The Master of Arts degree in French literature (or its foreign equivalent) is a prerequisite to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Students wishing to complete a doctorate are urged to apply directly to the Ph.D. program, which encompasses the Master of Arts degree.
Admission: In addition to the requirements for admission to the Graduate School of Arts and Science (see the Admission to Degree Programs section of this bulletin), candidates for admission to the Department of French must have a good background in French literature and a fluent command of French. Submission of the Graduate Record Examination general test scores is also required of all applicants. Candidates are required to submit a sample of their writing.
DEPARTMENTAL INFORMATION
Grades: Ph.D. students are expected to maintain at least a B+ average. M.A. students are expected to maintain at least a B average. A student whose grades fall below these averages is automatically placed on probation. A student normally remains on probation no longer than one semester. The department enforces the rules of the Graduate School of Arts and Science pertaining to grades of incomplete.
Lectures, Miniseminars, Conferences: The Department of French, La Maison Française, and the Institute of French Studies regularly host eminent writers, scholars, and artists from the United States and abroad. Lectures are sponsored several times each week while occasional miniseminars present visitors in an intimate seminar format. Among recent speakers have been Robert Badinter, Edgar Morin, Bernard-Henri Lévy, Marie Darrieussecq, Jacques Derrida, Edouard Glissant, Pascal Bruckner, Alain Finkielkraut, Alain Robbe-Grillet, Marc Fumaroli, Patrick Chamoiseau, Michel Houellebecq, Michèle Perrot, Sylviane Agacinski, Michel Butor, Jean Baudrillard, Roger Chartier. The
subjects of recent conferences have been “French Theory in America,” “Les Antiaméricanismes,” “Remembering Roland Barthes . . . 20 Years Later,” “André Malraux and 20th-Century French Culture,” “Migration, Memory, Trace: Writing in French Outside the Hexagon,” “Cahiers du Cinéma: The First 50 Years,” “Alain Corbin and the Writing of History,” and “Bourdieu américain.”
Graduate Placement: The department and New York University’s
Office of Career Services work closely with students in exploring career
directions and in locating suitable positions. Graduates regularly have found
teaching posts at fine colleges and universities as well as attractive jobs in
the public and private sectors.
Between 1990 and 2005, our graduate
students have accepted positions at Allegheny, Amherst, Barnard, and Bennington
Colleges; Arizona State and Bucknell Universities; the College Board;
California State University (San Bernadino); College of Staten Island (CUNY);
Columbia and Fordham Universities; Emerson, Goucher, Grinnell, Holy Cross, Le
Moyne, Sarah Lawrence, and Smith Colleges; Towson and Tufts Universities; the
Universities of California (Santa Barbara), Chicago, Delaware, Florida, Iowa,
Kansas, North Carolina, and Texas (Austin); Union College; Vanderbilt
University; and Vassar, Wellesley, Wesleyan, and Williams Colleges.
CENTER FOR FRENCH CIVILIZATION AND CULTURE
The Center for French Civilization and Culture,
incorporating the Department of French, La Maison Française, NYU in Paris, and the Institute
of French Studies, is the most
comprehensive academic complex devoted to the culture of France, past
and present. Its wide range of activities concerned with France places New York
University in the forefront of
American universities and enables the Center to play a preeminent role in the
cultural exchange between France
and the United States.
It has been recognized as a “Center
of Excellence” by the
French government.
La Maison Française: The home of French cultural activities
at Washington Square,
La Maison Française offers many programs each week, including lectures by
leading French writers, critics, artists, and political figures, as well as
concerts, symposia, art shows, films, and a library. Students also have access
to various French cultural institutions in the city and to productions by
French theatre companies.
NYU in Paris: New York University
offers two programs of graduate study at its Paris center. The choice of program depends
on the individual student’s background, interests, and career goals. The M.A.
degree in French language and civilization may be completed in one year or
several summers. Students of literature may take their first year of the
M.A.-Ph.D. sequence of courses in Paris;
students wishing to complete only an M.A. degree in literature may do so in one
year. Courses are conducted both by New
York University
faculty and by distinguished visiting professors from the French university
system. Students also enroll for one or two courses per semester within the Paris university system.
Students admitted to the NYU in Paris program
are ipso facto admitted to the Department of French program in New York and may
continue or complete course work there.
Institute of French Studies: The
Institute offers graduate programs leading to the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in
French civilization and joint degrees with other departments and schools. Its
broad range of graduate courses is designed to train students who seek a
comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to French society, politics, history,
and culture. Students in the Department of French may take courses at the
Institute and may qualify for a Certificate of Achievement in French Studies
from the Institute. For information concerning the Institute's programs,
admission, and financial aid, see the Institute of French Studies
section of this bulletin.
DEPARTMENTAL FELLOWSHIPS, PRIZES, AND AWARDS
A comprehensive list of University, Graduate School,
and departmental fellowships, prizes, and awards appears in the Financing Graduate Education section of the GSAS Application for Admission and Financial Aid. This information is also available on the GSAS Web site at
http://gsas.nyu.edu/page/grad.financialaid. Advanced students who have
completed all requirements for the doctorate except the dissertation may be
appointed as department instructors for up to two years.
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