phd student french

The French Department’s doctoral program reflects the interdisciplinary priorities that have long defined the pursuit of knowledge here at Berkeley. We are committed not only to providing students strong coverage of the field of French and francophone literature and culture, but also to doing so through the critical application of innovative methodologies, and by continually bringing French studies into productive dialogue with developments in parallel disciplines. Our faculty’s interests are both historically and methodologically diverse; their strengths are complemented by a variety of programs—centers, working groups, and so on—that regularly bring scholars of the humanities together across campus. And the relaxed and non-hierarchical atmosphere lends itself to free and passionate inquiry. We invite you to explore our offerings.

A Short Description of the M.A./Ph.D. in French

The doctoral program in French is designed to train students to undertake original research, to engage in scholarly and critical writing, and to prepare for teaching careers at the college and university level. The following information is intended only to provide a brief overview of the program’s main features and requirements. For complete information, please see the  Guide to Higher Degrees in French . Visit our application page for  information on the application process . 

For students entering with a B.A. in French, the French doctoral program normally takes six years to complete. (Students entering with the M.A. will typically spend five years in the program.) This time may vary, depending on each individual student’s preparation; it is divided as follows:

The M.A. Phase

During the first four semesters of graduate study students complete a minimum of eight courses, six of which must be graduate level (200-level). All M.A.-level coursework must be completed with at least a 3.5 GPA. In the fourth semester students take a written M.A. exam, based on a tailored list of representative works from the French and francophone traditions. Upon successful completion of coursework and the M.A. exam, candidates are awarded the M.A. and then considered for admission to the Ph.D. phase of the program.

Please note that the French Department does not admit applicants whose ultimate goal is the M.A. degree.

The Ph.D. Phase

In three semesters students complete four more courses at the graduate level (200-level). During the last semester in the Ph.D. phase students take their qualifying exams, based on a set of specialized reading lists developed in close consultation with faculty members. These exams, which contain both written and oral components, are intended both to test general knowledge of a period and to provide students with a chance to develop ideas that will be useful in the definition of the dissertation topic.

The Dissertation Phase

Following successful completion of the qualifying exams, students are advanced to candidacy and enter the dissertation phase of the program. Students first write a dissertation prospectus in consultation with their dissertation committee, and then proceed with the dissertation itself.

Program Features

Flexibility and broad competency.

The Ph.D. program in French has been formulated to allow students maximum flexibility to pursue their scholarly interests while guaranteeing the acquisition of broad competency in the discipline of French and francophone literature and culture. Students are expected to acquire expertise in works of all periods but are also encouraged to develop interdisciplinary and specialized perspectives.

Incoming students are assigned a faculty mentor as well as a graduate student “buddy” so as to ease their transition into departmental and professional life. We view student-faculty contact as one of the cornerstones of our program’s success.

In-Depth Pedagogical Training

The department provides all Teaching Instructors (TAs) with in-depth pedagogical training, including pilot classes and pedagogical theory. Many of our students find themselves wanting to do supplementary work in planning innovative new language courses, and are able do so through the resources provided by the  Berkeley Language Center . Many advanced graduate students develop their own reading and composition courses or serve as instructors in neighboring departments such as Art History, English, and Comparative Literature; these instructorships often offer the opportunity to plan and execute a literature or culture course of your own design.

The  GSI Teaching and Resource Center  provides weekly teacher-training workshops throughout the semester; individual teaching consultations; grants for GSIs to improve the quality of teaching at Berkeley; and a summer institute for preparing future faculty.

Romance Languages and Literatures Program

The  Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures (RLL)  is a doctorate in three Romance languages and literatures (French, Italian and Spanish, including Spanish-American), prepared with emphasis in the literature or in the linguistics or philological history of one of the three. The RLL Program offers students the opportunity to tailor a course of study in French, Spanish and Italian to their interests. Applicants to the RLL program with a French emphasis are evaluated by French Department faculty and the program’s requirements are different from those listed above.

If you have any questions regarding the graduate program in  Romance Languages and Literatures  with an emphasis in French, please contact the  Graduate Student Services Advisor .

The Designated Emphasis

Students may consider the option of pursuing a Designated Emphasis (DE) in areas such as  Critical Theory ,  Film Studies ,  Women, Gender, and Sexuality ,  Renaissance and Early Modern Studies ,  European Studies , Indigenous Language Revitalization , or  New Media . Students pursuing a Designated Emphasis take certain prescribed courses within these disciplines, and write a dissertation that partially encompasses the chosen field of study. In addition to providing students an institutional mechanism for incorporating this sort of work into the Ph.D. program, the Designated Emphasis assures prospective employers that you have demonstrated expertise in an auxiliary field, and it will appear on your final degree. The  Program in Medieval Studies  also offers a joint degree in French and Medieval Studies. Students can also pursue graduate certificates in fields such as  Applied Data Science and Teaching and Learning in Higher Education .

Interdisciplinary Centers and Working Groups

A number of interdisciplinary centers and groups regularly bring noted scholars and artists to campus. The  Center for the Study of Sexual Culture , brings together researchers with a common interest in the ways sexuality takes on different meanings in different cultural contexts.

The French Studies Program  organizes lectures, visits by scholars, and conferences involving France and the French tradition(s) across the disciplines of the Humanities and the Social Sciences.

The Center for Middle Eastern Studies  promotes the interdisciplinary study of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) at the University of California, Berkeley, and beyond, raising public awareness of the region’s diverse peoples, languages, cultures and their connection to wider global contexts.

The  Townsend Center for the Humanities  promotes research and ongoing conversation among and within academic disciplines. It hosts art exhibits, lectures, and conferences and sponsors a large number of  working groups , which meet informally and are run and attended by both graduate students and faculty. The Center also provides funding to support student journals.

Fostering intellectual life among students is a priority. Click here for information on  current student interests .

Job Placement

The Department is committed to helping graduates secure employment. This includes workshops on aspects of the job market in both spring and fall, reviewing and editing of curriculum vitae and letters of application, mock interviews, and works-in-progress talks that help candidates learn to present their research.

The Department has an  excellent record in placing students  who apply nationally and internationally for positions; in the last several years our students have been offered tenure-track appointments at Northwestern University; Duke University; University of Pennsylvania; Georgetown College; Vassar College; Emory College; Williams College; EDC Paris Business School; Maynooth University; Reed College; Columbia University; Middlebury College; Davidson College; College of William and Mary; Skidmore College; Austin College; San Francisco State University; University of Georgia; University of Michigan; University of Minnesota. Students interested in careers outside of academia have also had successful placements as Program Director; Equitable Assessment Consultant; Content Marketing for AI-platforms; Teacher; Senior Academic Programs Coordinator in Paris; and more . 

Financing Graduate Study

Each year, a limited number of outstanding admission candidates are nominated to the campus-wide multi-year fellowship competition. Successful nominees receive two years of fellowship support and two additional years of appointment as a Teaching Assistant (TA) in French. Students who are not awarded a multi-year fellowship may be awarded a one year fellowship or a Graduate Student Instructorship in French with coverage of non-resident tuition, when appropriate.

Applicants should note that there are a few non-UC Berkeley sources of funding for graduate education. These include the  Ford Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowships , the  Hispanic Scholarship Fund , the  Jack Kent Cooke Foundation , the  Javits Fellowship Program , and the  Soros Fellowships for New Americans .

The Department offers a number of resources for financing graduate study, including fellowship packages, fellowships for continuing students, and Graduate Student Instructorships. It also awards grants for summer study and travel.

UC Berkeley also provides funding support on a competitive basis to humanities students at various points in their graduate career. The  Graduate Division Summer Grant  provides summer financial support. The  Doctoral Completion Fellowship  provides a full year of fellowship support for students who advance to candidacy within normative time (four years in humanities departments). The  Townsend Center  funds a competitive dissertation fellowship for humanities students.

Exchange Programs and Travel Fellowships

Graduate students in French are encouraged to spend time studying in France or another Francophone region or country. The Department has three yearly exchange programs — with the Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS), the Institut d’Anglais at the Université de Paris VII, and the Université de Tours François-Rabelais. The Department usually selects advanced students to participate in these exchange programs, but from time to time students who have fulfilled almost all of their other requirements and have not yet taken the Qualifying Exam are selected.

These programs have always been sufficient to assure every student the opportunity to study in France.

Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS) Exchange

One student may be selected for the academic year for the Department’s exchange program with the École Normale Supérieure (ENS). The ENS position will require the student selected to use their DCF during that year. Since the ENS exchange includes free housing, the DCF Fellowship stipend will not be supplemented by the department. Students who have already utilized the DCF will not be eligible for the ENS fellowship.

Paris VII Exchange

Students selected to participate in the Paris VII exchange are hired by Paris VII to teach English language courses. Students are paid a monthly salary in euros for 12 months. Students also receive health coverage under the general conditions of the National French Health Insurance System. Unlike the ENS exchange, Paris VII participants must make their own housing arrangements. Only native English speakers are eligible for this exchange program.

Université de Tours François-Rabelais

Students selected to participate in the Tours exchange are hired by Tours to teach English language courses. Students are paid a monthly salary in euros for 12 months. Students also receive health coverage under the general conditions of the National French Health Insurance System. As in the Paris VII exchange, Tours participants must make their own housing arrangements. Only native English speakers are eligible for this exchange program.

Additional Opportunities for Research/Travel in France

Fulbright IIE Fellowship Applicants must be U.S. citizens holding a B.A. degree or equivalent before the beginning date of the grant. Provides round-trip travel, tuition, books, and stipend for one academic year. Approximately 1,300 awards are available for study in over 140 countries. Applies to coursework, master’s or dissertation research.

Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Grants This program provides grants to colleges and universities to fund individual doctoral students who conduct research in other countries, in modern foreign languages and area studies for periods of 6 to 12 months.

Georges Lurcy Fellowship Program for Study in France This fellowship is for advanced Ph.D. students who are citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. and whose research topic is unique to France and can only be pursued in that country. The fellowship provides a stipend (currently $25,300) to cover educational fees, necessary travel, and living expenses while in France. Students must be enrolled at UC Berkeley or at an educational institution in France during the tenure of the fellowship. Interested students should submit their application materials to the Graduate Fellowships Office (318 Sproul Hall) by the deadline. One UC Berkeley graduate student is nominated for this fellowship each year.

Walter J. Jensen Fellowship for French Language, Literature, and Culture This fellowship provides a stipend of at least $10,000 for a minimum of six months of study in France. Phi Beta Kappa will also cover a single round-trip, economy-class ticket for the recipient to travel to France; some additional support may be available to those with dependents. The purpose of the award is to help educators and researchers improve education in standard French language, literature and culture and in the study of standard French in the United States.

Degree Requirements

Course requirements.

Students in the doctoral program must complete ten courses, including one course in the history of French language (French 201) and one course in literary criticism (French 270 or French 274). Courses completed at Berkeley for the M.A. phase count toward the ten-course requirement.

Students must also fulfill a historical comprehensiveness requirement. This entails completion of a graduate seminar in Medieval literature; two seminars in 16th-, 17th-, 18th-century or early modern studies; two seminars in 19th-, 20th-century, Francophone Studies, or Modern Studies. Outside of these requirements, students are allowed, and indeed encouraged, to pursue their interests in other departments. Students wanting to improve their general background are also permitted to take up to two undergraduate courses for credit towards their degree.

The first French proseminar (French 200A) is taken during the first semester of graduate study at Berkeley. This one-hour-a-week class, which does not count toward the Ph.D. requirement, is designed to give new graduate students a broad view of the Department’s faculty, the courses they teach, and their fields of research. In addition, it introduces students to aspects of their graduate career, issues pertaining to research methodologies, and critical debates across the profession.

The second French proseminar (French 200B)   gives first-year graduate students a general introduction to reading, analyzing, and writing about French texts. The selection of works is intentionally diverse and reflects both the traditional canon as well as current interests and trends in French studies.  At the end of the course, students produce a final reflection which will serve as a starting point for their own preparation for the M.A. exam.

Foreign Language Requirement

Students may fulfill the foreign language requirement either by demonstrating a reading knowledge of two languages (Option I) or by demonstrating an exceptionally thorough reading knowledge and an adequate knowledge of the grammatical structure of one language (Option II). If you have questions about how to fulfill the foreign language requirement, contact the Graduate Student Services Advisor at  [email protected] .

The language(s) will be chosen after consultation with the Head Graduate Advisor, and in view of the student’s intended Ph.D. Program Proposal. For example, for students intending to work in the Middle Ages or Renaissance, it could be advisable to choose Latin, Italian, or Spanish. For students interested in modern philosophy, German might be wise. Arabic might be a sensible choice for students interested in Francophone literature. Whatever the choice, it should have an intellectual or scholarly relationship to the student’s area of specialization, or with the field of Romance languages more broadly.

Additional Requirements

Doctoral students must fulfill additional requirements, including passing the Qualifying Exams and composing a dissertation prospectus, which must be approved by the student’s dissertation committee. For more information on additional requirements, consult the  Guide to Higher Degrees in French .

• M.A. / Ph.D In French
• Ph.D In Romance Language and Literatures (RLL)
• Applying to The Graduate Program
• Teaching Assistantships
• Job Preparation and Placement Record
• Guide to Higher Degrees in French
• Commencement

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Undertaking a PhD in France

Are you considering doing your PhD in France? Below, discover everything you need to know. Learn more about the application criteria, project development process, and types of PhDs.

