Graduate French

Ohio University >
PrintFriendly
The Dept. of Modern Languages offers Master of Arts programs in French and Spanish. Both thesis and non-thesis programs are available. Courses for a secondary area can be taken in any language offered by the Department of Modern Languages.
High school teachers may apply to earn their Masters of French of Spanish through our One Year MA Program. Also, high school teachers can register to take graduate courses as non-degree students. For more information, contact the Department of Modern Languages by email or phone at (740) 593-2765.
GENERAL INFORMATION
(This is a single document. You can scroll through it or click on individual items in the following list.)
• Selection Procedure for Recommending Appointments and Reappointments
• Duties and Stipends of Teaching and Graduate Associates
• Minimum Requirements for the Master’s Degree
• Role of the Graduate Students in the Department
• Career Opportunities Information
• Course Load
• Courses
• Further Information
Selection Procedure for Recommending Appointments and Reappointments
A prospective student is considered for admission to the graduate program and for financial support in the Department of Modern Languages as soon as the following documents have been received by the Department’s Graduate Committee:
1. Application form along with nonrefundable application fee, both sent to the Office of Graduate Student Services (OGSS), McKee House, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701.
2. Two official transcripts from post-secondary schools, sent to OGSS. International students must also send copies of diplomas, TOEFL score and score on TSE (Test of Spoken English).
Send the following directly to the Department of Modern Languages:
3. Three letters of recommendation.
4. A written statement of purpose in French.
5. For candidates who are non-native speakers of French we require a cassette tape with a sample of their target language ability.
The best qualified applicants will be offered a graduate stipend and a tuition scholarship. The Department expects the student to respond to the offer within 10 days. Reappointment can be expected for the duration of the student’s M.A. studies, providing the student maintains at least a 3.00 grade point average in academic work and performs assigned responsibilities to the satisfaction of the supervisor.
International students have to pass the TOEFL and the Test of Spoken English before they can receive financial support from Ohio University. This test must be taken first in their country of origin and the results sent to OGSS. Even when the student passes the test, it must be taken again at Ohio University during orientation week prior to the beginning of classes. Failure to pass this test means that the student cannot receive financial support.
Top
Duties and Stipends of Teaching and Graduate Associates
A student on graduate stipend may be assigned classroom teaching or language lab duties. It is expected that students on graduate stipends provide a minimum of 15 hours of service to the department per week.
Duties: Teaching associates teach one beginning language course (4 credit hours) per quarter. In addition to the 4 hours spent in the classroom, the teaching associate must also devote time to class preparation and the writing of tests under the guidance of the first-year language coordinator. Each associate is expected to establish regular office hours for advising students. The total amount of time involved in teaching is estimated to be 15 hours a week. If, for any reason, the associate cannot meet his/her class, the first-year coordinator must be notified before the class is to meet. Teaching associates may not tutor any students of the first-year language courses for pay.
Stipend: Associates will receive a stipend, plus a full scholarship for the academic year and for the summer quarters immediately preceding and following the year of the appointment. The stipend is for nine months. All students are responsible for paying a general fee each quarter and for student health insurance. (If the student is already covered by a health insurance policy, proof must be provided to the cashier at O.U.). The university also charges a technology fee of about $ 50 per quarter.
Top
Minimum Requirements for the Master’s Degree
General requirements for all M.A. candidates:
A. A reading knowledge of a second modern language or Latin is required. This requirement may be met by: 1) having completed one year of language study as an undergraduate; 2) completing the second language through the 100 level sequence as a graduate student.
The second language requirement may also be fulfilled by completing two graduate courses in the Linguistics Department. This option may substitute for one of the two listed above. These courses do not count as part of the twelve courses required for the M.A. The grade B is the minimum level of proficiency for all of the above; B- is not sufficient.
B. All new Teaching Associates must take 699. Spanish teaching associates are required to register for one hour of 699 each of the first three quarters they are on financial appointment.  French teaching associates must register for one hour of 699 every quarter they are on financial appointment.
C. Comprehensive written and oral examinations in the major language are required. These examinations are based on course work and the M.A. Reading List, which is available from the Graduate Advisors. The usual time required to meet the course requirements for the M.A. is two academic years. Advanced courses in the department are not always offered during the summer.
Specific requirements for French:
FRENCH
The M.A. in French is awarded after successful completion of the following:
• A minimum of 12 graduate courses in French (60 credit hours) including the core requirement and two seminars
• A second language requirement
• Comprehensive exams
• 6 quarters of FR699
(Note: Courses that do not count among the twelve courses are French 696, 698 and 699; 511-512-513 in a second language; and graduate courses in linguistics or in other departments. In all courses a grade of B or higher is required. Graduate courses are 5 credits each.)
