Master’s (Doctoral) Program of French Literature
The Department of French Literature views the graduate school as a learning community of faculty and graduate students. With Christian humanism at its core, we embrace tolerance with one arm and critical assessment with another. We offer a curriculum that satisfies students’ deep interest in French literature, French culture, and the French language acquired at the undergraduate level while providing guidance to those who wish to become researchers or educators so they can further their studies and achieve their goals.
We also encourage students to study abroad during their studies to further deepen their research and acquire higher French language proficiency. Also provided is guidance in taking various examinations for Sophia University exchange students and French government scholarship students and introduction to their professors at their study-abroad destination.
Curriculum
In the Master’s Program, students take a designated number of classes to learn complex deciphering and research methods and expand their knowledge, while keeping in close contact with their academic advisor and preparing a master’s thesis. In the Doctoral Program, students are required to submit one essay each year and are also provided with detailed guidance in writing their doctoral dissertations.
Granted Degree
- Master’s Program: MASTER OF ARTS IN FRENCH LITERATURE
- Doctoral Program: DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN FRENCH LITERATURE
Available Teaching Licenses and Subjects
- Junior High School Specialized Teacher (French)
- High School Specialized Teacher (French)
*Only Master’s degree programs are eligible for a teacher’s license. If you wish to obtain a teacher’s license, a Type 1 license should already have been obtained, or the requirements for obtaining a Type 1 license should have been fulfilled in advance for the subjects you wish to be licensed in. Otherwise, it is not possible.
Program Features
Highly Competent Businesspeople
Many of those who complete the Master’s Degree in French Literature and obtain a Master’s Degree are renowned for their advanced language skills and knowledge in culture and are often employed by major companies.
Obtaining Doctoral Degree in France
Graduates of the Doctoral Program work primarily in university and high school education. Many of them have passed the difficult French government-sponsored study-abroad examination and obtained doctoral degrees in France, and their research achievements have attracted attention from academic societies in Japan and abroad.
Solid Skills Cultivated through Practice
To develop the broad knowledge and ideas needed for producing knowledge that cuts through to open a new path to the future, we provide practical education with an emphasis on re-reading classical literature, taking a cohesive approach to exploring culture, connecting with contemporary society, and improving language skills.
Student’s Participation in Journal Publication
Graduate students of the Department of French Literature, together with faculty members and graduates of the Department of French Literature, have formed the Sophia University Society of French Literature. The annual conference in the fall is an excellent opportunity for graduate students to study and interact with other acclaimed scholars through programs such as guest lectures and symposiums. The society’s journal, Les Lettres Françaises, is published once a year, where graduate students are also encouraged to contribute, providing young researchers with valuable opportunities to present their research.
Selected Thesis Topics
- Theophil Gauthier and Illusion – the Ideal Beauty Given to a Mythical Creature
- Claude Monet and Urban Landscapes – Paris, London, Venice
- Faces in Milan Kundera’s Work
- L’instruction Indirecte dans le Télémaque
Educational Policy
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Master’s Program
The Master’s Program in French Literature sets standards for the skills and knowledge students should acquire before graduation as described below: Those who have acquired expert knowledge and a profound and learned understanding of culture with a multifaceted perspective and acknowledgement of issues that need to be addressed, submit an excellent thesis as an outcome of their research and pass their thesis defense shall be deemed to have acquired such qualities and will be awarded a diploma.
1. The ability to pursue high-level specialized research on the art and literature of France and Francophonic regions
2. A high level of French proficiency that will enable the pursuit of specialized research
3. Profound and learned understanding of the arts and culture of France and Francophonic regions
4. The ability to write academic papers with precise analysis based on specialized knowledge and with logical and convincing structure and development
5. The ability and aptitude to work as a professional in various fields
Doctoral Program
The Doctoral Program in French Literature sets standards for the skills and knowledge students should acquire before graduation as described below: Students who have acquired expert knowledge and profound and learned understanding of culture with a multifaceted perspective and acknowledgement of issues that need to be addressed, submit an excellent dissertation as an outcome of their research and pass their dissertation defense shall be deemed to have acquired such
qualities and will be awarded a diploma.- The ability to pursue high-level globally competitive specialized research on the arts and literature of France and Francophonic regions
- High French proficiency that will enable international academic exchange
- Profound knowledge of the arts and culture of France and Francophonic regions
- The ability to write academic papers with specialized knowledge, precise analysis based on careful examination of past research, and with logical and convincing structure and development
- The ability and aptitude to effectively use expert knowledge and French proficiency in education
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Master’s Program
In accordance with the diploma policy, in light of its aim to have students deepen methodologies for conducting research on the literature and arts of France and the Francophone world and nurture diverse interests, the Master’s Program in French Literature constructs its curriculum with courses aligned to the following purposes:
- Provide specialized education that will help students acquire and deepen research methodologies for the literature and arts of France and the Francophone world.
- Provide specialized education that will help students nurture diverse interests associated with the literature and arts of France and the Francophone world.
- Provide practical language training to foster high language proficiency in French.
- Provide careful guidance for the compilation of a thesis including pursuing research on the theme, formulating a plan, and organizing arguments.
Doctoral Program
In accordance with the diploma policy, in light of its aim to have students increase their awareness regarding standards and choice of research methodologies and
themes at the international level, the Doctoral Program in French Literature constructs its curriculum with courses aligned to the following purposes:1. Offer several “Specialized Research” courses on the literature and arts of France and the Francophone world.
2. Provide careful guidance for the compilation of a dissertation including pursuing research on the theme, formulating a plan, and organizing arguments
3. Help students pave their way as researchers through study abroad on scholarships and presentations at academic research meetings.
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Master’s Program
The Master’s Program in French Literature seeks students with the following qualities:
1. Students with the adequate enthusiasm and skills to perform expert research
2. Students with the skills to gather, analyze and integrate information and to precisely communicate research outcomes
3. Students with a broad interest in the various issues of the arts and culture, beyond the framework of their expertise
Doctoral Program
The Doctoral Program in French Literature seeks students with the following qualities:
1. Students with the adequate enthusiasm and skills to perform high-level expert research that meets international standards
2. Students with the skills to gather, analyze and integrate information and to compile creative academic papers
3. Students who can engage in academic research with a multidisciplinary perspective not confined to the framework of their expertise
Faculty Members
Hirotaka OGURA Professor