access to resources and audio-video services. The phonetics lab contains state-of-the-art equipment available to graduate student researchers. The Kolb-Proust Archive for Research, a unit of the Library, houses a wealth of information about Marcel Proust and his time, including the important collection of notes and materials assembled by Philip Kolb, who was a professor in the Department of French. Documents from the collection are accessible on the World-Wide Web through a searchable SGML-encoded Virtual Archive (www.library.illinois.edu/kolbp).
Financial Aid
All students who apply for admission are considered for financial aid. Subject to budgetary conditions, and assuming satisfactory academic and teaching performance, the Department offers two years of financial aid toward the M.A. degree and an additional four years of support toward completion of the Ph.D.
Teaching Assistantships are the most common form of graduate student support. The usual appointment requires teaching three courses during the academic year.
Research Assistantships require the recipient to assist with a faculty member's research for a specific number of hours per week. A research assistantship may be combined with a teaching assistantship.
Fellowships are offered for new and continuing students. No separate application form is required.
Tuition and Fee Waivers are included with waiver-generating fellowship, teaching assistantship, and research assistantship awards.
Several graduate students each year may spend the academic year abroad under exchange agreements with universities in France, Belgium, and Canada, employed as teaching assistants.
For further information, see www.french.illinois.edu/grad/fellowship.html.