Our M.A. and Ph.D. programs offer training for teaching and research in all areas of French and Francophone literature and literary history, in critical theory, film, gender and queer studies, romance philology, and foreign language pedagogy. Our large and varied faculty teach graduate courses in all areas and at regular intervals. Consequently, students for the M.A. degree can fulfill course requirements in any given two-year period, and candidates for the Ph.D. can complete course requirements for the Ph.D. within two years of obtaining their M.A.
Fellowships are available for high-ranking students and dissertators. The department has a number of teaching assistantships which are granted on the basis of a candidate’s previous academic record, knowledge of French, and seriousness of purpose in pursuing the Ph.D. For those students who have no teaching experience, a carefully supervised in-service training program is provided, which is particularly valuable for future career placement. Normally, a graduate student will be able to take advantage of study fellowships in Paris, in Geneva, and in Aix-en-Provence. The department has a residential French House adjacent to Madison’s picturesque Lake Mendota. The House supports a wide variety of scholarly and cultural activities, including lectures by international scholars and writers, colloquia by faculty and graduate students, and regularly scheduled festivities. The annual GAFIS Symposium held each spring and monthly research seminars during the academic year allow graduate students to gain experience in giving scholarly lectures and participating in discussion panels.