A Minimum of 12 graduate courses in French
Eight-course core requirement: (40 credits)
• Four literature courses (these can include seminars)
• French 540 Teaching French, Theory and Practice (taken the first quarter)
• French 541 Stylistics and Criticism (offered every other year)
• French 537 (Applied Phonetics) or French 539 (Modern Usage)
• French 559 or 560 (Culture and Civilization)
Four elective courses in French (20 credits)
Second language requirement:
The second language requirement can be fulfilled in the following ways:
1. Having completed the beginning-level sequence or above as an undergraduate (must be indicated on an official transcript).
2. Completing the second language through the beginning-level sequence or higher as a graduate student.
3. Passing a departmental translation exam.
4. Passing one course in the second language at the 300 level or higher.
5. Completing two graduate courses in the Department of Linguistics.
The grade of B is the minimum accepted for all the above; B- is not sufficient.
Comprehensive Exams
Written and oral comprehensive exams are given when the student has completed the two requirements described above.
An M.A. thesis is an option but not required.
Click here for the French MA Reading List.
Role of the Graduate Students in the Department
A representative and an alternate to the Graduate Student Senate are elected from among our graduate students.
Each language section has its honor society or a language club. We hold informal conversation hours, show foreign language films, and sponsor lectures and social get-togethers. In addition, the Department is involved in several festivals. All graduate students are expected to participate in these activities.
Top
Career Opportunities Information
Students are encouraged to discuss career goals with their graduate advisor or other members of the language staff as soon as they begin their studies. It is also helpful to visit the Career Services Office in Baker Center, where students can register and be advised of many resources available for career planning. Students who take two years to complete work for the M.A. have the option of obtaining some preparation in teaching English as a foreign language by taking appropriate courses in the Department of Linguistics. Many countries offer positions in this field, especially for people who are proficient in the native language. Industry, business, banking, and travel need employees who not only speak and write foreign languages, but are also knowledgeable about the lives and cultures of the people who communicate in the language. Students wishing to teach are well advised to acquire a good knowledge of a second foreign language.
Top
Course Load
All associates in the Department of Modern Languages must take 3 graduate courses (minimum) per quarter, in addition to 699, which is required of first-year teaching associates. The maximum number of credits covered by the scholarship is 18. All new students must take 3 courses in their language section during their first quarter.
Top
Courses
The Language Sections will attempt to offer a course or a seminar on all major periods during a two-year period.
Students registering for summer school can take 698 (Independent Study), 696 (Directed Readings), 511, 512, 513 (to work on the second language), or a seminar in the department, when offered. Students must register for a total of 15 hours to benefit from tuition scholarships.
Students are expected to work on completing the M.A. Reading List during the five quarters preceding their comprehensive exams. However, during the quarter in which they take their exams or the preceding quarter, they may register for 696 (5 hours) in place of one of the regularly scheduled courses in order to review the works on the Reading List. The grade for 696 is determined by the student’s performance on the comprehensive exam. Independent Study 698 can be used for special projects in any academic year quarter, but cannot replace one of the student’s regularly scheduled courses. During the summer session, additional 698 credits are available when no graduate courses are offered by the department.
Under no circumstances may any 696 or 698 credits count toward the 12 graduate courses required for the M.A. Requests for any hours taken under 698 must be approved by both the graduate faculty member directing and grading the study and by the Chair of the Graduate Committee.
Graduate students may take courses in other areas. However, a student receiving a stipend by the Department of Modern Languages may normally take only one course a quarter outside the Department. During the first quarter on campus, students may register for only three courses, which must be in their major language. This is intended to help the teaching associate in his/her adjustment to graduate studies.
French
515, 516 French Literature of the Renaissance
518, 519 17th-Century French Literature
523, 524 18th-Century French Literature
525 Romanticism
526 Realism and Naturalism
527 French Poetry in the Second Half of the 19th Century
529, 531, 533 20th-Century French Literature
537 Applied Phonetics
539 Modern French Usage
540 Teaching French
541 Stylistics and Criticism
554 Francophone Literature of Sub-Saharan Africa, Maghreb, and the Caribbean
559, 560 French Culture and Civilization
564 Francophone Literature of Quebec
602, 603 Seminar
Other Languages
511, 512, 513 German for Graduate Reading Requirement
511, 512, 513 Italian for Graduate Reading Requirement
511, 512, 513 Russian for Graduate Reading Requirement
511, 512, 513 Spanish for Graduate Reading Requirement
Modern Languages
510 Supervised Practice and Research in Language Lab
530 Video in the Foreign Language Classroom
535 Teaching Foreign Languages in the Elementary School
545 Teaching Modern Languages
Top
Further Information
For further information regarding admissions, program options, or degree requirements, email us directly at:
modern.languages@ohio.edu
Or, you may write to:
Graduate Chair French
Department of Modern Languages
Gordy Hall
Ohio University
Athens, OH 45701
(Info current as of Oct. 2007)

