Application Instructions

The application is fully online at https://applygrad.uic.edu/portal/programs. ALL items must be uploaded directly to the application.

You will need first to submit a completed, on-line application and application fee (see below). The online application includes supporting documents that must be uploaded directly to the online application by the application deadlines. Please note that your recommenders will themselves receive a link to upload their own letters directly.

Apply now!

Application Deadlines Heading link

for...	domestic applicants	international applicants
admission in Fall semester	January 15	January 15
consideration for nomination for a University Fellowship - Fall semester	December 15	December 15
consideration for a teaching assistantship or a Board of Trust tuition/fee waiver, or if you do not seek financial aid - Fall semester	February 1	February 1
admission in Spring semester	October 1	July 15

Application items Heading link

A complete application consists of the following items:

Domestic Applicants

Required Items - Domestic

A Graduate College Application form, to be filled out on-line. applygrad.uic.edu/portal/programs
Search for: French
A non-refundable application fee of $70, to be submitted on-line. There is an additional fee of $100 for credential evaluation if you present any international course work.
Application Fee Waiver Programs for Domestic Students
Non-official proof of degree (diploma) and transcripts of course work from ALL undergraduate or graduate institutions attended. You must hold a BA degree or the equivalent in order to apply for the MA program.
Documents must be issued by your university’s registrar’s office. Online academic histories or advising/degree audit documents that can be obtained through student web portals are not acceptable.
If you are accepted, you will have one semester to submit official transcripts of course work from ALL undergraduate or graduate institutions attended, as well as official proof of all previous degrees earned.
Three confidential letters of recommendation from professors or others familiar with your previous academic work and your qualifications for graduate study in French language and literature. Recommenders will receive a link via which to upload their letters (on letterhead from their academic institution).
A 300 to 400-word “Statement of Academic and Profession Motivation.” Please address the following issues: your reasons for undertaking graduate study; your previous training in French language, literature, and cultural studies; and your career goals.
A sample of your academic writing in French (for example, an undergraduate or graduate research paper, or if need be, a short literary analysis written for the purpose of application).
A curriculum vitae or résumé.
Students who wish to be considered for a Teaching Assistantship, the Department’s principal form of financial aid, must submit an Application for Graduate Appointment.
Please note that we do not need either a second set of three recommendations or a second personal statement (see #5 above); we can use the ones submitted as part of your application for admission. However, if you wish to be considered for nomination for a University Fellowship, you should include a separate, carefully composed statement in English as part of the Application for Graduate Appointment.

International Applicants

Required Items - International

A Graduate College Application form, to be filled out on-line. applygrad.uic.edu/portal/programs
Search for: French
A non-refundable application fee of $70, to be submitted on-line. There is an additional fee of $100 for credential evaluation if you present any international course work.
Non-official proof of degree (diploma) and transcripts of course work from ALL undergraduate or graduate institutions attended. You must hold a BA degree or the equivalent in order to apply for the MA program.
Documents must be issued by your university’s registrar’s/records office. Online academic histories or advising/degree audit documents that can be obtained through student web portals are not acceptable.
English translations must accompany all documents that are in another language. Translations must be provided by the university or done by a certified translator, a translation agency, the consulate or a court-appointed translator. Translations should be on a translator’s letterhead and should be literal (not an interpretation or a paraphrasing). Plain translations, notarized translations, and translations done by someone other than a certified translator are not acceptable.
Please see the Admissions website for more detailed information including country-specific requirements.
If you are accepted, you will have one semester to submit official, attested transcripts of course work from ALL undergraduate or graduate institutions attended, as well as official, attested proof of all previous degrees earned. Additional details on the official document requirement for admitted students can be found on the Admissions website.
Three confidential letters of recommendation from professors or others familiar with your previous academic work and your qualifications for graduate study in French language and literature. Recommenders will receive a link via which to upload their letters (on letterhead from their academic institution). They may write in either French or English.
A 300 to 400-word “Statement of Academic and Profession Motivation.” Please address the following issues: your reasons for undertaking graduate study; your previous training in French language, literature, and cultural studies; and your career goals.
A sample of your academic writing in French (for example, an undergraduate or graduate research paper, or if need be, a short literary analysis written for the purpose of application).
Minimum English Competency Test Scores:
TOEFL 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Internet-based TOEFL)
OR
IELTS 6.5, with of 6.0 for all four subscores
OR
PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
Please note: results must be included in Graduate Appointment Application AND submitted directly to Office of Admissions (UIC Code 1851).
A curriculum vitae or résumé.
Students who wish to be considered for a Teaching Assistantship, the Department’s principal form of financial aid, must submit an Application for Graduate Appointment.
Please note that we do not need either a second set of three recommendations or a second personal statement (see #5 above); we can use the ones submitted as part of your application for admission. However, if you wish to be considered for nomination for a University Fellowship, you should include a separate, carefully composed statement in English as part of the Application for Graduate Appointment.

Financial Aid Heading link

Our Teaching Assistantships include a tuition waiver, a service fee waiver, and a stipend of at least $23,440 for the 2023-2024 academic year. This is a 50% Teaching Assistantship. Students holding it must

teach three sections from among our Basic French sequence (FR 101, 102, 103, 104), two sections in one semester and one in the other
enroll in a minimum of two graduate-level courses (8 credit hours) per semester.

The department may also award a limited number of Board of Trust Tuition and Fee Waivers each semester. These cover tuition and some fees, but do not include a stipend. Please contact the Director of Graduate Studies if you are interested.

In addition, the Department may choose to nominate candidates for several Fellowships funded through the Graduate College. These are extremely competitive Fellowships awarded by a university-wide committee. For further information, please see grad.uic.edu/funding-awards/.

If you are having difficulties with the application, contact the Director of Graduate Studies.