MA and MAT in French

The French program offers several options in graduate degrees. The M.A. degrees and concentrations (below) differ primarily in whether they require a thesis or, instead, require additional course work, and whether they concentrate studies in one area, such as teaching or comparative study.

For admission to Master's study, all French graduate programs require (a) combined score of 1000 on the GRE, (b) an applicable undergraduate GPA of 3.0, (c) undergraduate course work in French (or making up such deficiencies through appropriate course work in the department), (d) and two pre/co-requisites: a short course in Research and Bibliographic Methods in Foreign Language Study (FOL 3880, offered every term), plus an introductory course in linguistics (LIN 3010).

The M.A. in French provides advanced study of French and francophone literature, culture, and linguistics. In both thesis and non-thesis tracks, all students take two core seminars in Critical Theory and the History & Dialectology of French, followed by a series of seminars tailored to each student's goals and chosen from among graduate electives. The range of courses extends from medieval to contemporary literature and culture. Recent seminars include "L'Entre-Deux-Guerres," "Le Théâtre du XVIIe siècle," "Romancières françaises," "Le Comique," "Beckett in Paris." (See Course Checklist below)

The Master of Arts in French with thesis (M.A. degree) requires a minimum of 30 credits, including 6 credits for thesis work.

The Master of Arts in French without thesis (M.A. degree) requires a minimum of 36 credits.

The Master of Arts in Teaching French, for students wishing to teach in the public schools (K-12), combines course work in literature and culture with a teaching practicum, courses in such areas as Electronic Media and Foreign Language Pedagogy, and a teaching internship in the department. (See Course Checklist below)

The Master of Arts in Teaching: French without thesis (M.A.T. degree) requires a minimum of 36 credits, including course work in foreign language pedagogy.

The M.A. in French: Comparative Literature entails study of two literatures in the original languages, the primary literature being French (secondary being either Spanish Peninsular or Latin American, British or North American, or German). (For Checklist return to PROGRAMS and click Comparative Literature)

The Master of Arts in French: Comparative Literature with thesis (M.A. degree) requires a minimum of 30 credits, including courses in the literatures of two languages, and including 6 credits of thesis work.

The Master of Arts in French: Comparative Literature without thesis (M.A. degree) requires a minimum of 36 credits, including courses in the literatures of two languages, and a comparative core.

The graduate curriculum centers upon seminars taught by FAU French faculty, including Professor M.A. Gosser-Esquilin (PhD, Yale) of the Honors College, and by visiting faculty. Recent visiting instructors include Dr. Daniel Grojnowski, Université de Paris 7, Madame Dominique Desanti, Paris, and Dr. Léon-François Hoffmann, Princeton University, Dr. Wolfgang Holdheim, Cornell University, Emeritus.

Students must select an M.A. program before beginning course work (and request in writing any change of program thereafter), and attain a grade of B or better in all courses applied to the degree. By the eighth week of the semester in which students intend to complete 24 credit hours in the program, they must be admitted to candidacy (see the departmental secretary for Advancement to Candidacy forms). At that time, the student's graduate committee will be established.

Students in non-thesis programs must complete a written comprehensive examination administered by his or her graduate committee, during the last semester of course work. The examination will be based on the Graduate Reading List; specific authors, genres, and periods will be selected from this list in advance by the student and the graduate advisor. The comprehensive exam is given every Spring term, normally in the eighth week, and consists in three sections (an explication de texte, a literary movement, a literary and cultural period). If a student fails the exam, it may be repeated once, and the student's committee may also require an oral exam.

Students in thesis programs should consult with the advisor at the time of advancement to candidacy, if not before, concerning the thesis topic. The thesis Proposal must be approved by the student's committee at the time of completing 24 credit hours (see the department's "Thesis Guidelines").

Entering students should plan to take the Advanced Competency exam in French as soon as possible (call Mme Reese at 297-3862, cereese@fau.edu, to schedule the exam), and should obtain a copy of the French (or Comparative Literature) Graduate Reading List at the first meeting with a faculty advisor, before the first semester of study.

A limited number of Teaching Assistantships are available to qualified students in all French graduate programs. Graduate students are invited to publish their research in FACS (Florida Atlantic Comparative Studies), a scholarly graduate student journal established by students in the department (click on STUDENT ACTIVITIES). All students are encouraged to study in France, and may transfer up to 6 graduate credits from an accredited French institution.

All students must be registered during the semester in which the degree is awarded.

Students wishing to pursue the Master of Arts in French must satisfy university graduate admission requirements, as well as those established by the Department of Languages and Linguistics. Detailed information about application procedures and links to graduate application forms are available at http://www.language.fau.edu/graduate.
Students applying to the Master of Arts Program in French should be aware that they must submit two sets of application materials: one directly to the Department of Languages and Linguistics, and the other to FAU's Office of Graduate Admissions. Application materials submitted directly to the Department of Languages and Linguistics must include the following: a copy of the Graduate Admissions Application; a copy of all academic transcripts; a brief (two- to three-page) statement of the candidate's qualifications and primary purpose for pursuing graduate study in French; an academic writing sample in French; and two letters of recommendation, preferably from professors who can attest to the candidate's capacity for succeeding at graduate studies.


Graduate Reading List

Entering students must take an advanced competency examination in French (call Mme Reese to schedule, cereese@fau.edu, 561 298-3862); if results are below minimum (ACTFL Intermediate Plus), additional course work in oral and written French will be required.

For more information on graduate study, write or call Professor Marcella Munson, Head of French, mmunson@fau.edu, 561 297-2118.