MA in French and Francophone Studies in Boston United States | University of Massachusetts Amherst

The master of arts (MA) in French and Francophone Studies is a two-year, 30-credit program that serves students who have a strong preparation in French at the undergraduate level (a major or possibly a minor) and who seek to undertake more advanced work in a humanistic discipline and gain a more thorough knowledge of the broad French intellectual tradition, including French language and linguistics, French and francophone literature and cultures, and literary and cultural theory. The program is designed to offer a rigorous educational experience not only to students intending to pursue a PhD program but also to those interested in careers in fields in which expertise in French is directly relevant or a valuable complement: government and public service, communications, research, public health, the hospitality industry, fashion, business and international relations, translation, and interpretation, as well as high-school and community-college teaching. The program includes both thesis and non-thesis options.
The flexible, interdisciplinary master of arts program in French and Francophone studies provides a rigorous educational experience for students intending to pursue a PhD program, as well as those interested in careers in which expertise in French is directly relevant or a valuable complement. The program offers financial aid in the form of teaching assistantships that cover the full four semesters of the program.

Our MA option is for students who want to gain a more thorough knowledge of the broad French intellectual tradition, including French language and linguistics, French and Francophone literatures and cultures, and literary and cultural theory.

We also offer a master of arts portfolio option, which allows you to construct a flexible course of study. It is especially appropriate if you want to design a program that combines French with other disciplines, or if you want to undertake advanced research in preparation for a PhD program. It is also ideal for those who have an unusual background in French, such as extensive residence in a French-speaking country, who would like to pair this experience with the intellectual discipline of graduate study.