French Major, MA

Options Available

Coursework Only Without Comprehensive Exam Option
Thesis Option
Project Option

Campus Code

Knoxville Campus

Admissions Standards/Procedures

• Submit an online application to the Office of Graduate Admissions.
• A student should have already completed a major or the equivalent of a major (usually 30 hours) in French or a related field.
• 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 coursework of their major (French or a related field) in order to be admitted to the MA program.
• 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 department Graduate Admissions Committee looks for high-quality, committed students who will add diversity, 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 World Languages and Cultures are expected to maintain a graduate 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 graduate GPA of at least 3.50 in order to remain in good standing).

• The Department of World Languages and Cultures 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 Hilltopics 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 or project option either demonstrate their research skills by writing a thesis or produce a project that demonstrates their mastery of a subfield of French studies. The student will work closely with a faculty member who specializes in their field of interests. Additional information can be found in the WLAC Graduate Handbook available on the department’s webpage.

Coursework Only Without Comprehensive Exam Option

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

For qualified students, the Department of World Languages and Cultures 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 (coursework only without comp exam option). 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 World Languages and Cultures 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.