Advanced degree

In France, a PhD is the highest academic degree you can earn. Doctoral studies are a form of research-based training with the same value as professional experience. PhD students carry out research on a defined topic under the supervision of their thesis advisor(s). 

PhD students are enrolled in doctoral programmes run by institutions of higher education (i.e., universities or grandes écoles ), but they are trained within research laboratories. Students carry out original scientific research either on their own or as part of collaborative projects; the results form the basis for their dissertations. Students must also go through a thesis defence in which they present their findings to a committee that judges the quality of their work. Those who succeed are awarded doctoral degrees. 

Generally, earning a PhD requires 3 years of full-time research. One-year extensions may be granted under certain circumstances. In exceptional cases and for compelling reasons, a student may request a leave of absence of up to 1 year. Such requests are only granted once, upon approval by the establishment’s director. Any leave of absence is excluded when calculating thesis duration, given that the student suspends their training and research during that period.

To be eligible for doctoral studies, you must have a master’s degree. This requirement can be waived by an establishment’s director if approval is granted by the doctoral programme’s administrators. You need to show that you have an equivalent level of education or professional experience.

PhD programmes frequently have an international component. For example, doctoral students often take part in joint degree programmes or dual degree programmes, a situation that is facilitated under French law. 

Status of doctoral students

In France, the status of doctoral students depends on their funding source. Anyone doing a PhD is officially recognised as a student because they must be enrolled in a doctoral programme at an institution of higher education. In addition, many are also salaried workers because they are contractual employees.

International doctoral students with foreign grants have the status of students in France.

There are different types of doctorates in France. Here are some common examples: 

Traditional PhD 

• 3 years of work in a single research laboratory
• Leads to a French degree
• Enrolment and thesis defence occur at a single institution
• Single thesis advisor (or co-advisors, if necessary)

Jointly supervised PhD

• Thesis jointly supervised by a set of co-advisors—one from the student’s main research laboratory (affiliated with the enrolment institution) and one from a separate institution, either in France or another country
• Enrolment and thesis defence occur at the institution affiliated with the main research laboratory
• Single degree granted by the above institution 
• Thesis research might arise from a national and/or international collaboration

Dual degree PhD

• Thesis jointly supervised by a set of co-advisors, with research taking place in two laboratories
• Individual dual degree agreement ( convention individuelle de co-tutelle ) establishes a research framework
• Enrolment occurs at two institutions—one in France and one abroad
• Tuition is paid to a single institution
• Single thesis defence but two degrees (one from each institution)

Professional PhD

• Research carried out at a private company partnered with a publicly funded laboratory and its affiliated institution of higher education
• Thesis jointly supervised by a set of co-advisors—one from the company and one from the laboratory
• Work is split between the company and laboratory
• Student contractually employed by the company
• Degree is granted by the institution of enrolment
• Excellent opportunity to gain professional experience 

Doctoral training

The first step in your doctoral studies is to enrol at an institution (university or grande école ) with an official PhD programme that is under the aegis of the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research. Such doctoral programmes are structured to provide a high level of personalised training and supervision during your thesis work:

• You are under the supervision of one or more thesis advisors
• You carry out your work within an affiliated research unit and take part in laboratory activities
• You can participate in courses and seminars designed to establish a solid scientific foundation and guide the development of your research

Your thesis committee will ensure your studies are advancing smoothly, notably by evaluating your training conditions and research progress. To enhance your employability, your doctoral programme and thesis advisor will

• Encourage you to attend national, European, and international conferences and publish in national, European, and international journals
• Design a training programme compatible with your PhD project
• Help you exploit your skills and training

In France, you can write and defend your thesis exclusively in English. However, your thesis summary must be translated into French.

Your PhD project

To begin your PhD, you must find a host research laboratory, a thesis topic, a thesis advisor, and funding. We recommend that you begin this process at least 1 year before your target start date. You can begin by looking at the list of thesis topics posted by doctoral programmes and institutions of higher education. You can also directly contact laboratories working in your area of interest. As a general rule, your future thesis advisor will help you with funding.

International students may be able to find other sources of funding, such as fellowships from embassies, the governments of their home countries, and/or partnership agreements between institutions.

Enrolling in a doctoral programme

Once you have resolved all of the above, you must submit your project to your doctoral programme for approval. Your thesis advisor and the laboratory director will evaluate the quality and feasibility of your proposal.

If their assessment is favourable, the director of the doctoral programme will allow you to enrol. You will be informed of the decision by the head of the doctoral programme (the university or grande école president). The French Ministry of Higher Education and Research establishes the amount of tuition paid by bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students. Tuition levels are the same everywhere in France.

In 2023, annual tuition for doctoral students was €380. There is also a campus activities fee (CVEC) of €92. In certain cases, both may be waived.

Useful link

• Getting a PhD in France—directory of doctoral schools

Related articles

• Doctoral studies at INRAE
• Joining INRAE
• Working conditions & benefits 
• Publishing results & managing data

Last update: 20 March 2024

French and Francophone Studies

Graduate program, graduate program handbook.

The graduate program curriculum covers fields in French and Francophone literature from the Ancien Régime to the present and from a variety of theoretical perspectives.

The doctoral program in French and Francophone Studies offers a lively intellectual environment where students explore French and Francophone literatures and cultures across a broad chronological and topical range and through a wide variety of critical approaches.

Our goal is to train scholars and teachers who have a solid grounding in all periods of French and Francophone literatures and who think, write and teach creatively.

Program Benefits

Students in the graduate program profit from an annual calendar of lectures, mini-seminars and conferences, including Equinoxes , the annual graduate student conference. The Department of French and Francophone Studies shares, with the Department of Hispanic Studies, the beautiful  Rochambeau House , where students have access to dedicated study space with computers, printers and scanners.

Graduate students at Brown also benefit from the accessibility of faculty across campus as well as the vitality of the humanities and associated fellowship and funding opportunities. Providence, Rhode Island is  an affordable city  with  a vibrant cultural scene and an excellent quality of life .

The Ph.D. Year by Year

All graduate students must complete the Graduate School requirement of 24 tuition units.

In their first year, graduate students normally take 8 courses: 3 departmental seminars plus one other relevant course in the fall semester; and 2 departmental seminars, French 2900 (Teaching Methods), plus one other relevant class in the spring. Courses and schedules, and other matters relating to students’ individual programs are determined in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies. For each course the student receives a Course Performance Report after the conclusion of the course (for courses taken in departments that depart from this practice the CPR may consist in communications between the appropriate instructor or DGS and the French DGS).

First-year students receive a mid-year evaluation from the DGS near the beginning of the spring semester. At the end of the academic year each student receives a Performance Evaluation which is uploaded to the online GSIM system. The faculty mentor assigned to each student upon entering the program serves as the student's advisor for the first academic year.

Students are on fellowship and do not teach during their first year.

Students entering the program with a Masters degree for which they have received 8 graduate credits take the 1 st  Prelim. Exam at or around the time of the Labor Weekend holiday and, presuming they pass, proceed to prepare the 2 nd  Prelim. Exam. 

In their second year, students (entering with the Bachelors degree) normally take 6 classes in their second year (3 departmental seminars in the fall semester, and 2 departmental seminars plus one other relevant class in the spring). They proceed to prepare the 1 st  Prelim., beginning by consulting with the DGS and forming a committee as outlined in the Graduate Handbook.

Students begin their teaching practice as TAs during the second year.

Until they have completed the 1 st  Prelim. students are required to take all graduate seminars offered by the Department. In instances where the DGS deems it necessary a student may be required to take classes beyond the 1 st  Prelim.

In their third year, students complete remaining coursework. All students are expected to have completed the 2 nd  Prelim. Exam by the end of their third year.

Subsequent years are devoted to preparation of the Dissertation Prospectus and to research for and writing of the Dissertation.

Students receive a second year of Dissertation Fellowship support during their period of research and writing, following consultation with the DGS.

Milestone Requirements for all levels of the Ph.D. program are listed at the end of the Graduate Handbook. Continued funding is dependent on students’ completion of appropriate Milestones. Students who do not meet Milestones may have their GSIM status changed to Satisfactory or Warning.

Required Courses

All students must pass FREN 2900: Teaching Methods, and fulfill the language requirement. They must take departmental seminars as required before taking the 1 st  and 2 nd  Prelims., or as directed by the DGS. In some instances, and with the approval of the Graduate Committee, students may be exempted from these requirements on the basis of previous work or experience.

Students are paired with a faculty mentor in the first semester of their program so that they are immediately in contact with an informal advisor for any questions they wish to discuss. That relationship continues at least until the student begins work on the 2 nd  Prelim. Exam, and often continues beyond that time.

Once they begin the 2 nd  Prelim. Exam on, students work closely with the faculty member who will supervise their exam research, and eventually with their dissertation director.

Pedagogical Training

A notable strength of our program is the in-depth training and experience students gain in language teaching, under the expert guidance of our Department’s language acquisition specialists. Students serve as Graduate Teaching Assistants in our language program during their second, third, and fourth years, teaching one section per semester. Our TAs are fortunate to work with some of the very best undergraduates in the country and to avail themselves of the certificate programs offered by the  Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning .

Professionalization

As students progress within the program they are encouraged to give conference presentations and eventually to publish their work. To that end, financial assistance is offered for attendance at academic conferences; and workshops are given on a regular basis on topics such as preparing an article for submission and publication. The 2 nd  Prelim. Exam is designed to have students produce a publishable article by the end of their second or third year in the program.

Students are also encouraged to avail themselves of professionalization workshops and programs offered by the Graduate School or the university, including those designed to prepare students for non-academic positions.

Students preparing for the job market work closely with their director, committee, and other faculty to prepare CVs, application letters, writing samples and teaching portfolios.

Master's Degree

Students may graduate with the A.M (Masters degree) by completing one year of course work and a thesis of 50-60 pages; or two years of coursework. They must also demonstrate a reading knowledge of a foreign language other than French.

Lewis Seifert

David Wills

Ph.D. Program in Modern French Studies (FRMS)

Our Ph.D. program combines training in literary, cultural and language studies with individualized research to open new, innovative understandings of the French-speaking world of yesterday and today. 

Related Links

• Application fee waiver
• Ph.D. Handbook (PDF)
• French Program Graduate Funding
• French Graduate Placement

The Ph.D. in modern French studies at the University of Maryland offers comprehensive training in French and Francophone studies, including teaching, research and professionalization. The program offers seminars in French and Francophone literature, culture and film, in addition to French language and linguistics. With the guidance of internationally recognized faculty specializing in a range of genres and issues and reflective of the diversity and complexity of the French-speaking world, students develop competencies in innovative research methods and approaches such as critical theory, gender and sexuality studies, colonial and post-colonial studies, cultural and media criticism, ecocriticism and digital humanities, among others. The French Ph.D. program fosters collaborative work across disciplines, languages, media, centuries and fields. Students may pursue graduate certificates in affiliated programs such as women, gender and sexuality studies, comparative literature and digital humanities, as well as participate in Graduate School field committees in film studies and in medieval and early modern studies. Students are encouraged to pursue independent and innovative thinking through individualized curricula and research projects with the support of the French program’s intellectual community.

Students are normally granted full funding for four years, with the possibility of an additional year, contingent upon availability of funds. Annual renewal of financial support is based on satisfactory performance and progress in the program. The program also provides thorough pedagogical training and teaching experience in French language, literature and culture courses.

Students who have graduated from our program have pursued careers in higher education and beyond. For a complete list of Ph.D. graduate placements .

Admissions Information

Entry into the Ph.D. program is open to students who have already completed an M.A. in a field related to French studies. Students with a B.A. in French or a related field should begin with the M.A.

All foreign applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the TOEFL examination (Test of English as a Foreign Language).

Course Requirements

Ph.D. students are required to take for credit a minimum of eight courses beyond the M.A. at the 600-level or above.

All students must take one course in each of the three following core categories: 1. History of Ideas 2. Issues in Literature 3. History of the French Language

Apart from those core courses, with the help of the director of graduate studies and their advisor, students will create an individually-tailored program of study that best matches their interests to complete the course requirements towards their degree.

Additionally, graduate teaching assistants are expected to take a 1-credit practicum in their first semester (FREN709) and FREN611 (The Structure of the French Language) in their second (spring) semester.

For additional information, please see the Graduate Student Handbook.

Language Requirement

All Ph.D. students are required to demonstrate a sound reading knowledge of one other language in addition to French and English. Students should choose a language that provides an appropriate background for the projected dissertation. The fulfillment of this requirement is one of the prerequisites for advancement to candidacy.

For additional information on how to fulfill this requirement, please see the Graduate Student Handbook.

Entering students are advised in their first semester by the director of graduate studies or by some other designated professor. By the end of their second semester, students should choose a permanent advisor and register this choice with the director of graduate studies. Final responsibility for meeting Graduate School requirements and deadlines rests solely with the student.

Qualifying Examinations

In order to advance to candidacy, Ph.D. students are required to pass two Qualifying Examinations consisting of:

 a) one two-part Comprehensive Examination; and  b) one Prospectus Defense.

