Our graduate program is characterized by a diverse and interdisciplinary study of literature and cinema, as reflected in our wide range of course offerings and faculty research interests. Recent graduate seminars have featured topics ranging from insanity in medieval France to marginalization in recent francophone cinema.

Our doctoral programs in French have been ranked in the top 10 in the nation by the National Research Council. Our 11 faculty members have published books on topics ranging from imaginary saints in medieval France to the legacy of French literary history in the context of the post-colonial francophone world.

We offer financial aid in the form of fellowships and associate instructor positions, generally in five-year packages for students who successfully complete the M.A. degree and continue on to the Ph.D.

Students with a previous M.A. degree may be admitted to our four-year Ph.D. Fast-Track program. In this program, a student will spend the first year in the program as an M.A. student. At the end of the first year, the student will present a dossier of their work which will be evaluated and considered as an application to the Ph.D. program. After admission to the Ph.D. is granted, all coursework completed in the first year of study will be counted towards the Ph.D. degree, and the student will be permitted to transfer relevant/eligible coursework from their previous degree.

Indiana University Bloomington is a great place to study, with a beautiful campus and vibrant scholarly environment. The Department of French and Italian has partnerships with the Lilly Library of rare books and manuscripts, the Medieval Studies Institute, the Renaissance Studies Program, the Media School, African Studies, Latin American & Caribbean Studies, Gender Studies, the Book Lab, and other programs to offer students interdisciplinary experiences. Upon completion of the Ph.D., our graduate students typically obtain excellent job placements at universities and colleges worldwide.