University of California, Irvine

Program Information

Degree Offered

PhD

Format: Campus

Program Description:

The Department of French and Italian at the University of California, Irvine offers a PhD degree in French w/ strong theoretical and multidisciplinary orientation. Besides exercising specialties in the field of French and Francophone literatures, its faculty members are actively involved in related disciplines such as critical theory, philosophy, psychoanalysis, sociology, women's studies, cultural studies and comparative literature. The orientation of the program in French is a result of the faculty's sense, despite individual differences in fields of interest and approach, that the analysis of discourse and its strategies, vocabularies, structures, presuppositions, and goals constitutes the principal object of literary study.
The theoretical and multi-disciplinary approach to literature is a demanding one, requiring both a knowledge of the specific disciplines brought together and a critical awareness of its own strategies and concepts. Our PhD program provides students w/ necessary tools for advanced literary study, so conceived. Our small student-faculty seminars stimulate intellectual exchange allowing our students and faculty to explore literature written in French within the context of relevant historical, cultural or theoretical issues. They raise questions engaged by literary discourse and they study critically the theories formulated to account for literature and its contexts.
The Department offers two tracks toward the Ph.D. in French: 1) Studies in French and Francophone Literature and Culture; and an 2) Interdisciplinary Option in French and Francophone Studies. The second option reflects the interdisciplinary teaching and research interests of the faculty and the increasingly comparative nature of French and Francophone studies across the country. It should appeal to students interested in a double specialization or who a

Accreditation:

Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)

Eligibility Requirements:

Since admission to our PhD program is competitive,it is recommended that you carefully consider the following information:

Writing Sample:One of the most important components of an application is the writing sample. This should be a critically oriented piece written in French that illustrates an applicant's ability to do scholarly research and interpret literary texts. Only one writing sample should be submitted and it should not exceed 20 pages.

GRE Scores: While there is no fixed cut-off for the GRE scores, a reasonable recommendation for native English speakers is a minimum score of a 600 on the GRE Verbal Test. Analytical and Quantitative Test Scores are given less weight.

Grades: A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.50 in the last two years of undergraduate study is recommended to be competitive.

International Student Requirements:

Your Official college/university MUST send two original transcripts directly to the French Department. Non-English documents MUST be sent with a certified & complete exact English translation. Official evidence of degree conferral, if not on transcript,MUST also be provided. Applicants whose primary language is not English, or is a citizen of a country where English is not the primary or dominant language, are required to submit TOEFL(w/minimum paper-based test score of 550 or computer-based score of 213) OR an Overall IELTS scores of 7 w/no band score below 6. If you want to serve as a teaching asst., additional requirements exist; contact our PhD Coordinator. You must request ETS to forward scores directly to UC Irvine (institution code R4859). If admitted, applicants will be required to certify,on a UC Irvine confidential form, that they possess sufficient funds($$) to cover all fees,transportation,& living expenses for their 1st year of studies at UC Irvine.

Tuition & Financial Aid

Financial Aid Offered: No

Classification: Doctoral/Research Universities - Extensive

Institution Sector: Public

Locale: Midsize City

Size & Settings: 20,000 and above