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Graduate Studies in French
The University of Pennsylvania's Graduate Program in French
Studies offers a flexible, five-year Ph.D. program.
(NOTE: We do not offer terminal M.A. programs). The overarching
goal of the program is to train students both for productive
scholarship and for effective college or university teaching.
We possess an outstanding faculty committed to scholarly excellence
and an impressive record in placing candidates in the job
market. The University's location in Philadelphia provides
easy access to the social and cultural resources of a dynamic
and affordable metropolitan center.
Students admitted to the program are awarded full financial support
through the University's Benjamin Franklin Fellowships. During
the first two years of the Ph.D. program, students take a
broad selection of courses, covering all pertinent fields
and exposing themselves to diverse methodologies. In
the third year, students direct their course selection to
reflect their chosen field of specialization. The fourth
and fifth years are devoted to preparing for the comprehensive
exam and to dissertation research and writing.
Study Abroad and Exchange Programs
Graduate students in French have the opportunity to spend
a year of the program abroad by participating in Department-sponsored
student exchange programs with the Universities of Paris VII
(Charles V, Jussieu), Paris X (Nanterre), and Geneva. In conjunction
with Bryn Mawr College, we award one or two annual scholarships
to first-year graduate students to attend the
Institut d'études françaises d'Avignon for
a six-week summer program.
Opportunities for Interdisciplinary Study
Students may complement their studies with up to four courses
outside the French section--for example, in another Romance
language, Comparative
Literature, English,
or History. Certificate
programs are also available in the areas of Women's
Studies and Urban
Studies. The University of Pennsylvania enjoys reciprocal
agreements with several other nearby institutions, which allow
students to complete a number of courses in them while enrolled
in a graduate program at Penn. Additionally, interdisciplinary
study is encouraged through participation in the wide range
of seminars, lectures, and colloquia sponsored by the various
Graduate Groups and affiliated research institutes and centers
at Penn, including the Center for Italian Studies and the Latin
American and Latino Studies Program. Students and faculty participate
in the weekly "History of the Book Seminar," which
draws scholars from a wide range of disciplines to discuss
the history and materiality of the book. The Graduate
Humanities Forum also provides a venue for doctoral students
to interact with colleagues from across the disciplines and
holds weekly meetings as well as special research seminars,
colloquia, and an annual student conference.
Every year, two graduate students from the French department at the University of Pennsylvania invite scholars from Penn and around the country to present their work to the graduate students, faculty, and other members of the Philadelphia community who share an interest in French and Francophone culture. The purpose of the French Cultural Studies lecture series is to foster an interdisciplinary spirit facilitated by the highly interactive format of its seminars. Strong attendance from students and faculty from most of the humanities departments at Penn and from neighboring institutions such as Bryn Mawr, Haverford and the University of Delaware are a testament to the vibrant forum that FCS has cultivated since its creation in 1993 by Drs. Joan DeJean and Lynn Hunt.
Placement
The Department offers guided preparation for students' participation
in the academic job market. Students receive advice and feedback
on their job application materials (CVs, cover letters, teaching
statements, research statements, etc.) and attend an intensive
week-long seminar in December that prepares them for the Annual
Convention of the MLA. Mock interviews and practice job talks
are also arranged. Recent graduates of our program have fared
extremely well on the job market, accepting tenure-track positions
at some of the best colleges and universities around the country,
including Berkeley, Harvard, Columbia, Dartmouth, and Princeton.
The Career Services Office makes every effort to assist students
in finding employment and offers a range of services geared
toward both academic and nonacademic career options.
Library Resources
The Van Pelt Library,
the University's central humanities research collection, is
especially rich in the Romance languages areas, with outstanding
collections of rare books and manuscripts. The French
literature collection is strong in all periods, and the Library
has recently paid special attention to the Francophone literatures
of Africa, the West Indies, and Canada.
The Graduate Romanic Association, the graduate student organization
of the Department of Romance Languages, works to enhance the
general welfare of graduate students in both intellectual
and practical terms. This group helps to organize Department-sponsored
lectures and colloquia, organizes an annual graduate student
colloquium, and publishes a journal of its proceedings.
Graduate students have the opportunity to live and work as
resident advisors at the Gregory House, an undergraduate campus
dormitory that is staffed by native speakers, graduate students,
and faculty members from participating departments in French,
Spanish, Italian, and German. In addition to communal
dining for House residents, each floor offers weekly coffee
hours for informal conversation, movies, and other social
events.
Department Facilities
The Department of Romance Languages occupies the fifth
floor of Williams Hall, with a seminar room for Romance Languages graduate
classes, a graduate lounge, and a computer lab, as well as the Cherpack
Lounge, where faculty and graduate students meet informally, and where
lectures and colloquia sponsored by the Department are held.
For Further Information
Lisbeth Dennis
Graduate Coordinator
University of Pennsylvania
521 Williams Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305
Telephone: (215) 898-1980
Fax: (215) 898-0933
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