Degree Requirements

Master of Arts

French. The master’s degree program in French requires that the candidate have a bachelor’s degree with a major in French or demonstrate equivalent knowledge. Students who lack adequate preparation may be admitted to the program on the condition that they complete additional preparatory coursework designated by the graduate adviser in French. These courses are in addition to the semester hours required for the master’s degree.

Master of Arts degree plans are available with a concentration in French studies or linguistics.

The program in French studies requires thirty-seven semester hours of coursework, including two courses outside the department. French studies majors are required to take French 381M and at least one course in seven literary periods. All incoming students are required to take the proseminar, French 180P, in their first semester of graduate study.

Completion of the program in linguistics requires four semesters or thirty-seven semester hours of coursework with a minimum of twenty-four semester hours of coursework in French linguistics. All incoming students are required to take the proseminar, French 180P, in their first semester of graduate study.

Italian studies. The master’s degree program in Italian studies requires that the candidate have a bachelor’s degree with a major in Italian or demonstrate equivalent knowledge. Students who lack adequate preparation may be admitted to the program on the condition that they complete additional preparatory coursework designated by the graduate adviser in Italian studies. These courses are in addition to the semester hours required for the master’s degree.

The program requires thirty-seven semester hours of coursework, which may include one three-hour upper-division undergraduate course approved by the graduate adviser. Students must take at least twenty-four semester hours of graduate coursework in Italian literature, cinema, and culture offered by the Italian graduate faculty of the Department of French and Italian, and six to nine graduate-level semester hours in a supporting subject or subjects in another program, department, or college. Italian studies students must take Comparative Literature 385, French 381M, or another graduate course on critical or literary theory approved by the graduate adviser. Students must also demonstrate reading competence in one foreign language other than Italian by earning a grade of at least B in a reading course approved by the graduate adviser, in a second-year college language course, or on an examination approved by the graduate adviser. All incoming students are required to take the proseminar,Italian 180P, in their first semester of graduate study.

Doctor of Philosophy

French. The doctoral program is offered in French studies and linguistics. The departmental proseminar is required of all incoming graduate students. Information about required courses in each of these areas is available from the department. An examination committee is formed for each candidate; with the graduate adviser, the committee oversees the student’s progress and eventually administers a comprehensive examination based on coursework and reading lists. The Comprehensive Examination will consist of a two-hour oral examination conducted by three to four faculty members. One of the faculty members conducting the examination may come from outside the program. Eighteen to twenty-one semester hours of coursework beyond the master's are normally required for the degree. An approved dissertation prospectus is required for all doctoral candidates before they may begin to write the dissertation. A final oral defense of the dissertation is required of all candidates.

In French studies, the candidate is expected to take courses outside of the department in related areas of interest, such as French history, art history, comparative literature, and anthropology. Candidates must pass a comprehensive exam on three areas of expertise before beginning work on the dissertation. For the concentration in French studies, students are required to have an adequate knowledge of a modern language (in addition to French and English) or a basic knowledge of Latin.

In French linguistics, the candidate must take coursework in each of the five areas of specialization: historical linguistics; sociolinguistics and dialectology; syntax and semantics; phonology and morphology; and language acquisition and applied linguistics. Each candidate is expected to complete at least two courses in areas outside of French linguistics, such as English, history, linguistics, philosophy, psychology, or other languages. Coursework completed for the master’s degree may be counted toward this requirement. Candidates must be examined on three of the five areas of specialization of their choice. For the concentration in French linguistics, students are required to have an adequate knowledge of a modern language (in addition to French and English) or a basic knowledge of Latin.

Italian studies. Several courses are required of all doctoral candidates; information about them is available from the department. An examination committee is formed for each candidate; with the graduate adviser, the committee oversees the student’s progress and eventually administers a comprehensive examination based on coursework and reading lists.

Although the doctoral degree is not awarded on the basis of a specific number of courses or semester hours of credit, six courses (or eighteen semester hours) beyond the master’s degree are usually required. With the approval of the graduate adviser, one of these courses may be an undergraduate course that satisfies the requirement for proficiency in a foreign language other than Italian. With the help of the graduate adviser, each student is expected to design an individual course of study and define a primary subject and supporting subject(s) of study. The graduate adviser must approve the student’s selection of courses; at least nine hours of coursework must be in one supporting subject. Students must also demonstrate reading competence in a foreign language other than Italian by earning a grade of at least B in a reading course approved by the graduate adviser, in a fourth-semester college course, or on an examination approved by the graduate adviser.