French Cultural Studies in a Global Context
Degree Programs:
Full-time in Paris: fall, spring, and summer: Free-Standing M.A.
Program Director:
Brunhilde
Biebuyck,
Director of Studies, Columbia Programs in Paris
e-mail:bb.columbia@reidhall.com
Faculty Advisor:
Danielle
Haase-Dubosc,
Adjunct Professor of French; Associate Provost, Columbia; Executive Director, Reid Hall
e-mail:dhd.columbia@reidhall.com
Academic Coordinator with French universities:
Christine
Valero,
Columbia University Programs in Paris
e-mail:cv.columbia@reidhall.com
Admissions Coordinator:
Beatrice
Terrien,
Associate Dean, Columbia University
Tel:
212.854.5052
Fax:
212.854.4912
e-mail:bt3@columbia.edu
Contact Information (Paris):
4 rue de Chevreuse
Paris 75006 FRANCE
Tel.: 011 33 1 43 20 24 83
Fax: 011 33 1 43 20 52 96
Contact Information (New York):
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
107 Low Library MC 4306
535 West 116th Street
New York, NY 10027
The M.A. in French Cultural Studies in a Global Context provides
a methodological framework for contrasting and analyzing the dynamics that
exist between groups within modern French culture from the Revolution of 1789
to the present.Students attend most of
their courses and meet regularly with faculty members at Reid Hall, Columbia University’s
center in Paris,
which has been dedicated to French-American cultural and intellectual exchange
for over a century. The rest of their work is conducted at selected
institutions of higher learning in Paris.
Faculty
Faculty from Columbia
University and the University of Pennsylvania
teach in the program, and selected faculty members from French institutions of
higher learning serve as associates to the program.
Schedule
The program is completed in a calendar year during consecutive
fall, spring and summer terms.Classes
are held in the fall and spring semesters; the latter ends at the end of June.
July and August are reserved for fieldwork, travel and completion of the
Master’s essay.
Requirements for the M.A. Degree
The Master’s program in French Cultural Studies in a Global
Context requires courses totaling 24 credit points and a Master’s essay for 6
credit points.Students choose one of
two tracks: 1) France and
Europe or 2) France, Africa
and the Middle East.
Core Courses Required for All Students
Fall semester:
FRST G4510 (Practicum on Methodological Points of Entry into
Cultural Studies) 2 points
FRST G4980 (Proseminar on Issues in Modern French History) 3
points
FRST G4014 (French Language: Grammar, Stylistics, Rhetoric) 4 points
Depending on the results of a
French language proficiency test, students may be required to complete the
non-credit course FRST G4012 (French Language: Grammar, Stylistics, Rhetoric)
before taking G4014.
FRST G6510 (Advanced Seminar in Theory, Cultural Studies and
Postcolonialism, part I) 2 points
Spring Semester:
FRST G6511 (Advanced Seminar in Theory, Cultural Studies and
Postcolonialism, part II) 2 points
Required Courses for Students Completing the France and Europe Track
FRST G4200 (Culture in Contemporary France and Europe) 4 points, taken in the fall semester
FRST G4201 (Social, Political, and Economic History: Europe
and France)
4 points, taken in the spring semester
FRST G4991, a course in a French university on aspects of
French and/or European cultures; 3 points, taken in the fall and/or spring
semester.
Required courses for Students in the France,
Africa and the Middle East track
FRST G6240 (Seminar on Migration, Immigration, and the
Impact of African, Maghreban, and Middle Eastern Cultures in France and Europe)
4 points, taken in the fall semester
FRST G6230 (Seminar on French Colonial and Postcolonial
Literature and Film) 4 points, taken in the spring semester
FRST G4992, a course in a French university on Arabic
language or culture or postcolonial history and/or literature; 3 points, taken
in the fall and/or spring semester.
Study at French universities
The Columbia University
programs in Paris have exchange agreements with the University of Paris VII
(Denis Diderot), the University of Paris IV (Sorbonne), the Ecole des Hautes
Etudes en Sciences Sociales and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques. Students consult with the
Academic Coordinator with French universities to select courses and seminars, preferably
related to the subject of their Master’s essay;
they may choose a second elective at a French institutions of higher learning
for an additional 3 points of credit. Additional
auditing of classes may be recommended by the Director of Studies or the essay
director. Semester offerings generally begin in October or February; seminars held
during both fall and spring generally begin in November.
Examinations:
Two
two-hour written qualifying examinations (in French) held in June, on aspects
of French cultural studies in a global context.
Master’s essay:
The
Master’s essay, written in French or English, consists of a minimum of 50
pages, bibliography and notes.At the
beginning of the program, students consult with the Director of Studies and the
Faculty Advisor to plan their research for the essay; it is recommended that
students select a topic in a field in which they already have some
background.As they pursue the topic of
their essay, they meet with their faculty tutor, the Faculty Advisor and the
Director of Studies throughout the year regarding the essay itself and related field work. In June, each student is required to give a short
presentation in French of his or her work in progress for the Master’s essay. The Master’s essay is completed by the end of
August.
Depending on their topics, students may conduct on-site
research for their Master’s essays in groups (organized by the Faculty Advisor
and Director of Studies) or individually. Students completing the track in France and Europe may visit seats of
pan-European political institutions (in Brussels,
Strasbourg, or Geneva)
or do summer research work in a region in France or in another European
country. Students completing the track in France, Africa, and the Middle East may
visit the Colonial Archives in Aix-en-Provence
or conduct summer research work in an African or Middle Eastern country.
Extra-curricular events:
Students are required to attend and participate in colloquia and
conferences held at Reid Hall. Concerts and readings also take place regularly.
Two trips are planned during the year for all students in
the program: the first to a European city (Brussels,
Strasbourg, for example) and the second to a
region of France chosen by
the students (such as Brittany, Périgord,
Provence).
Advising:
The Faculty
Advisor and the Director of Studies meet with students individually throughout
the year to help them define their objectives, plan their research activities
and choose the director of their Master’s essay. The Academic Coordinator
for the French University provides help on papers
written in French and on oral presentations.
| 
