Graduate Program Description

I. Outline of the Program.
II. Course Work
III. The Preliminary Examination
IV. Teacher Training Program
V. Language Requirements
VI. Master's and Doctor's Theses
VII. Our Graduate Students
VIII. Graduate Faculty
IX. Graduate Reading List (will open in a new window)

I. Outline of the Program

For the Ph.D.

1. The Department of French Studies requires sixteen courses for the Ph.D. These may include tutorials, independent study projects, and courses in other departments. Individual course schedules and study programs will be worked out with the Director of Graduate Studies. All graduate students must complete the Graduate School requirement of 24 tuition units. (For further information, see "Tuition Credit vs. Academic Credit" on the Graduate School website.)

2. The following courses are standard requirements: French 1020: History of the French Language; French 2900: Teaching Methods; and the Departmental seminars and study courses at the 2000-level. Depending on students' previous preparation, these requirements may be waived with the approval of the Graduate Committee.

3. During the third year of study (second year for those who arrive with the M.A.), students will complete their course work and take a preliminary examination, individually planned around topics selected from their studies.

4. During the remainder of their time in the program, students research and write the dissertation. Depending on whether or not they enter the program with the M.A., students generally complete the program in four to six years.

5. The foreign language requirement may be satisfied by passing examinations in two foreign languages other than French; the two languages are chosen according to the needs of each student's program of study. Alternatively, students may satisfy the requirement by showing mastery of one foreign language, other than French, through advanced course work in that language or literature. Click here for further details.

6. Financial aid is available in a variety of forms: fellowships for students in their first year, teaching assistantships beginning in the second year, and dissertation fellowships during the final year. All financial awards are accompanied by a full tuition waiver and medical insurance. Summer support is available for three years, to be used when students prefer.

7. One year of teaching as a Teaching Assistant at Brown is required of all Ph.D. candidates as part of their professional training.   Most students serve as Teaching Assistants for at least three years.

For the M.A.

1. Courses will be chosen in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies.

2. One year of course work (eight 1000- and 2000-level courses) with a thesis will satisfy the degree requirements for the terminal M.A. Alternatively, students may satisfy the M.A. requirement without writing a thesis by completing two years of course work (sixteen courses at the 1000- and 2000-level). (See VI. 1 below)

3. Candidates for the M.A. will be expected to demonstrate a reading knowledge of a foreign language other than French by passing a test, taking an appropriate course, or demonstrating that they have done university-level work in that language.

4. Students who have completed graduate-level work in French Studies at another institution should petition for Transfer Credits during the second semester of their first year at Brown.

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II. Course Work

1. The Graduate Program in French Studies offers training in a wide spectrum of genres, periods, and critical approaches, including cultural studies, literary and philosophical history, gender studies, narrative theory, postcolonial studies, and theory of language. Other course offerings include such fields as sexuality studies, social history, theater and film studies. The hallmark of the program is the freedom students have to define their own course of study, in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies and other faculty members. In addition to the required graduate seminars offered by the Department, students may take courses in other relevant departments at Brown (Africana Studies, Comparative Literature, History, Modern Culture and Media, etc.) as well as French Studies courses at the 1000-level. Students take four courses per semester during their first year and three per semester thereafter until the prelims have been successfully completed (during the second or third year in the program). In addition to graduate seminars, two courses are required: FR-1020 (offered every other year) and FR-2900 (offered second semester every year), which must be taken before teaching (see below paragraph IV.A).

2. At the end of each semester, students receive a Course Performance Report (CPR) for each seminar or course they have taken. Those students who fall behind schedule or whose academic performance is deemed unsatisfactory will receive written notification of steps needed for improvement. Every January, the Graduate Committee meets to make recommendations to the Graduate School concerning student funding (teaching assistantships and dissertation fellowships). In order to qualify for funding during the next year, students must complete all course work each semester, take their exams on schedule, and thereafter make regular progress on their dissertations.

3. Kinds of Courses

A. Until students have completed their preliminary exams, they are required to take all of the graduate seminars offered by the Department. Class sessions are devoted to brief lectures by the professor and to the exchange, discussion and critique of ideas. In addition to participation in class, the students give oral presentations and write term papers in consultation with the instructor.

