Degree Programs: Full-Time/Part-Time: Free-Standing M.A.
The Department of French and Romance Philology is a thriving point of contact between American, European and African scholarship in the field of French and Francophone literature and cultures. The faculty currently comprises ten professors whose specialties range from medieval literature and culture to twentieth-century literature and intellectual history. Approximately fifty graduate students are currently studying French at Columbia. Our Ph.D. program, consistently ranked in the top five programs nationally, is designed to prepare graduates for a career in productive scholarship. Students undergo rigorous and comprehensive training in literary and cultural history and theory before specializing in one area of research.
Students in the department have the special benefit of The Maison Francaise of Columbia University. The Maison Francaise is the oldest French cultural center established on an American university campus. With its library and cuisine, it is the social center of the department. Its rich program of lectures, conferences, movie showings, and informal discussions makes the Maison a meeting place for students, scholars, business leaders, policy-makers and all persons seeking a better understanding of the French-speaking world.
In addition to the requirements listed below, all students must submit one transcript showing courses and grades per school attended, a Statement of Academic Purpose, a writing sample (a course paper, term paper, etc.) and three letters of evaluation from academic sources. All international students whose native language is not English or whose undergraduate degree is from an institution in a country whose official language is not English must submit scores of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS. For more information, refer to our Admissions Information and Frequently Asked Questions pages.
Skill in reading, writing, and speaking French; a general knowledge of the literature of the French speaking world; ability to write clear and literate English; training in Latin; and preparation in another Romance language are recommended for applicants to both the Ph.D. and the free-standing M.A. programs.
Writing Sample: *One in English and one in French