| Previous | Next | Contents | Search | UA |
Dr. Barbara Godorecci, Chairperson
Office: 200 B. B. Comer Hall
General requirements for admission to the Graduate School are set forth in the "Academic Policies" section of this catalog. All applicants to graduate degree programs in the Department of Modern Languages and Classics must submit a writing sample in support of the application. All applicants are considered for financial support in the form of a Graduate Teaching Assistantship. Applicants who wish to be considered for additional financial support in the form of enhanced assistantships or fellowships are encouraged to take the Graduate Record Examination general test or Miller Analogies Test.
For students with deficiencies in undergraduate preparation, admission may be contingent upon completion of designated undergraduate requirements. (In particular, all three tracks of the master of arts program in German, as described below, presuppose completion of an undergraduate survey of German literature or a survey of German culture/civilization that includes a substantial literary component. Students lacking this requirement who are nevertheless admitted to the German master of arts program must make up this course concurrent with their other coursework.)
Qualified students who are holders of an appropriate undergraduate degree may be admitted directly to the doctoral program in Romance languages. However, in such circumstances completion of all requirements for the appropriate master of arts program, including comprehensive testing and subsequent awarding of the master of arts degree, will be a prerequisite for completion of the doctoral degree.
Qualified students can seek dual admission to the School of Law and to any master of arts program offered in the Department of Modern Languages and Classics. If admitted to both, the student will be exempted from at least 6 hours of coursework for the juris doctor degree.
The Department of Modern Languages and Classics offers degree programs leading to the master of arts in German, the master of arts in Romance languages, and the doctor of philosophy in Romance languages. All three degree programs incorporate a variety of options (see below). An M.B.A./M.A. dual degree program combining a master's in business administration with a master's in German or Romance languages (either French or Spanish option) is also offered (see below). Some of the degree programs described below are now undergoing revision and modification. For current information, consult the departmental Graduate Student Handbook or contact the departmental graduate director.
Master of arts in German. Three concentrations are available:
German literature. Plan I (24 hours of coursework and a thesis) or Plan II (30 hours of coursework, no thesis). In addition to German literature courses, students must take GN 510 History of the German Language and 3 hours of Middle High German. With the approval of the German graduate adviser, 6 hours of graduate work in a related field may be applied to the degree.
Germanic philology. Plan I (24 hours of coursework and a thesis) or Plan II (30 hours of coursework, no thesis). In addition to philology courses, students must take 6 hours of German literature. With the approval of the German graduate adviser, 9 hours of graduate work in a related field may be applied to the degree. EN 622 Old English may count as a German course for candidates in this concentration. The concentration and courses in Germanic philology are offered subject to availability of qualified faculty.
German studies. Plan II only (30 hours of coursework, no thesis). Students must take 15 hours of German literature/culture and philology courses, 3 hours in German history, and one 3-hour interdisciplinary seminar. With the approval of the German graduate adviser, 9 hours of graduate work in a related field may be applied to the degree.
Regardless of concentration, all graduate teaching assistants must enroll is the teaching practicum, currently offered under GN 551/GN 552. Upon completing coursework for any of the three concentrations in German, a student must pass a comprehensive examination based on the coursework and on a pre-established reading list. For information regarding the examination, please contact the graduate director.
A student who chooses to write a thesis will defend it orally.
Master of arts in Romance languages. A single degree program incorporates a variety of options and tracks:
There are three options: the French Option, the Spanish Option, and the Romance Languages Option (which combines languages). All three options have thesis and nonthesis tracks. The French and Spanish options also allow for an applied linguistics track (thesis or nonthesis). Regardless of the option or track, all new graduate teaching assistants must enroll for the Practicum in Applied Linguistics (either FR 512 or SP 502).
Nonthesis tracks of the master of arts in Romance languages (Plan II). A description of the typical configuration for the various nonthesis tracks of the master of arts in Romance language follows. Included in all nonthesis tracks of the master of arts in Romance languages is a core of five courses in the five areas listed below (approximately 50 percent of the major). Twenty-one hours of the coursework must be language specific.
All nonthesis tracks require success on comprehensive exams before granting of the degree.
Thesis tracks of the master of arts in Romance languages (Plan I). A description of the typical configuration for the various thesis tracks of the master of arts in Romance language follows. The Romance languages core requirements do not apply to thesis tracks.
