Academic Programs Catalog

The Master of Arts degree in French and Francophone Studies provides students the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of French and Francophone literatures, cultures, and linguistics while developing the skills necessary to engage these fields in a critical, professional way. The Master of Arts in French and Francophone Studies is the first step in any number of careers, teaching in secondary schools or community colleges, working in government or industry (interdisciplinary studies concentration), or pursuing further study in a doctoral program (both concentrations).

In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and of the College of Arts and Letters, students must also meet the requirements specified below.

Admission

To be admitted to the Master of Arts degree program in French on regular status, an applicant must have:

1. A bachelor's degree in French, or have completed the courses in French that are required for the Bachelor of Arts degree in French at Michigan State University or their equivalents.
2. A grade–point average of at least 3.00 in undergraduate French language and literature courses.
3. Letters of recommendation from three professors who are qualified to assess the applicant's ability to pursue advanced graduate study in French.
4. Academic writing samples in French and English.

Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in French and Francophone Studies

The program is available under Plan A (with thesis) and  Plan B (without thesis). A total of 33 or 34 credits is required for the degree. The student’s program of study must be approved by the graduate advisor. The student must meet the requirements specified below:

Requirements for Both Plan A and Plan B
Complete one of the following concentrations (33 or 34 credits):
Interdisciplinary Studies
1.	The following course (3 credits):
	ROM	803	Foundations of Contemporary Language Teaching						3
2.	Complete 18 credits from the following courses:
	FRN	810	Understanding the Early Modern Culture in the Francosphere						3
	FRN	820	Minority Perspectives in the Francosphere						3
	FRN	830	Language(s) in the Francosphere						3
	FRN	840	Understanding France through Literary and Cultural Productions						3
	FRN	850	Francophone Postcolonial and Cultural Studies						3
	FRN	890	Independent Study						3
3.	Complete 9 credits of electives approved by the academic advisor which includes a research methods course.
Literary and Cultural Studies
1.	The following course (3 credits):
	ROM	803	Foundations of Contemporary Language Teaching						3
2.	Complete 21 credits from the following courses:
	FRN	810	Understanding the Early Modern Culture in the Francosphere						3
	FRN	820	Minority Perspectives in the Francosphere						3
	FRN	830	Language(s) in the Francosphere						3
	FRN	840	Understanding France through Literary and Cultural Productions						3
	FRN	850	Francophone Postcolonial and Cultural Studies						3
	FRN	890	Independent Study						3
	Additional courses at the 800-level as approved by the academic advisor.
3.	Complete 3 credits in a research methods or critical theory course approved by the academic advisor.
4.	Complete 3 credits of elective approved by the academic advisor.
Additional Requirements for Plan A
1.	Complete 4 credits of FRN 899 Master’s Thesis Research.
2.	Pass a final oral examination that covers the student’s program of study, thesis, and reading list.
Additional Requirements for Plan B
1.	Complete 3 credits of FRN 898 Master’s Research Project.
2.	Pass a final oral examination that covers the student’s program of study, master’s research project, and reading list.

The Doctor of Philosophy degree program in French and Francophone Studies provides course work in the languages, literature, and cultures of France and the Francosphere.  Students who are enrolled in the program complete a concentration in literary and cultural studies or in interdisciplinary studies.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the University and of the College of Arts and Letters, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Admission

To be considered for admission to the Doctor of Philosophy degree program in French and Francophone Studies, an applicant must:

1. Have a master’s degree in French or equivalent, or a total of 30 credits of approved course work.
2. Have a grade-point average of at least 3.00 in graduate courses in French.
3. Have letters of recommendation from three professors who are qualified to assess the applicant’s ability to pursue advanced graduate study in French.
4. Have academic writing samples in French and English.
5. Have a reading knowledge of a language other than French and English. This requirement may be completed once admitted into the program through additional course work. Non-native speakers of French are also required to submit a language proficiency evaluation form.

Guidance Committee

Initially, the student’s guidance committee must consist of three or four tenure-stream Michigan State University faculty members. After the student has passed the Ph.D. examinations, the dissertation committee consists of at least four faculty members, two of which must be members of the Department of Romance and Classical Studies. The chair of the dissertation committee must be a tenure-stream faculty member in French.

Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in French and Francophone Studies

The student must:
1.	Complete one of the following concentrations. A maximum of 9 credits in courses that were completed prior to enrollment in this degree program may be used to satisfy this requirement:
	Interdisciplinary Studies
	1.	The following course (3 credits):
		ROM	803	Foundations of Contemporary Language Teaching					3
	2.	Complete 12 credits in FRN courses at the 800-level.
	3.	Complete 12 credits of electives in a related area approved by the academic advisor which includes a research methods course.
	4.	The following course (3 credits):
		FRN	896	Ph.D. Exam Preparation in French and Francophone					3
	Literary and Cultural Studies
	1.	The following course (3 credits):
		ROM	803	Foundations of Contemporary Language Teaching					3
	2.	Complete 21 credits from the following courses:
		FRN	810	Understanding the Early Modern Culture in the Francosphere					3
		FRN	820	Minority Perspectives in the Francosphere					3
		FRN	830	Language(s) in the Francosphere					3
		FRN	840	Understanding France through Literary and Cultural Productions					3
		FRN	850	Francophone Postcolonial and Cultural Studies					3
		Additional courses at the 800-level as approved by the academic advisor.
	3.	Complete 3 credits in a research methods or critical theory course approved by the academic advisor.
	4.	The following course (3 credits):
		FRN	896	Ph.D. Exam Preparation in French and Francophone					3
2.	Complete additional course work as required by the student’s guidance committee.
3.	Pass a three-part Ph.D. examination that corresponds to the student’s concentrations.
	The three parts include:
	a.	a publishable quality article.
	b.	a take-home examination on an area other than that of the article and based on an extensive reading list.
	c.	an oral examination on both elements.
	A student who fails any part of the Ph.D. examination may retake that examination only once.
4.	Submit a dissertation proposal and successfully defend it.
5.	Submit a dissertation or equivalent research project as applicable or relevant to the field (multi-media, digital humanities) which demonstrates mastery of subject matter in the field of inquiry, sound critical judgment, and a contribution of original thought and research to the topic.

The Master of Arts degree program in Hispanic Literatures is designed primarily for students who plan to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy degree and to join the faculties of colleges or universities as scholars and teachers.  The program provides study in the language, literatures, and cultures of Spain and Latin America, with an emphasis on Spanish and Spanish–American literatures and scholarly investigation.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and of the College of Arts and Letters, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Admission

To be admitted to the Master of Arts degree program in Hispanic Literatures on regular status, an applicant must have:

1. A bachelor's degree in Spanish, or have completed the courses in Spanish that are required for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish at Michigan State University or their equivalents.
2. A grade–point average of at least 3.00 in undergraduate Spanish language and literature courses.

Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Hispanic Literatures

The program is available under Plan A (with thesis) or  Plan B (without thesis).  A minimum of 30 credits is required for the degree.  The student's program of study must be approved by the graduate advisor.  The student must meet the requirements specified below:

1.	Complete at least one course in each of the following fields of Spanish and Latin–American literature:
	Medieval literature and Old Spanish language
	16th– and 17th–century Spanish literature
	18th– and 19th–century Spanish literature
	20th–century Spanish literature
	Colonial Latin–American literature
	19th-century Latin–American literature
	20th-century Latin–American literature
2.	Complete at least 21 credits in Spanish courses at the 800 level or above. Courses used to satisfy requirement 1. may also be used to satisfy this requirement with advisor approval.
3.	Plan A
	1.	Complete 6 credits of SPN 899 Master's Thesis Research.
	2.	Pass a final oral examination that covers the student's program of study, thesis, and reading list.
	Plan B
	1.	Pass a written and oral examination based on the student's course work and reading list. This examination is given only during the spring semester.

With the approval of the graduate advisor, a minor field of study may be included in the requirements for the degree.  Ordinarily a minor field consists of at least three graduate courses for which the student has had suitable preparation.  Courses in a language other than Spanish at the 400-level, may constitute a minor field.

The Doctor of Philosophy degree program in Hispanic Cultural Studies provides study in the literature, language and cultures of Spain and Latin America.  Students will select a primary and a secondary area of emphasis.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and of the College of Arts and Letters, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Admission

To be admitted to the Doctor of Philosophy in Hispanic Cultural Studies with regular status, all applicants must:

1. Possess a master’s degree in Spanish or Hispanic Studies or a total of 30 credit hours of satisfactorily approved course work.
2. A grade-point average of at least 3.25 in undergraduate Spanish language, literature and culture M.A. course work.
3. Submit letters of recommendation from three professionals who are familiar with their work and qualified to assess applicant’s ability to pursue advanced graduate study.
4. Demonstrate English language proficiency.
5. Submit all application materials as required by the Graduate School's Office of Admissions.

