French M.A. Degree Program FAQ
- The language requirement and when to fulfill it
- Program forms and when to file them
- When courses on your program form are cancelled
- Selecting an advisory committee
- Obtaining Graduate School forms
- The Plan B paper
- Choosing between Plan A or Plan B: which is better for pursing a Ph.D.?
- Preparing for the exam
- Falling behind in the program
What is the language requirement and when do I have to fulfill it?
The M.A. requirement is a reading knowledge of a research language, the equivalent of one year of a college language course.
You may also satisfy it by taking a course that teaches reading knowledge of a language (Span 0221 or Ger 0222). (See Appendix I of the General Information Bulletin.)
Proficiency certification in French or Italian for graduate students from other programs is also available.
What is a program form, and when does it have to be filed?
The completed program form (GS 89 a, b, c), which is filed at the end of your second semester in residence, contains the following information:
- the eleven graduate courses taken or projected to be taken in fulfillment of your degree requirements (excluding audits and undergraduate courses);
- the language selected to fulfill the language requirement;
- selection of Plan A or Plan B option;
- names of major advisor, second advisory committee member from major program, and external committee member.
What if a course I planned to take in my second year, and which is on my program form, is cancelled?
The Graduate School Petition Form (GS 59-rev) allows you to make substitutions and should be filed before taking the M.A. exam.
How do I go about selecting an advisory committee?
Select your advisor and advisory committee members on the basis of mutual research interests and personal compatibility.
The advisor and one committee member must be from the major program faculty; the third member must be external to the major program. Often this is a person with whom you have taken a course. (If you plan to write a thesis or have the oral exam be in French, this person must be reasonably proficient in French.) The director of graduate studies can help you identify potential committee members. Members of the advisory committee do not have to have directed Plan B papers, but that is often the case. The director of a master’s thesis is automatically the advisor.
Where can I obtain Graduate School forms?
You can get forms online or from the Graduate School office (3rd floor hallway in Johnston Hall). Some forms are available in the department office (260 Folwell).
What is a Plan B paper?
A Plan B paper usually begins as a course paper that, under the guidance of your professor, you revise and develop. The Plan B should incorporate secondary research and a well-articulated theoretical perspective. An average length is 20-25 pages. One of the two Plan B papers must be in French; the second one may be written in English, the outgrowth of work done in a course taken outside the major.
If I wish to pursue a Ph.D. after the M.A., should I do the Plan A or Plan B option?
This decision should be based on your readiness for the M.A. exam and your ability to do independent work with a well-defined focus at this point in your graduate studies.
If you opt to write a thesis (Plan A), you must form a clear idea of the thesis topic during your second semester and identify a faculty director. Since you will take fewer classes and do more independent research and writing with Plan A, you should already have considerable exposure to the literary canon.
If you opt for Plan B, you will get a broader coverage of the literary canon on which you will be examined. You may also prefer to have the opportunity to explore two separate topics in your two Plan B papers.
What is the best way to prepare for the exam?
There is no "best" way. Good preparation assumes knowledge of the M.A. reading list. It is advisable to take courses covering works or periods with which you are less familiar. Although not all courses focus exclusively on major writers on the reading list, they will provide historical background and theoretical approaches that will help you contextualize and analyze works on the reading list.
You may find it useful to meet regularly for discussion sessions. You may also ask for advice and study materials from students who took the exam in a prior year. Copies of previous exams are available in the department office (260 Folwell).
What do I do if I am falling behind in the program?
Run, don't walk, to the director of graduate studies, your advisor, your faculty mentor, or any other faculty member who has won your confidence. If you are experiencing difficulty dealing with the stress of teaching and meeting the intellectual demands of your coursework, or if you are having other personal difficulties, it is important to speak with someone about it early on. There may be a way to remedy the situation before it escalates out of control.