M.B.A./M.A. Modern Languages Dual Degree Program. Candidates accepted into both the M.B.A. program and an M.A. program in German or Romance languages (either French or Spanish options) can fulfill all requirements for both degrees in three years. Other M.A. requirements may vary from what is shown above, based on factors such as the availability of coursework during the student's window of opportunity. Typically, students complete the majority of their M.A. coursework in the first year prior to a cultural and language immersion summer experience abroad. The M.B.A. core curriculum comprises the second academic year, followed by a seven-month extensive international internship spanning one summer and the fall semester of the final academic year. Students return to campus for the spring semester of the final year to finish remaining M.B.A. and M.A. coursework and to take comprehensive examinations before graduating. More detailed information about this unique program, about possibilities for financial support, and the admission process is available online or by contacting the Manderson Graduate School of Business or the Department of Modern Languages and Classics.
Doctor of philosophy in Romance languages. Three options are available:
French Option. The curriculum is centered on French, though up to 12 hours of coursework in a related discipline is admissible. All new graduate teaching assistants must take FR 512. At the conclusion of the coursework, a qualifying examination must take place before work on the dissertation can begin. The qualifying examination includes written and oral components. The written examination is comprised of six sections. Four of the sections pertain to standard periods of French literature in which the student has had coursework. The remaining two sections are open and may pertain either to additional literary periods or to any other area(s) of study that the student has undertaken in French or in a related field, such as Francophone literature and culture, French civilization, French linguistics, etc.
Spanish Option. The curriculum is centered on Spanish, though up to 12 hours of coursework in a related discipline is admissible. All new graduate teaching assistants must take SP 502. At the conclusion of the coursework, a qualifying examination must take place before work on the dissertation can begin. The qualifying examination includes written and oral components. The written examination is comprised of five sections, all pertaining to the standard periods of Peninsular and Spanish-American literature. Prior to the written examination, the candidate will determine two periods to be of primary interest, and these will figure more prominently in the exam structure.
Romance Languages Option. Candidates for the Romance languages track will be allowed to tailor their programs individually, with the advice of a graduate faculty committee. The goal will be to meet the interests and career requirements of the candidate by utilizing the full resources of the department and of cognate graduate programs offered by the University. Normally, students choosing this option major in French or Spanish, with a minor in the other language. However, both the major and the minor are understood to be flexible and possibly interdisciplinary. For example, a variety of alternative minors are possible, depending upon the student's needs, and limited only by his or her qualifications and the cooperation of other faculties. Some pre-approved minors for qualified students include German, TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language), and Latin American studies. Other customized programs can be made to incorporate combinations of coursework in linguistics, applied linguistics, Italian studies, history, art history, women studies, English, anthropology, etc. All new graduate teaching assistants must take either FR 512 or SP 502. The qualifying examination for the Romance languages option takes the following form. The written examination is formulated by a graduate faculty committee and is based on the candidate's fields and coursework. It has as its goal the cognitive and conceptual understanding of the material actually studied, including the synthesis of possibly disparate fields in the student's curriculum. It is conceived of as a "defense and illustration" of the student's program. The oral examination coincides with the presentation of the dissertation proposal and focuses on the coursework and the preliminary research for the proposed dissertation.
In addition to the program-specific requirements presented above, all doctoral candidates, regardless of the option selected, must adhere to the following. The minimal formal coursework required is 60 semester hours, which may include up to 30 hours of transferred credits earned at another institution. Students who have completed a master's thesis, however, need accumulate only 54 hours of coursework. Once all coursework is completed, an additional 24 hours of dissertation research are required. All doctoral candidates must possess reading knowledge of one language in addition to English, their native language, and their language of specialization. It is strongly recommended that, before the termination of studies, all doctoral candidates reside for a period in a country or location requiring constant interaction in the language of specialization.
FR 501 Reading Proficiency in French I. Three hours, no credit awarded.
Introduction to French grammar and vocabulary, with emphasis on developing basic reading and translation skills.
FR 502 Reading Proficiency in French II. Three hours, no credit awarded.
Prerequisite: FR 501 or permission of the instructor.
Continued study of grammar and vocabulary, with emphasis on further developing reading and translation skills.
FR 511 Research Methodology. Three hours.
Basic research tools and techniques. Edmunds, Lightfoot, Mayer-Robin, Picone, Robinson Kelly, Zupancic.
