PhD French at Stanford University

Programme overview

Pursuing a PhD in French literature and culture allows students to explore the many facets of French and Francophone cultures from a literary, historical, philosophical, artistic, and more generally interdisciplinary perspective, drawing it into an active dialogue with contemporary global culture. While receiving a strong foundation in the French and Francophone literary traditions, students are encouraged to contextualize and problematize these texts with coursework in philosophy, political science, anthropology, film and media studies, art history, history of science, and medical humanities.

Faculty: School of Humanities and Sciences | Department: French and Italian | Duration: 135 units minimum | Study mode: full-time | Location: Stanford, CA, United States

What you will study

Programme load is 135 units minimum. Requirements are organised into: Program Requirements; Teaching Experience; Advancement to Candidacy; University Oral Examination; Dissertation; Language Requirement.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

University-level graduate admission (Graduate Admissions): a U.S. bachelor's degree or international equivalent, transcripts for every institution attended, a statement of purpose, three letters of recommendation, and TOEFL/IELTS scores unless exempt (U.S. citizens and permanent residents, native English speakers, or applicants with English-medium degrees). Each graduate programme sets its own GRE policy (required, optional or not considered). Programme-specific criteria are set by the department.

Tuition is charged for Autumn, Winter and Spring quarters (Summer quarter also billed separately). Graduate programmes such as PhD and Master's in Computer Science admit for Autumn entry only; Education PhD and Master's programmes begin September 20, 2027.

The graduate application fee is $125, nonrefundable. Deadlines are set by each programme: Computer Science PhD December 8, 2026; Education PhD November 16, 2026.

Apply through the official page: https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/apply

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