The MA program in French offers students the opportunity to pursue their interest in literature, culture, and pedagogy, working with faculty members who produce distinguished scholarship in a broad variety of fields. Students are encouraged to take courses in many of those fields and to become acquainted with a diversity of critical and theoretical approaches. The program consists of coursework and a comprehensive examination.
Bachelor's–Accelerated Master's Degree Program
Students may earn this degree as part of the bachelor's–accelerated master's (BAM) degree program, which allows currently enrolled CU Boulder undergraduate students the opportunity to earn a bachelor's and master's degree in a shorter period of time.
For more information, see the Accelerated Master's tab for the associated bachelor's degree(s): French - Bachelor of Arts (BA).
Requirements
Admission Requirements
Prerequisites for admission to the French MA studies:
- A strong background in French and/or BA in French or equivalent.
- Good pronunciation in French as evidenced by a recording submitted with the application.
- Students are required to submit a statement of purpose and one paper of their choice done for an undergraduate French course.
- Recommendations from three professors with whom the student has worked.
Course Requirements
Degree requirements are subject to change. Students wishing to pursue graduate work in French should visit the department's MA Guidelines for the most up-to-date degree requirements.
The following summary of minimum requirements is expressed in terms of courses. Each course represents a graduate seminar carrying 2 or 3 credit hours. Additional coursework may be required by the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies.
Students and their administrators are equally responsible for making certain that their graduate curriculum satisfies all graduation requirements, both those of the department and those of the Graduate School. Every student should accordingly become thoroughly familiar with the Master's Degree Requirements section of this catalog.
Master's students are not normally permitted to take independent study courses. However, in exceptional circumstances, and with the approval of the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies, they may register for one and at the very most two such courses.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| French and Francophone Literature and Culture Courses | ||
| At least eight courses at the 5000 level or above in French literature and culture. Students are encouraged to enroll in courses spanning diverse historical periods of French and Francophone literary and cultural studies, contingent upon the range of courses available in the curriculum. Options include: | 24 | |
| French Special Topics | ||
| French Special Topics | ||
| Francophone African Literature | ||
| Medieval and Renaissance Readings | ||
| 17th Century French Tragedy and Poetry | ||
| 17th Century French Prose | ||
| Moliere and 17th Century French Comedy | ||
| French Enlightenment | ||
| 18th Century French Literature | ||
| 19th Century French Literature | ||
| Topics in 19th Century French Prose, Poetry, and Theatre | ||
| Literary Ludics | ||
| Literary Theory, Part I | ||
| Proust and Modernity | ||
| 20th Century French Theatre and Poetry | ||
| Related Field Courses | ||
| Up to three courses at the 4000 level or above in a related field (e.g., English, Spanish, Classics, Linguistics, Film Studies, History, Fine Arts, Education) to be determined in consultation with the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies. 1 | 6 | |
| Additional Coursework | ||
| FREN 5770 | Methods of Teaching French as a Foreign Language | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 33 | |
| 1 | Students planning to apply for the doctoral program should remember that PhD candidates are encouraged to take three courses in a related field at the 5000 level or above. Courses in a related field at the 4000 level will normally not count toward this total. |
Language Requirement
All MA candidates must acquire a reading knowledge of a language other than French and English. The language should be related to the student's academic program. The requirement may be fulfilled by taking a translation exam offered by the department in the language in question or by passing coursework either at CU or prior to arrival on campus equivalent to a fourth semester (2120 at CU) college course.
Early in their first semester in the MA program, each student should meet individually with the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies to discuss their overall plan of study, including the ways in which they will satisfy the language requirement.
MA Comprehensive Examination
This examination will be based on a reading list in literature, culture, and theory prepared by the Graduate Faculty. It will be administered by an Examination Committee composed of the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies and two other members of the Graduate Faculty, appointed by the Chair. The examination will consist of two essays of three hours each, based on questions formulated by the Examination Committee, and a one-hour oral examination designed to test the student's overall knowledge of the reading list. Normally the two essays will be written within a six-day period, and the one-hour oral exam will normally follow within two weeks. One of the essays can be written in English. The Comprehensive Examination must be taken during the fourth semester of the MA program.
Two-Year Plan of Study
The MA degree is intended to be completed in two years. The normal pattern of courses would be as follows:
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credit Hours | |
| Two seminars | 6 | |
| FREN 5770 | Methods of Teaching French as a Foreign Language | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Three seminars | 9 | |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| Three seminars | 9 | |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Two seminars | 6 | |
| Credit Hours | 6 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 33 | |
Learning Outcomes
By the completion of the program, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate advanced proficiency in the French language across speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Evidence: Successful completion of the MA comprehensive exam.
- Exhibit comprehensive knowledge of French and Francophone literatures, cultures and civilizations from various historical periods. Evidence: Successful completion of the MA comprehensive exam.
- Critically analyze and interpret literary and cultural texts using appropriate theoretical frameworks and methodologies. Evidence: Student GPA, which is based on seminar research papers and oral presentations.
- Demonstrate the ability to teach French language and Francophone cultures effectively at introductory educational levels. This outcome only applies to students admitted to a TA/GPTI position. Evidence: Teaching evaluations from students and supervisor.