University Programs & Departments in the US
Indiana University Bloomington
- Opportunity: M.A. and Ph.D. in French Linguistics
- Specialization: Sociolinguistics, Phonology, Language Contact, and Minority Languages in France (specifically Breton, Picard, and Occitan).
- Location: Bloomington, Indiana, USA
- Description: Indiana University hosts one of the oldest and most prestigious French Linguistics programs in the country. It is home to the Center of Excellence of the French Embassy, which fosters deep Franco-American academic exchange. Their faculty actively research and teach the structures of minoritized languages like Breton and Picard, making it an ideal hub for students interested in the sociolinguistics of language endangerment and dialectal variation in France.
- Key Requirements / Dates: Applications for the Fall graduate cohort generally close in mid-December. Applicants need a strong background in linguistics or French studies.
- Official Link: Department of French and Italian – French Linguistics
University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC)
- Opportunity: Graduate Studies & Research in Applied Linguistics
- Specialization: Romance Linguistics, Historical Linguistics, Old Occitan, and Old French.
- Location: Santa Cruz, California, USA
- Description: The Department of Languages and Applied Linguistics at UCSC features faculty like Dr. Bryan Donaldson, who specializes in the historical development of French and Romance languages, with a particular emphasis on Old Occitan. This is an excellent environment for students interested in the diachronic evolution of regional languages, syntax-discourse interfaces, and the historical texts of Southern France.
- Key Requirements / Dates: Graduate admissions typically close in December or January. Requires an academic background in applied linguistics or Romance languages.
- Official Link: Department of Languages and Applied Linguistics
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
- Opportunity: M.A. in French Applied Linguistics
- Specialization: Language and Minorities in Europe, History of Romance Languages.
- Location: Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Description: UIUC offers a unique applied linguistics degree track that collaborates heavily with their linguistics and SLATE (Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education) programs. Their curriculum frequently features dedicated courses such as Language and Minorities in Europe (FR 418) and Topics in the History of Romance Language, providing a solid framework for studying the sociopolitical and linguistic realities of France’s regional dialects.
- Key Requirements / Dates: Requires a BA in French or a related field. Priority fellowship deadlines are usually in late December.
- Official Link: M.A. in French Applied Linguistics
Strategic Funding & Fieldwork Fellowships
Because deep research into languages like Breton, Corsican, or Occitan inevitably requires fieldwork, archives, or collaboration with native speakers in France, securing bilateral funding is crucial.
Embassy of France in the United States
- Opportunity: Chateaubriand Fellowship in Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS)
- Specialization: Fieldwork, Linguistic Anthropology, Archival Research, Regional Heritage.
- Location: Mobility grant (from the US to laboratories/institutions in France).
- Description: This is the most prestigious grant offered by the French government for Ph.D. students enrolled in American universities. It funds stays of 4 to 8 months in France. If your doctoral dissertation involves documenting the Breton language, analyzing Occitan literature, or conducting sociolinguistic surveys in Alsace, this fellowship will fully fund your field research and pair you with a French co-sponsor institution.
- Key Requirements / Dates: You must be currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program at a US university (US citizenship is not strictly required, but US university affiliation is). You must obtain a letter of invitation from a French researcher. The annual call for applications usually closes in mid-January.
- Official Link: Chateaubriand Fellowship HSS