French and Italian

The Department of French and Italian at Stanford University, part of the Division of the Literatures, Cultures, and Languages opens in a new tab, holds a unique and distinguished profile among American departments of romance languages and literatures. While providing intensive training in French and Italian literary history, theory, and criticism, the department is a recognized leader in connecting literary studies to broader cultural domains, including philosophy, anthropology, political history, and cultural history.

Our highly collaborative department is home to faculty whose intellectual profiles and teaching encompass the digital humanities, cognitive studies, anthropology, history, continental philosophy, and analytic philosophy alongside their core literary expertise. We offer students of all backgrounds the opportunity to engage deeply with the languages, cultures, literatures, and intellectual histories of the French and Italian traditions, fostering transcultural understanding in a complex, contemporary world.

Academic Programs and Humanistic Training

The Department of French and Italian offers flexible and rigorous pathways of study designed for both majors and non-majors, accommodating varying levels of language proficiency and diverse intellectual interests:

• Undergraduate Programs (B.S., B.A., and Minor): Offering comprehensive majors and minors in French or Italian that establish a solid foundation for careers or further study in literature, international relations, European history, philosophy, postcolonial studies, and film. Non-major courses are also offered to enrich the broader student body.

• Graduate Programs (M.A. and Ph.D.): Offering a terminal M.A. and a Ph.D. in French, Italian, or a combined Ph.D. in French and Italian (with options for various minors and combined degrees). Graduate students design and execute advanced research, mastering literary history, criticism, theory, and romance linguistics.

Research Frontiers and Cultural Connections

Research and intellectual life in the department bridge linguistic mastery with multidisciplinary scholarship. Our community operates across specialized divisions, global centers, and dedicated residential programs to expand cultural boundaries:

• The French and Italian Sections: The French section explores the cultural, political, social, scientific, commercial, and intellectual phenomena of the French-speaking world (including France, Belgium, Canada, Africa, and the Caribbean). The Italian section offers specialized study ranging from medieval and Renaissance authors like Dante, Boccaccio, and Machiavelli to contemporary Italian and European studies.

• Interdisciplinary Centers and Workshops: We host and collaborate with major programs including the France-Stanford Center for Interdisciplinary Studies—which bridges the humanities, sciences, engineering, business, and law—the Program in Literature and Philosophy, the French Cultural Studies Workshop, the Philosophical Reading Group, and the Italian Modernities series.

• Global Study and Internships: Through the Bing Overseas Studies Program, undergraduates can study abroad at Stanford in Paris (offering coursework at the Stanford Center and the University of Paris, alongside high-tech internships in Sophia-Antipolis) or Stanford in Florence (focusing on Renaissance art history and contemporary European studies).

• At Home Abroad (AHA) House: Located in the Yost residence, AHA House is a vibrant living-learning community and cultural crossroads where students practice language enhancement and explore international issues, films, music, and food.

• World-Class Libraries and Collections: Research is supported by a dedicated curator for Romance languages at Green Library, specialized collections on 20th-century French social and political movements at the Hoover Institution, and excellent Italian opera holdings at the Music Library.