French (MScR)

A Masters by Research (MScR) programme is ideal if you would like to complete a short piece of independent research in French and Francophone Studies. This programme is designed to enable students who have taken a first degree in French to specialise in an aspect of French or Francophone literature or culture, while acquiring core skills in theories and methods of study.

The programme is a good stepping stone to a PhD, but is equally of value as a stand-alone qualification. As a Masters by Research student, you will be part of a wider postgraduate community while specialising in what most interests you right from the beginning of the programme, which is how it differs from a taught Masters (MSc).

French has been taught here since 1894, making it one of the first European languages to be offered at Edinburgh. We specialise in the language, literatures and cultures of France and the many countries around the world in which French is spoken.

Join our community and undertake two research assignments and a 15,000-word dissertation under the guidance of an experienced and well-published supervisor. Language, to us, is inseparable from culture. As such, we encourage you to think broadly and explore the implications of language in a wider perspective.

Research excellence

In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), our research in French and Francophone Studies was submitted in Modern Languages and Linguistics (Panel D - Arts and Humanities; Unit of Assessment 26).

The results reaffirm Edinburgh’s position as one of the UK’s leading research universities, ranked third in the UK for Modern Languages.

As published in Times Higher Education's REF power ratings, this result is based on the quality and breadth of our research in the unit of assessment.

Our research expertise covers a wide range of areas, including:

* Literature from the Middle Ages to the present day

* Film and screen studies

* Theatre studies

* Intermediality studies

* Adaptation studies

* Visual culture

* French political thought

* Contemporary politics and institutions

* Representing the city

* Francophone post-colonial studies and decolonial thought

* Reparations and reparatory justice

* Black studies

* Gender studies

* Queer studies

* Self-writing

* Medical humanities

* Translation studies

Go beyond the books

Beyond the Books is a podcast from the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at research and the people who make it happen.

Listen to a mix of PhD, early career and established researchers talk about their journey to and through academia and about their current and recent research.