FR 512 Practicum: Applied Linguistics. Three hours.
The analysis and various practical applications of selected teaching techniques. Lightfoot.
FR 515 Topics in Second Language Acquisition. Three hours. Same as SP 581.
Topics vary. Analysis of major issues, theories, research findings and their implications for teaching. Examples: second language reading, classroom language acquisition. May be repeated for credit. Lightfoot.
FR 521 Pronunciation and Phonetics. Three hours.
Introduction to phonetic theory and corrective phonetics through auditory discrimination exercises and contrastive analysis; emphasis on mastery of oral skills. Picone.
FR 531 Francophone Africa. Three hours.
Prominent themes of the African experience, seen through the eyes of Francophone authors and cinematographers of the Maghreb, sub-Saharan Africa, and the immigration; dialect variations and sociolinguistic configurations. Picone.
FR 533 Topics in French Culture and Civilization. Three hours.
Study of French artistic heritage and development of social and political institutions. May be repeated for credit. Edmunds, Lightfoot, Mayer-Robin, Picone, Robinson Kelly, Zupancic.
FR 545 17th-Century French Literature I. Three hours.
Prose writings of the 17th century, including but not limited to the philosophical works of Descartes and Pascal and the novels of Madame de Lafayette. Edmunds.
FR 546 17th-Century French Literature II. Three hours.
Verse writings of the 17th century, including but not limited to the pre-classical poets (such as Saint-Amant and de Viau) and the dramatic works in verse (such as the plays of Corneille, Moliere, and Racine). Edmunds.
FR 547 Special Topics in 18th-Century French Literature. Three hours.
A selection of the important texts of the period. Lectures and discussion. May be repeated for credit.
FR 548 18th Century: The Philosophe Movement. Three hours.
Intellectual prose of the Enlightenment. Lectures and discussion.
FR 551 19th-Century French Novel. Three hours.
Close readings of the novel alongside studies in Romanticism, realism, naturalism, symbolism, and Décadence. Novelists, works, and movements privileged will vary, but generally include combinations of the following: Chateaubriand, Mme de Stael, Stendhal, Balzac, Hugo, Sand, Flaubert, Zola, Huysmans. May be repeated for credit. Mayer-Robin.
FR 552 Special Topics in 19th-Century French Literature. Three hours.
Readings in poetry, theatre, and prose, either genre-specific or in combination, generally focusing on the first or latter half of the century in order to consider movements in literary thought. May be repeated for credit. Mayer-Robin.
FR 553 20th-Century French Novel. Three hours.
Major novelists of the period and their works. Reading and discussion of complete texts; lectures and reports. Zupancic.
FR 554 Special Topics in 20th-Century French Literature. Three hours.
Major trends in 20th-century French poetry, theatre, essays, and history of ideas. Lectures and reports. Zupancic.
FR 555 Québécois Literature and Culture. Three hours.
A study of the history, culture, and literature of Québec and French Canada, with emphasis on the modern period. Zupancic.
FR 561 French Linguistics. Three hours.
Linguistic theory applied to the analysis and description of French phonological, morphological, syntactic, and lexical systems. Tendencies of change in contemporary French. Dialect areas. Picone.
FR 563 French-English Translation. Three hours.
Study of the problems of translation and of translation theories addressing them. Picone.
FR 564 French Language and Literature of the Middle Ages: Beginnings. Three hours.
Old French language and literature will be studied through major works of the period 1000-1250. Robinson Kelly.
FR 565 French Language and Literature of the Middle Ages: 1250-1500. Three hours.
Middle French language and literature will be studied through major works of the period 1250-1500. Robinson Kelly.
FR 590 Directed Readings/Directed Study. Three hours.
Subject matter varies. May be repeated for credit. Edmunds, Lightfoot, Mayer-Robin, Picone, Robinson Kelly, Zupancic.
FR 598 Nonthesis Research. Variable credit.
FR 599 Thesis Research. Variable credit.
May be repeated for a total of 6 hours. Edmunds, Lightfoot, Mayer-Robin, Picone, Robinson Kelly, Zupancic.
FR 643 Poetry of the French Renaissance. Three hours.
Major poets of the Renaissance, with emphasis on Marot, Sceve, Louise Labé, du Bellay, Ronsard. Robinson Kelly.
FR 644 Narratives of the French Renaissance. Three hours.
