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French & Francophone Studies - Graduate Studies

We offer several options at this level for students with a variety of backgrounds and career objectives: the Master of Arts (M.A.) in French for students who have a strong preparation in French at the undergraduate level (a major or possibly a minor) and who want to undertake more advanced work in French and Francophone Studies (French language and linguistics, literature, cultural studies or literary theory); the Portfolio M.A. in French, intended particularly for candidates whose background or objectives do not fall within the traditional pattern, which is especially appropriate for those who have a professional goal other than teaching and/or who are interested in designing a program with an interdisciplinary emphasis, or for those who have an unusual background in French, such as extensive residence and work experience in a French-speaking country, and who would like to integrate this experience with the intellectual discipline of graduate study; and the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T) in both French and Italian, a preprofessional degree for those planning to teach in secondary schools.

Students whose preparation is deficient in certain areas may be required to do remedial work once admitted to the program, but such work may not be counted toward the degree. Students transferring from other institutions may be granted up to nine semester hours toward the M.A.T. and up to six toward the M.A. All Masters programs require a terminal examination following the completion of coursework. A brief outline of the M.A. level degree requirements follows. More detailed information can be obtained by writing to the Graduate Program Director.

Click here to request a copy of the graduate application and for more graduate school information.

Master of Arts Degree Requirements

The following special requirements must be met:

1. A minimum of 30 graduate credit hours (up to 6 credits may be transferred).
2. Required Courses. Three of the four courses listed below:
   • Expository Prose (3 credits)
   • French Civilization (3 credits)
   • Textual and Literary Analysis (3 credits)
   • Contemporary French Literary Theory (3 credits). Specific title and content would vary.
3. Distribution Requirements. Four courses, one from each of the following:
   
   • Medieval or Renaissance
   • 17th or 18th Century
   • l9th or 20th Century
   • Francophone Studies
4. An examination, both written and oral, based on a reading list, is given upon satisfactory completion of course requirements.

M.A. Thesis

Candidates may elect to write an M.A. thesis for six of the 30 required semester hours of credit. This option makes it possible to explore one aspect of French or Francophone literature or culture in greater depth.

A student who elects this option must have the approval of his or her M.A. advisor and of the Graduate Program Director. The thesis may be written in either French or English; the choice, requiring the approval of the thesis director, depends upon the student's preparation and objectives.

Portfolio M.A. Requirements

Students admitted to this option are expected to draw up a tentative course of study and to write a rationale. A Guidance Committee works with the student to transform the proposal into a realistic, manageable program and draws up a list of courses and independent projects to be completed for the M.A.

The Portfolio M.A. consists of 33 credits including 3 for the compilation and revision of the Portfolio materials and 6 for the required M.A. Thesis. While no specific course is required, candidates take a minimum of one graduate course in the three basic areas of: language, literature, and civilization. The Master's examination is based on the portfolio, a reading list, courses taken, and the M.A. Thesis.

M.A.T. Requirements

We offer programs of study in French and Italian language and literature combined with professional preparation leading to the degree of Master of Arts in Teaching. The primary aim of the program is to prepare students with a B.A. degree to become effective classroom teachers at the secondary school level. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts now requires two teaching certificates, the Certificate of Advanced Standing (Provisional) and the Standard. Those earning the Provisional Certificate have five years in which to complete the Standard.

Candidates entering the program having already completed the Provisional Certificate may immediately begin work towards the Standard.

Note: The Massachusetts Department of Education requires courses in the areas of civilization and language acquisition. If work in these areas has not been completed at the undergraduate level, it must be done in addition to the regular program requirements.

Up to 6 credits may be taken in another language at the 400 level or higher. If any courses required for the MAT have been completed at the undergraduate level, they need not be repeated; however substitute courses must be taken. Six credits of graduate work in either French or professional education may be transferred from another institution if they conform to the MAT requirements.

The language acquisition requirement may be satisfied by completing Education 670, Language and Language Learning or Linguistics 101, People and their Language.

Ph.D. Degree

Admission to the Ph.D. in French has been suspended pending a reorganization of the program.



Teaching Certificate

Those who have earned a Bachelor's degree in one or more foreign languages and would like to teach these languages at levels 5-12 may complete all the requirements for a Provisional Certificate in two semesters of study. The first semester consists of course work and the second is devoted to student teaching. Six graduate credits earned in this program can transfer to the Master of Arts in Teaching program. Applications for the program must be made at the STEP (Secondary Teacher Education Program) office (phone 545-4397) in the School of Education in Furcolo Hall.