Degree Requirements

Graduate handbook information is updated and maintained by each program. Graduate handbooks are available within each program's office and online at https://utexas.box.com/v/UTAustinGraduateHandbooks. Please contact the program with concerns or questions.

Master of Arts

Applicants to the graduate program in French apply directly to the PhD. The Master of Arts (MA) degree is awarded on the way to the PhD provided that the student fulfills the requirements described below. The master’s degree program in French requires that the candidate have a bachelor’s degree with a major in French or demonstrate equivalent knowledge. Master of Arts (MA) degree plans are available with a concentration in French studies or linguistics.

The program in French Studies requires 30 semester hours of coursework, including two courses outside the department. Coursework is designed around three main organizing structures: Historic Periods, Literary/Artistic Genres, and Theoretical Approaches. Students are expected to gain breadth of exposure in the various areas and begin to develop a depth of knowledge in a specific field.

Completion of the program in French Linguistics requires four semesters or 30 semester hours of coursework with a minimum of 24 semester hours of coursework in French Linguistics.

Doctor of Philosophy

The doctoral program is offered in French Studies and French Linguistics. Information about required courses in each of these areas is available from the department. An examination committee is formed for each candidate; with the graduate advisor, the committee oversees the student’s progress and eventually administers a comprehensive examination based on coursework and reading lists. One of the graduate faculty members conducting the examination may come from outside the program. Eighteen to 36 semester hours of coursework beyond the MA are normally required for the degree. An approved dissertation prospectus is required for all doctoral candidates before they may begin to write the dissertation. A final oral defense of the dissertation is required of all candidates.

In French Studies, the candidate is expected to take courses outside of the department in related areas of interest, such as French history, art history, comparative literature, and anthropology. During the first two years within the program, students are required to take a minimum of 24 semester hours of coursework in French Studies graduate courses. Candidates must pass a comprehensive exam on three areas of expertise before beginning work on the dissertation. The comprehensive examination will consist of a one- to two-hour oral examination conducted by three to four graduate faculty members. For the concentration in French Studies, students must demonstrate competency in Italian, Spanish, German, Russian, Arabic, or any other modern language approved by the graduate advisor at a fourth semester level or a classical language at the second semester level. 

In French Linguistics, students are expected to take courses that provide a thorough understanding of both the theory and the practice of their subject. Coursework for the PhD normally consists of 60 semester credit hours of graduate content courses. The precise nature of the courses will vary with the needs of the individual student, and must be approved in consultation with the graduate advisor. Coursework completed for the master’s degree may be counted toward this requirement.  Students who are admitted with an MA in French from another institution should expect to take a minimum of 30 to 36 semester hours beyond the MA level. Students must demonstrate competency in Italian, Spanish, German, Russian, Arabic, or any other modern language approved by the graduate advisor at a fourth semester level or a classical language at the second semester level. Candidates must pass a comprehensive exam structured into two parts: a written component consisting of two research papers based on topics proposed by the members of the student’s comprehensive exam committee, and an oral component consisting of a discussion and question session based on the exam papers. The students’ comprehensive exam committee will comprise three to four graduate faculty members, one of which may come from outside the program.

Graduate Studies Committee

The following faculty members served on the Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) in the spring 2023 semester.

David P Birdsong Marc Bizer Carl S Blyth Benjamin Claude Brower Barbara Ellen Bullock Mounira M Charrad Judith G Coffin Emily L Drumsta Patience L Epps Zenzi Margareta Griffin Julie Hardwick David D Kornhaber

Melanie Lamotte Richard P Meier Sofian Merabet Martha G Newman Herve Picherit Marc Pierce Cinzia Russi Almeida J Toribio Alexandra K Wettlaufer Lynn R Wilkinson Hannah Chapelle Wojciehowski