Guidance Committee

Of the four regular faculty required for the guidance committee, at least three must be members of the Spanish faculty.

Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Hispanic Cultural Studies

1. The student must complete 24 credits of graduate course work beyond the Master of Arts degree as approved by the student's guidance committee.
2. The following course:
   SPN    807    Literary Theory        3
   An approved equivalent of this course may be approved by the graduate advisor.
3. Demonstrate reading proficiency in two languages other than Spanish that have a body of literature or criticism relevant to the student’s area of specialization.
4. Teach at least one college-level course in Spanish and submit a detailed prospectus of the final dissertation project and a preliminary bibliography to the guidance committee.
5. Pass comprehensive examinations.
6. Submit a dissertation based on original research.
7. Successfully defend the dissertation.

The Master of Arts degree in Spanish as a Second or Bilingual Language provides the foundation and academic preparation to pursue advanced work in Spanish linguistics and further develop fluency in the Spanish language. Students will actively engage with scholarly work in the area of Spanish second language acquisition, sociolinguistics, syntax, and historical linguistics through reading, writing, and discussion. Students gain a cultural understanding and behavior as they study language acquisition and social patterns of language use.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and the College of Arts and Letters, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Admission

To be admitted to the Master of Arts degree in Spanish as a Second or Bilingual Language, an applicant must have:

1. A bachelor’s degree in Spanish or in Linguistics or a bachelor’s-equivalent degree in Spanish philology (international students) with course work in Spanish at the 400-level.
2. Completed Linguistics 401 or its equivalent. This may be completed during the first semester of the master’s program, if admitted. This course will not count towards the credit requirements for the degree.

Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Spanish as a Second or Bilingual Language

The Master of Arts degree in Spanish as a Second or Bilingual Language is available under Plan A (with thesis) or Plan B (non-thesis). A total of 30 credits is required for the degree. The student’s program of study must be approved by the graduate advisor. The student must complete the requirements specified below.
 

Requirements for Both Pan A and Plan B
1.			Complete 9 credits from the following foundational courses. At least one must focus on Spanish.
			LIN	424	Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology						3
			LIN	431	Introduction to Morphology						3
			LIN	434	Introduction to Syntax						3
			LIN	437	Semantics and Pragmatics						3
			LIN	824	Phonological Theory I						3
			LIN	834	Syntactic Theory I						3
			SPN	801	Spanish Syntax						3
2.			Complete 6 credits in Second Language Acquisition. At least one course must focus on Spanish.
			LLT	860	Second Language Acquisition						3
			LLT	863	Second Language Acquisition of Morphosyntax						3
			SPN	804	Spanish as a Second Language: Linguistic and Psycholinguistic Perspectives						3
			SPN	806	Topics in Hispanic Linguistics						3
			Students who enroll in SPN 806 must select a course section that  specifically deals with second language acquisition.
3.			Complete 6 credits in Sociolinguistics and Bilingualism. At least one course must focus on Spanish.
			LIN	471	Sociolinguistics						3
			LIN	871	Advanced Studies of Sociolinguistics						3
			SPN	803	Language Variation and Change in Spanish						3
			SPN	806	Topics in Hispanic Linguistics						3
			Students who enroll in SPN 806 must select a course section that specifically deals with sociolinguistics and bilingualism.
4.			Complete up to 9 credits of elective courses from the following:
			LLT	841	Topics in Second/Foreign Language Learning and Teaching						3
			ROM	803	Foundations of Contemporary Language Teaching						3
			SPN	805	Evolution of the Spanish Language						3
			SPN	890	Independent Study						1 to 3
			Students may also use courses from items 1., 2., and 3. above that were not used in fulfillment of those requirements. Students pursuing Plan A  may use the 6 credits of master’s thesis research to fulfill this elective requirement.
Additional Requirements for Plan A
1.			Complete 6 credits of SPN 899 Master's Thesis Research.
2.			Pass a final oral examination in defense of the thesis.
Additional Requirements for Plan B
1.			Pass a final certifying examination based on course work and the departmental reading list for the Master of Arts in Spanish as a Second or Bilingual Language.