Combined BA/MA in French and Francophone Studies
The Department of French and Italian now offers undergraduate students the opportunity to complete two degrees in French, a BA and an MA, in only 5 years. This streamlined program allows students to count 9 credit hours of advanced French coursework toward both degrees, thus shortening their path to an MA. The program offers students the opportunity to gain advanced expertise in the rich culture, language, history, and literature of the Francophone world while preparing them for the globalized job market or for a top-notch PhD or professional degree program.
Program Information
In their third year, students apply to the program through the Graduate School, submitting the same credentials required of other Graduate School applicants:
- all undergraduate transcripts
- three letters of recommendation
- a letter of intent,
- French and English writing samples
By the time students begin the program in Autumn of their fourth year, they will normally have earned at least 91 undergraduate credit hours toward their BA and have at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA in their French courses. Among those 91 hours they will normally have earned at least 12 hours toward the French major or minor (that is, hours at the 3000-level and above. Prerequisites for the minor and major are French 1101, 1102, 1103, and 2101 or the equivalent).
Students in the program are strongly encouraged to take advantage of study abroad opportunities at the undergraduate level, graduate level, or both. Students may also apply and earn credit for the Office of International Affairs’ Teaching Internship in France program. Students may also be considered for French and Italian’s graduate teaching exchange program at the University of Rennes, France.
Students interested in the combined BA/MA in French & Francophone Studies should consult with the Director of Graduate Studies, Professor Jonathan Combs-Schilling.
Students in the program will have a Graduate Advisor who will help them select courses to be completed for undergraduate credit only, for graduate credit only, or for both programs at the same time. Advisors will also help students determine if they would like to prepare for the job market in fields such as (but not limited to) International Development, International Business, Education, or Translation; or to apply for a doctoral degree in French & Francophone Studies or another field.
Admitted students pay their own tuition, which is determined by the Office of the Registrar depending on students’ residency and credit-hour status. BA/MA students will, however, be eligible for a number of tuition, study abroad, and research scholarships offered by the Department, the College of Arts and Sciences, the University, and other entities.
Students in combined BA/MA programs at Ohio State fulfill the requirements for both the BA and the MA, but they may count up to 9 credit hours in the major field toward both degrees simultaneously.
Requirements for the BA in French:
Prerequisites
1101, 1102, 1103, and 2101.
Core Courses
3101; 4100; and 8 other French courses at the 3000 level and above, at least 2 of which must be at the 4000-level or above, and 1 more of which must be at the 5000-level. In other words, students must complete, at a minimum:
- 3101 and 4100
- 5 additional courses at the 3000-level or above (one of these may be replaced by an approved course in English)
- 3 additional courses at the 4000-level or above, at least 1 of which must be at the 5000-level
*No more than one half of the semester credit hours required for the major (15) can be credit hours transferred to Ohio State from another institution and/or credit by examination. (In other words, at least 15 of the major hours must be credit from completed OSU coursework, which includes credit earned from OSU-sponsored study abroad programs.)
Requirements for the MA in French:
Required Credits:
- FRIT 7600: Teaching World Languages at the College Level or equivalent - 3 credits
- FRIT 8601: Teaching Theory - 3 credits
- Five core courses - 15 credits
- Electives - 9 credits
- French 8998: Qualifying Exam prep - 6 credits
- TOTAL: 36 credits
Up to 6 of these 36 hours may be taken outside the Department of French & Italian, with the approval of the Graduate Advisor.
The course load for graduate students who do not have a graduate teaching associateship (which include those in the combined BA/MA program) is four courses per semester, or 12 hours. Graduate students may, however, with the permission of the Graduate Advisor, register for up to 18 hours per semester, although it is recommended they take no more than 12 hours per semester. A minimum of 36 graduate credit hours are required for the MA in French and Francophone Studies and must be distributed as indicated above.
The final stage of the degree requires successfully passing the Qualifying (Masters) Exam. Students should begin developing their reading lists with the graduate director and an advisor beginning at least in the final summer of their program. During the second semester of their fifth (last) year, students register for 3-6 credits hours of 8998, Examination Preparation, during which they prepare for and take the Qualifying Examination.
Sample Program
Students entering the program (normally at the beginning of their 4th year) should normally have already earned at least 91 credit hours total toward their BA and at least 12 credit hours toward the French major (courses beyond French 2101, our gateway prerequisite to the minor or major). With the assistance of the Director of Graduate Studies, students beginning the combined BA/MA program must fill out a form indicating the courses they plan to count toward the BA only, those they will count toward both degrees, and those they will count toward the MA only. This form is available at the Graduate School website.
Semester One (4th year):
FR 3000- or 4000-level course (3)
FR 4100 (3)
FR 5000-level course (3)
GE or elective course at undergrad-level (3)
GE or elective course at undergrad-level (3)
Semester Two (4th year):
FR 4000-level course (3)
FR 5000 level course (3)
FR 5000-level course (3)
GE or elective course at undergrad level (3)
GE or elective course at undergrad level (3)
Semester Three (5th year) (all courses in 5th year count toward MA only)
FR 5000-level course or approved 5000-8000-level course outside FRIT (3)
FR 7600 Teaching World Languages (3)*
FR 7601 Intro to Research and Criticism in FRIT (3)
FR 8000-level course (3)
Semester Four (5th year):
FR 5000-level course (3)
FR 5000- to 8000-level course or approved 5000- to 8000-level course outside FRIT (3)
FR 8000-level course (3)
FR 8998 Examination Prep for Qualifying Examination (MA Exam) (3)
9 hours count toward the undergraduate major only
9 hours can be counted toward both the major and the MA
27 hours count toward the MA only
Total credit hours for major: 30
Total credit hours for MA: 36
*Most students who take 7600 are serving as Graduate Teaching Associates, and some of the course assignments relate directly to that experience. Since the Combined BA/MA students will not have GTAships, such assignments will (and have been in the past) adapted for students not currently teaching. The two faculty members who currently teach this course are willing and able to make these adaptations.