Last updated May 15, 2022
As part of our series How to Fully Fund Your PhD, here is a list of universities that offer fully funded PhD programs in French. A PhD in French can lead to a variety of exciting careers in academia, research, and writing.
“Full funding” is a financial aid package for full-time students that includes full tuition remission as well as an annual stipend or salary during the entire program, which is usually 3-6 years. Funding usually comes with the expectation that students will teach or complete research in their field of study. Not all universities fully fund their doctoral students, which is why researching the financial aid offerings of many different programs, including small and lesser-known schools both in the U.S. and abroad, is essential.
The ProFellow database for graduate and doctoral study also spotlights external funding opportunities for graduate school, including dissertation research, fieldwork, language study, and summer work experiences.
Would you like to receive the full list of more than 1000+ fully funded programs in 60 disciplines? Download the FREE Directory of Fully Funded Graduate Programs and Full Funding Awards!
Boston University, PhD in French Language and Literature
(Boston, MA): The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and the Department of Romance Studies guarantee five full years of financial support for doctoral students who maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Brown University, PhD in French and Francophone Studies
(Providence, RI): Students in the PhD program are guaranteed a competitive package of six years of academic year funding. and four summers of financial support with full tuition remission and health and dental insurance coverage. Students are also guaranteed funding each year for conference travel or other research needs.
University of Chicago, PhD in French and Francophone Studies
(Chicago, IL): Ph.D. students will be guaranteed to have funding support from the University of Chicago, external sources, or a combination of the two for the duration of their program including Full tuition coverage, an annual stipend, annual premiums for student health insurance, and Student Services Fee.
University of Colorado at Boulder, PhD in French Literature
(Boulder, CO): Financial aid for qualified Ph.D. students is available in the form of Teaching Assistantships, Graduate Part-Time Instructorships, and Graduate School Fellowships. Teaching Assistantships and Graduate Part-Time Instructorships normally include responsibility for lower-level language classes. The average stipend for this is approximately $26,000, and it carries with it a waiver of tuition costs.
Columbia University, PhD in French
(New York, NY): Doctoral students normally receive the annual prevailing stipend and appropriate tuition and health fees for five years, provided that they remain in good academic standing and, in the case of student officers, have discharged responsibly their pedagogical or research duties. For doctoral candidates in Humanities and Social Science departments, this includes five summers of support.
Johns Hopkins University, PhD in French
(Baltimore, MD): All applicants who are admitted to our programs are admitted fully funded for up to five years. This means that the department covers the cost of full-time tuition and a fellowship for the academic year.
University of Maryland, PhD in Modern French Studies
(College Park, MD): Students are normally granted full funding for four years, with the possibility of an additional year, contingent upon the availability of funds. Annual renewal of financial support is based on satisfactory performance and progress in the program.
University of Pennsylvania, PhD in French and Francophone Studies
(Philadelphia, PA): All students admitted to the Graduate Program in French & Francophone Studies receive a Benjamin Franklin Fellowship, which guarantees five years of financial support (tuition remission, Penn’s health insurance, and a stipend of $32,255 in 2021-2022) to students who continue in good academic standing. Students will also receive summer stipends. The fellowship requires a two-year teaching assistantship as service to the department.
Princeton University, PhD in French
(Princeton, NJ): Students accepted into the Ph.D. program enjoy financial support for five years, although readmission each year depends on satisfactory performance. They also hold part-time Assistantships in Instruction. Generous financial support is available for a wide array of professional training, including scholarly research, language learning, and conference presentations.
University of Texas at Austin, PhD in French Studies or French Linguistics
(Austin, TX): The University of Texas at Austin is pleased to offer 6-year scholarship packages of up to $30,000 annually for graduate study in French Studies and French Linguistics.
Tulane University, PhD in French Studies
(New Orleans, LA): The Ph.D. program is fully funded for 5 years for students entering with a BA degree. Students admitted to the program receive full tuition remission and a stipend of $26,323. They also have the opportunity to apply for competitive summer research funding, the Summer Merit Fellowship Award, and conference travel grants.
University of Virginia, PhD in French
(Charlottesville, VA): The Department of French is committed to providing full funding to all doctoral students for the duration of the Ph.D. degree. The award package, comprising a combination of graduate teaching assistantships (GTAs) and fellowships, is guaranteed for 5 years and covers tuition, fees, and comprehensive health insurance. It also includes an annual stipend of $20,000 for basic living expenses in Charlottesville, plus $4,000 in summer stipends.
University of Wisconsin-Madison, PhD in French
(Madison, WI): The Department of French & Italian is committed to providing full funding to all graduate students. Students who accept our offer of admission, therefore, receive fellowships or assistantships that cover tuition and provide eligibility to enroll in excellent comprehensive health insurance and other benefits. Funding is guaranteed for a minimum of 5 years of study for students entering with a B.A., and a minimum of 4 years for those entering with an M.A.
Yale University, PhD in French
(New Haven, CT): All Yale students receive full financial support (tuition plus full stipend, including health insurance coverage) for five years of graduate study. This includes two years of coursework without teaching, two years of teaching, and a dissertation fellowship year. Students in the French Department who choose to pursue dissertation research in France or a francophone country receive an additional year of support without having to teach.
Need some tips for the application process? See my article How To Get Into a Fully Funded PhD Program: Contacting Potential PhD Advisors.
Also, sign up to discover and bookmark more than 1800 professional and academic fellowships in the ProFellow database.
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