Department of French
Ph.D. and Research Work
General Information
This document contains general information about becoming a research student in the Department and the paths towards Ph.D. (Doctorate) work. A separate page gives full details of the M.Phil. programmes (www.mml.cam.ac.uk/french/courses/pgrad/mphil.html) to which the Department contributes. For current Cambridge final year undergraduates, an information meeting will be held by the Faculty in the second half of the Michaelmas term, but you should talk to your supervisors and Directors of Studies as early as possible in the academic year if you are interested in postgraduate studies. Students who are in the final year of an undergraduate degree should start with the M.Phil. pages (an M.Phil. is equivalent to what is known of as an M.A. or Masters in most other universities). Students who have already completed an M.A. or equivalent (including the M.Phil. in Cambridge) should feel free to contact an appropriate member of the Department for personal advice. The Department welcomes applications for both full-time and part-time research degrees.
Resources, Topics and Supervisors
For the Ph.D., the French Department has expertise and welcomes candidates in most areas of French Studies, including Medieval, Early Modern, Modern and Francophone literary and cultural studies, as well as French linguistics, and topics involving philosophy, critical theory, gender, cinema, and other interdisciplinary areas (see staff details). Those interested in other fields should consult the Department's postgraduate adviser, Professor Philip Ford, about the availability of supervision. The Modern Languages Faculty library has a good working collection of works in French Studies and the University Library's collection is very extensive. Many works are on open access and can be reserved on-line from College terminals.
Applications and Funding
The requirement for admission to any graduate course is a good honours degree in French or Modern Languages. The standard normally required is that of a first class or high 2.1 degree, or its equivalent. It is expected that all candidates for a Ph.D. will have completed a masters degree by the time they begin the doctorate. Applicants for the Ph.D. may be called for interview by members of the Department in the Lent (Spring) Term of the year in which they wish to begin their studies. The interview will seek to establish the suitability of the candidate in relation to our resources and specialist interests.
All formal applications must be made through the Board of Graduate Studies. The University of Cambridge Graduate Prospectus provides information on many aspects of postgraduate study at Cambridge, including fees and procedures for applying. The prospectus is available on-line (http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/gsprospectus/).
UK applicants for the Ph.D. usually seek funding from the AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council), or the equivalent sources of grants for postgraduate humanities courses in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Applicants from abroad normally seek funding in their home countries or from the various Trusts and College sources listed in the University of Cambridge Graduate Prospectus. Ph.D. registration most commonly begins in October, but may do so at other times of the year. All applicants should note the Application Schedule and the information on the College system.
Prospective applicants for part-time research degrees should contact Philip Ford for advice before applying; further details of University policy on part-time research degrees may be found at http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/
The M.Phil. Route
The normal expectation by funding authorities and the Faculty is that graduate studies should begin with success in a Master's degree, to be followed, if they so wish, by a further two or three years' work towards a Ph.D. The Department participates in four M.Phil. programmes:
- the M.Phil in European Literature and Culture
- the M.Phil in Linguistics
- M.Phil in Linguistics (French)
- the M.Phil in Screen Media and Cultures
For details of these programmes, follow the links above. The various essays and the M.Phil. thesis are all individually supervised, and are considered an excellent preparation for the full-scale research and dissertation of the Ph.D. In addition, the topic of the M.Phil. thesis may, and often does, form the foundation of the Ph.D. Progress from the M.Phil. to the Ph.D. is, however, not automatic - high marks are expected, particularly in the thesis. Needless to say, we are also very happy to consider candidates wishing to take French options in the M.Phil. but who may not intend to embark upon further study at Ph.D. level.
Research Training and Feedback
Both Ph.D. students and M.Phil. students participate in formal training sessions for using library and on-line resources, sessions in research techniques, as well as appropriate sessions in all aspects of career development which are organised by the MML Faculty. Above all, Ph.D. students also receive personal guidance and direction from their individual supervisor on research and writing in their topic area. The role of the doctoral supervisor is important because it offers - and requires - a close and structured collaboration, which depends on joint interest and motivation. Regular contact and written work are expected. The Department appoints an adviser as well as a supervisor to each Ph.D. student, and there is also a French Department postgraduate adviser available for consultation. At the end of their third, sixth, and ninth terms of research, students submit reports on their work and are interviewed by two members of the Department, not only to check on their progress but also to provide further advice and stimulus.
Research Climate and Seminars
'Cambridge French' has one of the largest and most successful groups of postgraduates in French in the country, with very good relations between M.Phil. and Ph.D. students, and with graduates in other language departments, who are all able to meet and work in the purpose-built Graduate Centre in the Modern Languages Faculty. The Department's graduates themselves organise the Cambridge French Graduate Research Seminar, which brings together both lecturers and graduates. During the year papers are given mostly by the graduates, providing an opportunity to discuss individual research with researchers in neighbouring fields as well as useful practice in preparing for teaching and giving conference papers in due course. Over the last few years the FGRS has also gained a national reputation for its annual colloquium. Lecturers and postgraduates from other universities contribute, and the proceedings are regularly published. The French Department also runs separate Medieval, Early Modern, Modern and Linguistics seminars where local and national experts as well as distinguished speakers from abroad give seminars during term. In addition there is a tradition of internationally known Conferences in French, often with a Renaissance theme, entitled Cambridge French Colloquia.Full details of these seminars are posted at http://www.mml.cam.ac.uk/french/news/ and students are regularly informed by e-mail. All students are welcome to attend.
See also:
- M.Phil. in European Literature and Culture Web Pages
- M.Phil. in Linguistics Web Pages
- M.Phil in Screen Media and Cultures Web Pages
- Graduate Studies Prospectus