In both cases, the committee will be composed of three members of the French faculty. An additional fourth member from outside the department is possible for the prospectus defense if the topic warrants it.

A ) The first Qualifying Examination is a two-part comprehensive exam, first written, then oral, taken over two consecutive days. It assesses whether students have acquired sufficiently broad knowledge of French and Francophone literature as well as of a range of theoretical approaches to be able to successfully take on the dissertation project. This exam should be taken by the end of the student’s third semester in the Ph.D. program. If students choose to submit their written response in English, the oral portion will be in French, and vice versa.

For the written part of the examination, students will have four hours to respond to one of two questions based on the standard Ph.D. reading list. The exam is taken without notes, in an examination room with a computer provided by the department.

For the oral part of the examination, which lasts approximately an hour, students will be asked to discuss their written response and the reading list with their committee.

To obtain the current reading list for the Ph.D. examination, contact the director of graduate studies.

B) The second Qualifying Examination is the oral defense of a written dissertation prospectus (approx. 5,000 words) and accompanying bibliography. The prospectus is a formal project proposal for the dissertation. The prospectus should lay out the proposed area and object of study, explain the relevant context, a research question, how your project is inscribed within the larger field (what has and has not been done in this area), a theoretical approach and a description of the methodology to be adopted, as well as a bibliography.

*Please note that, following a successful prospectus defense, doctoral students are required to submit the most recent version of their dissertation draft as an email attachment to the three departmental members of their Dissertation Committee one year date-to-date after their prospectus defense, and every six months thereafter until the submission of the final version of their dissertation two weeks prior to the defense date. As a rule, students will receive written feedback on these drafts within four to six weeks.

Dissertation

Doctoral dissertations must receive the preliminary approval of the three departmental members of the Dissertation Committee before being submitted to other readers. All readers must be given at least two weeks in which to read the dissertation. At the beginning of the semester in which the dissertation will be defended, the dissertation director will ask the dean of the Graduate School to approve the Examining Committee. At least one member of this five-person committee (normally the dean's representative) will be external to the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, and one may be drawn from another university. A date will then be set for the oral defense, which can be expected to last about two hours.

Application Instructions

Application deadline is January 15 for admission in the fall and may be submitted here . Before completing the application, applicants are asked to check the Admissions Requirements site for specific instructions about the Ph.D. program .  

As required by the Graduate School, all application materials must be submitted electronically through the Graduate Application Portal :

• Non-refundable application fee for each program
• Statement of Purpose. The statement should address relevant aspects of your educational experience, the focus of your academic interests and reasons for applying to our program.
• Unofficial transcripts of your entire college/university record (undergraduate and graduate), including records of any advanced work done at another institution. Electronic copies of these unofficial transcripts must be uploaded along with your online application.
• Three letters of recommendation. In your online application, please fully complete the information requested for your recommenders and ask them to submit their letters electronically.
• Two samples of critical writing in French. While we encourage you to submit your best writing sample, we prefer a writing sample in your declared field of interest. If you are submitting an excerpted selection, please include a brief description or introduction to the selection. The MLA citation format is preferred.
• Description of Research/Work Experience (optional)
• Publications/Presentations (optional)
• Academic CV/Resume

  Completed applications are reviewed by an admissions committee in each graduate degree program. The recommendations of the committees are submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School, who will make the final admission decision. To ensure the integrity of the application process, the University of Maryland authenticates submitted materials through TurnItIn for Admissions .   For questions related to the admissions process, prospective students may contact the Graduate School.

Information for International Graduate Students

The University of Maryland is dedicated to maintaining a vibrant international graduate student community. International applicants are encouraged to contact the office of International Students and Scholars Services (ISSS), a valuable source of information and assistance for prospective and current international students. Admitted international students will receive instructions about obtaining the appropriate visa to study at the University of Maryland which will require submission of additional documents. International students admitted by the Graduate School are responsible for obtaining the appropriate visa in order to enroll.

English Proficiency Requirement

Non-native speakers of English must submit TOEFL exam results to the Graduate School with their application. Based on these results, students may be advised to take a written expression course from the Maryland English Institute or a basic writing course given by the English Department. This course will not count towards the degree.

Please see the Graduate Admissions Process for International applicants for more information.

Program Contact

Director of graduate studies, sarah benharrech.

Associate Professor, French Affiliate, Classics Associate Professor, School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

3104 Jiménez Hall College Park MD, 20742

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Department of Romance Languages & Literatures

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French and Francophone

Welcome to the French and Francophone Studies Graduate Program.

Our program here at Harvard is driven by collegiality—the collegiality that reigns among the faculty in the program and is generated, in turn, among our graduate students. We share a common cause in studying the languages, literatures, arts, cultures, and histories that characterize the Francophone world in its most capacious conception. In our teaching and in our research, we address the relation between individuals and communities, humans and the world, the aesthetic and the political, in historically situated contexts that allow for meaningful comparisons across national, spatial, and temporal boundaries. The intellectual life of our unit is marked by mutual respect and an egalitarian ethos that treats students and faculty alike as partners in our mission to understand our present and our past through the cultural objects—both material and abstract—we engage with, and to imagine the future in an age of increasing chaos and instability. As we contend, globally, with natural, social, and political catastrophes that threaten to dehumanize and displace on an unprecedented scale, the study of what makes us human and what can be envisioned beyond the human, as epitomized in the works we grapple with, seems more important than ever.

We look forward to getting to know you in courses, and also, to sharing our intellectual passions and areas of expertise, which we hope to extend to you as a resource as you make your way through to the dissertation. Working with the other sections of RLL, as well as with other departments, we support students in building a singular program of studies that meets their aspirations, including a year abroad at the École normale supérieure, rue d’Ulm. You will find at Harvard, within the program and outside it, a cornucopia of conferences, panels, workshops, performances, seminars, and institutions that will both whet and nourish your intellectual appetites: the Mahindra Humanities Center, where we lead seminars on France and the World, the Renaissance, and Cartography; the Weatherhead Center; the Center for European Studies; the Harvard Film Archive; the Radcliffe Institute; the Center for Early Modern History; and many others. We are also a member of the consortium of French and Francophone graduate programs that, together, award the annual Goncourt américain.

Other wonderful resources to the program are Harvard's Widener Library and its incredibly learned and helpful research staff. Whatever books or journals the library doesn't have, it will get for you on interlibrary loan. We hope also that you will have the occasion to become acquainted with the Houghton Library, Harvard's rare book library, which is a mine of treasures. You will also be able to benefit from Harvard’s museums, the Arnold Arboretum, as well as the research centers it has at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C. and I Tatti in Italy.

Last but not least is the city of Cambridge itself, a truly cosmopolitan city on the banks of the Charles, and Harvard Square, with its many cafes, restaurants, and bookstores, where you can experience a veritable carnival of books, food, films, and theater, following your particular passions. And beyond Cambridge you will find the Greater Boston area offers the Boston Symphony, the Museum of Fine Arts, but also an abundance of places to get away from the city, be it to the beaches of the North and South Shore and Cape Cod, the Berkshires, or the forested space of the Fells. You will add to this list many, many personal discoveries, if you join us and study here.

Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have questions!

The French Section

To see our program requirements, see the GSAS Policies .

Graduate Contacts

Kathy Hanley (Graduate Program Coordinator)

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Prepare a PhD

The PhD degree attests skills acquired through research in the framework of the doctoral trainin g, which has a 3 years reference duration when the research work is carried out full-time, and a 3 to 6 years duration when the thesis is prepared part-time. The PhD degree can also be obtained by the validation of the acquired experience (VAE). 

The PhD degree - the highest internationnaly recognized by higher education - is awarded after the defense of a thesis or the presentation of a set of original scientific works. 

The different frameworks to prepare a PhD

• Initial traininf (IF in French)
• Lifelong training, excluding initial training  (FTLVin French)
• Validation of the experience acquired (VAE  in French)

Admission to PhD training

• A procedure
• Examination of an application 

Three regimes for three PhD preparation frameworks

Registration in initial training is possible as a continuation of a master or other equivalent degree. 

• In initial training, the PhD is full time prepared  The preparation is initially set to last  3 years. Beyond this 3 years, extensions of the duration of preparation are possible, with derogation.
• Funding dedicated to the preparation of the thesis is requested for a registration in initial training.  The reference amount of this funding corresponds to the remuneration of the PhD contract established by public law.  Derogations from this funding threshold can be requested from the head of the establishment. 

PhD students have a main research activity in one of the research team or unit of the doctoral school. 

They also have complementary PhD activities and training, intended to develop their scientific culture, their international openness and to prepare their professional future. The PhD program is personalized and defined with each doctoral school, in a framework commin to all PhD students at Université Paris-Sacaly. 

They can have complementary activities outside research, which contribute to the preparation of their professional future (teaching mission, scientific mediation, expertise of promotion of research), limited to one sixth of their time each year.

• A thesis monitoring committee report must be submitted by the PhD student for each of their re-registrations.

Registration in lifelong training concerns two categories of people : 

• Those who obtained their last diploma more than a year before the desired date of first enrollment in a PhD (whether the thesis is prepared full-time or part-time, and regardless of the financing conditions envisaged)
• Those who plan to prepare their thesis at the same time as a main activitiy other than the preparation of thesis, regardless of the date of the obtention of the last degree. The main activity means that its provides more than half of the income. 
• Lifelong training does not two types require a funding dedicated to the thesis preparation, but its comission ensures, before the first registration, that material and financial conditions are correct.  Ultimately, candidates who have no funding to prepare their thesis and have no income from their main activity could prepare a thesis, as long as the doctoral school and the commission can ensure that the material and financial resources conditions. 

In lifelong learning, the PhD can be prepared on a part-time basis . 

• The duration initially fixed for the preparation of the thesis depends on the time that can be devoted to its preparation . It is between 3 and 6 years. 
• A derogation must be  requested to extend the duration of the PhD beyond the one initially fixed . Its could be discussed during the monitoring committee taht takes place each abnd every year before re-registration.

PhD students prepare their thesis in one of the research teams or units of their doctoral school . The distributio of their time between the research unit and their non-research activities is fixed from the first registration. 

As PhD student in initial training, PhD student in lifelong training also have PhD complementary activities and training, intended to develop their scientific culture, their international opennes, and to prepare their professional future. Still, their training courses are arranged to feet with the specificities of their situation. 

A thesis monitoring committee must stand each and evrey year, before re-registration. Among other things, it help to check whether the conditions of the lifelong training PhD are suitable, or deserve to be rearranged. 

Planning lifelong training arrangement procedure

Unlike initial training and lifelong training, registration for a validation of the experience acquired can only be done when the original scientific work constitutes a coherent whole, that what makes possible to consider a defense. Those works may have been carried out partly in a research unit of the doctoral school (for example, within the framework of a volunteer researcher agreement), or entirely outside the academic framework. 

• PhD degree is awarded after a thesis defense or a presentation of the original scientific works .

To obtain a PhD degre by a validation of the experience acquired, the candidate must:

• Write a thesis or a dissertation to assess the personal part of collective work . This dissertation or thesis will be evaluated by two rapporteurs and by a defense jury. Composition and expectations of the jury are the same as the ones for the initial training or the lifelong training PhD
• As for the PhD students, the thesis or the dissertation will have to be legaly deposed and, if necessary published on the national portal www.theses.fr
• An accompanying, chosen among the supervisors of the doctoral school, can be offered for the preparation of the thesis or the dissertation 
• The work having been prepared before registration in the Validation of the experience acquired, the accompanying is not a thesis director. He does not ensure the scientific direction of the research work, but guides the candidate in the preparation of the dissertation or thesis.
• He plays the role of thesis director for the defense (in particular to propose the defense)

Documents relating to the preparation of a validation of the experience acquired

• Procedure  2016_05_25_procedure_de_doctorat_en_vae_0.pdf - ( 545.03 KB)
• Admissibility file 2020_12_15_dossier_doctorat_en_vae.docx - ( 69.01 KB)
• The vademecum "Validation of the experience acquired and PhD" vademecum_0.pdf - ( 1.76 MB)
• The charges  tarifs-vae-complet.pdf - ( 46.2 KB)

Admission to a PhD Programme

A PhD application is a complete package that includes

• A candidate with a research project
• An original thesis topic
• A thesis director
• A team to host the research
• A proposed funding or a proof that the material and financial conditions necessary for the successful completion of the doctoral thesis 

Candidates apply to the doctoral school that their research or team unit is attached to  via the Université Paris-Saclay application portal . Their PhD director must also be attached to that doctoral school. 

An application is considered to have been submitted only once it has been completed and finalised . To do this, candidates must : 

• Have submitted all the documents requested by the doctoral school - A thesis subject - Information on the contions of the doctoral programme (thesis supervision, research unit) - CV - Transcripts - Other documents required by the doctoral school
• Obtain a favourable opinion from the thesis director
• Obtain a favourable opinion from the research or team unit director to wich the thesis directors responds

The application process is carried out via internet tool ADUM - an administrative tool for management of the PhD, from application to graduation.  Data recorded in ADUM are subjected to the RGPD regutions. 

Once the complete file has been submitted and the application has been finalised, it is examined by the doctoral school to which the applicant belongs. 

