The Department of French & Italian is committed to providing full funding to all graduate students. Students who accept our offer of admission therefore receive fellowships or assistantships that cover tuition and provide eligibility to enroll in excellent comprehensive health insurance and other benefits. Funding for Fall 2024 and beyond is projected to be guaranteed for a minimum of 5 years of study for students entering with a B.A., and a minimum of 4 years for those entering with an M.A. Moreover, it has been our departmental practice to continue to offer funding beyond guarantee as possible for students in good academic standing.
Teaching assistantships, the most common form of support in our department, offer the pedagogical experience and training necessary to be competitive on the academic job market. Students with teaching assistantships in our department are earning a minimum of $26,525 during academic year 2024-2025. The teaching assignment is usually one course per semester, but double sections (two sections of the same course) can also be requested by domestic students for an increased stipend, when available. While the guarantee of support means students in good standing will receive funding, the exact assignments are based on need, merit, and experience. Generally, a graduate student will, over the course of study, hold a variety of the following positions, which are available every semester:
| Fall and Spring Teaching Assignments | Stipend per semester (2024-25) |
| French 101, 102, 203 or 204 (50% appointment) | $13,262.50 |
| Head TA (50% appointment) | $13,262.50 |
| French 101, 102, 203 or 204 – Two sections (75% appointment) | $19,893.75 |
| Head TA – Two sections (75% appointment) | $19,893.75 |
| Summer Teaching Assignments | Stipend for Summer 2024 |
| French 101 or 102 (4-week session) (62% appointment) | $4,054 |
Students may also have the opportunity to teach more advanced courses, such as French 228 and French 271, depending on departmental need. Note that all stipend amounts described here are as of Fall 2024 and that they typically increase each year. It should also be noted that international students are not eligible to teach double sections at this time due to visa restrictions; they are, however, eligible for all other teaching assignments listed above.
There are also fellowships available from several sources on campus each year, including the Chancellor’s fellowship, which starts at around $13,253 per semester. Advanced Opportunity Fellowships are also available to increase the racial and ethnic diversity of the graduate student population, as well as support economically disadvantaged and first generation college students. The department also offers a number of monetary awards every year, for academic performance and for teaching. Awards over the past five years ranged from $1,000 – $2,300. Graduate students can also take advantage of our excellent exchange programs during the course of their study.
TEACHING REQUIREMENTS
Teaching is not required for the M.A., but students in the Department must complete 4 credits of teaching methodology, including French 820, Teaching College French (3 credits), and French 821, Issues in Methods of Teaching French (1 credit; French 821 may be taken any time before dissertator status is granted). TAs may take French 820 prior to teaching in the Department or concurrently with their first semester of teaching.
To be exempted from French 820, a TA must have had one of the following preparations (to request an exemption, see the instructor of French 820, who will forward your request to the Chair of Graduate Studies)
- A 3-credit methods course that covers the essential content of French 820, plus at least 2 semesters of college-level teaching experience in the United States.
- At least 3 years of full-time teaching experience at the high-school level, plus courses in pedagogy.
- Experience teaching abroad that meets one of the above criteria, plus familiarity with American students, institutions, and practices of foreign language teaching.
Students who are not TAs in the Department are encouraged to take French 820 and 821, but they may request that that requirement be waived if they have no intention of teaching.
DEPARTMENT LECTURER HIRING POLICY
The Department of French and Italian occasionally hires dissertators for lectureships when there is a need. It is the policy of the Department to limit the hiring of short-term lecturers to a maximum period of three years. Employment as a lecturer in either semester of an academic year counts as one of these three years. -Graduate Studies Committee, 03/14/2007