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French and Francophone Studies, Deparment of Languages, Literatures and Cultures

Programs

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Master's Program
Requirements
 
Graduate Program Inquiries
Luke Bouvier, Graduate Programs Advisor
Herter 321
(413) 545- 6545
lbouvier@frital.umass.edu

Graduate Program

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.

Master's Program

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.

Masters in Teaching Program

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.