General Description

The Master of Arts degree programs in French Language and Literature and in Spanish Language and Literature are designed for students who desire the degree with a minor in education and “M” teaching licensure, those who desire other minors (including French for students of Spanish and vice versa), and students who wish to pursue an MA in French or Spanish language and literature without a minor. Unlike the traditional MA in French or Spanish that emphasizes period and genre approaches to literature, the N.C. State program integrates the study of language, literature, culture and civilization.

One of our primary aims is to serve the needs and interests of foreign language teachers in North Carolina and, through them, their students. In this era of critical teacher shortages, this program allows teachers to keep teaching while they upgrade their linguistic, cultural, and pedagogical skills. Because of its ongoing close professional relationship with teachers, its awareness of the need for graduate course material that can be applied to classroom realities, its state-of-the-art foreign language technology center, as well as the strong scholarly qualifications of its faculty, the NC State Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures is uniquely qualified to provide this service to the state. We will offer most of our graduate courses in the late afternoons, evenings or in intensive summer sessions. Later on, we intend to offer some of our courses via distance education. In working with teachers we will emphasize practical classroom applications of subject matter and instruction in the use of the latest technologies.

Program Requirements and Curriculum

• Admission requirements include a B.A. degree, a GPA of 3.0 or above, and proficiency in French or Spanish. (Note: Students whose BA is not in the language of the program to which they are applying will be required to have 6 hours of 400-level or higher courses in that language, with a minimum grade of B or higher, prior to submitting their admissions application*
• Thirty-six hours are required for students who seek "M" licensure, thirty-three hours for students with a concentration in other areas, and thirty hours for those without a concentration.
• A minimum of 24 hours of credit toward the degree must be taken at NC State. (Some of those 24 hours may be earned via interinstitutional credit).**
• Any transfer courses must have been completed within the last four years prior to enrolling in the program.***
• Up to six hours of 400-level classes may be accepted (with the approval of the Director of Graduate Programs).
• Courses in the program will be of three types: 1) Teaching methodology courses taught in English; 2) Language and linguistics courses taught in French, Spanish or English; and 3) Integrated culture/literature courses taught in French or Spanish. Program displays indicate the various avenues toward completion of the requirements.
• All students will submit a Culminating Project of Learning
• All students will submit a Portfolio.
• Visit the Forms Page to find the forms needed at various stages of the MA program

Administration and Accreditation

The M.A. in French and in Spanish is currently administered by Dr. Scott Despain, Director of Graduate Programs in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, along with the FLL Graduate Programs Committee. The DGP reports to the Department Head, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and the Dean of the Graduate School. Accrediting agencies include the NC Department of Public Instruction (to ensure that the program meets requirements for "M" licensure), the National Council of Accreditation for Teacher Education, and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

* Added 9/22/2004
** Changed from "up to 6 hours transferred in" 1/2006
*** Added 1/2006