Admission Requirements

No single criterion stands as an adequate forecaster of probable success in graduate work. The successful degree applicant is evaluated on each of the following criteria:

1. undergraduate grade-point average, with emphasis given to the grade-point average in the major
2. grade-point average in previous graduate work
3. Graduate Record Examination scores
4. at least three academic references
5. an oral and written sample of skills in the French language for English and speakers of other languages, and in the English language for francophones

Basic Requirements for Admission

• Completed Graduate School Application (Online Application)

• Non-refundable $45 application fee

• Official Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) Scores

The following materials should be mailed directly to:
            The Department of French and Francophone Studies
            The Pennsylvania State University
            231 Burrowes Building
            University Park, PA 16802

• Two official transcripts of all post-secondary transcripts, showing degree(s) earned. International applicants must submit official or attested university records. If the records are not in English, certified translations must be submitted. Notarized copies are not sufficient.

• Assistantship Application
        (Download Application in pdf format | Download Application in doc format)

• Application for visa document (International Students Only)

• Minimum of three letters of recommendation from college faculty who know your work well. In seeking letters of recommendation, we would ask that the following points be addressed:

1. Research abilities (what concrete evidence; potential)
2. Teaching abilities (experience & potential)
3. Candidate's fluency in French, written and spoken

• All international students whose native language is not English or have not received baccalaureate or master's degrees from an institution in which the language of instruction is English must take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) examination. A TOEFL score of 550 on the paper test or a score of 213 on the computer-based test is required.

• Two-Part Statement of Purpose:

• Part I
  This one-page statement should focus on your background in French Studies as well as your academic/research interests. If possible, you should link your discussion to one or more of the fields of concentration at Penn State (Civilization, Literature and Foreign Language Acquisition/Linguistics).
• Part II
  Prepare a list of courses that have shaped your interests in graduate studies in French. Please include upper-level or graduate-level courses with brief descriptions and any other relevant experience. Coursework might include French/Francophone civilization, literature, linguistics and foreign language acquisition and related areas in the humanities and social sciences (linguistics, philosophy, history, anthropology, political science, etc.).

• Writing Sample in French, on an academic topic. If you wrote a senior or Masters thesis or other well-developed research project, please enclose a copy.

• In order to help us assess your level of fluency and pronunciation, the French department requires a three-minute tape recording, done on a regular size tape (do not use micro-cassette). Talk about things you would like us to know about you and your academic interests that are not reflected in your official record. The recording should be completed

• in French for Anglophones;
• in English for Francophones; or
• in both French and English for non-Anglophone, non-Francophone applicants.

To be issued a Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Immigrant Student Status (I-20) or a Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Immigrant Exchange Visitor Status (DS-2019), a student must have been admitted into a full-time program and provide a financial guarantee for their expenses. The U.S. government requires that schools determine the individual can meet their expenses without resorting to unlawful employment or public funds. See Financial Guarantee Requirements.