• In case of a favorable opinion on the application file, the candidate then presents his/her doctoral project and previous research experience during an audition, in front of a admission committee organised by the doctoral scool. This hearing is required in both initial formation and lifelong training, and regardless the conditions of funding and the progress of the thesis preparation envisaged.
• If the admissions committee gives a favourable opinion, the future PhD student may registered for the first time. 

PhD student

You have the opportunity to come to Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University as an international PhD student, either in the framework of a joint PhD, a doctoral research stay, or as a freemover.

You want to embark on a joint PhD programme between Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University and a foreign institution? You will find below information on how a joint PhD is organised, how to apply and funding opportunities.

Supervision The PhD student conducts his/her research under the responsibility of two thesis supervisors: one at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University and the other one in a foreign institution. The two supervisors are fully and jointly committed to exercise their functions as tutors. Location The doctoral student stays alternately at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University and in the partner university. The length of stay in each institution depends on the scientific requirements and the conditions for preparing the thesis, but it should not be less than one semester. Duration The usual duration of a joint PhD is three years, although a derogation of one year may be granted by the head of the institution on the basis of a legitimate request from the student, after consultation with the thesis supervisor and the doctoral school. Enrolment fees The PhD student is enrolled both at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and at the partner university, but is exempt from the payment of tuition fees at one of these two institutions. PhD viva The joint PhD leads to a single defence recognised by both parties. At the end of this defence, the doctoral student receives both the doctoral degree from Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University and the one from the partner institution. Language The language in which the thesis is written and defended is defined by the agreement concluded between the two institutions. When this language is not French, the thesis is completed by an abstract in French.

After applying for a joint PhD at both Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and a foreign university, you must establish a joint PhD agreement between these two institutions. What to include in the joint PhD agreement Although Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University provides a joint PhD agreement template (Word - 67 KB) , it is not strictly mandatory as your contract is the result of an agreement between the two partner institutions. If you wish to prepare a joint PhD between Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and an Italian university, you must use the agreement template of the Université Franco-Italienne (UFI) (Word - 50 KB - French/Italian) . If you wish to prepare a joint PhD between Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and a Swiss or Quebec university, you must ask the latter to draw up your agreement according to the template already established with French universities.

The agreement can be bilingual (each article being successively written in both languages) or in two versions (one in French and another one in a foreign language). Signature of the joint PhD agreement The joint PhD agreement must be signed in three copies by yourself and by three people from each of the partner institutions (the thesis supervisor, the director of the doctoral school and the president of the university). At Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, the agreement must be submitted to the thesis department of your discipline in order to be forwarded to the research department and then to the president of the university for signature.

There is no deadline for signing the joint PhD agreement, but it is normally signed during the first year of enrolment in a PhD programme. This stage usually takes a very long time, given the number of signatories and the distance between them.

Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programme (PhD level)

• Be accepted as part of a joint PhD at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University in one of the following academic fields: Economics, Management, Law, Political science, Sciences (Mathematics, Communication sciences, Environmental science),
• Be a foreign citizen (priority is given to citizens from developing and industrialised countries),
• Be less than 35 years old
• Amount and duration : €1400 per month (+ round-trip ticket) / 10 months maximum
• Application procedure : get in touch with your doctoral school
• More information :  campusfrance.org/en/eiffel-scholarship-implementation

Other grants In order to find out about other funding opportunities, we encourage you to check calls for applications on the websites of French embassies abroad, the  Instituts français  and the  Alliances françaises . You can also check the  grant search engine  available on the Campus France website.

PhD research stay

Find out the procedure to follow if you are a PhD student at a foreign university and wish to undertake a research stay at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University.

You must first submit your research project to one of the professors at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University with an HDR (accreditation to supervise research). The list of these professors is available from the websites of the university's doctoral schools (ED):

• Archaeology (ED 112)
• Art history (ED 441)
• Economics (ED 465)
• Fine arts (ED 279)
• Geography (ED 434)
• History (ED 113)
• Law (ED 565)
• Management (ED 559)
• Philosophy (ED 280)
• Political science (ED119)  

If a professor agrees to supervise your research stay at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, he or she will issue you with a letter of invitation.

If your home institution and Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University have signed a student exchange agreement in your academic field and at your level of studies, you can take part in study mobility.  Once you have been preselected by your home university, you will receive a link from the International Relations Department of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne to access the application form, which you will have to fill in and submit before 30 th May (if you wish to arrive in September for the first semester or the entire academic year) or before 30 th October (if you wish to arrive in January for the second semester). Before your departure, you must sign a learning agreement that lists the classes that you will take at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (among those open to exchange students) and/or activities (offered by doctoral schools) in which you wish to take part during your mobility at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University.

You must then fill in the online application form with the following documents:

• Learning agreement in  French (Word - 892 KB)  or in  English (Word - 891 KB)  completed and signed by yourself and by the academic teacher or research director of your home institution. Your learning agreement will be signed by your academic advisor at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne once you arrive in France. 
• Letter of invitation from the professor at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University who agrees to supervise your research stay.
• Language certificate of minimum level B2 ( DELF / DALF , TCF or a letter written by a French teacher from your home university). If you choose classes taught in English, you must also provide a letter written by an English teacher from your home university or an equivalent language certificate of English ( IELTS , TOEFL , etc.).
• Copy of transcript of grades obtained in higher education, with a translation in French (see  grade conversion table (PDF - 315 KB - French) ).
• Copy of the passport or identity card .
• If you are an exchange student outside the Erasmus+ programme, you will also need to provide a CV , a cover letter and a letter of recommendation .

Once your application is accepted by Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, you will receive your admission certificate by the end of June, and you will be able to enrol as an exchange student to be exempt from the payment of tuition fees at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University. During your stay in France, you will remain enrolled in your home institution and continue to pay tuition fees there. You also have the possibility to carry out an internship at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University. For more information on the procedure, please consult your home institution and the relevant doctoral school in Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.

If your home university participates in the Erasmus+ programme, you can set up an Erasmus+ agreement for traineeship which could enable you to obtain an Erasmus+ "traineeship" grant from your home university.

Otherwise, you must draw up a hosting (or internship) agreement setting out your working conditions at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, in particular the duration of your stay and the terms and conditions for your research supervision. This agreement must be signed by your host laboratory at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, your home university and yourself. For more information, get in touch with your doctoral school.

If your application is accepted, you will have to enrol at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne as an unregistered student. This will allow you to obtain your student card and access to the university libraries.

You come from a partner institution

• You are a PhD student at Columbia University (New York): check out the  Alliance program grants
• If you are coming under an Erasmus+ student exchange agreement, you can apply for an Erasmus+ "study" grant or an Erasmus+ "traineeship" grant. In both cases, we encourage you to contact your home institution to find out how the grants are awarded.

You do not come from a partner institution If your home university participates in the Erasmus+ programme, you can establish an internship agreement and obtain an Erasmus+ "traineeship" grant from it.

Other grants

We encourage you to check calls for applications on the websites of French embassies abroad, the  Instituts français  and the  Alliances françaises . You can also check the  grant search engine  available on the Campus France website.

Full degree application

Find below the steps to follow to apply to Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University as a full degree international doctoral student. Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne will apply the same tuition fee rates for the academic year 2024/2025 to French and foreign students regardless of whether they come from a European Union member state (voted by the Board of Governors on 26th October 2023).

You need to check that the thesis topic you plan to cover has not already been defended or is not in preparation, using the two following websites:

• www.sudoc.abes.fr
• www.theses.fr

Submit your research project to one of the professors at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University with an  HDR  (accreditation to supervise research). The list of these professors is available from the websites of the university's doctoral schools (ED):

Once a professor at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University who is authorised to supervise research has given his/her agreement to supervise your thesis, send your application to the doctoral school to which he/she belongs. This file must be sent between mid-June and the end of October, and must include the following documents:

• Form completed online at  ecandidat.univ-paris1.fr , duly dated and signed
• Copy of your master's degree or equivalent (the  ENIC-NARIC France can provide a statement of comparability between your degree and the French master's degree)
• Thesis project in two versions: long version (2 to 3 pages) and abstract (300 words maximum)
• Written agreement of the Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne professor who has agreed to supervise your thesis (this professor must be accredited to supervise research).

Your application will be reviewed in early November by the thesis commission of the doctoral school you have applied to. If you are accepted, you will have to sign the thesis charter upon your first enrolment.

Useful pages

Visas and residence permits, accommodation in paris, university orientation.

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Structure of the Ph.D. in French

• Climate and Diversity
• Graduate Student Profiles
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• Major in French
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• JOINT PHD IN FRENCH STUDIES AND FRENCH
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• Faculty Resources

I. Structure of the Ph.D. in French

The Department’s Ph.D. program in French prepares students to teach in all areas of French and Francophone literature, thought and culture, stressing both breadth and depth through research seminars and qualifying exams. The program also trains students to be outstanding researchers and important contributors in the field that best speaks to their intellectual passions. Students have the opportunity of studying with about a dozen faculty members as well as with many visiting faculty from France. A regular program of lectures, seminars, and workshops at La Maison Française puts students in touch with the most prestigious thinkers and innovative ideas in the fields of French and Francophone studies, be they literary, philosophical, political, or cultural. In addition, there are many ways of taking advantage of the NYU Paris site, including taking IFS courses or participating in the Global Research Initiative.

Students who have successfully completed the first-year requirements in French at New York University are normally admitted to the doctoral program on the basis of their performance in courses. Admission may be refused on the grounds of a student's inadequate performance in overall coursework.

A. Funding and Time to Degree

Admission to the PhD program in French comprises a full package of financial aid. Every doctoral student in the Graduate School of Arts and Science at New York University is awarded a Henry M. MacCracken Fellowship which carries guaranteed financial aid for five years with annual renewal contingent on good academic standing. The minimum package for the year 2022-23 consists of a $32,000 nine-month stipend; remission of tuition, service, and registration fees; full coverage of mandatory NYU student health insurance; a $1,000 Dean’s supplementary fellowship for start-up costs; and additional summer funding in their first, second, and third year (conditional upon satisfactory completion of the preceding year’s work). Students are also expected to teach for four semesters. The teaching load is one course each semester, with all teaching salaried independently for approximately $8,064 per course. Other teaching opportunities may include preceptorships in core humanities courses; summer courses (in English); introductory literary surveys and civilization; courses offered at NYU, Paris.

Students who have completed the PhD qualifying examination may apply for dissertation fellowships in both departmental and university-wide competitions. Students are also encouraged to compete for fellowships such as the French Government Chateaubriand Fellowships or the Lurcy Fellowship. (For more information on departmental, university, and external fellowships, see the department website.)

The French PhD program is designed to be completed within the term of the MacCracken award (5 years). The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences sets a limit of ten years to complete the Ph.D., or seven years for students who have transferred 24 credits or more. (For more on time limits, see section 3.I.)

B. Course work 

Students in French Literature are expected to acquire a solid background in critical practice and a broad knowledge in all periods of French literature by completing, along with the proseminar, at least three courses that focus primarily on a historical period prior to 1800, and at least three courses on a period after 1800. Students must also take the proseminar in their first semester, for which they will receive a grade of “pass” or “fail.” Students will take a total of 18 courses or 72 credits for their work in the PhD program. (See “roadmap”)

The course work of PhD candidates should be drawn mainly from the department's diverse offerings in French and Francophone literature, literary theory, and civilization studies, but students are also encouraged to take courses in other departments or through the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium.

C. First-year Review

On or around May 15, students should submit to the Graduate Assistant a portfolio containing: 1) 200-300 word abstracts of each of their seminar papers for the year, and 2) a written document (1000-1500 words, in French or English) discussing how their first year of coursework has reshaped or recontextualized the intellectual problems and questions that matter most to them.

This document should be carefully edited and well-structured, as it will be the basis of a 30-minute conversation with the DGS (and first-year advisor or other faculty, as available) during the third or fourth week of May. The document should make connections among courses, identify particularly surprising or thought-provoking readings, and point out places where the student would like to acquire greater knowledge or more thorough training (a historical period or theoretical field not yet explored, an additional language to be learned, etc.). Students may also wish to discuss what they have gleaned from attending departmental and university talks, conferences, film series, and so on, with the understanding that their graduate education and professional training takes place both within the classroom and outside it.

First-year candidates must maintain an average of B or better in order to be allowed to present themselves as candidates for the First-year Review. Any exceptions to the date of the review may only be made through petition to the Director of Graduate Studies.

d. Inter-University Doctoral Consortium

A consortial arrangement allows graduate students from NYU to take courses at any of the member schools. Decisions to do so should be made in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies or the student’s PhD advisor. This program is open to doctoral students from participating schools who have completed at least one year of full-time study toward the PhD. Participating schools include: Columbia University, CUNY Graduate Center, Fordham University, The New School, NYU, Princeton University, Rutgers University, Stony Brook University. For further information and registration procedures, please check the NYU website at <http://gsas.nyu.edu/academics/inter-university-doctoralconsortium.html>

E. Language Requirements

NYU PhD students are expected to have or acquire native or near-native command of French.

Knowledge of a second foreign language is required by the French Department for the doctorate in French. Proficiency must be demonstrated by the end of the fourth year of study, and preferably by the start of the third year. This may be satisfied in a number of ways, for example:

1) By completing (or having completed not more than two years before matriculation into the graduate

program) an intermediate-level college course or graduate level reading course in the language with a grade of B or better; this includes graduate level coursework in literatures besides French.

