MA program
The Department of French at Dalhousie University invites applications for admission to the program leading to the degree of Master of Arts in French.
Courses leading to the MA degree in French are offered in the areas of French and francophone literatures and cultures, French and general linguistics, and second language studies.
The Department offers both MA with thesis and MA without thesis programs.
Students may be accepted on a full-time or a part-time basis. A full-time student must spend a minimum of one year in full-time graduate study. Part-time students may carry a maximum of 15 credit hours (corresponding to five one-term courses) during one year.
Admission requirements
Candidates must
- satisfy the general requirements for admission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies, and
- show evidence of proficiency in spoken and written French.
A minimum B+ average (3.30 GPA) from a university of recognized standing is required.
When necessary—in order to improve the student's proficiency in French—a qualifying term/year may be required prior to admission to the graduate program proper. This is typically three to six undergraduate classes.
Requirements after admission
The MA-with thesis program requirements after admission are the following:
The equivalent of at least 27 credit hours (i.e., nine one-term courses) is required. This consists of a thesis (12 credit hours) plus 15 credit hours at the 5000-level, including three credit hours in Research Methods.
The thesis, written in French, is to be submitted and approved within the time limits set out in the Faculty of Graduate Studies regulations.
The MA-without-thesis program requirements after admission are the following:
The equivalent of at least 27 credit hours is required (i.e., nine one-term courses), distributed as follows:
- Required Course: FREN 5996: Independent Studies, serving as an integrative capstone course.
- Required Elective Courses: three credit hours in Literature, three credit hours in Linguistics, three credit hours in culture or "bridging" courses (e.g., Contemporary Culture, Linguistics and Literature).
- General Elective Courses: five courses from regular calendar offerings.
Scholarships
Students enrolled in the MA Without Thesis program are not eligible for most scholarships that are based on specific research projects, such as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) or the Killam scholarships.
Full-time (only) thesis program students are eligible for the Dalhousie Graduate Fellowship and for SSHRC CGS-Masters awards.
If you are a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, have completed or are about to complete a bachelor's degree, or are already pursuing a master's degree in the humanities or social sciences, you may be eligible to apply for a master's scholarship. Details are available at www.sshrc.ca.
Applications for the SSHRC CGS-Masters awards must be submitted through the Government of Canada’s Research Portal. Dalhousie-specific information on the award can be found here.
Most other Dalhousie awards for which you may be eligible can be applied for via Dalhousie’s scholarship platform, the Harmonized Scholarship Process. This program analyzes your application information, compares it to the available scholarships, and automatically submits your application for each scholarship which you are eligible for. To apply, follow this link for the Harmonized Scholarship Process.
Exceptionally strong candidates may be eligible for the prestigious Killam Scholarship. Application for the award is not made directly by the student; individuals are nominated by departments. Those seeking selection as Killam scholars should submit their applications for admission by the December 15th deadline.
More information
Dalhousie French Department Graduate Student Handbook (Dec 2023)