Our Department's faculty are committed to the interdisciplinary study of language, literature, film and culture. The doctoral program in French & Francophone Studies or Italian Studies provides students a high level of scholarly competence to push the field forward through research. Our faculty has a great depth and breadth of expertise to support our students in their program trajectory, particularly in medieval and Renaissance culture and literature, linguistics, modern and contemporary literature, and film studies.

The programs provide an intellectually rigorous and focused, but flexible set of core courses to prepare students for the pursuit of more specific individual research interests. During the course of their chosen program, PhD students receive preparation in world language pedagogy, the history and structures of language, establish coordinated theoretical grounding in one or more disciplines, and achieve proficiency in two professionally relevant languages in addition to French or Italian and English.

Plans of study will include selected, pertinent courses in other Departments depending on individual students’ interests, qualifications and specializations. This structure strongly supports interdisciplinary development, as students will interact with programs, Departments and Centers -- such as African American & African Studies, Second Language Studies (SLA), History, History of Art, Medieval & Renaissance Studies, Film Studies, Disability Studies, Comparative Cultural Studies, Sexuality Studies, Folklore, and Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies.

The path towards the PhD degree follows a natural progression from course work, to candidacy, to dissertation. 

• For students entering without an approved MA degree, the PhD is a five-year program. Students take courses for three years before taking their candidacy examinations in Spring of their third year. Upon successfully passing their candidacy examinations, students submit and defend a dissertation prospectus in early Autumn of their fourth year and then engage in writing the dissertation. 
• For students entering the PhD program with an approved MA degree, the program normally takes four years. Students take courses for two years, then continue as explained above.