Graduate French
The University of Virginia’s Graduate Program in French offers rigorous M.A. and Ph.D. training centered on the study of French and Francophone literature, culture, and thought. Students work closely with faculty across a wide range of historical periods, theoretical approaches, and cultural contexts, benefiting from small seminars, individualized mentorship, and a strong emphasis on original research and critical inquiry.
The program combines deep disciplinary grounding with interdisciplinary flexibility, encouraging students to explore connections with fields such as history, philosophy, art, politics, and global studies. Graduate students gain a broad understanding of the Francophone world while developing specialized expertise supported by comprehensive coursework, professional development opportunities, and a vibrant departmental intellectual community.
Designed to prepare graduates for careers in academia and a wide range of cultural and professional sectors, the program fosters advanced linguistic competence, strong scholarly writing, and critical engagement with the diverse traditions of French and Francophone studies.
What Can I Do With This Degree?
- University or College Professor (tenure‑track and teaching positions)
- Editor or Publications Specialist (e.g., National Gallery of Art)
- Humanitarian Aid or International NGO Worker (e.g., work in the Congo)
- Language Program Director or Foreign Language Specialist (e.g., U.S. Military Academy French Desk Chief)
- Counterterrorism or Intelligence Analyst
- Academic Administrator or International Education Professional
- Professionals in business, law, health, pharmaceuticals, transportation, and tech sectors
- Medieval to Contemporary French literature and culture
- Francophone studies (North Africa, Sub‑Saharan Africa, Caribbean, Indian Ocean)
- French‑speaking Europe and transhistoric cultural traditions
- Interdisciplinary humanities research (history, global cultures, digital humanities, women & gender studies, medieval studies)
- Comparative and transnational approaches to French and Francophone thought