A study of major works, including Rabelais and Montaigne. Robinson Kelly.
FR 670 Graduate Seminar. Three hours.
Subject may be in French literature, linguistics, civilization, or a combination. Examples: Proust, French lexicology, Francophone Louisiana, French cinema. May be repeated for credit. Edmunds, Lightfoot, Mayer-Robin, Picone, Robinson Kelly, Zupancic.
FR 680 Special Topics. Variable credit.
Directed reading and/or research on varying subjects. May be repeated for credit. Edmunds, Lightfoot, Mayer-Robin, Picone, Robinson Kelly, Zupancic.
GN 551, GN 552, GN 571, GN 575, and GN 576 may be repeated for credit when the content varies substantially. A period course ( GN 515, GN 520, GN 525, GN 530, GN 535, or GN 540) may vary in emphasis during different semesters; when this is the case, students may take the course a second time, but credit for the course may be applied only once toward the minimum hours required for the degree.
GN 503 German Reading Proficiency I. Three hours, no credit awarded.
Introduction to German grammar and vocabulary, with emphasis on developing basic reading and translation skills. Normally offered first semester of summer school only.
GN 504 German Reading Proficiency II. Three hours, no credit awarded.
Prerequisite: GN 503 or permission of the instructor.
Continued study of grammar and vocabulary, with emphasis on further developing reading and translation skills. Normally offered second semester of summer school only.
GN 510 History of the German Language. Three hours.
The relationship to Indo-European and to the other Germanic dialects; linguistic development from the earliest times to the present.
Development of the Gothic language; readings from Wulfila's Gothic translation of the Bible.
GN 512 Old Norse (Old Icelandic). Three hours.
Old Icelandic grammar; development of the Old Icelandic language; selected readings from the Eddas and the sagas.
GN 515 Middle High German Language and Literature. Three hours.
Introduction to the language and literature of the Middle High German period.
GN 520 Renaissance and Baroque Literature. Three hours.
Works from the Renaissance (including literature from the Reformation and Humanism) and the Baroque (17th century).
GN 525 Literature of the Age of Goethe. Three hours.
Includes the German Enlightenment, Sturm und Drang, Weimar Classicism, and the Romantic movement.
GN 530 Literature of the Age of Realism. Three hours.
Includes Biedermeier, Junges Deutschland, Poetic Realism, and Naturalism.
GN 535 Literature of the Early 20th Century. Three hours.
Includes the Jahrhundertwende, Expressionism, Neue Sachlichkeit, Exilliteratur, and literature of the Third Reich.
GN 540 Literature after 1945. Three hours.
Literature of the German-speaking world in the post-World War II era.
GN 551:552 Special Problems and Directed Readings. Three hours.
Special topics chosen by students in conference with the instructor. Staff.
GN 571 Seminar in Selected Authors. Three hours.
Students will normally give reports and write at least one research paper.
GN 575 Seminar in a Literary Genre. Three hours.
Students will normally give reports and write at least one research paper.
GN 576 Seminar on a Literary Theme. Three hours.
Students will normally give reports and write at least one research paper.
GN 599 Thesis Research. Variable credit.
RL 557 Critical Theory. Three hours.
RL 680 Special Topics. Variable credit.
Topics may be interdisciplinary or language-specific. A three-hour special topics course in Italian or Italian studies is offered regularly (B. Godorecci, M. Godorecci). Examples: Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, 19th-century Italian novel, Vico, Machiavelli, commedia dell'arte. May be repeated for credit.
SP 501 Bibliography and Electronic Research Methodology. One hour.
Basic research tools and techniques.
SP 502 Practicum: Applied Linguistics. Three hours.
In-depth analysis of fundamental concepts in foreign language learning and teaching. Topics include grammar and vocabulary acquisition, classroom discourse, reading and listening comprehension, writing and principles of language testing. Cipria.
SP 503 Reading Proficiency in Spanish I. Three hours, no credit awarded.
Introduction to Spanish grammar and vocabulary, with emphasis on developing basic reading and translation skills.
SP 504 Reading Proficiency in Spanish II. Three hours, no credit awarded.
Prerequisite: SP 503 or permission of the instructor.
Continued study of grammar and vocabulary, with emphasis on further developing reading and translation skills.
SP 515 Spanish-American Colonial Texts. Three hours.
