威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校

The M.A. program in French offers a first-rate faculty in all the areas of French and Francophone literature and culture. The program emphasizes broad coverage as well as specialization, and is organized so as to take advantage of the quality and range of the faculty. A Wisconsin Ph.D. has the ability to teach not only a much focused topic of research, but also much of the French literary tradition. The French graduate program offers a wide array of courses and seminars each semester, providing a fairly even distribution across the various literary periods in most academic years. Courses typically meet two or three times a week and are quite broad in focus, generally exploring well-defined periods or genres, while seminars are held once a week for two hours and take up narrower topics in greater depth.

Requirements of the M.A. are designed to give students not only the tools necessary for specialization, but also an excellent knowledge of these extremely rich literary traditions. Strong emphasis is placed on the practice of the language. French is the usual language of instruction in graduate courses and seminars. The department offers possibilities for international stay through exchange programs and further promotes the use of French through lectures, films, theater, and events at the French House.

Learning outcomes

• Show broad knowledge of French and Francophone literature and culture.
• Master a broad range of texts fundamental to French and Francophone studies.
• Demonstrate critical understanding of the major works in literature and the history of ideas that have been written in French from the middle Ages up to the present.
• Show the ability to analyze literary texts of various genres, and to formulate well-informed, interpretive arguments about them.
• Identify, select, and retrieve primary and secondary sources pertaining to questions in French and Francophone literature.
• Analyze and interpret the theories, research methods, and approaches to inquiry in this discipline.
• Demonstrate adequate proficiency in French to lead a well-informed discussion of literature and culture.
• Communicate clearly and appropriately in both written and spoken French
• Students obtaining a master's degree in French and Francophone literature are expected to recognize and apply principles of ethical and professional conduct.