FRNIT-MA - French and Italian (MA)
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Program Overview
The department offers a Ph.D. and terminal M.A. in French, a Ph.D. in Italian, and a Ph.D. in French and Italian.
The French section provides students with the opportunity to pursue course work at all levels in French language, literature, cultural and intellectual history, theory, film, and Francophone studies. It understands the domain of French Studies as encompassing the complex of cultural, political, social, scientific, commercial, and intellectual phenomena associated with French-speaking parts of the world, from France and Belgium to Canada, Africa, and the Caribbean.
The Italian section offers graduate and undergraduate programs in Italian language, literature, culture, and intellectual history. Course offerings range from small, specialized graduate seminars to general courses open to all students on authors such as Dante, Boccaccio, and Machiavelli.
Free Form Requirements
Coterminal Master's Program in French
University requirements for the coterminal M.A. are described in the "Coterminal Bachelor's and Master's Degrees" section of this bulletin. For University coterminal master’s degree application forms, see the Registrar’s Publications page.
Each year the department admits a small number of undergraduates to the coterminal M.A. degree in French. Applications for Autumn Quarter must be submitted by January 31 of the senior year to the director of the department. Students must submit the Coterminal Online Application and include the following:
a written statement of purpose
two letters of recommendation from faculty at Stanford
a transcript.
Students accepted into the coterminal program must have been undergraduate majors in French and must meet all requirements both for the B.A. and the M.A.
University Coterminal Requirements
Coterminal master’s degree candidates are expected to complete all master’s degree requirements as described in this bulletin. University requirements for the coterminal master’s degree are described in the “Coterminal Master’s Program” section. University requirements for the master’s degree are described in the "Graduate Degrees" section of this bulletin.
After accepting admission to this coterminal master’s degree program, students may request transfer of courses from the undergraduate to the graduate career to satisfy requirements for the master’s degree. Transfer of courses to the graduate career requires review and approval of both the undergraduate and graduate programs on a case by case basis.
In this master’s program, courses taken during or after the first quarter of the sophomore year are eligible for consideration for transfer to the graduate career; the timing of the first graduate quarter is not a factor. No courses taken prior to the first quarter of the sophomore year may be used to meet master’s degree requirements.
Course transfers are not possible after the bachelor’s degree has been conferred.
The University requires that the graduate advisor be assigned in the student’s first graduate quarter even though the undergraduate career may still be open. The University also requires that the Master’s Degree Program Proposal be completed by the student and approved by the department by the end of the student’s first graduate quarter.
Master of Arts in French
University regulations pertaining to the M.A. are listed in the "Graduate Degrees" section of this bulletin.
The terminal M.A. in French provides a flexible combination of language, literature, cultural history, and methodology course work designed to enhance the preparation of secondary school, junior college, or college teachers.
Candidates must complete a minimum of 45 units of graduate work, all courses being taken for a letter grade, with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.3, as well as pass the master's examination at the end of their studies. To fulfill the requirements in a single year, enrollment must be for an average of 15 units per quarter.
Candidates must take one cultural history course (to be taken either inside or outside the Department of French and Italian). All remaining units are to be taken in advanced French literature courses (200 level or above), three of which must be concerned with the pre-revolutionary period of French cultural history.
Applicants should consult Graduate Admissions for information related to the application process. Candidates for this degree are not eligible for financial aid or for teaching assistantships.
Examination
The terminal M.A. examination is administered between the third and fifth week of Spring Quarter by a three-member committee, selected each year by the Director of Graduate Studies. It consists of two parts:
Written Exam
The two-hour written exam tests the candidate's general knowledge of French literature and is based on the French Ph.D. reading list which may be obtained from the Director of Graduate Studies, Student Services Manager, or by referencing the French and Italian Graduate Student Handbook.
The exam requires that the candidate answer two questions (out of three) in a manner that demonstrates his/her ability to synthesize and draw parallels between periods, genres, and systems of representation on the basis of the standard reading list. One question must be answered in French. Use of a dictionary is allowed.
If the student's performance on the exam is deemed a 'pass' by two out of three of the members of the examining committee, the student is then permitted to go on to the oral examination (taken later the same week). Should the candidate fail the M.A. written exam, he/she is given a second chance at the end of Spring Quarter.Oral Exam
The 90-minute oral exam is based upon the student's answers on the written exam. It examines the candidate's knowledge and understanding of French literary history on the basis of the standard reading list.
At the conclusion of the oral exam, the examination committee meets in closed session and discusses the student's performance on the written and the oral portions of the examination. If it is judged adequate, the M.A. degree is granted. In no event may the master's written and oral exams be taken more than twice.