B. Graduate students may also take undergraduate 1000-level courses for graduate credit. In these instances, they will usually do supplementary research, reading, and writing suited to their preparation and to the nature of the course. In consultation with the instructor, they may also assist in the classroom by giving presentations and conducting discussions.

C. FR 2910 or 2920 (Tutorials or Independent Study courses) - Students may supplement course offerings through tutorials on topics suggested by members of the staff. Those topics may reflect current research developments or the research interests of individual professors. Students, in turn, may propose Independent Study topics to the Department faculty. Such FR 2910/2920 independent study courses enable students to examine closely particular literary, textual or linguistic problems or techniques and to investigate subjects not covered in regular course offerings. Students normally take no more than two FR 2910/2920 courses (or independent study courses in other departments) per semester, and staff members usually teach no more than two per semester. Student and professor usually meet at least once every two weeks.

6. Description of Courses

The program in French Studies offers courses organized in a variety of ways and chosen from the following categories. For recent and current course offerings, please refer to "Courses" on our website.  

5. Required Courses

A. French 1020: History of French Language and Literature. Graduate students receive training in Old and Middle French and in linguistic analysis of the history and structure of the language from Latin to contemporary French.

B. French 2900: Teaching Methods All doctoral candidates take this course for graduate credit in preparation for their teaching (see I, 7). Candidates for a terminal M.A. may also enroll in this course. It includes training in such areas as the psychology of foreign language learning, techniques of instruction, planning and structuring a course, textbook criticism, production of materials, and use of teaching aids. During the first half of the semester, students gain experience through in-class practice-teaching situations, and during the second half, they work with faculty and Teaching Assistants who are teaching language courses.

Any request to waive or modify these requirements must be addressed in writing to the Graduate Committee of the Department of French Studies. Such requests will be considered with respect to French 2900 only when the student presents evidence of both training for teaching and extensive teaching experience upon beginning graduate study at Brown.

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III. The Preliminary Examination

The purpose of the Preliminary Examination is to assess the student's knowledge of the field of specialization, to evaluate the command of theoretical methods employed in the field, and to ensure that students possess the critical skills needed for scholarly research.

Students normally take the prelim during the third year of graduate study (students arriving with an M.A. follow all procedures in their second year). This examination tests the students' general preparation in French Studies as well as the ability to conduct independent research.

A. Students are urged to take a tutorial on their examination topic during the second semester of their second year (second semester of the first year for students who arrive with the M.A.). Sample topics could include the study and application of critical methods to a selected group of texts, the relationship between literature and other art forms in a given period, or the intensive study of an important aspect of one genre.

B. The Department's Graduate Committee reviews students' examination fields before approving them. It oversees the administration and evaluation of prelims, establishes procedures and schedules, rules on special cases, and reports on students' prelims to the entire Department.

Procedures :

The exam consists of two parts. The student chooses the Faculty who will chair both parts of the prelim exam.  

1. The first part, "Coverage," is taken in September. This examination is intended to demonstrate the student's knowledge of the corpus of French and Francophone literature. It is meant to complement work pursued in previous study and to ensure that the student has studied works and authors of each area. In consultation with the prelim committee, the student chooses THREE periods, drawn from the seven listed below and including at least ten works from each period, as the basis of this examination. For this part of the prelim exam, the student's committee should include a specialist of each chosen area. This take-home exam consists of essays written in response to questions that the members of the committee draw up during a meeting a few days before the exam.

2. The second part of the examination, "Research," may be taken during the second semester, but no later than the second week of May. In comparison to the Coverage exam, the Research exam entails a more elaborated cultural, critical, and theoretical approach. It draws on TWO areas that the student chooses from the seven offered on the following list:

1. The Middle Ages
2. The Renaissance
3. The 17th century
4. The 18th century
5. The 19th century
6. The 20th century
7. Francophone Literature

Click here for a list of suggested readings for each of these areas.

