Head of the Department:
Armine Kotin Mortimer
Director of Graduate Studies:
Laurence Mall
2090 Foreign Languages Building
707 South Mathews Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-2022
E-mail:
french@uiuc.edu
Graduate Degree Programs
The Department of French offers graduate programs leading to the master
of arts and the doctor of philosophy degrees. Candidates for the master’s
degree may specialize in French studies,
in French linguistics, or in the learning/teaching of French. Candidates
for the doctoral degree may choose one of three specializations: French studies, French linguistics, or second-language
learning and teaching.
Admission
Students considered for admission to the master’s program usually
have an overall undergraduate admission average of 3.0 (A = 4.0) with
an average in French of 3.5. Students should usually have had a college
major in French. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are
required of students whose native language is English.
Applicants should also submit a statement of purpose and two samples
of their writing in French. International applicants must present
a minimum paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
score of 550 (213 on the computer-based test). Admission for the spring
semester is rare. Entering students are given a diagnostic test to
determine whether they need to take a review course in advanced grammar and stylistics (FR 414) in addition to the required courses.
Some knowledge of other Romance languages and literatures is desirable.
Students seeking admission to the Ph.D. program with a master of arts
degree earned elsewhere are expected to have a 3.5 grade point average
in graduate coursework. The master’s degree should be in French
literature or in French studies. Candidates seeking admission to the
Ph.D. concentration in second-language learning and teaching may hold
a Master of Arts in Teaching degree.
Graduate Teaching Experience
Although teaching is not a general Graduate College requirement, the
Department of French requires Ph.D. candidates to do some teaching
as part of their academic work because such experience is considered
a vital part of the graduate program.
Teaching Assistants are required to take FR 505 (Teaching College and Secondary French, 4 hours) as part of their contractual obligation. The course does not count toward the degree.
Master of Arts
Candidates in all master’s programs must complete 32 graduate
hours of coursework and pass a master’s examination. Candidates
in French Studies must take an examination based on a reading list covering
the field of French literature and culture. The examination in linguistics
is based on a list of readings in linguistics and in literature. The
examination in French learning/teaching includes readings in second-language
acquisition and teaching methods in addition to selected readings
in French literature and/or civilization. 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 oral French.
Doctor of Philosophy
Candidates in all programs must complete 64 graduate hours beyond
the master’s degree, including a minimum of 32 graduate hours
of coursework beyond the master’s degree, and must pass a preliminary
examination and write an acceptable thesis.
Specialization in French Studies
The doctoral program in French Studies is designed to prepare specialists in literature and culture. Candidates are required to include courses in textual criticism, linguistics or linguistically oriented textual theory, and French/Francophone literature and culture. Students are expected to demonstrate a reading proficiency in one modern foreign language (other than French or English). They may fulfill this requirement by passing a fourth-semester reading course with a grade of B or better or by demonstrating an equivalent ability by examination. In addition, students specializing in medieval or Renaissance studies must demonstrate an equivalent reading knowledge of Latin.
Students choosing a field of concentration in French and Other Disciplines can, in consultation with their advisor, take more than one course in another department (anthropology, art history, comparative literature, history, philosophy, sociology, etc.).
Specialization in French Linguistics
This graduate curriculum offers training in French descriptive linguistics
and philology. Students in this program are required to take 12 graduate
hours in French literature and culture and may elect up to 8 graduate hours of
related work in other departments, in addition to required courses
in the structure of French, history of the French language, and Old
French. At the doctoral level, a concentration in Romance linguistics
is available in cooperation with the Department of Spanish, Italian,
and Portuguese; the Department of Linguistics; and the Department
of the Classics.
Specialization in Second Language Acquisition/Teacher Education
The multidisciplinary Ph.D. concentration in second-language acquisition
and teacher education is available to candidates with an M.A. in French
or M.A.T. in French and at least one year of experience in teaching
French as a second language. Candidates selecting this option are
required to complete courses in linguistic theory, psycholinguistics
and the psychology of language and/or sociolinguistics and sociocultural
analysis, curriculum development, research methodology, advanced study
in French language and culture, and selected courses from a group
of rotating topics related to the individual’s particular interests.
Minimum requirements for the degree in all the participating departments
are 64 graduate hours of credit beyond the master’s degree.
Financial Aid
Assistantships and University fellowships are awarded. Several graduate
students each year spend the academic year in France under exchange
agreements with universities in France, Belgium, and Canada.
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