2) By taking an exemption exam and receiving a qualifying score. The exam is now administered by the College of Arts and Science (CAS). Students can sign up for their exam online at the link below. Please note that students must be registered for the exam by the deadline listed on the CAS website.

http://cas.nyu.edu/academic-programs/academic-support-services/placementexams.html#flp

Native speakers of languages other than French and English may be exempted from the requirement.

The Director of Graduate Studies must approve any foreign language course work taken in lieu of the proficiency exam to meet the second language requirement. Undergraduate language courses taken to fulfill this requirement (“skills courses”) are eligible for full tuition remission; however, these courses will not count toward the 72 point residency requirement.

F. Advising & Independent Study

All new first-year entering students are assigned to the First-year advisor. At the end of their second semester they choose a field advisor with whom they begin to plan for their qualifying exams, and with whom they may complete an independent study (guided reading) in their second year. Students are encouraged to discuss professional societies and development with their chosen advisor. Students may also contact the graduate administrative assistant for lists of suggested professional affiliations.

2nd year students may opt to enroll in an independent study course, either during the first or the second semester, under the direction of a chosen professor in a field of interest, in order to explore a series of texts and questions which will bring them closer to the formulation of a dissertation topic. For this variable credit course, meeting times will be worked out with the independent study supervisor. At the end of the class students should hand in a paper comparable in length and scope to the kind of work they would submit for a seminar.

The second-year review takes place in the spring semester of the second year. Each student meets with the DGS and their current advisor. In addition to reviewing the student's academic record, they advise about remaining courses and preparation for the Qualifying Exam; at this point a change in field advisor may be made. All third, fourth, and fifth-year students should meet during the spring term with their field advisor to review their progress toward the doctoral degree.

G. Certificates of Achievement

Candidates for the PhD may obtain an Advanced Certificate of Achievement in French Studies by taking any four courses at the Institute of French Studies, one of which may be cross-listed with the French Department. (See Section III.4. for more information about the certificate) Students must apply directly to the Institute of French Studies for admission into this Advanced Certificate program; the Department cannot register on behalf of the student. GSAS will pay the tuition for up to two extra courses to fulfill the requirements for the Certificate.

Advanced Certificates in Medieval and Renaissance Studies (5 courses), Poetic s (5 courses), Public Humanities (3 courses), and Calamegs (Comparative Approaches to the Literatures of Africa, the Middle East, and the Global South, 5 courses) are also viable options.

H. Policy on Incompletes

Coursework must be completed by the end of the semester during which the course is taken. An unresolved grade, “I,” reverts to “F” one year after the beginning of the semester in which the course was taken unless an extension of the incomplete grade has been approved by the Office of Academic and Student Affairs (OASA). An unresolved grade, “NR,” reverts to “F” one year after the beginning of the semester in which the course was taken and no extension will be allowed.

I. PhD Qualifying Examination

The purpose of the Qualifying Examination is to prepare students to write the best possible dissertation as quickly and effectively as possible, and to equip them with the advanced knowledge and skills for the job market in their chosen field. It can be taken either in French or in English.

In the course of their second year, and certainly by their second-year review, students should identify their future research field, make progress with formulating their research topic (or problématique), and select a secondary field on which they intend to focus as a teaching field. They should also have decided on a transversal list that will complement their research topic (for example, from the perspective of literary history, cross-cultural comparison, or methodology).

Compilation of reading lists for these fields should be in hand. Students should consult a faculty member about each of their three lists; these three faculty will be the examiners of the Qualifying Exam and subsequently constitute the student’s provisional PhD committee. Each list should comprise primary and secondary works and be approximately 35-40 works in length.

The research topic list . When designing this list, students should address questions or problems posed by the area of inquiry they plan to pursue in their eventual dissertation. Some of the work involved in compiling this list may be done in a course of Independent Study. Sample special field topics include Literature of the Algerian War; Theorizing the Exotic; Préciosité.

The teaching field list might cover a wider historical range, for example: the Lyric "I" (Middle Ages/Renaissance), Women's Writing (17th/18th), Ecological Thought (18th/19th), Politics and the Novel (19th/20th), Literature and Theory of the African Diaspora (20th/Francophone), etc. This list need not necessarily include the same historical period as the research field.

The transversal list is to be envisaged as contextualizing the research topic from one of a number of standpoints—historical, methodological, or theoretical/critical. For some students, it will be most useful to undertake a transversal study of their chosen topic across several centuries (e.g. literary scenes of listening from the Middle Ages to the present). For others, a broadly methodological or theoretical course of reading will prove most useful (e.g. environmental humanities; feminist and queer theory). For yet others, the most fruitful topic might be one that offers a comparative purchase on their research topic, e.g. the literature of another culture or another art form in the same period. It might be helpful to think of this third list as a means of situating or contextualizing the main research field.

During the summer before their third year students should finalize their lists with the help of their three committee members. All three lists should be approved by their committee and submitted to the DGS by Sept. 1. The lists may be appended up until six weeks before the oral examination.

The written part of the examination is to be submitted during the January term of the student’s third year and the oral follows within a window of three weeks following submission. Students unable to take the exam at the prescribed time may petition the DGS for a deferment.

The written exam consists of EITHER: three written essays of about 12 pages each, elaborated in response to questions from each of the three committee members, and reflecting a thorough engagement with the problems central to each list. Students opting to write three essays do so over a period of ten days (that is, a period of 10 times 24 hours, typically extending over 9 full and 2 partial calendar days).

OR: two written essays of about 12 pages each for the research and transversal lists, written over a period of 5 days, and a syllabus for the teaching list. As with the first option, the essays are to be elaborated in response to questions from the committee members directing the research and transversal lists.

The syllabus , due 48 hours before the scheduled oral exam, should be polished (and enticing to prospective students) and include a catchy course title, 1-2 paragraphs describing the course and its goals, and a list of readings and assignments, based on a 14-week semester. Each week (or unit) should also include a short description of the key questions or problems to be explored. (Essentially, it should resemble the sort of syllabus one would submit as part of an academic job application, if asked to do so.) A compelling syllabus will not simply be a shortened version of the teaching list, but involves careful selection, curation, and conceptual reframing of the topic at hand.

The oral exam . The examiners will examine the student on their written answers and on the wider reading lists, as well as on the teaching list syllabus they have devised. Students will be expected to demonstrate extensive and precise knowledge of primary texts and significant secondary literature on their three lists, and to be at ease thinking about the issues which they raise.

Students may receive a grade of pass, honors, or fail on the Qualifying Examination. Students failing all or part of the exam may take it a second, and final, time.

J. Dissertation prospectus

A dissertation prospectus presents in outline the subject of the dissertation, its rationale, and its likely contents. It may be formatted in a number of ways but should include the following (the Graduate Program Assistant can provide sample prospectuses upon request):

1. A short description of the project (10 pages or so), to include an explanation of its topic, of its originality and relevance for the field, the questions which it raises, and the principal materials (e.g. the primary and secondary texts) with which it will engage. The approach or methodology to be deployed should also be indicated.

2. A fairly detailed (5 pages or so) outline of the proposed work plan leading to completion of the dissertation.

3. A core bibliography (5 pages or so).

Normally the topic is the outcome of the research field of the student’s Qualifying Exam, and aspects of its rationale will have been covered in one or more of the two other fields, especially the third list. The student is therefore not starting from scratch and the prospectus should be presented for discussion by the end of the semester following the Qualifying Exam (generally the spring semester of the third year). Extension beyond this date will require a special petition to the DGS.

Dissertation Prospectus Discussion:

The prospectus discussion should be conceived of as an opportunity for the feasibility and desirability of the student’s project to be assessed by their dissertation committee. During the discussion, they will ask questions and contribute ideas; they may suggest both points to include and some to avoid.

The discussion consists of a one-hour oral discussion of the prospectus by the student's dissertation committee. This committee, which is likely to have already taken shape in the Qualifying Exam, consists of a director and two primary readers. The dissertation committee serves as a resource for the student during the elaboration of the dissertation, both before and after the prospectus discussion.

Upon successful completion of the Dissertation Prospectus discussion, the student then registers the title of the thesis (along with the names of the director and two principal readers) with the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Assistant.

Alternatively, the committee may refer the prospectus back to the student for reworking before they are allowed to continue to the dissertation. The committee might want to discuss the revised prospectus but they might be willing to approve a paper submission.

K. Degree of Master of Philosophy (MPhil)

To remain in academic good standing, doctoral students must achieve doctoral candidacy within 4 years of initial enrollment. Candidacy is reached when the student earns the Master of Philosophy, M.Phil., degree, indicating that all requirements for the Ph.D. have been met other than the dissertation. Students who have completed all doctoral requirements except the dissertation (including all 72 credits of coursework, qualifying exams, prospectus defense, and language proficiency) should contact the Graduate Program Assistant, who puts students forward for the degree of MPhil.

I. Writing the dissertation

While no single approach or format is prescribed, the dissertation will be evaluated according to criteria of scholarly rigor as well as originality and methodological innovation. Dissertations are usually around 200-300 pages long. They may be written in either English or French. Students whose native language is English are encouraged to write in that language.

Writing the dissertation usually takes two to three years, during which a student should be in regular contact with their director who follows the progress to completion, chapter by chapter. The dissertation director will inform the student of the positive evaluations as well as the objections and critiques her or his work might elicit. The director should not offer the student any work external to the direct advancement of the dissertation, including editorial projects, translations, and conference organization.

More detailed information regarding the submission and formatting requirements for the dissertation can be found on the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences website at <http://gsas.nyu.edu/academics/submitting-your-dissertation.html>

M. DISSERTATION defense

When the student is completing their dissertation, the dissertation director invites two additional readers to join the committee (for a total of five) for the thesis defense. With the Director of Graduate Studies’ approval, the Graduate Assistant will organize a date for the defense.

At least three of the committee members must be full-time faculty members in the Faculty of Arts and Science but up to two readers from other institutions may be included. The dissertation director should formally invite any outside readers to the committee as a matter of courtesy; the department does not reimburse travel expenses for outside readers.

Should one of the readers be unable to be present at the defense, he or she may also participate via video conference. In exceptional cases, a written “absentee” report on the thesis may be submitted with prior approval from the thesis director.

A student should give a copy of the completed dissertation to each of the five readers at least one month before the defense date. At the defense, lasting approximately 2 hours, the student will give a short oral presentation of the thesis before being questioned by the committee members.

Further revisions may be requested before approval, or the dissertation may be approved as it stands, with a mention of “pass” or, exceptionally, with “honors” (a departmental distinction), and the student is recommended for the doctoral degree.

For additional information about dissertation submission procedures, please refer to Section III. Administrative Information, J. Conferral of Degrees.

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International doctoral programs

International collaborations are an integral part of research. Some programs in particular enable the development an international experience in the context of doctoral education.

Published on 4/12/2019 - Updated on 6/03/2024

China Scholarship Council – Sorbonne University

The China Scholarship Council (CSC) and Sorbonne University have established a collaborative program offering excellent doctoral education to Chinese candidates in all disciplines represented at Sorbonne University. Doctoral candidates are hosted in a laboratory under the supervision of Sorbonne University and receive a scholarship funded by the CSC . This scholarship is for a maximum of 4 years. Its amount is currently 1350 €/month (amount periodically re-evaluated by the CSC). In addition, doctoral candidates will have to pay administrative fees. Candidates having obtained the CSC scholarship are required to commit to returning to China after the defense of the thesis or after a postdoctoral stay abroad (after agreement of the CSC).

Recruitment campaign

It takes place in several stages:

• A call for doctoral research projects is launched to researchers and academic researchers at Sorbonne University. The doctoral research projects are then validated by the doctoral schools and published.
• Chinese candidates send their applications to the project leaders , who forward the files of the candidates they have pre-selected to the doctoral schools. The candidates' files are examined by each doctoral school, which may issue a pre-admission letter subject to funding.
• The list of all candidates pre-selected by the Sorbonne University doctoral schools is sent to the CSC.
• Candidates must then apply in China on the CSC website . They are evaluated by the Chinese party, which notifies and awards the thesis scholarship if necessary.

Eligibility conditions of candidates

The CSC 2021 is only open to candidates of Chinese nationality who do not have any job outside the Chinese territory at the time of their application . They must demonstrate a very good level of English and, for some fields of humanities and social sciences, a very good level of French (B2 minimum, C1 recommended).

Student in China

• Be a student in the final year of a master's degree or have recently graduated or,
• Be in the first year of the PhD program, a letter of recommendation from the home university will be required.

Chinese student abroad

• Be a student in the final year of a master's degree or have graduated less than a year before applying for the scholarship.

  Calendar 2021-2022

• October 1st: Postinf of  validated projects on the Sorbonne University website , opening of students applications, Chinese candidates contact the project leaders and send them an application file . Applicants  submit their application file under this   link .
• January 31 : Closing of applications. The project leaders sent the selected application after hearing the candidates at their doctoral school. 
• Until february 21 : after examination, the Doctoral schools send the signed and stamped pre-admission letters of the selected candidates to the doctoral college
• February 28 : The doctoral collège send the pre-admissions letters to the candidates
• Until March 31 : The candidates selected by Sorbonne Universite candidate on CSC website
• May 31 : Diffusion of results by the CSC to Sorbonne Université. Results are send to candidates as well as project leaders. 

