MA in French & PhD in Francophone Studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette


« Venez étudier avec nous autres ! »

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette offers one of few graduate programs in the United States specifically in Francophone Studies by providing students the opportunity to study all the regions of la Francophonie individually and as a whole.

The university itself is located in the heart of Cajun Louisiana, a cultural crossroads joining many areas of the contemporary Francophone world that share historical and linguistic roots. The natural beauty of the landscape provides a fitting setting for the culture’s unique heritage and multicultural diversity.

The breadth and reach of the courses and approaches offered in the Masters and doctoral programs reflect this diversity and richness and make the experience at UL Lafayette unique. Our dynamic, innovative, and interdisciplinary program regularly provides courses on the literatures, cinema, and cultures of France, Belgium, Quebec, Acadia, Louisiana, the Antilles and Haïti, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Maghreb. The graduate program in Francophone Studies was the first in the United States to design courses on Louisiana Cajun and Creole languages, as well as courses on Belgian Francophone literature. 

Students from all over the (Francophone) world come together at UL Lafayette to explore the rich variety, hybridity, and créolisation of the global Francophonie using a variety of approaches. The faculty’s theoretical interests cover women’s and gender studies, migration, transgression, medieval studies, postcolonial studies, visual studies, etc. Special attention to the professionalization is also a major component to this program, with workshop and semester-long seminars to be successful on the job market (in and outside of academia). 

Financial support is available for graduate students primarily through the university graduate assistantships and fellowships, which are available to foreign nationals as well as to U.S. citizens.Selected students will be considered for our very competitive tuition-waiver along with a monthly stipend (in exchange for departmental duties such as teaching or tutoring). Annual scholarships, summer research awards, and travel grants are also available. Courses and assistantship duties require Louisiana residency. The degree cannot be completed online/remotely.

Former MA students received competitive PhD packages from the University of Pittsburgh and UC Davis. PhD graduates work in academia (William and Mary, Tulane, Oberlin…), in French immersion schools in Louisiana, or in the publishing industry (Paris), etc. 

To request further information for these positions, please consult our website and/or contact the Graduate Coordinator, loic.bourdeau@louisiana.edu in French or English.

To Apply: http://gradschool.louisiana.edu/prospective-students

French and Francophone Studies Program Information: http://languages.louisiana.edu/French/index.html