The student prepares a proposal that must be approved by his/her prelim committee. It must include information about the two areas of study, the critical approach, a bibliography, and the names of the members of the prelim committee. The student gives a copy of the proposal to the Director of Graduate Studies, who then forwards it to the Graduate Committee. The committee requires a minimum of ten days for consideration of the proposal. Students are to meet with their entire committee at least twice during the preparation of the exam.

3. At least a week before each part of the written exam, the prelim committee meets to prepare questions that are based on the student's chosen areas and topic. The exam is a take-home exam: the student has three days to complete the coverage exam (15 pages) and seven days for the research exam (30 pages). A one-hour oral exam takes place one week after completion of the essays. At the discretion of the chair of the preliminary exam committee, the student may begin the oral exam with a brief presentation.

4. The first exam is evaluated on a pass/fail basis. For the second exam, the following assessments are possible: pass with distinction, pass, conditional pass, and fail. Students who fail either part of the examination have the right to take it a second time.

5. The prelim committee, on which sit professors representing the major areas included in the examination, prepares and evaluates both parts of the exam.

6. It is the responsibility of the chair of the prelim committee to notify the Director of Graduate Studies and the Department Manager of the time and place of the oral part of both exams. A copy of the Research exam should be available in the department office one week in advance so that any faculty member planning to attend the exam may read it.

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IV. Teacher Training Program

Teacher training is an essential component of the Graduate Program in French. Students receive training both before they begin teaching and while they are Teaching Assistants. They normally teach only one course each semester in order to ensure timely completion of their graduate work.

A. Students take for credit the Teaching Methods course FR2900 before they begin teaching. The content of this course includes items such as the following: the psychology of the learning process in foreign language teaching; methods and techniques; planning and structuring a single class, the week's work, a semester's work; textbook criticism; production of materials; use of teaching aids, such as audio-visual and computer based materials.

B. All students must complete at least one year of teaching in the Department, and most teach at least three years. The Language Committee assigns Teaching Assistants a section of FR 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 520, or 600, in keeping with their teaching performance and the needs of the Department. The Language Committee seeks to give students experience at as many different levels as possible. Teaching Assistants work under the supervision of a faculty course coordinator who meets regularly with all TAs, visits their sections at least once per semester, and writes a Teaching Performance Report (TPR) at the end of the semester. Two copies of each TPR are forwarded to the Director of Graduate Studies, and one copy is given directly to the student.

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V. Language Requirements

1. For the M.A. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a reading knowledge of a foreign language other than French either by passing a test or taking an appropriate course, or by demonstrating to the Department's Graduate Committee that they have done previous work in that language at an acceptable level (equivalent to French 500 (a fifth semester language course) at Brown).

2. For the Ph.D. A reasonable command of several foreign languages in addition to French is desirable for the Ph.D. The additional languages should preferably be related to students' programs. In some cases it may be more desirable to know one foreign language in depth rather than two at a superficial level. Accordingly, the following alternatives are possible:

A. Candidates for the Ph.D. should normally have at least two foreign languages besides French. This requirement may be satisfied:

a. by the satisfactory completion (with a B or better) at Brown of language courses at levels comparable to French 500 or above. Students should keep in mind that only language courses on the l000-level will be accepted for graduate credit.

b. by taking the reading courses especially designed for graduate students by different departments at Brown (e.g. German 220, etc.);

c. by passing an ETS language exam with a score of at least 550;

d. in special circumstances, by passing a departmentally administered reading exam. For one of the languages the Department's Graduate Committee may waive the requirement on the basis of the student's previous record of work in that language at the college or university level. Additionally, in the case where the mastering of a language would be especially desirable (as in Latin for a student working in Medieval Literature), the Department is willing to allow students to do some advanced course work in that language in place of normal graduate course work; in such special cases it may occur that students will not be able to complete the language requirement before their third year, i.e. until after they have taken the prelim examination.

B. According to the needs of their program, students may limit their work to only one foreign language besides French if their knowledge and studies in this language are in depth and at an advanced level. Normally this would be defined as satisfactory completion at Brown of a foreign language course at the 1000-level.

