French, MA
for the degree of Master of Arts in French
The Department of French and Italian offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Arts and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees in French and in Italian. Candidates for the master's degree may specialize in French Studies, French Applied Linguistics, or Italian. Candidates for the doctoral degree in French may choose one of three specializations: French Studies, French Applied Linguistics, or Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education (SLATE).
The following minors and certificates may be pursued: Cinema Studies, Gender & Women's Studies, Translation Studies, Criticism and Interpretive Theory
Admission
French
Students considering admission to the master's program should usually have had a college major in French. Applicants should apply online and submit an academic statement of purpose (maximum 1000 words), a personal statement (maximum 500 words), three letters of recommendation, and two writing samples (5-10 pages each), at least one of which must be in French. Original transcripts showing all undergraduate and graduate work completed should be sent to SLCL Graduate Student Services. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are required of all domestic applicants and should be submitted to institution code 1836. International applicants who have taken the GRE are encouraged to submit their scores as well. Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and must score at least 79 on the internet-based test (iBT); they must also pass the speaking sub-section of the iBT with a minimum score of 24. Admission for the spring semester is rare. Students seeking admission to the Ph.D. program with a Master of Arts degree earned elsewhere are expected to have a minimum 3.5 grade point average in graduate coursework. The master's degree should be in an equivalent of a degree in French Studies or French Applied Linguistics. Candidates seeking admission to the Ph.D. specialization in Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education may hold a Master of Arts in Teaching degree.
See our website for more information about how to apply. Application questions may be directed to SLCL Graduate Student Services.
Italian
The normal prerequisite for a graduate major is an undergraduate major in Italian or consent of the department. Students doing graduate work for any advanced degree in Italian must possess a command of the language. Applicants should apply online and submit an academic statement of purpose (maximum 1000 words), a personal statement (maximum 500 words), three letters of recommendation, and a writing sample of approximately 10-20 pages in the form of one or two papers. Original transcripts (with English translations if applicable) showing all undergraduate and graduate work completed should also be uploaded. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are required of all domestic applicants and should be submitted to institution code 1836. International applicants who have taken the GRE are encouraged to submit their scores as well. Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and must score at least 79 on the internet-based test (iBT); they must also pass the speaking sub-section of the iBT with a minimum score of 24. Applications are accepted for fall admission only. Application questions may be directed to SLCL Graduate Student Services.
Graduate Teaching Experience
Although teaching is not a general Graduate College requirement, the department requires Ph.D. candidates to do some teaching as part of their academic work because such experience is considered a vital part of graduate training and professionalization. Non-native English speakers must first pass a test of their oral English ability.
Teaching Assistants in French and Italian are required to take FR 505 or ITAL 505 respectively (4 hours) as part of their contractual obligation. The course does not count toward the graduate degrees.
Faculty Research Interests
Our faculty possess strengths in literary interpretation, critical theory, the study of civilization, cinema, theoretical and applied linguistics, and computer-assisted teaching. Members of the faculty have received national and international recognition; graduates serve on the faculties of numerous colleges and universities both in this country and abroad. See also the faculty's areas of research.
Centers, Programs, and Institutes
Our faculty hold appointments with the Departments of African American Studies, Gender and Women’s Studies, Linguistics, Media and Cinema Studies, as well as the European Union Center and the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, the Program in Comparative and World Literature, the Program in Jewish Culture and Society, the Program in Medieval Studies, and the Unit for Criticism and Interpretive Theory, broadening opportunities for interdisciplinary work.
Facilities and Resources
A language learning lab provides computer-based access to resources and audio-video services. The phonetics lab contains state-of-the-art equipment available to graduate student researchers. The Kolb-Proust Archive for Research, a unit of the Library, houses a wealth of information about Marcel Proust and his time, including the important collection of notes and materials assembled by Philip Kolb, who was a professor in the Department. Documents from the collection are accessible on the World-Wide Web through a searchable SGML-encoded Virtual Archive.
Financial Aid
All students who apply for admission are considered for financial aid. Subject to budgetary conditions, and assuming satisfactory academic and teaching performance, the Department offers two years of financial aid toward the M.A. degree and an additional four years of support toward completion of the Ph.D.
Teaching Assistantships are the most common form of graduate student support. The usual appointment requires teaching three courses during the academic year.
Research Assistantships require the recipient to assist with a faculty member's research for a specific number of hours per week. A research assistantship may be combined with a teaching assistantship.
Fellowships are offered for new and continuing students. No separate application form is required.