In-depth study of texts from the colonial period, with emphasis on colonialism and the role of writing in colonization and decolonization. Readings may vary. Janiga-Perkins.
SP 516 19th-Century Spanish-American Literature I. Three hours.
In-depth study of major literary works of the period, with emphasis on Romanticism, social Romanticism, and Romantic realism. Readings may vary. May be repeated for credit. Janiga-Perkins.
SP 517 19th-Century Spanish-American Literature II. Three hours.
In-depth study of major literary works of the period, with emphasis on naturalism and modernism (Martí, Darió, etc.). Janiga-Perkins.
SP 518 20th-Century Spanish-American Novel. Three hours.
A study of the novelistic currents and selected major novelists from the Mexican Revolution to the present. Toledo.
SP 519 20th-Century Spanish-American Poetry. Three hours.
A study of the poetic movements since modernismo to the present, with emphasis on important poets, such as Gabriela Mistral, Pablo Neruda, and Octavio Paz. Toledo.
SP 520 18th-Century Spanish Literature. Three hours.
Subject matter varies, but will consist of some combination of the following areas: poetry, theatre, and prose works representing the different literary tendencies of the 18th century as well as the ideological issues of the period.
SP 521 19th-Century Spanish Prose. Three hours.
Reading and discussion of complete texts representative of the literary movements of the period; lectures and reports. Schnepf.
SP 522 19th-Century Spanish Poetry and Theatre. Three hours.
Important dramatists and poets of the period and their works; lectures and reports. Schnepf.
SP 525 20th-Century Spanish Literature, Pre-Civil War. Three hours.
Reading and discussion of texts representative of the literary movements of the period. Lectures, discussions, and reports. Villanueva.
SP 526 20th-Century Spanish Literature, Post-Civil War. Three hours.
Reading and discussion of texts representative of the literary movements of the period. Lectures, discussions, and reports. Villanueva.
SP 534 Spanish-American Theatre. Three hours.
A study of the development of the Spanish-American theatre from its origins to the present, with emphasis on 20th-century authors such as Florencio Sánchez and Rodolfo Usigli.
SP 538 Spanish-American Short Story. Three hours.
A study of the short story from El Matedero to the present, with emphasis on 20th-century writers such as Horacio Quiroga, Jorge Luis Borges, and Gabriel García Márquez. Toledo.
SP 541 Survey of Medieval Spanish Literature. Three hours.
El Cantar de Mio Cid and other selected texts. Lecture, discussion, and reports.
SP 556 Introduction to Spanish Linguistics. Three hours.
Linguistic theory applied to the analysis of the Spanish language. Topics include phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and language change and variation. Cipria.
SP 566 Spanish-American Civilization. Three hours.
Study of Spanish-American cultural heritage and of the development of social and political institutions.
SP 581 Topics in Second Language Acquisition. Three hours. Same as FR 515.
Analysis of major issues, theories, research findings, and their implications for teaching. Examples: second language reading, classroom language acquisition. May be repeated for credit. Cipria.
SP 584 Spanish Phonetics and Syntax. Three hours.
Detailed examination of Spanish phonetics and syntactic structures, including dialectical variations. Cipria.
SP 590 Open Topics. Three hours.
Subject matter varies. May be repeated for credit.
SP 591 Cervantes. Three hours.
Works of Cervantes. Offered on demand. Worden.
SP 593 16th-Century Peninsular Literature. Three hours.
Reading and discussion of selected works of the period. Worden.
SP 594 17th-Century Peninsular Literature. Three hours.
Reading and discussion of selected works of the period. Worden.
SP 598 Nonthesis Research. Variable credit.
SP 599 Thesis Research. Variable credit. May be repeated for a total of 6 hours.
SP 600 Directed Readings or Research. May be repeated for variable credit.
SP 605 Old Spanish: Phonology. Three hours.
Introduction to Medieval epic; El Cantar de Mio Cid.
SP 606 Old Spanish: Morphology. Three hours.
Prerequisite: SP 605.
Representative works of Medieval literature.
SP 689 Seminar in Spanish-American Literature. Three hours.
Subject matter varies. May be repeated for credit.
SP 690 Seminar in Spanish Literature. Three hours.
Subject matter varies. May be repeated for credit.
SP 699 Dissertation Research. May be repeated for variable credit. Three-hour minimum.
| Top | Previous | Next | Contents | Search | UA |