- FRENCH Graduate Studies

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.

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.

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.

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.

 
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modern.languages@ohio.edu

Graduate Chair French
Department of Modern Languages
Gordy Hall
Ohio University
Athens, OH 45701

(Info current as of Oct. 2007)