Tuition and Fee Waivers are included in waiver-generating fellowship, teaching assistantship, and research assistantship awards.
Graduate students in French may spend the academic year abroad under exchange agreements with universities in France, Belgium, and Canada, employed as teaching assistants.
for the degree of Master of Arts in French
Candidates in all programs are required to demonstrate, at the time of the master's examination, an ability to communicate effectively in both written and spoken French. Candidates in French Studies must take a written and an oral examination based on a reading list covering the fields of French and literature and culture. Candidates in French Applied Linguistics may be examined based on short essays or an extended research paper, and their oral examination includes a discussion of selected topics in French literature and culture.
For additional details and requirements refer to the department's graduate programs and the Graduate College Handbook.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course work dependent on specialization area | 32 | |
| Total Hours | 32 | |
Other Requirements
| Requirement | Description |
|---|---|
| Other requirements may overlap | |
| Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall | 12 |
| Comprehensive exam | |
| Minimum GPA: | 2.75 |
for the degree of Master of Arts in French
French Studies Concentration
- Language: high level of proficiency in written and oral French. Strong command of written and spoken academic French.
- French Studies: Acquisition of broad knowledge of French and francophone literature and cultures across several centuries. Development of research and interpretive skills. Familiarity with major research questions within the field and with different approaches to those issues. Introduction to major contemporary works of history, philosophy and/or cultural theory in French.
- Training in theory and methodologies: Introduction to a variety of methodologies and theoretical approaches to texts and their interpretation in English and in French.
- Teaching: Ability to teach the French language at the beginning and intermediate levels. Effective communication in French to groups of students with various abilities in the language. Work with faculty to design syllabi and appropriate assessment tools.
- The Profession: Awareness and development of professional skills, including the ability to write and deliver academic conference presentations, generate syllabi, rework seminar papers, write fellowship applications; awareness of issues in the academic job market in French studies.
French Language Learning Concentration
- Language: Students display an Advanced Mid to Advanced High proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking in French, as per ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) guidelines.
- Knowledge of Applied Linguistics: Students can recall, relate, and explain facts and theories about the structure and the teaching and learning of French.
- Research theories and methodologies: Students can understand, recall, relate, and explain foundational research theories and methodologies used in the field of applied linguistics.
- Teaching: Students are able to comfortably teach elementary levels of French language courses and have basic skills teaching intermediate levels of French language courses, aligning with a communicative approach to teaching and learning, grounded in basic principles of proficiency-oriented curriculum and assessment design.
- Professionalism: Students demonstrate awareness and development of ethical and professional skills relevant to research, teaching, and learning in the field of applied linguistics, including communicative skills for the profession, collegiate demeanor, participation in professional organizations or events, evaluation of standards, issues, and resources used in the field. Work with faculty to design syllabi and appropriate assessment tools.
French Linguistics Concentration
- Language: Students display Advanced Mid to Advanced High proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking in French, as per ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) guidelines.
- French Linguistics: Students acquire broad theoretical and factual knowledge of the structure, history, and contemporary usage of the French language in francophone societies. They learn to establish interdisciplinary connections to literature, film, and the teaching of French and show familiarity with major research questions and methodologies in the field. Among students’ applied skills are: the ability to conduct research, translate, and interpret in French.
- Research theories and methods: Students can understand, recall, relate, and explain in English and in French foundational research theories and methodologies used in the field of theoretical and applied linguistics.
- Teaching: Students are able to comfortably teach elementary levels of French language courses and have basic skills teaching intermediate levels of French language courses, aligning with a communicative approach to teaching and learning and a proficiency-oriented curriculum and assessment design. Work with faculty to design syllabi and appropriate assessment tools.
- The Profession: Awareness and development of professional skills, including ability to write and deliver academic conference presentations, generate syllabi, rework seminar papers, write fellowship applications; awareness of issues in the academic job market in French Linguistics and Language Learning/Teaching. Students demonstrate awareness and development of ethical and professional skills relevant to their field, including communicative skills for the profession, collegiate demeanor and participation in professional organizations or events.
Graduate Degree Programs in French & Italian
- French, MA
- concentration:
- Medieval Studies
- French, PhD
- Italian, MA
- concentration:
- Medieval Studies
- Italian, PhD
for the degree of Master of Arts in French
Department of French and Italian
Head of Department: Zsuzsanna Fagyal
Director of Graduate Studies: François Proulx
French and Italian Department website
2090 Foreign Languages Building, 707 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-2020
French and Italian email
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences website
Admissions
Overview of French Admissions & Requirements
Graduate College Admissions & Requirements