FRENCH Graduate Studies

The Department of Modern Languages offers a Master of Arts  in French. Both thesis and non-thesis programs are available. Courses for a secondary area can be taken in any language offered by the Department of Modern Languages.

High school teachers with five years or more of teaching experience may apply to earn their Masters in French through our one-year M.A. Program. Also, high school teachers can register to take graduate courses as non-degree students. For more information, contact the Department of Modern Languages by email or phone at (740) 593-2765.

GENERAL INFORMATION

*  Selection Procedure for Recommending Appointments and Reappointments

*  Duties and Stipends of Teaching and Graduate Associates

*  Requirements for the Master’s Degree

*  Role of the Graduate Students in the Department

*  Career Opportunities Information

*  Course Load

*  Courses

*  Further Information

Selection Procedure for Recommending Appointments and Reappointments

A prospective student is considered for admission to the graduate program and for financial support in the Department of Modern Languages as soon as the following documents have been received by the Department’s Graduate Committee:

1. Online application form along with a non-refundable application fee submitted to the Graduate College via the following link: http://www.ohio.edu/graduate/apply.cfm

Information on fees, reference forms and graduate programs can also be found at this link.

2. Two official transcripts from post-secondary schools, sent to the Graduate College. International students must also send copies of diplomas and transcripts translated into English and notarized, earn a TOEFL score of 550 or above, and earn a passing score on the Test of Spoken English.

Send the following directly to the Department of Modern Languages:

3. Three letters of recommendation.

4. A written statement of purpose in French.

5. For candidates who are non-native speakers of French we require an audio sample of their target language ability (CD preferred, but check with the department if sending another media form). The sample should be a genuine spoken statement (not a reading of a written text), 5-10 minutes in length, in which you talk about your background in language and why you want to complete the M.A.

The best qualified applicants will be offered a graduate stipend and a tuition scholarship. The Department expects the student to respond to the offer within 10 days. Reappointment can be expected for the duration of the student’s M.A. studies, providing the student maintains at least a 3.00 grade point average in academic work and performs assigned responsibilities to the satisfaction of the supervisor.

