French

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

Months of entry

September

Course content

UCL has a renowned tradition in both teaching and research in French dating back to its foundation in 1826 and continuing to the present day. UCL was the first university in the country to create a chair of French and this was one of the first chairs of any modern language to be established. Students with a doctorate from us share in this reputation for high-quality scholarship and research.

The School of European Languages, Culture and Society (SELCS) at UCL provides a rich research environment for students of French and Francophone culture within an interdisciplinary context. Students can draw on expertise from across the university, in particular from the Faculty of Arts & Humanities, the Social & Historical Sciences, the School of European Languages and Cultures, and the Centre for Multidisciplinary and Intercultural Inquiry.

Students are supported by a dynamic research culture, a stimulating environment, and excellent opportunities for research training. We house numerous seminars and guest lectures and researchers have access to world-class libraries not only at UCL but also in the University of London and the British Library.

All students have a primary and a subsidiary supervisor to guide them through their PhD studies and they can apply for funds to conduct research at specialist libraries not only in France and the Francophone world but in the US and elsewhere.

UCL is one of the few French Studies centres in the UK to maintain full coverage of all periods of French and Francophone Studies, from the medieval period to the present. We encompass a vast array of expertise and a great variety of approaches to the study of French and Francophone literature, culture and politics.

Research areas

• Literary and cultural analysis from the Middle Ages to the present day
• Literary theory – psychoanalysis, deconstruction, postcolonialism
• Film
• Relations between literature and its others (for example, the image; philosophy; medicine)
• Gender
• Theory and practice of translation
• Modern French history
• Contemporary French politics

More information can be found on the department website: French MPhil/PhD

Information for international students

If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency. The English language level for this programme is: Advanced

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Fees and funding

Funding opportunities available for students taking research programmes are available from our website.