frencrit11 Posted February 19, 2009 Posted February 19, 2009 So, I'm replying in English- specifically because I came here becuase I'm so afraid that my french as regressed to what it was in my first few years of studying! Eek. I'm applying to French PhD programs... so far have gotten in to two But I have a visit in March where they will want me to speak in French and then they will judge the poor status of my spoken French! I'm also more CPLT/French... but figured that by going for a French PhD I would a) possibly get into a better program have a more hirable (?) degree when all is said and done. Have you heard from any of the schools you applied to yet?
latenight Posted February 23, 2009 Author Posted February 23, 2009 i agree with you on reasons to apply to french over comp lit - but i ended up applying to 3/9 french programs. now i'm regretting the decision a bit, at least at NYU - i'm not so excited anymore about all their requirements (one course in each century of french literature from middle ages to present). i know some programs are more flexible than others, so i'm withholding final judgment until i see it for myself when i visit. on the other hand, i guess those requirements become a big part of your professional training, if you're going to be hired in a french department.
frencrit11 Posted February 24, 2009 Posted February 24, 2009 You're regretting doing French b/c of the requirements? I just attribute them to the "professionalism" of a PhD... The school I'm most interested in right now based on acceptances (Rutgers) has a really long reading list, I haven't looked enough at the course requirements yet... Were you the one who posted about Columbia's French/ CLPT? I'm so jealous... I'm obsessed with their faculty... or at least a few of the professors. Alas, I have received no calls about an interview... which I'm taking to be a bad sign.
latenight Posted March 4, 2009 Author Posted March 4, 2009 I agree about professional training. One of the schools I'm considering is a comp lit program, but with a certificate option in French - kind of similar to Columbia's French/CL program. The work I'm doing is very French-based, but leans a lot towards theory, which is why I've been thinking I'd feel more at home, and more intellectually satisfied, in a comp lit program. Who are you interested in at Columbia? (I guess we could talk names through pm if you prefer) Also, do you have any thoughts about NYU French? Did you apply there? Is anyone else doing French out there? There can't be just 2 of us!
frencrit11 Posted March 12, 2009 Posted March 12, 2009 Hey! I finally got my rejection from Columbia Oh well... I really liked the work of a CPLT/English professor- Sharon Marcus. She wrote this amazing article on rape scripts (a while ago, back in the 80's ) but now she's working on some things in line with my interests. I don't know anything about NYU. I didn't apply there... I've heard good things. Did you say you did CPLT or French there? What programs are you looking most seriously at now? I'm finding that the theory can be a concentration in most French Dept. I'm hoping to do that for the PhD part if I end up at Rutgers (they have a terminal MA first which has an intense reading list). I think the hardest thing is managing to keep the theory in with all the lit you have to read for the French PhD. It's going to be more challenging because I'll need to add it to the "literature" if I want to keep it as a focus.
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