The graduate program in French and Francophone Studies at the University of Chicago is now accepting applications for the 2022-2023 academic year. We are looking for creative and independent students who will develop a thorough knowledge of French and Francophone literature and culture. We offer a rigorous and intellectually rich framework of study that prepares students for careers in research and teaching, in cultural and academic institutions, and in other humanistic professions. Some of our faculty specializations include cultural and political theory, sociology and history, medieval studies, gender studies, Francophone studies, colonial/postcolonial theory, theater and performing arts, film studies, rhetoric, aesthetics, and visual culture.
All of our students acquire expertise in a secondary field that allows them to broaden the framework of their research. This field might be defined as another Romance literature, or a different discipline, such as philosophy, sociology, gender studies, film, visual culture, theater, music, political science, digital humanities, anthropology, or history. Students also have the option of applying for our dual degree program in Theater and Performance Studies. Our students benefit from the vibrant intellectual community of the University of Chicago and participate in one or more of the University of Chicago’s many interdisciplinary workshops such as France and the Francophone world, Poetry and Poetics, Environmental Studies, Literature and Philosophy, Reproduction of Race and Racial Ideologies, and Early Modern and Western Mediterranean culture. The France Chicago Center (a center of excellence for French studies recognized by the French government) is based at the University of Chicago; other important resources, such as the Newberry Library (one of the largest research libraries in the United States), the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and many other cultural institutions, are located in the city. Chicago itself is a wonderfully vibrant city with many distinct neighborhoods and attractions, a beautiful lakeshore and parks, world-class gastronomy, and a location that offers easy travel to other destinations.
All our doctoral students have the opportunity to spend at least one year in Paris, either at the University of Chicago Paris Center – located near the Université Denis Diderot (Paris 7) – or at the École normale supérieure. Qualified doctoral students may apply to complete a dual degree program (co-tutelle) between the University of Chicago and a French institution. Students are prepared to enter the classroom through carefully-curated pedagogical instruction and mentorship programs in both language and literature, and all students have the opportunity to teach a literature course of their own design. Some students may have the opportunity to teach in our undergraduate Study Abroad program in Paris.
All successful candidates will receive tuition coverage and a stipend of at least US$ 32,000 per year for the duration of their program of study, in addition to health insurance and other benefits. Women and members of underrepresented minority groups are particularly encouraged to apply. Applicants who are alumni of the TAPIF program can have their application fee waived, and the top-ranked TAPIF alum admitted to the program receives over $3000 in additional research funds.
The deadline for applications is 15 December 2021, and you may apply here. For more information, see our website.
If you have any questions about our program, please contact the graduate advisor, Robert Morrissey, rmorriss@uchicago.edu.