Doctoral project proposed for 2022

See doctoral project proposed for 2022

Admission file

Link to submit application

Request for specific assistance for doctoral fellows (sciences) - ASDB

For all doctoral candidates who will be affiliated to the Faculty of Sciences of the Sorbonne University, the ASDB should be set up in order to complete the 1350 euros of scholarships More information Contact for ASDB related issues

For any questions (except for the ASDB), please contact Camille Vignes [email protected]

Modeling of Complex Systems (MSC) Program

The International Doctoral Program in Complex Systems Modeling (PDI MSC) is a cross-disciplinary program at all doctoral schools of the Sorbonne University. It is the first North-South doctoral program of Sorbonne University built on the commitment to recruit for 3 years young doctoral candidates from all countries and more particularly from Southern countries where the IRD has developed many collaborations for more than 60 years.

It also relies on the network set up by the International Joint Unit UMMISCO of Sorbonne University-IRD, whose teams specialized in mathematical and computer modeling are spread over five countries: Morocco, Senegal, Cameroon, Vietnam and France.

The themes of the PDI MSC are multidisciplinary; they relate in particular to the use of complex systems modeling to solve problems of development and/or management of resources and environments, particularly in southern countries with problems in health and epidemiology, management of renewable resources, urban and regional dynamics, ecosystem dynamics.

Each year, the last three promotions of doctoral candidates registered at Sorbonne University in co-supervision with several foreign universities are gathered on the IRD Bondy campus to follow a 3-week training course.

• For more information

European Founding Myths in Arts and Literature

Sorbonne University / University of Bonn / University of Florence

The Universities of Bonn, Florence and Sorbonne have agreed on a jointly structured doctoral training course with the title "Founding Myths of Europe in Literature, Arts and Music". The disciplines concerned arethe various philologies and literatures, the history of art and music, history, political science, philosophy, sociology, without a priori restrictions. Doctoral candidates prepare a thesis on the founding myths of Europe.

• More information on the website of the University of Bonn

Italian Studies

Since 2006, the Universities of Florence, Bonn and Sorbonne have agreed on a doctoral Program with a common structure and the mention "International Doctorate in Italian Studies". The whole of Italian Studies (Literature, Language, Civilisation, Performing Arts, Cinema) is covered in this training.

Coordinator: Professor Andrea FABIANO (ED 020: Civilisations, Cultures, Literature and Societies)

• For more information, visit the Italian Literature and Culture Team website.

Humanism and Rebirth

Sorbonne University / University of Florence

Sorbonne University have signed a collaboration with the University of Florence (Università degli Studi di Firenze) that enables doctoral candidates working on the world of European Humanism, in all disciplines to enrolled in this framework.  The doctoral candidates will obtain the double title of Doctor of the University of Florence and Doctor of Sorbonne University, when they have defended their doctorate, directed in partnership by professors from both universities.

This co-diplomation is part of joint research on Humanism, directed, at the University of Florence by Donatella Coppini and at Sorbonne University by Hélène Casanova-Robin. It enables doctoral candidates to benefit from a rich education, thanks to the diversity of scientific methods implemented within each of these institutions. It also opens a large international research network on humanism (seminars, conferences, colloquia) to the doctoral candidates, due to the various collaborations already established by the partner research units within these universities.

The language of the doctorate must be either French or Italian; the subject must be on the texts (literary forms, philosophy, art, aesthetics...) of Humanism and the Renaissance (14th-16th centuries), transmitting the ancient tradition, and/or their posterity.

Coordinator: Professor Hélène CASANOVA-ROBIN Professor of Latin Literature (specialist in Humanism) Director of the E.A. 4081 Rome and its renaissances ED 022 Ancient and Medieval Worlds

Joint Ca'Foscari-Sorbonne University Program

The Universities of Venice (Ca'Foscari) and Sorbonne University have agreed to a joint doctoral program. This program has been signed between the doctoral school “Civilizations, Cultures, Literatures and Society” (ED 020) and the Venetian program” Lingue, culture e società moderne e Scienze del linguaggio”. It concerns the cultures of the Romance and English speaking countries in Europe, America and the world, the Germanic and Slavic speaking countries in Central and Northern Europe, in the following fields: literature, linguistics and civilization.

Coordinators :

Eduardo Ramos Izquierdo (ED 020)

Alexis Tadie (ED 020)

For more information, see: the University of Venice site

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International PhD students

Updated on: 27/03/2024

Whether you want to start a Doctorate degree at the University of Bordeaux, set up a co-supervised thesis, carry out a research residency or attend a summer school session… there are plenty of opportunities at the University of Bordeaux.

First steps towards a PhD

To start a PhD at the University of Bordeaux, you must meet certain  prerequisites  and consult the admission criteria of the Graduate Research School.

Before taking any steps, you should identify which doctoral school  corresponds to your speciality and research project. Then you should contact a potential thesis director, from a research unit affiliated with the graduate school, who would be willing to supervise you.

Several international options

If you are interested in an international perspective, explore 3 of our options for supervising and enhancing an international trajectory. These partnerships with major universities around the world are making it possible to train a new generation of researchers and offer more prospects for joint projects.

Co-supervised Doctorate (double degree)

The co-supervised, double degree (sometimes called "cotutelle") is an option that facilitates the joint organisation and supervision of a Doctorate, by a French university and a foreign university institution, with the aim of earning a double degree.

International co-directorship

The doctoral student is enrolled at the University of Bordeaux with 2 thesis directors - one from the University of Bordeaux and the other from a foreign university - who share the scientific supervision of the doctoral student's research work.

European Doctorate label

The European Doctorate label is a means of certifying the European and international scope of the Doctorate.

Learn more about completing a PhD

The Graduate Research School coordinates the entire field of doctoral studies and provides support to the university's 2,000 doctoral students to foster the best possible conditions for pursuing a career, nationally and internationally: enrolment and thesis defence, training and professionalisation, international programmes, scientific outreach, promotion and development, etc.

Check out all the information on the Graduate Research School website

Funding can be allocated via the Graduate Research School, through a partnership with another organisation or from a call for projects, for example.

Apply for funding

Manon Dumas

Project Officer for International PhD Programmes

+33 (0)5 40 00 24 65

internationalisation.doctorat%40u-bordeaux.fr

International programmes

China scholarship council .

The  China Scholarship Council  is a non-profit organisation affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Education. Its aim is to provide financial aid to Chinese citizens who wish to pursue their PhD abroad. Since 2013, the University of Bordeaux has coordinated a call for applications to welcome excellent Chinese students working on their Doctorate degree at the University of Bordeaux for a 36- or 48-month period.

The University of Bordeaux has a partnership agreement with the prestigious Franco-American Fulbright Commission to promote the mobility of doctoral students between France and the USA.

The Doctorate section of the Eiffel programme provides support to very high-level foreign applicants seeking to spend 12 months on mobility in France, within the framework of an international co-directorship or co-supervised Doctorate.

Bordeaux Summer Schools

From May to September, the Bordeaux campus hosts several international summer schools, covering a broad range of subjects and open to a wide audience.

Research stay

If you would like to come to the University of Bordeaux for a temporary research stay, you should get directly in contact with a lecturer-researcher or research unit in your speciality to determine the feasibility of a mobility project regarding your thesis topic.

Step 1: initial request

First, you must contact a research unit in your speciality. The unit will determine the feasibility of a mobility project regarding your thesis topic.

Step 2: application acceptance

The director of the research unit validates the principle of your temporary stay by drafting a letter of invitation, which may be used to secure funding for your stay by your home university, or by a regional/governmental entity in your country.

Depending on the unit chosen, an agreement from the Defence Security Officer (Fonctionnaire Sécurité Défense) may also be requested.

Step 3: planning your research stay

You will then need to decide, together with the scientific manager who will supervise you during your stay in France, on the dates, objective, terms and condition of your stay.

Step 4: drafting your work contract

The scientific manager will contact the Businesses, partnerships and innovation department (See "Contact") to draw up a temporary hosting contract, which should be made official and signed between the University of Bordeaux and your home university. These procedures must be completed before you arrive in France.

Step 5: administrative procedures

If a visa is required based on your country of origin, you will need to contact the Welcome Centre for International Researchers, which can also assist you in finding accommodation.

Research Contracts Office

+33 (0)5 40 00 25 67

contrat-recherche%40u-bordeaux.fr

Welcome Centre for International Researchers

+ 33 (0)5 40 00 68 73

accueil.chercheurs%40u-bordeaux.fr

Entry, procedures, accommodation... Consult all the practical information to prepare for your stay in France.

Welcome to Bordeaux

Welcome Guide for International Researchers

Last update: 28/09/2023

PDF - 2,320.32 KB

Welcoming PhD students and researchers

Phd students.

Université Gustave Eiffel welcomes PhD students of all nationalities who wish to carry out all or part of their PhD in one of our component institutions.

Are you a Bachelor’s or a Master’s student and you want to carry out your PhD at Université Gustave Eiffel ?

Studying for a PhD at Université Gustave Eiffel gives you access to top-level PhD training. In particular, the university is ranked as one of the best in the world in the field of sustainable cities !

Applications from international candidates are subject to the same scientific requirements as those from French students.

Find out more about PhDs at Université Gustave Eiffel

Are you a PhD student and you want to spend a mobility period at Université Gustave Eiffel ?

Université Gustave Eiffel invites PhD students from all over the world to spend a mobility period here for durations ranging from a few weeks to several months.

To come to Université Gustave Eiffel for a research visit, please contact the  laboratory  in which you wish to spend your visit directly.

CLEAR-Doc : City Lab Education And Research Doctoral Programme

CLEAR-Doc allows 30 PhD students (ESR - Early-Stage Researcher) to be recruited in the following conditions : •   15 ESRs recruited on 1 October 2022, then 15 on 1 October 2023 under a three-year PhD contract •   PhDs can be carried out on all the university’s campuses •   In all the university's disciplines, on topics related to the city of tomorrow •   With a compulsory mobility period of at least 6 months, including at least 3 months with an international academic partner. Co-supervision and the “European PhD” certificate are possible under certain conditions •   The ESRs will study at the heart of a community of excellence (the “CLEAR-Doc” community), jointly built by all the partners of the project and offering specialised training (with ECTS credits) and a special session each year at the FUTURE Days event, which brings together all the cohorts of PhD students.

Originality of the programme

The originality of the programme lies in its approach structured around three joint international challenges in line with several United Nations sustainable development goals : Challenge 1: design and develop resource-efficient urban spaces ; Challenge 2: understand and manage “urban risks” for resilient cities ;Challenge 3: develop digital cities, making them a catalyst for social, environmental and economic performance.

Find out more

Financing your mobility

Campus France - Eiffel Excellence Grants

Eiffel Excellence Grants have been set up by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. The Eiffel grant is allocated for a maximum of ten months. It amounts to around €1,400 per month.

Other grant programmes

Campus France provides a regularly updated list of PhD grant programmes that you may be eligible for depending on your country of origin and field of study.

The catalogue

Faculty and staff

Coming for a research visit.

To come to Université Gustave Eiffel for a research visit, please contact the laboratory in which you wish to spend your visit directly.

Coming for a teaching mobility period at Université Gustave Eiffel

To come to Université Gustave Eiffel for a teaching mobility period, please contact the training component you are interested in directly.

Université Gustave Eiffel encourages international mobility projects through a range of incentive schemes available to the university's components that take the necessary steps.

Campus France also provides a list of research and mobility grant programmes which you may be eligible for.

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The French Section offers PhD supervision in an exceptional range of areas of French and francophone studies. It contains world-leading researchers in the literature, thought, and culture of the Middle Ages, the early modern period, the 19th century, and the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as in cinema and linguistics. There is usually more than one specialist in any given field, which helps to broaden the PhD student’s approach to and understanding of his or her topic. There is a dynamic culture of research seminars, and the postgraduate students themselves run their own seminar and arrange an annual postgraduate conference.

The PhD in French is awarded on the basis of a thesis, a substantial piece of writing that reports original research into a closely defined area of enquiry within the field of French Studies, broadly defined. The completion of the PhD thesis is generally expected to take three to four years, and most funding is based on this assumption. It is also possible to take a part-time route through research degrees, and the expected timeframe would be five to seven years.

The important notion of "original" can be defined in a number of ways, but basically the thesis should represent a significant contribution to learning, through the discovery of new knowledge, or through the connection of previously unrelated facts, or the development of new theory, or the revision of older views, or some combination of these different criteria. In writing the thesis, you are expected to take due account of previously published work on the subject, and you should ensure that the thesis is clearly and accurately written, paying due account to English style and grammar. The thesis must be written in English, apart from quotations. There is a normal word limit of 80,000 words, including footnotes, references, and appendices, but excluding the bibliography.

During your research, you will work closely with a supervisor who is a specialist in your research area. You will also be assigned an advisor, who will normally have an interest in your research area and who is able to offer advice whenever needed. In addition to providing specialist supervision, the Faculty runs a programme of professional training for the benefit of all research students.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of a PhD course, students will have produced a piece of extended original research, of publishable or near publishable quality.

