French - Research

Overview

French and Francophone Studies are part of the Modern Languages research cluster which provides a vibrant environment for both disciplinary and interdisciplinary scholarship. Recognised as a centre of excellence for research into the languages, literatures, histories, and cultural identities of Europe and beyond, the cluster is founded on a dynamic and forward-looking research ethos. Established research strengths in French include nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first century literature, linguistics, visual cultures, medical humanities, popular culture, postcolonial writing and Franco-Chinese writing.



Subject Summary

As a PhD student in French and Francophone Studies, you’ll be part of the internationally recognised, award-winning Modern Languages research unit, which provides a vibrant environment for both disciplinary and interdisciplinary scholarship. Our research in French and Francophone Studies reflects the significance and diversity of the francophone world generally; the cluster is founded on a dynamic and forward-looking research ethos, and postgraduate students form an integral part of our core research activities. Established research strengths in French include nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first century literature, linguistics, visual cultures, medical humanities, popular culture, life-writing, postcolonial writing and theory and Franco-Chinese writing.



Course structure

You will normally register, in the first instance, as an ‘undifferentiated PhD student’ which means that you have satisfied staff that you are capable of undertaking a research degree. The decision as to whether you should undertake a PhD is delayed until you have completed ‘differentiation’.



Differentiation takes place about 9-12 months after registration for full time students and about 18-30 months for part time students. You will submit work to a panel of up to three academics and this is followed up with a formal meeting with the ‘Differentiation Panel’. The Panel then make a judgement about your capacity to continue with your study. Sometimes students are advised to revise their research objectives or to consider submitting their work for an MPhil qualification rather than a doctoral qualification.



To complete a doctoral qualification you will be required to submit a thesis of approx. 80,000 words and you will be required to attend a viva voce [oral examination] with an external and internal examiner to defend your thesis.



A PhD programme runs for 3-4 years full-time or 6-8 years part-time. Students can apply for a writing up year should it be required.

Graduate

A 2.1 Honours degree or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required. While a Master’s degree or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is not essential, it is desirable and applicants without this qualification will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

How to Apply

Apply using our online Postgraduate Applications Portal and follow the step-by-step instructions on how to apply.

Students will meet regularly with their supervisor(s), who will provide written and oral feedback; a formal assessment process takes place annually.


This Annual Progress Review requires students to present their work in writing and orally to a panel of academics from within the School. Successful completion of this process will allow students to register for the next academic year.


The final assessment of the doctoral degree is both oral and written. Students will submit their thesis to an internal and external examining team who will review the written thesis before inviting the student to orally defend their work at a Viva Voce.


Feedback

Supervisors will offer feedback on draft work at regular intervals throughout the period of registration on the degree

A PhD Programme runs for 3-4 years full-time or 6-8 years part-time.

Entry Year: 2024/25

Career Prospects

Introduction

Many of our PhD graduates have moved into academic and research roles in Higher Education in the UK, France, the Middle East and Australia, while others have secured posts in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (UK), in publishing and in the education sector more broadly.

Research information


Associated Research

Nineteenth, Twentieth and Twenty-First Century Literature

Travel Writing

Text and Image

Medical Humanities

Postcolonial Cultures

Caribbean literature and theory

Interiors

Big Data

Franco-Chinese Writing

Linguistics (sociolinguistics, variation, corpus linguistics, discourse analysis)

Literature and visual cultures

Nineteenth-century novel and poetry

Popular culture

Postcolonial literature and theory

Twentieth and twenty-first century French and Francophone literature and film


We also have a strong record in supervising comparative and interdisciplinary theses across the different languages represented in the School of Modern Languages and with other Schools in the University. A number of recent and current research projects have been funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the EU (Horizon 2020), including a project on the digitisation of popular culture in a transnational frame, one on cultural tourism and the role of festivals and one on temporality in French and Occitan oral narrative.