Graduate Programs in French
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M.A. in French Instruction (MAFI)
M.A. in French Literature
M.A. in French Linguistics
Ph.D. in French Literature
Ph.D. in French Linguistics
M.A. in French Instruction (MAFI)
Admission Requirements : Completion of a major in French or the equivalent; the General Test of the Graduate Examination. For further information, please see the Application Information page.
Graduate students who anticipate a career in teaching French at the high school level can tailor the M.A. course work to their particular needs and interests. A candidate can obtain the degree in two years. The M.A. in French Instruction includes work in French language, literature, civilization, pedagogy, and applied linguistics. The MAFI degree does not include state teacher certification; students who wish information on combining a certification program with the MAFI program should consult with the Graduate Advisor in French and with an advisor in the School of Education . For specific program and course requirements, see French Degree Requirements.
M.A. in French Literature
Admission Requirements: Completion of a major in French or the equivalent; the General Test of the Graduate Examination. For further information, please see the Application Information page.
The M.A. degree in French Literature can prepare students to teach in private high schools and junior colleges or to work in translation, publishing, or business. The M.A. is also the stepping stone toward the Ph.D. degree in French Literature. A candidate can obtain the M.A. in two years. Candidates are encouraged to take courses not only on the three periods they have chosen for the exam, but on others as well. For the periods chosen, they are expected to read all the works on the M.A. reading list . The examination is given at the beginning of Fall and Spring semesters. For native speakers of English, one of the three examination essays must be written in French. Native speakers of French must write at least one exam in English. One of the examination essays must be written in French. For more information see Graduate Studies in French Literature. For specific program and course requirements, see French Degree Requirements.
M.A. in French Linguistics
Admission Requirements: Completion of a major in French or the equivalent; the General Test of the Graduate Examination. For further information, please see the Application Information page.
This degree prepares students for a variety of careers, including academic, or to continue to the Ph.D in French Linguistics (see below). It is a two-year program emphasizing both theoretical and applied French Linguistics. Recent graduates leaving IU with an M.A. in French Linguistics have gone on to teach in private high schools, to work for software companies, and to work for the US State Department (to give just a few examples). M.A. students who wish to obtain certification to teach in public US high schools should contact the French Graduate Advisor and the School of Education for further information on combining the two programs of study. The IU Department of French and Italian was the first in the United States to award the M.A. in French linguistics. For more information see Graduate Studies in French Linguistics. For specific program and course requirements, see French Degree Requirements.
Ph.D. in French Literature
Admission Requirements: Successful completion of the curriculum and M.A. examination constituting the department's M.A. program in French Literature. Students with an M.A. from another institution must pass the department's M.A. examination, which may be taken near the end of the first year of study in the department or at the beginning of the second; courses taken during the first year count toward the Ph.D. For detailed program requirements, see the French Degree Requirements. For additional information on the program, see Details on the French Literature Program.
The Ph.D. program is intended to train scholar-teachers to do advanced research of professional quality in their special field, to teach courses in this field at all graduate and undergraduate levels, and to teach lower-division undergraduate courses in French literature and language. Doctoral students usually take the examination after two years and defend their dissertations after approximately two more years. They are encouraged to take many different courses in order to discover areas of special interest, acquire the background necessary for the examination, and prepare for a dissertation as well as a career.
The PhD qualifying examination consists of a written exam verifying knowledge and analytical skills in the six major literary periods (Medieval, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries) and in literary criticism. Thus a total of seven areas are examined. To qualify for the PhD exams, students must have completed all courses previously taken. Specifically, students with incompletes will not be allowed to sit for the exams. Students are stronly encouraged to take the PhD exams no more that one year after completion of coursework. A student may claim exemptions in a certain literary period, however, based on previous course work. To qualify for an exemption in a certain literary period, the student must have completed two graduate courses in that period and must have received a minimum grade of B in each course. Literary criticism functions as an option which can replace one of the six literary periods. The questions on the exam are based on the PhD reading lists. The examination is given each September and early Spring. Roughly half of the exams are written in French and the other half in English (This could be a 3/2 split in either direction.) Before or after the examination, students consult specialists in the field of particular interest and ask one of them to direct his or her dissertation. The dissertation director helps in identifying and refining a subject likely to result in publication and to open future avenues of research. The director and the other members of the dissertation committee are available for help throughout the preparation of the dissertation. The oral defense of the dissertation is the final requirement for the degree.
Ph.D. in French Linguistics
Admission Requirements: Successful completion of the curriculum and examination constituting the department's M.A. program in French Linguistics, including oral Ph.D. admission exam. Students with an M.A. from another institution must pass the department's M.A. examination and oral Ph.D. admission exam, which may be taken near the end of the first year of study in the department or at the beginning of the second; courses taken during the first year count toward the Ph.D. For specific program and course requirements, see French Degree Requirements.
This degree enables students to do advanced research of professional quality in French and general linguistics, to teach graduate and undergraduate courses in French language and linguistics, to administer foreign language programs, and to prepare teaching materials. Ph.D.s who have trained in this program, the first of its kind in the United States, are now engaged in a variety of research and teaching programs at universities and colleges across the US. Students enter the Ph.D program through IU's M.A. program in French linguistics (which can be modified for those with a previous M.A.); they usually take the Ph.D. examination after two years in the Ph.D. program and defend their dissertations two years later. The program emphasizes the structure of the French language, language variation within and between French-speaking countries, second language acquisition, history of French, and linguistic theory. Courses Linguistics or Second Language Studies are required as part of the Ph.D minor; through courses in other programs students may also study a wide variety of related topics; such as African languages and linguistics, instructional technology, Spanish linguistics, anthropology, etc. For more information see Graduate Studies in French Linguistics.
