French Language and Literature PhD

The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures (RLL) trains students to develop new knowledge about the languages, literatures and cultures of the Romance languages, as well as the cultures and diasporic communities with which they have remained in sustained contact. Students in RLL are prepared to participate in critical discussions in the discipline and engage meaningfully with the scholarship of colleagues in neighboring disciplines.

Curriculum

Some graduate courses from the core curriculum offer surveys of a particular period, genre or linguistic discipline, and students are encouraged to take advantage of such courses when they are offered. However, many graduate courses are more specialized classes designed to give students research experience with non-canonical texts, new ideas and innovative approaches that may later inform directly or indirectly the direction taken in the dissertation. These various components, along with the language requirement, prepare students to conduct research and contribute to their fields.

Students must complete at least 20 graduate courses (60 credits). A total of 10 courses (30 credits) of relevant coursework may be transferred from another institution. Graduate courses are designed to introduce students to a particular topic and to prepare them to do research in the field. Assessment is based primarily on a major research project and associated assignments leading up to it. The PhD program allows students the flexibility to design their own program of study in consultation with their advisor, but they must take at least one course in each general area of their field.

Required Core (3-6 credits)

RLL 501LEC - Intro Romance Lang & Lit Credits: 3
RLL 579LEC - Foreign Language Teaching Methods Credits: 3

Elective Courses (54-57 credits)

Select from all FR and RLL graduate courses

Students in the French Language and Literature PhD program have the flexibility to choose from a wide range of elective courses, allowing them to tailor their studies to their specific academic interests. Please consult our graduate-level French course offerings here. Note that course availability may vary by semester, and new courses may be introduced as they are developed.

Students in the Literature track must take at least one Linguistics class.

Students in the Linguistics track must take at least one Literature class, plus the classes outlined in the Graduate Linguistics Handbook

Regarding the specifics of the individual program, each student should consult his/her adviser; but Literature students must take at least one course in each general area of their field*:

French Literature and Culture
Francophone Literature and Culture
Medieval and/or Early Modern Literature and Culture
Modern and/or Contemporary Literature and Culture

Courses are offered in two formats: Intensive (I) and Extensive (E). While both share the same syllabus, intensive sections involve a heavier workload (e.g., midterm and final papers), whereas extensive sections have a lighter one (e.g., annotated bibliography or response paper). In both formats, students are expected to prepare, participate, and engage fully. Instructors will detail specific requirements in their syllabi.

Courses are labeled in HUB as “-I” (Intensive) or “-E” (Extensive). To graduate, PhD students must take at least 50% of their required courses as intensive.

* subject to course availability; suitable alternatives can be discussed with the Director of Graduate Studies.

Dissertation (12 credits)

FR 700TUT - Thesis Guidance Credits: 1 - 12

Total Credit Hours: 72

3.0 Degree GPA required

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)

1) Locate, identify, critically assess, evaluate and interpret primary texts and sources

2) Recognize, understand, evaluate, contextualize, develop, and utilize theoretical and critical approaches and other secondary sources

3) Develop knowledge area and specialization in the sub-discipline

4) Perform original research and create new knowledge capable of sustaining peer review

5) Communicate findings and articulate critical positions according to professional academic standards of clarity, logic and relevance

6) Cultivate and maintain sufficient literary and cultural awareness to articulate the value of cultural exposure in personal growth and professional development

7) Develop pedagogical practices and teaching philosophy.

SED Statement

This program is officially registered with the New York State Education Department (SED).