French and Francophone StudiesA Graduate Certificate in French and Francophone Studies is offered to students already enrolled in graduate programs at Penn. Students cannot apply for the certificate without having first been admitted to a graduate degree program in one of the disciplines or professional schools at the University of Pennsylvania. The Certificate is aimed at students who wish to augment their primary field of studies with an interdisciplinary expertise in French and Francophone literature, film, culture, and history. Candidates will benefit from the cross-era expertise of Penn's primary faculty in French and Francophone Studies (http://www.sas.upenn.edu/french/people) and that of faculty teaching related courses in Comparative Literature, History, English, Art History, History and Sociology of Science.
Requirements
Each student applying for the Certificate will develop a program of study in conjunction with the Graduate Chair of Francophone, Italian, and Germanic Studies (FIGS) [Eva Del Soldato]. In order to complete the Graduate Certificate, students must fulfill the following requirements over the course of their work:
- Four seminars in French and Francophone Studies, of which at least two will be taken with primary faculty in the FIGS Graduate Group. Course descriptions are listed by semester on the departmental website: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/french/graduate/courses (Courses may be cross-listed with other departments.)
- A 15-20 page research paper overseen by a faculty member affiliated with the program. Normally, this paper would develop out of work done in a graduate seminar; it might also be a version of a dissertation chapter that has direct relevance to the fields of French and Francophone studies.
- Attendance at talks and events sponsored by the program in French and Francophone studies over the course of the student's PhD studies at Penn. These may include formal talks (Bowman Lecture, FSS, Lecture series) or participation in the FIGGS (French & Francophone, Italian, and Germanic Graduate Students) conference.
Application
In order to be considered, a student should meet with the FIGS Graduate Chair [Eva Del Soldato], and provide a statement of interest and a c.v. that includes a listing of courses already taken at Penn or elsewhere relating to the proposed field of study. Applications are due the first Friday in November for the Fall semester and the first Friday in March for the Spring semester.
Upon formal approval by the Graduate Chair, please contact the Graduate Coordinator [Laura Flippin] in order to fill out and submit the Graduate Certificate Program worksheet. This form needs to be completed at least one semester before your expected graduation date.