Checklist for Taking Comprehensive Examinations and Graduating
For May Graduation:
- 14 February: Deadline for submitting the Application for Advanced Degree Form to the Graduate Office. This form should be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies in each semester comprehensive exam(s) is/are to be taken.
- Students must submit their approved reading lists to their GSC language represented by the final course day of the semester preceding that of the MA exam
For December Graduation:
- 14 September: Deadline for submitting the Application for Advanced Degree Form to the Graduate Office. This form should be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies in each semester comprehensive exam(s) is/are to be taken.
- Students must submit their approved reading lists to their GSC language represented by the final course day of the semester preceding that of the MA exam
Administration of Exams
Comprehensive examinations may be taken no earlier than the semester during which the relevant required coursework will be completed. (For regular full-time students this will normally be no earlier than the third semester for pedagogy exams and the fourth semester for literature exams.)
Administration of literature comprehensive examinations (including scheduling, construction, proctoring, and grading) will be the responsibility of the language faculty representative to the Graduate Studies Committee and the tenured and tenure-track faculty of the language/literature major.
The pedagogy portion of the MA-LLCP comprehensive examinations will be constructed, proctored, and graded by the foreign language pedagogy faculty. Scheduling will be coordinated with the language faculty representative.
The comprehensive examinations are offered once during the fall semester and once during the spring semester. All literature exams will be administered as follows: Fall: mid-November to mid-December; Spring: mid-April to mid-May. For Pedagogy exams, see II.B3.
Normally all students majoring in a particular language/literature will take the written comprehensive examination on the same day. The tests, however, can be tailored to the individual student. The oral examination may be administered on the same day as the written examination, or at a later date.
Students who fail all or part of the MA comprehensive exams may retake the exam (or part thereof) only once.
In unusual circumstances, a one-semester extension may be granted upon written appeal to the Graduate Studies Committee. Those students who elect to delay completion of requirements for the MA degree must 1) request permission by writing a letter to the Director of Graduate Studies explaining their reasons for requesting an extension; and, 2) pay a sustaining fee each semester until they graduate. University regulations require that all work must be completed within five years of initial enrollment in the program.
Reporting the Results of the MA Comprehensive Exams
Within one week of the administration of both the written and oral parts of the comprehensive examinations (pedagogy and literature), the respective representative(s) to the Graduate Studies Committee will report the results of the exam to the candidates and to the Director of Graduate Studies. However, in cases where the written exam is a clear failure that cannot be redeemed by a strong oral exam, students will be notified of this and will not take the oral exam.
French Exams - Detailed Information
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: students take it in their final semester. 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 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
In consultation with their professors, MALLC students will devise individualized reading lists for five periods/areas. These lists will be based on the works or authors studied in their MA coursework. 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 list (students will have a choice of two terms for each identification) (90-100 minutes)
- Explication de texte drawn from a work on the student’s list, or an excerpt thereof. (90-100 minutes)
Three and a half hours will be allotted for the examination; the time limit will be strictly observed.
MALLCP students have a reduced reading list and will select four 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 a textual analysis (close reading, explication de texte). The time allowed for the exam is 3 hours.
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 period between the written and oral examinations.
The Oral Examination
The oral exam will focus on the four (MA-LLCP) or five (MA-LLC) individualized reading lists, course work, and any questions arising from the written examination.
One hour will be allotted for this portion of the exam.
Please Note:
Because these reading lists are individualized, students must determine their selections and have them approved by the professor responsible for each list by the deadline specified in the DLLC Graduate Handbook: the last day of classes of the semester preceding the exam date. Any requests for substitutions of works on the reading lists must also be approved by this deadline by 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.
Spanish Exams - Detailed Information
This document covers the Language, Literature and Culture portion of both the MA-LLC and MA-LLCP degrees. MA-LLCP students will consult the Foreign Language Pedagogy list for their required pedagogy-related readings.
The comprehensive examination for the MA degree in Languages, Literatures and Cultures (MA-LLC and MA-LLCP) is designed to test the student’s mastery of the works of Hispanic literature and culture. The exam will test the student’s ability to analyze a wide range of literary texts beyond their basic content (plot, setting, characters, etc.) in addition to relevant topics, movements, authors, historical contexts, and critical theories. Students should have a grasp both of the cultural and historical context in which these works arose. It is essential to demonstrate an understanding of the material and engage critically with it.
ELIGIBILITY AND PREPARATION
- After completing the required coursework and other prerequisites, students are eligible to take the comprehensive examination. The exam is administered twice a year, in the fall semester (November/December) and in the spring semester (April/May).
READING LIST
- Graduate coursework (SPAN 875 and 600-level courses) serves as the basis for the comprehensive examination. For MA-LLC students, eight courses (24 credits) in literature and/or culture in Spanish; for MA-LLCP students, five courses (15 credits) in literature and/or culture in Spanish.
- Each student in the program compiles a reading list based on the coursework they have completed or are in the process of completing, including the semester in which the exam is taken.
- Students must submit their finalized reading lists to their Graduate Studies representative by the last day of September (fall exams) or the last day of February (spring exams).
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION FORMAT
The exam consists of both written and oral components. Both portions of the exam are conducted entirely in Spanish.
A. Written Exam
MA-LLC students:
As noted above, the content of the written exam is derived from the coursework (eight courses in literature/culture in Spanish) and will include the following format:
- Six short essays/identifications (60-75 minutes).
- One longer, focused essay (60-90 minutes).
- Textual Analysis: an organized critical analysis of a text (60-75 minutes).
Four hours will be allotted for the examination; the time limit will be strictly observed.
MA-LLCP students:
As noted above, the content of the written exam is derived from the coursework (five courses in literature/culture in Spanish) and will include the following format:
- Four short essays/ identifications (60-75 minutes)
- Textual Analysis: an organized critical analysis of a text (60-75 minutes)
Three hours will be allotted for this examination; the time limit will be strictly observed.
B. Oral Exam
The oral exam for both MA-LLC and MA-LLCP students will focus on coursework completed by the student as well as questions arising from the written examination. 30 minutes will be allotted for this portion of the examination.
Notes:
1. The examination will include coursework from all four SPAN875 courses. The student will select from courses at the 6xx-level to reach the minimum requirements for admission to the comprehensive examination (students must take a minimum of 5 courses to complete the MA-LLCP and 8 to complete the MA-LLC).
2. After the written exam, students are encouraged to contact their Graduate Studies representative for general feedback during the time period that precedes the oral exam.
3. 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.
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, Honors and High Honors, 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. In border-line cases, a written assignment will be required by the faculty. Scheduling is at the discretion of the Foreign Language Pedagogy Faculty but in all cases will adhere to UD Graduate Study regulations and time frames for the completion of the degree.