They will have obtained:

• expert knowledge of a particular field of French studies;
• knowledge of the methodology or methodologies appropriate to their field;
• a set of research skills appropriate to their field;
• the ability to produce scholarly writing in English of a sufficiently high standard; and
• an appropriate set of transferable skills, such as work planning and time management.

For Cambridge students applying to continue from the MPhil by Advanced Study to PhD, the minimum academic standard is an overall distinction in the MPhil.

For Cambridge students applying to continue from the MPhil by Thesis to PhD, the usual academic requirement is a pass in the MPhil.

All applications are judged on their own merits and students must demonstrate their suitability to undertake doctoral level research.

The Postgraduate Virtual Open Day usually takes place at the end of October. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions to admissions staff and academics, explore the Colleges virtually, and to find out more about courses, the application process and funding opportunities. Visit the  Postgraduate Open Day  page for more details.

See further the  Postgraduate Admissions Events  pages for other events relating to Postgraduate study, including study fairs, visits and international events.

Key Information

3-4 years full-time, 4-7 years part-time, study mode : research, doctor of philosophy, department of french, course - related enquiries, application - related enquiries, course on department website, dates and deadlines:, lent 2024 (closed).

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Michaelmas 2024 (Closed)

Funding deadlines.

These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas 2024, Lent 2025 and Easter 2025.

Similar Courses

• European, Latin American and Comparative Literatures and Cultures by Advanced Study MPhil
• European, Latin American and Comparative Literatures and Cultures by thesis MPhil
• English Studies MPhil
• English PhD
• Education (Education, Globalisation and International Development) MPhil

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FAQ – Doing my Doctorate in France

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Below are all of the answers to your questions about doing a Doctorate in France: duration, content, admission requirements, how it works, legal and administrative framework, etc.

Doing a Doctorate in France

How long does a Doctorate take?

In France, it takes three to six years to complete a Doctorate, depending on the field, although there is no legal time limit. In the natural and technological sciences (mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, etc.), it usually takes three years and can be extended for a fourth year. In the social sciences and humanities (law, management, sociology, history, etc.), it usually takes four to five years.

During the first three years, re-enrolment is virtually automatic at the start of each academic year. After that, each year you will have to submit a file to reassure your doctoral school that you can complete your thesis within the time frame in order for your re-enrolment to be approved.

What is a doctoral school?

Doctoral schools are attached to a university or Grande Ecole , and are dedicated to supervising and teaching doctoral students. The work is conducted in conjunction with a research laboratory and under the authority of a thesis supervisor. They also supervise the enrolment and re-enrolment of doctoral students in their host institute.

What is a doctoral college?

A doctoral college includes all of the doctoral schools at a single university. It lays out the general policy for the organisation of the Doctorate within each institution.

Does a Doctorate give you ECTS credits?

With a few exceptions, French universities do not award ECTS for a Doctorate. The Doctorate is not generally considered training in and of itself but rather a research apprenticeship.

What degree will I be awarded at the end of a joint Doctorate?

At the end of a joint Doctorate, you receive two degrees : one from each institute you were enrolled in. Each degree nonetheless states that your Doctorate was completed in both establishments. It is possible, but rare, to receive a joint degree , bearing the names and logo of each institute.

Gaining admission to a Doctorate

What degree is required for admission to a Doctorate in France?

To be accepted for a Doctorate, you must hold a Master's degree or equivalent (national degree conferring the level of master). You can also demonstrate research experience or a five-year Bachelor's to the doctoral school in which you wish to enrol in order to have certain requirements waived and be authorised to enrol.

How to find a research laboratory

To find a research laboratory in your field, check our directory of doctoral schools . Use key words or field to narrow your search and select a doctoral school. The "Laboratories" tab then lets you scroll through the list of research laboratories associated with the selected school.

When do I have to apply?

Doctorate offers are generally published in January, and state an application deadline between April and May for the start of the academic year in September of the same year. Some are occasionally published during the year. Register on our search portal and create e-mail alerts so you don't miss an offer.

When does the academic year start and stop?

The academic year starts in September and lasts until the end of August. Classes take place between September and June. During the summer holidays, there is less activity and most doctoral schools are closed in August. Nonetheless, in a Doctorate, especially if you have a doctoral fellowship , you aren't subject to the academic timetable. In general, you have the right to five weeks of holidays that you can take throughout the year.

What are the admission requirements for a Doctorate?

Each doctoral school and thesis supervisor have their own admission requirements. The main requirement is your ability to complete the research. You will have few classes to take in a Doctorate and you must above all be independent: you will have to work on your own on a specific topic, within a laboratory and liaising with a team.

You will be selected for your ability to find information by yourself and to draft and implement a research protocol. If you have already authored or co-authored a paper, presented results in a conference or completed a long internship within a research laboratory, don't forget to mention it on your CV.

Do I first have to do a Master's internship in a laboratory?

It is not a requirement to complete a Master's internship in a laboratory. In the natural and technological sciences, it's an advantage when applying for a Doctorate. It will help you become familiar with the world of research, and eventually be noticed by your future thesis supervisor.

What is involved in a Doctorate

What is a doctoral fellowship?

A doctoral fellowship is a work contract specifically for doctoral students. It lasts three years, and can be renewed for one additional year twice at most. The doctoral student's net salary is approximately 1,350 to 1,400 euros per month in 2017. It can be higher when you perform additional activities.

Do I need a work contract or doctoral fellowship to enrol for a Doctorate?

A doctoral fellowship is not required to enrol in a Doctorate. Only a few research institutes do not accept unfunded doctoral students. Nonetheless, you will feel more at ease if you are under contract. Just like with every work contract, you will then qualify for unemployment benefits when it terminates and you will contribute to your pension if you are a European national. Doctoral fellowships are very frequent in the natural and technological sciences, much less so in the social sciences and humanities.

Can I do a Doctorate with a grant?

Generally, yes. Some research institutes do not accept doctoral students with grants. Generally speaking, your grant must be enough so that you can live and work under good conditions. Those with grants must also be able to take out health insurance and public liability insurance.

Each doctoral school determines the minimum amount of funding required for enrolment in a Doctorate at that school. It generally varies from 1,000 to 1,400 euros per month. If your grant is less than that, your laboratory must be able to pay you an additional amount that will ensure you receive the minimum amount required by the Doctoral school.

If I do my Doctorate within a research institute such as the CNRS, CEA or INRA, will I also be enrolled in a university?

Yes, as research institutes are not authorised to award degrees. You must therefore enrol in the university that is the partner of your research institute so that your Doctorate will be certified by the State.

What is a sandwich Doctorate?

A doctoral stay, called a "sandwich Doctorate", is when you spend time in a different university than the one you are enrolled in. For example, if you do a Doctorate at Yale University and you come to spend six months in a research laboratory at the University of Rheims.

There are two types of sandwich Doctorates. As part of a joint Doctorate, you must be enrolled in both a university in your country of origin and a French university. As part of a simple sandwich Doctorate, you generally won't need to enrol in the university , but it is recommended that you inform the doctoral school of your presence.

What is the difference between a Doctorate (PhD) and a DBA?

Some schools, in particular in management, award DBAs ( Doctorate in Business Administration ). These DBAs are outside the academic structure and are not certified by the French State.

A DBA associates classes and applied research. The objective of a DBA is that students apply theoretical knowledge in order to improve their professional practice. The first year is spent on training and a review of the scientific literature on the student's research subject. The following years are spent on writing a thesis and doing practical work. Some management schools offer a DBA falsely entitled PhD.

To obtain a Doctorate certified by the French State, you must be enrolled in a doctoral school and have conducted research that significantly adds to our knowledge.

Additional questions

Can I do my Doctorate in France without speaking French?

In theory yes, but it varies depending on the field. In the natural and technological sciences, it is generally entirely possible to conduct your research, write your thesis and correspond in English with your thesis supervisor and colleagues. In the arts and humanities, on the other hand, it's much more difficult. Find out for your particular case from your doctoral school.

Will my medical costs be covered while I am doing my Doctorate?

If you have a work contract, doctoral fellowship or other contract, you are automatically registered for general Social Security. Your employer pays your contributions for you.

If you do not have a work contract you must register for Student Social Security at the same time while you enrol at the university. 

On average, Social Security reimburses 70% of medical expenses. For better coverage, you can take out complementary health insurance.

Related contents

Follow the main steps to come study in France

Florida State University

FSU | The Graduate School

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International Admissions

We are now accepting Graduate applications for Fall 2024, and Spring 2025.* *Please contact your department for application open terms and deadlines.

Our community welcomes you

Each year, the university enrolls approximately 1,700 international students. We are proud to offer extensive support and services to our international population. International applicants should plan to apply early so they have ample time to obtain their immigration documents and make living arrangements in the U.S. Any F-1/J-1 students planning to obtain their I-20/DS-2019 should contact the Center for Global Engagement at [email protected] . Please check with your department regarding deadlines. 

International Admissions Requirements

In addition to meeting graduate university admissions requirements, international applicants must also meet the following University requirements to be considered for admission. 

English Language Proficiency Requirement

Official English Language Proficiency results are required of all international applicants whose native language is not English. The following are the minimum scores required for admission to the University, although some departments require higher scores at the graduate level: 

Internet based TOEFL ( IBTOEFL ): 80 

Paper based TOEFL ( TOEFL ): 550 

International English Language Testing System ( Academic IELTS ): 6.5 

Pearson Test of English ( PTE ): 55 

Duolingo : 120 (Summer 2022 and Forward)

Cambridge C1 Advanced Level : 180  (Fall 2022 and Forward)

Michigan Language Assessment : 55  (Fall 2022 and Forward)

Although official scores are required, most departments will begin to review your application with self-reported scores, while they are waiting for the official scores to arrive. You can self-report your scores on your Online Status Page, after you submit your application. 

The English Language Proficiency requirement can be waived, at the University-level, for applicants who have earned a minimum of a BA or higher in the US or in an English-Speaking Country. Please note, your department may still require proof of English-Language proficiency. *A variety of countries are exempt from the English language proficiency requirement.

Transcript and Credential Evaluation Requirements

All transcripts/academic records that are not in English must be accompanied by certified English translations. 

To be considered "certified," documents should be true copies that are signed and dated by an educational official familiar with academic records. Any translated record should be literal and not an interpretive translation. Documents signed by a notary or other public official with no educational affiliation will not be accepted. 

If the transcript/academic record does not indicate the degree earned and date the degree was awarded, separate proof of degree is required. 

International applicants or degrees earned from international institutions must submit their official transcripts through the SpanTran pathway portal, or from another NACES approved evaluator. SpanTran has created a custom application for Florida State University that will make sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate. Florida State University recommends SpanTran as our preferred credential evaluation because it offers an easy way to streamline the application process.

Please read more about our general transcript requirements on our  Graduate Admissions page. 

International Transfer Credit

International transfer credit is awarded for coursework completed at an accredited (recognized) institution of higher learning. No credit is awarded for technical, vocational, or below-college-level coursework, or courses completed with grades below "D-." An official course-by-course evaluation is required for all academic records from non-U.S. institutions. We recommend the evaluation be done by a member of the  National Association of Credential Evaluation Services . 

SUPPORT TO HELP YOU THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.

The Center for Global Engagement (CGE) and its staff are here to serve international students and their families. They may advise you about:

• F and J visa requirements
• Cultural adjustment
• Employment matters
• Housing assistance
• Assistance with personal concerns
• Maintaining your visa status

Many academic programs only accept applications for a specific admit term. Contact your academic department to determine which admit term to apply. It is recommended that you submit your application as soon as the admit term opens. CGE also assists students throughout the New International Student Checklist and Process . You may learn more about what CGE has to offer by emailing [email protected] . 

Center for Intensive English Studies

Need to improve your English skills? FSU’s Center for Intensive English Studies can help! At CIES, you will be given personalized instruction by highly qualified teachers in a safe, friendly environment.

Please note that admission to and completion of the CIES program does not necessarily guarantee admission to the University as a degree-seeking student.

CIES also offers:

• TEFL certification  opportunities
• Credit-bearing courses and workshops  to enhance your English speaking ability

Learn more about how the Center for Intensive English Studies can help you.  

Florida State University is required by U.S. federal regulations to verify the financial resources of each applicant prior to issuing the Form I-20. If granted admission to the University, an email with instructions on how to complete the I-20 will be sent from the Center for Global Engagement (CGE). You will provide information verifying your financial support (bank statements, award letters, scholarships, etc.) through the I-20 application. FSU requires proof of financial support for the first year of study and demonstrated availability of funds for the length of your academic program

Estimated International Student Costs:

For more information on estimated costs of living and the I-20 process, please visit  CGE’s website .  

I-20 Application

Shortly after admission, students will receive an email with instructions for completing the online I-20 application to demonstrate proof of adequate funding. Florida State University is required by U.S. federal regulations to verify the financial resources of each applicant prior to issuing the Form I-20. Applicants must show proof of financial support for the first year of study and confirm availability of funds for the length of the academic program.

For more information, contact the Center for Global Engagement at [email protected] .

US Federal Grants and Loans are not Awarded to International Students

Graduate students may apply to their respective departments for assistantships or fellowships, although funds are very limited. For further information, please contact your academic department directly. 

