Master's Programs: French and Spanish
The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures educates master's degree candidates in the scholarship of the discipline and trains them to develop new knowledge about the languages, literatures and cultures of the Romance Languages, as well as the languages and cultures of the diasporic communities with which they have remained in sustained contact.
About the Program
The MA degree offers students the opportunity to specialize in French or Spanish literature, Spanish linguistics or a combination of these fields. Students must fulfill a series of required and elective courses, demonstrate competency in a second language and complete a Master’s Project.
Study Abroad
A semester of study abroad is also an integral element of our MA programs. Our students regularly travel to France, Spain, Peru, Quebec and other exciting locations to practice their language skills and experience the culture first-hand.
Jump To:
Career Opportunities
An advanced degree allows students to perfect their language proficiency and continue on to a PhD program for a career in academia, or to utilize their skills immediately upon graduation in any number of other professional fields including international development, translation, business, medicine, public health, music, media studies, art or library sciences.
Course Requirements
Students must complete 10 courses (30 credit hours). A total of two courses (six credits) may be taken in related disciplines or transferred from other institutions. All students must take RLL 501: Introduction to Literary Theory and Research Methodology, and at least one course in each general area of their field:
French
- French literature
- Francophone literature
- French linguistics
Spanish
- Peninsular literature
- Spanish-American literature
- Spanish linguistics
Beyond these required courses, the concentration in French Literature, Spanish literature or Spanish linguistics allows students to design their own program of study in consultation with their advisor.
Master's Project
During the semester in which students complete their course requirements (normally the third or fourth semester of full-time study), they will complete a Master’s Project under the supervision of a committee of two faculty members. During this period, students will register for six credit hours of Master’s Project Guidance.
The Master’s Project involves work on a limited topic selected in consultation with the project director. Students must meet regularly with their project director and demonstrate regular, substantial progress. Students must submit the project to their committee no later than November 15 or March 30 of the final semester.
The project committee will evaluate the quality of the work; suggested improvements or revisions must be concluded in whole before the Graduate School’s degree form (“M”-form) deadline.
How to Apply
Students who wish to pursue an MA degree in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures must submit an online application. You will be redirected to create an account and start an application. Returning users can use this link to log in to their existing application(s).
For additional application instructions, please see Graduate Admissions.