Additional Requirements for International Students after arrival on campus:

1. In addition to sending copies of their diplomas as part of the application process, international students must bring with them the original of their diplomas and show them to a staff member of the graduate college once they arrive on campus.

2. In addition to taking the TOEFL in their own country as part of the application process,  international students have to pass the TOEFL and the Test of Spoken English on campus before they can receive financial support from Ohio University. Even if the student passed the test in the country of origin, it must be taken again at Ohio University during orientation week prior to the beginning of classes. Failure to pass this test means that the student cannot receive financial support.

Duties and Stipends of Graduate Teaching Associates

A student on graduate stipend may be assigned classroom teaching or language lab duties. It is expected that students on graduate stipends provide a minimum of 15 hours of service to the department per week.

Duties: Teaching associates teach one beginning language course (4 credit hours) per quarter. In addition to the 4 hours spent in the classroom, the teaching associate must also devote time to class preparation and the writing of tests under the guidance of the first-year language coordinator. Each associate is expected to establish regular office hours for advising students. The total amount of time involved in teaching is estimated to be 15 hours a week. If, for any reason, the associate cannot meet his/her class, the first-year coordinator must be notified before the class is to meet. Teaching associates may not tutor, for pay, any student enrolled in an Ohio University French course.

Stipend: Associates will receive a stipend, plus a full tuition waiver for the academic year.  Associates will also receive a full tuition waiver for the summer quarters immediately preceding and following the years of the appointment, up to a maximum of two summer quarters during their graduate career. The stipend is for nine months. All students are responsible for paying a general fee each quarter and for student health insurance. (If the student is already covered by a health insurance policy, proof must be provided to the cashier at O.U.). The university also charges a technology fee.

Requirements for the Master’s Degree in French

The M.A. in French is awarded after successful completion of the following:

* A minimum of 12 graduate courses in French (60 credit hours) including the core requirement and two seminars

* A second language requirement

* Comprehensive exams

* 6 quarters of FR699

A Minimum of 12 graduate courses in French

Eight-course core requirement: (40 credits)

* Four literature courses (these can include seminars)

* French 540 Teaching French, Theory and Practice (taken the first quarter)

* French 541 Stylistics and Criticism (offered every other year)

* French 537 (Applied Phonetics) or French 539 (Modern Usage)

* French 559 or 560 (Culture and Civilization)

Four elective courses in French (20 credits)

Note: Courses that do not count among the twelve courses are French 696, 698 and 699; 511-512-513 in a second language; and graduate courses in linguistics or in other departments. In all courses a grade of B or higher is required; B- is not sufficient. Graduate courses are 5 credits each.

Second language requirement

A reading knowledge of a second modern language or Latin is required. The second language requirement can be fulfilled in the following ways:

1. Having completed the beginning-level sequence or above as an undergraduate (must be indicated on an official transcript).

2. Completing the second language through the beginning-level sequence or higher as a graduate student.

3. Passing one course in the second language at the 300 level or higher.

4. Completing two graduate courses in the Department of Linguistics.

These courses do not count as part of the twelve courses required for the M.A. The grade B is the minimum level of proficiency for all of the above; B- is not sufficient.

Comprehensive Exams

Comprehensive written and oral examinations in French are required.  Written and oral comprehensive exams are given when the student has completed the two requirements described above. These examinations are based on course work and the M.A. Reading List, which is available at the link below. The usual time required to meet the course requirements for the M.A. is two academic years.

Click here for the French MA Reading List.

French 699

French teaching associates must register for one hour of 699 (Teaching College French) every quarter they are on financial appointment.

M.A. Thesis

An M.A. thesis is an option, but is not required.

Role of the Graduate Students in the Department

Graduate students are eligible to represent the department in the Graduate Student Senate.  We strongly encourage interested students to run for office.

