Francophone Studies (Ph.D.)
The doctoral program in Francophone Studies is designed to provide a broad knowledge of the Francophone world, including France, Francophone Europe, Quebec, Acadia, Louisiana, the Antilles and Haiti, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian Ocean, the Maghreb, and the Mediterranean.
The program offers a variety of approaches: literary, linguistic, critical, ethnographic, and historical.
Our PhD in Francophone Studies offers students a rigorous and diverse program to prepare students for successful careers as future university faculty, academia-adjacent positions, or a multitude of careers in research, public-facing scholarship in the public or cultural sector, and more.
Courses offered through the departments of History, Sociology and Anthropology, and English (Folklore) complement those taught in the French and Francophone Studies program.
Related Programs
Francophone Studies at UL Lafayette
Immersion in Louisiana Francophonie
Louisiana is a major Francophone region in the United States, allowing you to participate in Francophone culture in your own backyard. Converse with local Cajun French speakers at Tables Françaises in the area, enjoy Cajun and Creole culinary delights, and take in Lafayette’s two massive annual music festivals: Festivals Acadiens et Créoles and Festival International de Louisiane.
Community Connections
There are many opportunities to share your knowledge of French with the University and the Lafayette community. Help with the conservation, understanding, and expansion of local cultures with the Center for Louisiana Studies and the Center for Acadian & Creole Folklore. Our community activities include outreach to Lafayette Parish schools' immersion programs and continued partnership with the Council for Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL) and Festivals Acadiens et Créoles.
Global Scholars
Students from all over the francophone world come together at UL to explore the rich variety, hybridity, and créolisation of the global Francophonie using a variety of approaches: literary, linguistic, critical, ethnographic, cinematographic, historical, culture and folklore studies.
In-House Publications
Twice annually, the department publishes Études Francophones, a refereed scholarly journal devoted to all aspects of Francophone Studies. You can also publish your creative work in the Feux Follets, the department’s student-run literary and artistic review.
