The Master of Arts in French is a two-year program and has literary emphasis. Students can sometimes pursue course work in other fields of interest, such as Linguistics, Cinema, and Africana Studies. We offer tuition waivers and GTA stipends on a competitive basis. We offer teaching training during the first year in the program. Students teach lower-division French courses their second year in the program.

Options Available

Thesis
Course Only with Comprehensive Exam

Campus Code

Knoxville Campus

Admissions Standards/Procedures

• A student should have already completed a major or the equivalent of a major (usually 30 hours) in their main discipline (French, German, or Spanish).
• Although the Graduate Council requires a minimum grade point average of 2.70 (on a scale of 4.00) for admission to the UT Graduate School, prospective students should note that the grade point average of 3.50 (on a 4.00 scale) in all course work of their major (French, German, Spanish, or a related field) in order to be admitted to the MA programs in French, German, or Spanish.
• In making its decision, the Admissions Committee considers grades, recommendations, a statement of goals (in English and in the target language), and 2 writing samples (ideally, one in English and one in the target language).
• When evaluating a student’s application dossier, the Graduate Admissions Committee looks for high-quality, committed students who could complete the program successfully, and who will add diversity, and intellectual liveliness and energy to the program.

Academic Standards

After entering the graduate program, students in any of the MA Programs offered by the Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures (MFLL) are expected to maintain a GPA of at least 3.00 in order to remain in good standing (note, students in the PhD Program in Modern Foreign Languages are expected to maintain a GPA of at least 3.50 in order to remain in good standing).

• The Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures specifies that a student will not be allowed to continue in any of its graduate programs if any of the following occurs:
  • The student cheats or engages in any other act of dishonesty with respect to the university community. Such acts include but are not limited to getting or giving help that is considered inappropriate in an academic setting as well as any form of plagiarism. (for details on Academic Honesty, please see the respective passages in Hill Topics and in the Graduate Catalog).
  • The student earns two or more grades of C or below in courses taken for graduate credit.
  • The student receives a grade of D or F in a graduate course that is identified as a core or mandatory course in the student’s graduate program.
  • The student’s cumulative graduate GPA falls below 3.00 for two consecutive semesters, excluding the summer semester if no courses are taken. (UT Graduate Policy).

Thesis Option

Students who choose the thesis option demonstrate their research skills by submitting a thesis and passing an oral examination on it and on related matters. The student will work closely with a faculty member who specializes in their field of interests. Additional information can be found in the MFLL Graduate Handbook available on the department’s webpage.

Credit Hours Required

Minimum of 30 graduate credit hours

Required Courses

• Completion of a minimum of 24 credit hours of course work
  • A maximum of 6 credit hours may be taken at the 400-level; the rest at the 500-level.
  • Under certain conditions, the student may take 600-level seminars.
• FREN 500  (6 credit hours)

Additional Course Requirements

• MFLL 512  is required for all new GTAs

Non-Course Requirements

• The thesis committee must be established and a formal proposal approved by the end of the second semester of course work.
• The thesis must be completed by the end of the fourth semester of course work.
  • The thesis will be 70-100 pages in length.
• A written examination covering the course work and selected items from a master reading list (two fields)
• A final oral examination covering the thesis.

Course Only with Comprehensive Exam Option

Credit Hours Required

Minimum of 30 graduate credit hours

Required Courses

• Completion of at least 30 graduate credit hours of course work
  • A maximum of 9 credit hours at the 400-level
  • The remainder at the 500-level
  • Under certain conditions, the student may take 600-level seminars.
• If the student chooses to have a minor (such as Italian or Portuguese), at least 24 credit hours must be taken in the major and 6 credit hours in the minor.

Additional Course Requirements

• MFLL 512  required for all new GTAs

Non-Course Requirements

• A written examination covering the course work and selected items from a master reading list (three fields)

 

Five-Year BA/MA Program – French Major, MA

For qualified students, the Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures offers a 5-year BA-MA program with a BA major in Modern Foreign Languages and Literature — French and Francophone Studies concentration and a French major, MA (course only option with comp exam). The primary component of the program is that a qualified student may take up to 9 credit hours of approved graduate courses for their senior undergraduate electives and have them count toward both the BA degree and the MA degree. Qualifications for admission to the program are:

• The student must have an overall cumulative GPA of 3.00 and a cumulative GPA of 3.50 in undergraduate French courses to be considered for admission to the program.
• Conditional and full admission of a student into this program must be approved by the Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures and by the Graduate School.
• Conditional admission may be granted after completing 64 credit hours of the requirements for the BA in French and Francophone Studies, as specified by any Undergraduate Catalog in effect during that student’s attendance at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, provided that the Catalog has been in effect within six years of the date of graduation.
• Conditional admission must be obtained before taking a graduate course that is to be used to satisfy the requirements of both the BA degree and the MA degree.
• Full admission may be granted after completing 96 credit hours of the requirements for the BA in French and Francophone Studies, as specified by any Undergraduate Catalog in effect during that student’s attendance at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, provided that the Catalog has been in effect within six years of the date of graduation. A cumulative GPA of 3.50 in undergraduate French courses is required for full admission.
• Any course taken for graduate credit prior to satisfying all requirements for the BA degree must be approved by the department head (or designee) and by the Graduate School.
• A student will not be eligible for a graduate assistantship until the student has satisfied all of the requirements for the BA degree.