Modern Languages, M.A.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 1 (for fall entry) or October 1 (for spring entry)

The Department of Modern Languages welcomes student applications.

1. Complete the Graduate School’s Online Application.
2. Upload Supplemental Application materials for the Department of Modern Languages to the link provided by the online application.

To be accepted to the M.A. in Modern Languages with a Languages emphasis requires either

• 30 credit hours of course work in the student's specialization (French, German, or Spanish), or
• 30 credit hours in two or three languages, ancient or modern, provided at least 18 credit hours are in the major language to be studied.

First-year language courses in any language and second-year language courses in the student’s major language do not satisfy this prerequisite.

Students in the M.A. in Modern Languages with an emphasis in Applied Linguistics and TESOL have four options for completing the degree. 

1) 36 credit hours of graduate-level linguistics coursework;
2) minimum of 24 credit hours of graduate-level linguistics coursework and 6-12 credit hours of coursework in a departmentally approved subfield;
3) minimum of 24 credit hours of graduate-level linguistics coursework and 6-12 credit hours of thesis work;
4) 18 credit hours of graduate-level linguistics coursework and 18 credit hours of a supervised internship (Lin 688 and 689).

All options require a B average in the coursework and must include the following courses:

• Lin 561: Multilingual Development & Education
• Lin 600: Fundamentals of Applied Linguistics
• Lin 603: Seminar in Phonology
• Lin 651: Instructed Second Language Acquisition
• Lin 687: Practicum in TESOL
• One of the following:
  • Lin 511: Dialects of English
  • Lin 552: Evaluation & Policy in Lang Education
  • Lin 571: Intercultural Comm & Education
  • Lin 572: Cultural Dimensions of Language Education

Students in the M.A. in Modern Languages with a Languages emphasis complete a minimum of 36 credit hours and have slightly different requirements for each of the language specializations. Students must either pass a written comprehensive exam based on the M.A. reading list or submit and defend a thesis. Both the written exam and the thesis contain an oral component.  

French Specialization

There are three options for completing the degree.

1) 36 credit hours of graduate-level coursework in French

2) 36 credit hours of graduate-level coursework, of which at least 24 credit hours must be in French and 6-12 credit hours in an approved subfield

3) 24 credit hours of graduate-level work in French and 6-12 thesis hours.  

No matter the option, students will take one of the following:

• Fr 651: Instructed Second Language Acquisition 
• Fr 672: Research & Practice in Classroom Second Language

German Specialization

There are two options for completing the degree.

1) 24 credit hours of graduate-level coursework in German and 6-12 credit hours in an approved subfield

2) 24 credit hours of graduate-level coursework in German and 6-12 thesis hours.  

No matter the option, students will take one of the following:

• Germ 651: Instructed Second Language Acquisition 
• Germ 672: Research and Practice in Classroom Second Language

Spanish Specialization

There are three options for completing the degree.

1) 33 credit hours of graduate-level coursework in Spanish and one elective course (3 credit hours)

2) 36 credit hours of graduate-level coursework, of which at least 24 credit hours must be in Spanish and 6-12 credit hours in an approved subfield

3) 24 credit hours of graduate-level work in Spanish and 6-12 thesis hours.  

No matter the option, students will take one of the following:

• Span 651: Instructed Second Language Acquisition 
• Span 672: Research & Practice in Classroom Second Language

 Students must also complete two of the following:

• Span 577: Survey of Spanish Literature I
• Span 578: Survey of Spanish Literature II
• Span 579: Survey of Spanish American Literature I
• Span 580: Survey of Spanish American Literature II

Students in the M.A. in Modern Languages with a Linguistics emphasis have three options for completing the degree.

1) 36 credit hours of graduate-level linguistics coursework;
2) minimum of 24 credit hours of graduate-level linguistics coursework plus 6-12 credit hours of coursework in a departmentally approved subfield; or
3) minimum of 24 credit hours of graduate-level linguistics coursework and 6-12 credit hours of thesis work. Students in the thesis option also take either Lin 690 or 691.

All options require a B average in the coursework and 36 total credit hours, including:

• Lin 603: Seminar in Phonology
• 6 credit hours of theoretical linguistics: 
  • Lin 604: Seminar in Morphology
  • Lin 605: Seminar in Syntax
  • Lin 610: Seminar in Sociolinguistics
  • Lin 620: Seminar in Historical Linguistics
• 6 credit hours of language diversity:
  • Lin 511: Dialects of English
  • Lin 520: Historical Linguistics
  • Lin 552: Evaluation & Policy in Language Education
  • Lin 561: Multilingual Development  and Education
  • Lin 571: Intercultural Communication and Education

The Department of Modern Languages offers Graduate Research Assistantships and Graduate Instructorships as well as scholarships. All applicants to the M.A. program are considered for an assistantship; there is no separate application for this funding. International students need to apply the earliest in order to complete the application in time to be considered while funds are still available. Visa requirements may take months as well.

Department assistantships cover

• some or all of the tuition and non-residency fee, if applicable, for regular semesters, and
• subsidized health insurance.

Students take an Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) in the first semester of the program. In order to qualify as a Graduate Instructor, the student must score Advanced-Low.

For more information, visit Graduate Programs in the Department of Modern Languages.

The Graduate School's financial aid webpage lists a variety of funding possibilities.