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MA Programs in French

Admission

Entry into the M.A. program is open to students having an undergraduate degree in some field of French Studies. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required. All foreign applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the TOEFL examination (Test of English as a Foreign Language). An overall Grade Point Average of at least 3.00 (on a four-point scale) at the undergraduate level is also required.

Advising

Entering students are advised in their first semester by the Director of Graduate Studies or by some other designated professor. By the end of their second semester, students should choose a permanent advisor and register this choice with the Director of Graduate Studies. The relationship between advisor and student is regarded as a serious one. Final responsibility for meeting Graduate School requirements and deadlines rests solely with the student.

Course Requirements

1. The M.A. without thesis requires a minimum of 30 credits, of which at least 18 must be selected from courses numbered 600 or above. In lieu of a thesis, students must present a Qualifying Paper of between 25 and 30 pages in length as evidence of their ability to do
independent research. The Qualifying Paper may be an extension of a paper prepared for a
graduate level course, but it must be written in excess of course requirements under the
supervision of the student’s research director; up to two credits of French 798 may be used for
this purpose. The topic of the Qualifying Paper must fall within the area of concentration selected
by the student. The M.A. Qualifying Paper defense committee consists of two faculty members,
one of which is the Director of Graduate Studies.
2. The M.A. with thesis requires a minimum of 24 credits, of which not less than 12 must be
selected from courses numbered 600 or above. A further six credits (thesis research/French 799)
are required. The M.A. thesis committee consists of 2 faculty members in addition to the student's
thesis director, who serves as chairperson. The oral examination on the thesis, which should be a
minimum of 80 pages in length, lasts about an hour.
N.B.:
• Credit by examination is not available to graduate students in the French program.
• No more than four courses at the 400-level may be counted toward the M.A. degree.
• Courses below the 400 level are not applicable to the M.A. degree.
THE M.A. CORE The M.A. “Core” is designed to furnish all students with a common base of
knowledge while at the same time affording them the opportunity to specialize in an area of their
choice. The following Core program provides this foundation. All M.A. students, regardless of
their chosen area of concentration, are required to follow this program, to the extent that relevant
courses are offered during the student’s M.A. career.
0. A course on theory or history of ideas (Introduction to Literary Theory, French Intellectualism,
Post-Colonial Theory, Feminist Theory, The Enlightenment, Thinkers of the Renaissance
and Baroque Periods, etc.)
0. A French linguistics course (i.e. SLA, History of the language, Sociolinguistics, etc.)
0.
0. Three (3) culture/literature courses from three different periods
0.
Beyond the Core, courses may be selected so as to constitute an area of concentration in
literature, cultural studies, Francophone studies, language and linguistics, etc.
GPA Requirements. The Graduate School requires that every graduate student maintain a B
average for all graduate courses taken in his or her program. A student whose average falls below
3.0 upon completion of nine credit hours is automatically placed on academic probation for the
following full semester. If the average remains below 3.0 for three consecutive semesters of
enrollment, the Graduate School requires that the student withdraw from the University.
Courses taken outside the Department. In general, to count towards a graduate degree in
French (M.A. or Ph.D.) courses should be taken in the French program, but students may transfer
a maximum of six credits of relevant graduate courses taken in other departments or accredited
universities, upon the recommendation of the student's advisor and with the approval of the
Director of Graduate Studies. In the case of the M.A. degree, such credits must have been earned
within the total five year time limit for completion of the M.A. degree at the University of
Maryland. In accordance with Graduate School policy, students may be granted permission to
take courses at local universities belonging to the Consortium. The request must be approved by
the student's advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies (see the Schedule of Classes).
Language Proficiency Requirement. Non-native speakers of English must submit TOEFL
exam results to the Graduate School with their application. Based on these results, students may
be advised to take a written expression course from the Maryland English Institute or a basic
writing course given by the English Department. This course will not count towards the degree.
Comprehensive Examination Requirement. The M.A. Program requires successful completion
of a comprehensive examination. This examination also serves as a qualifying examination for
admission to the Ph.D. program. All graduate students who have entered the program at the M.A.
level are required to take this exam. The exam has two separate components: a Written
Examination testing knowledge based on the student’s personal reading list, and the Research
Paper, which includes the writing of either a Thesis or Qualifying Paper with its accompanying
defense. The Written Examination and the Research Paper are taken separately. Either one may
be taken first. Full-time students are expected to take their Comprehensive Examinations in their
fourth semester. Fellowship students are expected to take them in their third semester.
1. The Written Examination (60% of total grade) includes two parts: Part I (20%):
Commentaire de texte: 1 ½ hours. Part II (40%): Two essay questions (20% each): 3 hours. NB: •
Both the “commentaire” and the essay questions bear on the student’s personal reading list (see
H. below).
• Students may write one of their required examination in French, and one in English. The choice
must be approved by the Examination Committee. The Written Examination is graded by the
M.A. Examination Committee (see section I.)
• The Written Examination is offered twice a year, ordinarily in the second week of November
and the week following Spring vacation. The examination may be repeated only once.
• The Written Examination may be typed directly onto a computer (provided by the Department).
2. The Research Paper (40% of total grade) includes the completion and defense of either a
Thesis or a Qualifying Paper. Students must select their topic and committee by the end of the
semester preceding their final semester (typically the third semester for full-time students). The
Thesis or Qualifying Paper, which is defended during the student’s last semester, must be
submitted to readers at least 3 weeks prior to the defense date. The Qualifying Paper may be an
extension of a paper prepared for a graduate-level course. On average, the defense of either a
Thesis or the Qualifying Paper lasts approximately one hour. The Research Paper is graded by the
student’s chosen committee of 2 faculty (for the Qualifying Paper), or 3 faculty (for the Thesis).

M.A. Reading Lists

Students’ personal Reading Lists are composed of all the works read in 7 of the courses they have
taken while in the program. To this list, faculty members who have taught these courses will add
up to five readings, including fictional or non-fictional works.
• Students are responsible for compiling their reading lists under the supervision of their personal
advisor (who is also their research director).
• Reading lists must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies before the end of the
semester that precedes the student’s last semester (typically the third semester for full-time
students).

M.A. Examination Committees

The written part of the Examination and the Research Paper are evaluated by 2 faculty members
chosen by the student. For the Thesis, the Committee is composed of 3 members.
Application for Diploma and Important Dates
Application for the diploma must be made by the due date stipulated by the Graduate School, 2nd
floor, Lee Building. The Graduate School issues a list of important dates each academic year. It is
the student's responsibility to consult this list and to meet all such deadlines (see the University
Schedule of Classes).

Time Limit for the M.A. Degree

Although Graduate School regulations allow a maximum of five years for the completion of all
requirements for the M.A. degree, the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures provides a
maximum of four semesters of financial support to qualified students. It is therefore expected that
Teaching Assistants will complete all requirements for their degree by the end of their second
year. Fellowship students, who are required to take 12 credits per semester, should have
completed all requirements by the end of their third semester