Our Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, one of the most active in the country, offers highly qualified students the opportunity to earn Doctoral degrees in all areas of French and Francophone literary and cultural studies.
Research Opportunities
Potential graduate students are encouraged to browse our Research section for details about our faculty's areas of expertise, which include Cultural Production; Literature, Art, and Science; and Francophone Studies.
Financial Support
Financial support includes six years of funding. In the first year, all new students receive fellowships exempting them from teaching duties. Students also receive fellowships (no teaching duties) for two semesters in their fifth and sixth (final) years in the program. Currently, all graduate students in the department receive a living stipend and a full-tuition scholarship.
Additional funding opportunities in the form for competitive fellowships and awards are also available.
Mentored Teaching Experience
Teaching development for graduate students in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures features a comprehensive and systematic apprenticeship in the theory and practice of teaching Romance languages with ample supervision throughout. The goal of the Mentored Teaching Experience is to prepare excellent teachers for the 21st century. This goal dovetails with the departmental objective of creating excellent scholars and excellent colleagues.
Graduate Certificate Programs
Students in our doctoral program may earn graduate certificates, in addition to their PhD in French. A significant number of our students take one of these unique opportunities.
Exchange Program
Washington University offers an outstanding exchange program that allows interested students to spend one year at the prestigious École Normale Supérieure in Lyon. There they improve their language and teaching skills while taking classes, conducting research, and acquiring invaluable cultural experience.