SPEAK (Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit) is a test for evaluating the English speaking ability of non-native speakers of English. At FSU, the SPEAK test is administered by the Center for Intensive English Studies to international students who have been appointed or will be appointed as teaching assistants in an academic department at Florida State University.

For more information, click here .

  Explore Funding Opportunities 

May the TOEFL be waived?

The TOEFL may only be waived as a test requirement if the student has received a bachelor's or master's degree from a U.S. institution.

Can you review my documents prior to applying?

Students must submit the application, application fee, and any required departmental materials for application materials to be reviewed.

Can the application fee be waived?

Unfortunately, the Office of Admissions is unable to waive the application fee payment for graduate applicants.  In order to complete your application for review, you must submit the application fee payment by logging in to your Application Status Check ,  along with any other documents required by the department. 

When will I receive a decision?

Applications are reviewed holistically by each graduate department. Please contact your department for information about decision timelines. Please note that the application must first be completed before it can be reviewed. Contact your department for more information.

Can the GRE be waived?

FSU is currently waiving the GRE requirement for most master’s and specialist programs through Fall 2026*. For more information on whether the requirement can be waived, please contact your graduate department. 

* Excludes the College of Business

What if I don’t meet the English Language Proficiency score requirements?

​​​​​​ The FSU Center of Intensive English Studies (CIES) offers comprehensive courses to help students improve their English skills. Students who complete the top-level of the CIES program will not have to take an English Language Proficiency test.

What is the F-1 visa/I-20 process?

• Students can learn more about the I-20 process here .
• Students can learn about the visa here .

Do you have funding available for International students?

• The Graduate School offers fellowship and grant opportunities for graduate students. For current FSU students, the  Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards  assists in identifying and applying for external funding opportunities. In addition,  here is some more information  about additional funding opportunities for international students. 
• There may also be additional funding opportunities through your department. Please contact your graduate representative for assistance. If you do not know who to contact, please email us at [email protected] for assistance.

Are there on-campus housing opportunities?

University housing costs are not included in the tuition and fees at Florida State University. If you want the option of living on campus, you can apply for housing online as soon as you are officially admitted to FSU. Housing at university-owned residence halls and apartments fill quickly. You can also find off-campus housing options by clicking here .

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2024 Edition - PhD Forum : How, where and why do a PhD?

Are you studying for a master's or equivalent degree? Do you want to perform research at one of the world's top-ranked universities and obtain the highest academic degree recognised worldwide? If so, do not miss out on this information and guidance event, which will cover the main issues relating to the doctoral programme and put you in touch with all the right people.

All about the doctoral programme.

What is a PhD? Why do a PhD? How can I study for a PhD in France and at UGA in particular? How do I find a topic and funding for my PhD? Who are the main actors in the doctoral programme (supervisors, laboratory, Doctoral School and College, etc.)? How can I study for a co-supervised PhD with a foreign university? What career options are available after your thesis? How are PhD students, particularly non-Grenoble and international PhD student, welcomed? Armed with this information, you can then meet with one of the 13 doctoral schools to which you would like to apply. Come and ask questions and gather first-hand information to give yourself every chance of success!

Accessible worldwide with live translation into English.

The interactive event is 100% remote via videoconference, so you can attend regardless of your location or nationality (50% of our PhD students are international), in French with live English translation via our interpreter. You can prepare your event using the resources at the bottom of the page , in particular to find out more about the disciplinary perimeters of the Doctoral Schools before registering to meet them. Free and compulsory registration before 8/11/24 below.

Registrations

Nom / Name (*)

Prénom / First Name (*)

Mail / Email (*)

Je suis étudiant·e ou personnel et souhaite me renseigner sur le doctorat en France - I am a student or personnel and would like to know more about PhD in France (*) Je suis étudiant·e - I'm a student Je suis personnel - I'm a personnel

Etes vous étudiant.e ou personnel en : Are you a student or personnel in : (*) En France - In France A l'international - International

Merci de préciser le pays - Please specify the country (*)

Merci de nous indiquer votre Université de rattachement : Please indicate your university of affiliation :

Niveau d'études si vous êtes étudiant·e·s - Level of education if you're student Licence 3 - Bachelor's degree 3 Master 1 - Master's degree 1 Master 2 - Master's degree 2 Ecole d'ingénieur 1ère année - First year of engineering school Ecole d'ingénieur.e 2ème année - Second year of engineering school Ecole d'ingénieur.e 3ème année - Third year of engineering school

Si vous êtes étudiant·e de l'UGA : A quelle structure de l’UGA êtes-vous rattaché·e ? - If you are a UGA student : to which UGA organisation are you attached? Select from the list ARSH DLST DSDA ENSAG Faculté d'économie Faculté de droit Faculté de médecine Faculté de pharmacie Grenoble INP - Ense3 Grenoble INP - Ensimag Grenoble INP - Esisar Grenoble INP - Génie industriel Grenoble INP - Pagora Grenoble INP - Phelma Grenoble IAE IM2AG INSPE IUGA PHITEM Polytech Grenoble Sciences Po Grenoble STAPS UFR de chimie et de biologie UFR LE UFR LLASIC UFR SHS

En quelle langue souhaitez-vous suivre l'évènement : Choose whether to follow the event in : : (*) En Français - In French En Anglais - In English

Quelle école doctorale souhaitez-vous rencontrer ? - Which Doctoral School would you like to meet? Select from the list CSV - Chimie et Sciences du vivant - Chemistry and Life Sciences EEATS - Électronique, Électrotechnique, Automatique, Traitement du Signal - Electronics, Electrical Engineering, Automation, Signal Processing IMEP2 - Ingénierie - Matériaux, Mécanique, Environnement, Énergétique, Procédés, Production - Engineering – Materials, Mechanics, Environment, Energetics, Processes, Production ISCE - Ingénierie pour la santé la Cognition et l'Environnement - Engineering for Health, Cognition and the Environment LLSH - Langues, Littératures et Sciences Humaines - Languages, Literature and Humanities MSTII - Mathématiques, Sciences et technologies de l'information, Informatique - Mathematics, Information Science and Technology, Computer Science PHILO - Philosophie : Histoire, Créations, Représentations - Philosophy: History, Creations, Representations PHYS - Physique - Physics SE - Sciences Economiques - Economics SG - Sciences de Gestion - Management Sciences SHPT - Sciences de l'Homme, du Politique et du Territoire - Human, Political and Territorial Sciences SJ - Sciences Juridiques - Legal Science STEP - Sciences de la Terre, de l’Environnement et des Planètes - Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences

Spam robots, please fill in this field. Humans should leave it blank.

• How to study for a PhD
• The 13 doctoral schools of the Université Grenoble Alpes
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Office of Graduate & Professional Studies

Contact graduate admissions.

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Our office will be closed on fridays from may 17th through august 9th, nau office of graduate and professional studies, grad school, elevated.

A better world is waiting. If you’re ready to pursue your next opportunity—whether intellectual, professional, or personal—then Northern Arizona University’s flexible, challenging graduate programs will help you get to your next level. Study in Flagstaff, online or statewide.

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Already an NAU student? Climb higher with an accelerated program that allows you to start earning your master’s while completing your bachelor’s degree.

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Ready to take your next step? Learn about Office of Graduate & Professional Studies admissions.

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Wondering if you’re eligible, or how to apply? Get more information.

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Want to join our community of international scholars? Discover how.  

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Student says school withheld his diploma after he ‘went off-script’ during graduation speech

ALEXANDRIA, Ky. ( WXIX /Gray News) - A recent graduate in Kentucky says his high school withheld his diploma for days after he went off-script while giving a speech during a graduation ceremony.

Micah Price said he ultimately received his diploma, but it was five days after the ceremony was held.

According to Price, he submitted eight drafts of his speech to the school and was told to take out portions that focused heavily on religion.

Price said he took parts out of the final draft, but when the opportunity presented, he “went off-script” while giving the commencement speech.

One of his goals, since fifth grade, was to deliver a speech on his graduation day. But he said he also wanted to honor God.

“I prayed about it a lot,” Price said.

In eighth grade, he became a devoted Baptist.

“My lord and savior is your answer,” Price said in his speech. “He will give you the truth, the way, and the light. I must give the honor, the praise, and the glory to Jesus Christ.”

Price said he went to get the envelope with his diploma after the ceremony when a principal tapped him on the shoulder and told him he would have to talk to the school board.

“I knew it was going to be held,” Price said. “Before you do anything they tell us if you go up there and do a cartwheel or something stupid, it will get your diploma held.”

Despite knowing the consequences, Price said he had to speak from the heart.

“I simply cannot hold back what Christ has done in my life,” Price said. “He’s everything to me.”

Price said he’s joining the Air Force in July. He said the controversy over his speech and his diploma has him considering ministry work.

Representatives with the Campbell County Local School District did not immediately comment regarding the situation.

“I went against the rules. It’s my fault. I should be in trouble. I never wanted to bring hate to them or tear down the school,” Price said.

Copyright 2024 WXIX via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Veteran who sacrificed his savings to pay for son's college calls student loan forgiveness a 'bitter pill'

A father who sacrificed his savings and his health to pay for his son to graduate from college debt-free said he feels "marginalized" amid the growing push for student loan forgiveness. 

"I think we should pay our debts," Daniel French, a Petco store manager, told Fox News Digital. "The debt I paid was with my body, and I sacrificed my retirement."

"I have to work an extra 10 years just so I can get my retirement savings back up so that I can personally retire," he continued. "So I don't think my tax money and my hard work should go to paying somebody else's loan off."

As the Biden administration continues to push for student loan forgiveness for millions of borrowers, French said he feels as though people like him — Americans who do not come from money but sacrificed so their kids could remain debt-free — are being left out of the national conversation. 

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French, 58, lives in Roseburg, Oregon, and has worked in retail management for nearly 30 years. He served six years in the Army during the Gulf War. Growing up in a lower-middle class family, higher education was never something French considered.

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"College was never really a conversation in my family," he said. "The goal when I was growing up was more to graduate high school and to get a job."

"My father told me that's not a priority, and if I wanted to go to college, I would have to pretty much figure out how to pay for it myself," French added.

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So he was surprised when his teenage son, Nathan French, said he wanted to attend college. 

"I had never thought about it before," the elder French said. "And then I started thinking ‘how am I going to pay for this?’"

Having known people who spent their lives crippled with student loan debt, French made a promise to his son that he would pay for his college.  

"My commitment to him was, he's definitely going to college, and I was definitely going to pay for it," he said. "So whatever I needed to do to get him through college, that's what I was going to do."

The first thing French did was liquidate some of his retirement accounts. He thought that lump sum would cover the entire cost of his son’s education, but it only lasted six months.

Over the next eight years, French did anything he could to make extra money to send to his son. He sold his house, took odd jobs, including construction and handyman work, and sent his son $1,000 out of his paycheck each month. 

Nathan started college in 2016 at a nursing school in Arizona, then transferred to a school in Finland where he pursued a bachelor's in business administration in international business. He graduated this year but opted to attend a year of graduate school in Finland before finding a job.

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In total, French estimated he spent around $120,000 on his son’s college over that time period. He blamed his three spinal surgeries in recent years on the toll his efforts have taken on his body. 

"I don't foresee having to do any extra work and things from now on to help him, which is good because I'm pretty much worn out," French told Fox News Digital. "I've broken my body up, so now I can just go back to doing the job that I have, rather than trying to do odd jobs and heavy lifting and manual labor like I have been." 

After the Supreme Court rejected President Biden’s first sweeping debt forgiveness proposal in 2022, he vowed he would "stop at nothing to find other ways to deliver relief to hard-working middle-class families." Since then, he's wiped away nearly $138 billion in federal student loans for almost 3.9 million borrowers through other actions while circumventing Congress, which holds the power of the purse.

The president's latest wide-scale loan forgiveness proposal came last month as the U.S. national debt continues to surge, reaching almost $35 trillion.

The new plan would offer cancelation to five categories of borrowers, including people who have seen their balance grow due to unpaid interest and individuals who have been repaying undergraduate loans for 20 years or more. It would provide relief to an estimated 30 million borrowers, according to the administration.

French said he doesn't think student loan debt should be a political issue or the responsibility of the government, and that it's not fair to burden taxpayers with other people's poor decisions. 

"There's options to pay for college if you don't want to take out a loan. It's a personal choice to take out a loan to go to college," he said. "If you've made that personal choice to borrow money from a bank, from basically from the government, to pay for college, you should make plans to pay it back."

After sacrificing so much for his son, French said watching politicians push student loan forgiveness is a "bitter pill" and he feels people like himself are left out of the national narrative around the issue.

"Whenever they're talking back and forth about this, some people are saying they want student loan forgiveness, and politicians are saying that we need to do student loan forgiveness to help these people – I feel left out of the conversation. I feel marginalized," French said. 

He said parents who pay for their kids' education are often dismissed with the assumption they are wealthy enough to afford it, "when in reality, a lot of parents put their life savings into their kids … and they're not rich, they're not upper middle class."

Ultimately, French said he "doesn’t regret anything he’s done" for his kids and all of his sacrifices were "money well spent."

"If I waited around for somebody to do something for me and for my children to go to college, it never would have happened," he said. "I can't think of a better way to spend my money."

Original article source: Veteran who sacrificed his savings to pay for son's college calls student loan forgiveness a 'bitter pill'