The
examination for the Master's degree in Language, Literatures, and
Cultures is offered in November/December and in April/May of each
academic year. It emphasizes not only the content (plot, setting,
characters, etc.) of each work but also its implicit values and its
aesthetic and philosophical underpinnings. An understanding of the
contribution of each work to its own period is essential. Students
should have a grasp both of the major French literary movements and of
the cultural and historical context in which they arose. Both the
written and oral portions of the exam are conducted entirely in French.
The Written Examination
All
MA-LLC students will choose five of the seven periods/areas to prepare
for the exam. The written examination will focus on the Reading Lists
for the five periods/areas chosen. It will consist of:
- Brief identification of five terms, e.g. "mal du siècle," "les bienséances," etc., one for each period/area (60-75 minutes)
- Longer, focused essay in the period/area of the student's choice (60-75 minutes)
- Explication de texte chosen from a period other than the one the student has chosen for the focused essay. (60-90 minutes)
Four hours will be allotted for the examination; the time limit will be strictly observed.
MA-FLP
students have a reduced reading list, and will select four of the seven
periods/areas to prepare for the exam. The literature portion of the
written examination is composed of four identifications (one from each
period/area chosen) and an explication de texte. The time allowed for the exam is 2 hours and 40 minutes. (For a description of the FL Pedagogy exam, see section 4 below.)
In
cases where the written exam is a clear failure that cannot be redeemed
by a strong oral exam, students will be informed that they may not take
the oral. Students who fail all or part of the MA comprehensive exams
may retake the exam (or part thereof) only once (please see "Grading of
Exam, Notification, and Retake options", below.)
After the written
examination, students are invited to contact French Faculty members for
general feedback during the time period that precedes the oral
examination.
The Oral Examination
The
oral exam will focus on the Reading Lists for the four (MA-FLP) or five
(MA-LLC) periods/areas chosen, course work, and any questions arising
from the written examination.
One hour will be allotted for this portion of the exam.
Please Note:
Because
the reading lists allow a number of choices, students must inform the
tenured and tenure-track faculty in French of their selections by 27
February (for May graduation) or by 28 September (for December
graduation). Any requests for substitutions of works on the Reading Lists must be submitted prior to this time to the faculty member responsible for the relevant section of the reading list.
Grading of Exam, Notification, and Retake Options
The
student will receive a grade of Pass or Fail for the entire
examination. Shortly after the conclusion of the oral exam, candidates
will be informed orally whether or not they have passed the exam. Within
one week, candidates will be notified formally of the result. In order
to recognize students who perform particularly well on both the written
and oral portions of the exam, one of two special mentions, bien and très bien,
may be awarded. Students who receive a failing grade for one or more
parts of the written or oral exam may have the opportunity to retake the
exam or a part thereof. Scheduling is at the discretion of the French
Faculty but in all cases will adhere to UD Graduate Study regulations
and time frames for the completion of the degree.