Graduate students are invited to join Phi Sigma Iota, the French Honor Society. The Society holds informal conversation hours, shows French films, organizes other events.  In addition, the department sponsors research colloquia and social get-togethers. Graduate students are invited to participate in these activities.

Career Opportunities Information

Students are encouraged to discuss career goals with their graduate advisor or other members of the French faculty as soon as they begin their studies. It is also helpful to visit the Career Services Office in Baker Center, where students can register and be advised of many resources available for career planning. Students who take two years to complete work for the M.A. have the option of earning a certificate in teaching English as a foreign language by taking courses in the Department of Linguistics. It is also possible to earn licensure to teach French in public schools. Consult with your advisor regarding this possibility. Industry, business, banking, and travel need employees who not only speak and write foreign languages, but are also knowledgeable about the lives and cultures of the people who communicate in the language.

Course Load

All French Teaching Associates must take a minimum of 15 graduate credit hours (3 courses) per quarter, in addition to one credit of 699.  The maximum number of credits covered by the scholarship is 18. All new students should take 3 courses in French during their first quarter. This is intended to help teaching associates adjust to graduate studies.

Advanced courses in the department are normally not offered during the summer. Exceptions include 698 (Independent Study), 696 (Directed Readings), 511, 512, 513 (in a second language), or a seminar in the department, when offered. To benefit from tuition scholarship during the summer term students are required to take a minimum of 9 hours.

Courses

The French Section offers a course or a seminar on all major periods (except the Middle Ages) during each two-year cycle.

Students are expected to work on completing the M.A. Reading List during the five quarters preceding their comprehensive exams.  However, they may register for 696 (5 hours) in place of a regularly scheduled course in order to review the works on the Reading List.  Students will typically replace only one course in this manner, and will normally do so during the quarter in which they take their exams or during the preceding quarter. The grade for 696 is determined by the student’s performance on the comprehensive exam. Independent Study 698 can be used for special projects in any academic quarter, but cannot replace one of the student’s 12 required courses. During the summer session, additional 698 credits are available when no graduate courses are offered by the department.

Under no circumstances may any 696 or 698 credits count toward the 12 graduate courses required for the M.A. Requests for any hours taken under 698 must be approved by both the graduate faculty member directing and grading the study and by the Chair of the Graduate Committee.

Graduate students may take courses in other areas. However, a student receiving a stipend from the Department of Modern Languages may normally take only one graduate course a quarter outside the Department.

French

515, 516 French Literature of the Renaissance

518, 519 17th-Century French Literature

523, 524 18th-Century French Literature

525 Romanticism

526 Realism and Naturalism

527 French Poetry in the Second Half of the 19th Century

529, 531, 533 20th-Century French Literature

537 Applied Phonetics

539 Modern French Usage

540 Teaching French: Theory and Practice

541 Stylistics and Criticism

554 Francophone Literature of Sub-Saharan Africa, Maghreb, and the Caribbean

559, 560 French Culture and Civilization

564 Francophone Literature of Quebec

602, 603 Seminar

Other Languages

511, 512, 513 German for Graduate Reading Requirement

511, 512, 513 Italian for Graduate Reading Requirement

511, 512, 513 Russian for Graduate Reading Requirement

511, 512, 513 Spanish for Graduate Reading Requirement

511, 512, 513 Portuguese for Graduate Reading Requirement

Modern Languages

510 Supervised Practice and Research in Language Lab

530 Video in the Foreign Language Classroom

535 Teaching Foreign Languages in the Elementary School

545 Teaching Modern Languages

Further Information

For further information regarding admissions, program options, or degree requirements, email us directly at:

modern.languages@ohio.edu

Or, you may write to:

Graduate Chair, French

Department of Modern Languages

Gordy Hall

Ohio University

Athens, OH 45701

(Last Updated Dec. 2010)