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Location: Craigie Hall, Room D310
Program number: 403.220.4001
Fax: 403.284.3634
Email address: fisgrad@ucalgary.ca
Web page URL:

Master of Arts (MA), thesis and course-based routes, with specialization in either French or Spanish

The MA degree may be taken on a full-time or a part-time basis.

Please see section 15 for a list of supported research areas.

The Department also participates actively in interdisciplinary degree programs, such as Canadian Comparative Literature (with English) and Film.

In addition to Faculties of Graduate Studies and Arts requirements, the Department requires students:

a) To demonstrate a sufficiently high level of oral and written competence in the French or Spanish language.

b) To have an adequate academic background in the discipline.

c) To submit an example of the applicant’s written work: a term paper, research paper or other writing, which the applicant considers representative of their best work. The paper must be in either French or Spanish, depending on the language of study.

d) A 250-word (minimum) statement of research interest including research topic and the reasons for wishing to pursue graduate work in this Department.

e) Two reference letters.

Deadline for the submission of complete applications: February 1.

Applications received later than the deadline will be considered for admission and for departmental funding, but chances of financial support are greatly reduced.

The applicant must make advanced credit requests as part of the admission process. Credit will not be granted for course work taken as part of another completed degree/diploma or for courses taken to bring the grade point average to a required level for admission.

Note: Normally no more than 3 units (0.5 full-course equivalent) of Directed Reading may be taken for credit.

In addition to Faculty of Arts requirements, the Department normally requires:

Master of Arts (thesis-based)
Eighteen units (3.0 full-course equivalents), including French 605 or Spanish 601, depending on the language of study.

Master of Arts (course-based)
Thirty units (5.0 full-course equivalents), including French 605 or Spanish 601, depending on the language of study.

Applicants lacking the requisite background in language or literature may be admitted as qualifying students. In this case, extra course work is normally required. A qualifying oral examination based on set texts may be required before the students attain regular Master of Arts status. Courses taken as a qualifying student do not normally count as part of the student's course requirements.

Copyediting

The department prohibits copyediting in students' thesis for the MA or PhD degrees.

All students must attend the departmental graduate orientation session in September. Attendance at the UofC Graduate Orientation is highly recommended.

a) Both options have a knowledge areas requirement that must be satisfied by the first month of the second year in program, or, as appropriate, one month after the completion of course work, whichever occurs first. Upon admission students will be advised of any specific course or other work needed to fulfill this requirement.

b) Before the end of their second year of study, MA Thesis students are required to make a departmental or external presentation relating to their research.

c) Students in the thesis-based and course-based programs are also expected to demonstrate their participation in university-wide research activities by attending at least five departmental or external scholarly presentations every year in their programs.

Only in exceptional circumstances and where appropriate to a student’s program may graduate credit be received for courses numbered 500-599. No more than 6 units (1.0 full-course equivalent) can be at the 500 level.

Expected completion time for full-time students is two years for a thesis program and three years for a course-based program. Maximum completion time is four years for a thesis program and six years for a course-based program.

Newly admitted students begin their programs under the supervision of the departmental Graduate Director. Students are expected to choose a permanent supervisor by the end of the second regular academic session after first registration (April 30 for September registrants and December 15 for January registrants). Selection of a supervisor should be by mutual agreement between the student and the staff member concerned, approved by the Graduate Director.

Comprehensive examination (course-based)

The course-based program requires a comprehensive examination with a written and an oral component, taken after the completion of all course work and any other requirement such as the knowledge areas requirement. Students are required, as early as possible and, in any case, at least before registering for an eleventh semester to file the reading list on their chosen area of specialization with the Department’s Graduate Committee. The list should be drafted after consultation with the student’s supervisor and approved by that faculty member.

Final oral thesis examinations are open.

Thesis students are required to submit a written thesis proposal thirteen months after initial registration (for September registrants: 1st draft to the supervisor is due by September 1 and the thesis proposal to the Graduate Committee is due by September 30; for January registrants: 1st draft to the supervisor is due by January 2 and the thesis proposal to the Graduate Committee is due by February 1).

This proposal should be approximately 1200 words in length and be accompanied by an abstract and an appropriately detailed preliminary bibliography. It should be drafted after consultation with the student’s supervisor and have their preliminary approval. These documents will be circulated to the departmental Graduate Committee for approval. Abstracts of proposals may be reproduced for information purposes.

None.

Funding is available to qualified thesis-based students in the form of scholarships awards and/or teaching assistantships. Master of Arts students can expect to receive funding for a maximum of 20 months. Students applying for departmental funding for the following academic year must submit their applications to the Department by February 1. All students are strongly encouraged to seek external financial assistance throughout their program. For information on other funding opportunities, see the Awards and Financial Assistance section of this Calendar and the Faculty of Graduate Studies website: .

Prospective students are encouraged to consult either the Head of the Department or the Graduate Director. Detailed information on our programs is also available at .

Support research areas: French Language, French Linguistics, French Literature from the Medieval to the Contemporary periods, French-Canadian Literature, Francophone Literatures, Cultures and Film, Spanish Language, Hispanic Literatures, Culture and Film, Comparative Literature, Literary Theory, Creative Writing, Second Language Learning and Teaching.

Information about faculty members and their research interests may be found at .