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VI. Master's and Doctor's Theses

1. The M.A. Thesis

The M.A. thesis is optional. Students may earn the M.A. degree either by completing one year of full-time study (eight courses) and writing a thesis or by completing two years of full-time study (sixteen courses) without a thesis. The majority of students opt not to write an M.A. thesis.

2. The Doctoral Dissertation

The Ph.D. dissertation (or thesis) is primarily a demonstration of the students' powers to treat profoundly a problem of some complexity, to communicate the results of their thoughts and findings and to show the implications of the latter for our understanding of French culture. In this respect, it offers ample scope for original research and creative thinking. At the same time it is a training exercise that enables students to perfect techniques of critical and scholarly analysis. It is important to maintain a sensible balance between these functions. The goal is to achieve a meaningful contribution to our understanding of literature, culture, or language.

Students consult with appropriate faculty members concerning the feasibility of their proposed thesis topic and the selection of a thesis director. Both the Director and Second Reader will normally come from the Department. The Third Reader will normally be from outside the Department of French Studies, either from another department at Brown or (where appropriate) from another University. In close consultation with the dissertation committee, students draft their dissertation proposal as soon as possible after completion of the preliminary exam. In the proposal, they give a succinct statement of their aims, define the methods of inquiry and approach, demonstrate knowledge of what has and has not been done on their topic, tentatively outline the sections and chapters of the dissertation, and include a pertinent bibliography. The proposal should also include the names of the dissertation director, the second reader, and (if possible) third reader. The usual length of a proposal is 15-20 pages (including bibliography).  

After the student's dissertation committee has accepted the proposal, the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) receives a copy of the proposal and forwards it to the Graduate Committee.  The DGS informs students when their proposal has been accepted.

Students become candidates for the Ph.D. only when their dissertation proposal has been accepted by the Graduate Committee.  Students should enter candidacy no later than the beginning of the second semester after completing their preliminary exam. Candidacy is also contingent upon fulfillment of the language requirement.

Once the dissertation has been completed and accepted by the dissertation committee, an oral examination takes place. This examination, called the Dissertation Defense, consists of a public presentation and discussion of the thesis. (Approximately one week prior to the defense, the candidate leaves one complete copy of the dissertation in the Department Manager's office for the faculty to read.)

The purpose of the defense is to assess the rigor and value of the findings set forth by the dissertation. During the first fifteen minutes of the defense the candidate offers a brief oral overview of the thesis, its contribution to literary studies, and possible plans for future expansion (all in about fifteen minutes). The major portion of the exam (somewhere between 60 and 90 minutes) consists of a dialogue in which the candidate responds to questions of the committee and other faculty. The author of the dissertation is expected to voice cogent, well-informed answers and to demonstrate professional expertise in the domain to which the thesis makes its contribution.  

The Graduate School requires that the thesis be accepted by all three readers.  At the end of the defense,  readers and other professors present consult in private and vote on whether to passs the dissertation.

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VII. Our Graduate Students

The number of graduate students in our Department usually varies between fifteen and twenty. Students in the program form a supportive and cohesive group. A graduate student representative, elected by all the graduate students, functions as liaison among the different generations of graduate students in the department, between the graduate students and the faculty, as well as between students in French and those in other departments at Brown.

Every year, a number of graduate students are involved in exchange programs with the Universities of Bourgogne and Lyon. These programs, which involve teaching English to French students, are an important part of the cross-cultural and professional training of our students.

Each year a senior graduate student serves as the Director of the French House, where a group of over thirty Brown undergraduates live together and share in activities promoting French-speaking cultures at Brown.

Since 1993, the graduate students in our department have organized a national colloquium of the graduate students in French called "Equinoxes", which takes place every spring, during the month of March (or at the beginning of April). This colloquium has regularly attracted participants from the United States, Canada and France. Our Department's former Ph.D.'s are often invited as keynote speakers.   The call for papers, program, and selected presentations from past and current Equinoxes colloquia are all online. >>Click here for more information

Our Department's headquarters, the beautiful Rochambeau House that we share with Hispanic Studies, has an efficient computer network, elegant gardens, and generous space for seminars, lectures, movie projection, or friendly intellectual exchanges and conversation.

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VIII Graduate Faculty

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