French (MA)

Program Overview

The Romance Languages and Literatures Department at Binghamton University offers a Master of Arts (MA) degree program in French, with both thesis and non-thesis tracks available, customized to allow students to focus on cultural and literary studies, linguistics, pedagogy, and/or translation. Moreover, students can use their elective courses and MA exams to complete additional graduate certificates in translation studies and in community college teaching. Students are expected to have a strong background in French, as most courses have a rigorous language component.

The program is diverse and highly flexible. Students are encouraged to explore interdisciplinary studies. A variety of 4+1 degree programs and joint MA-PhD programs are available.

Degrees Offered

  • MA in French

Internships, Research Opportunities and More

The program boasts expert faculty who are distinguished in their field, including scholars of linguistics, Renaissance and Medieval studies, Francophone studies and digital humanities. Small class sizes (ranging from 5 to 25 students) foster close student-faculty interactions and academic supervision. Students are encouraged to seek academic advising early to develop a suitable course of study for their interests. Many classes are offered in the evenings and at night to accommodate part-time, professional students.

The department offers merit-based scholarships as well as awards of excellence to be used toward tuition. For further information, email Graduate Director Brendan Hennessey (bhenness@binghamton.edu). Graduate students can also apply to work for University Tutorial Services. For additional information on financial aid, loans, scholarships and other part-time employment opportunities on campus for graduate students, explore the Graduate School website.

After You Graduate

This degree opens a broad range of professional opportunities in foreign language, culture and public service. Most graduates of the Romance Languages and Literatures Department become language instructors, translators, interpreters, editors and communicators, and many continue on to pursue doctoral studies in leading universities in their field of interest.

Admission Requirements

Funding/Scholarships

There are many funding and scholarship opportunities at Binghamton. We encourage prospective students to review available program-specific scholarships and awards, and visit the program's website for additional information. Note: Master's students are generally self-funded, although funding opportunities occasionally arise.

Accelerated/4+1 Degrees

You may also be interested in our accelerated/4+1 degree programs which allow students to complete their bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in just 5 years!

For more information, visit the French website.