Program Requirements

After successful completion of the UVa BA in French (totaling 30 credit hours), 10 additional graduate courses at the 5000 level are required for the MA (30 credit hours). At least 9 of those must be taken in the French department.

Students who are on track to complete at least one 4000-level French course during their 3rd Year will be encouraged to apply to the BA/MA program in the spring of their 3rd Year, no later than April 15.  4th-Year students who are on track to complete all the requirements for the major, but who missed the preceding year’s application deadline, should contact DGS to request expedited admission.

If accepted into the program, students will enroll in two 5000-level courses in their 4th Year of undergraduate study, after which they will matriculate fully into the MA. (Note that these two 5000-level courses will not count towards the 120 credits needed to graduate with a BA from the College. Nor do they count toward the major in French.  By GSAS regulation, B- is the lowest grade for which a student will receive credit for these courses, and students must maintain a minimum G.P.A. of 3.0 (B) to make satisfactory progress). In the following year, they will enroll in eight 5000-level courses.  A maximum of one course may be taken in a department other than French (students must indicate the relevance of this course for their studies and petition the DGS for permission prior to enrolling).  From the 9 total courses that must be taken in the French Department, at least three must be focused on the period before 1800; at least another three must focus on the period after 1750. One course may be taken as a reading course. In their final semester, students will complete the comprehensive MA examination. 

Students may be able to take two of the required courses during the summer on the UVA Study Abroad programs in Lyon.  Interested students should inquire with the director of the relevant program as early as possible in the year prior to the summer abroad.

Details on the required courses and the examination can be found in the Graduate Handbook.

Eligibility and Application Procedures

Eligibility: French majors with at least a 3.5 GPA in the major at the time of application are eligible to apply.

Applications should be submitted to the Director of Graduate Study by April 15.  Please include:

• A 1-2 page statement of purpose outlining your interests in French Studies and motivation for pursuing the MA.
• A transcript of your undergraduate work so far at UVa.
• A writing sample, in French, such as an academic paper (or two) that reflects your intellectual interests (10-15 pages total).
• Two letters of recommendation from persons familiar with your academic work in advanced French literature and culture courses at UVa. 
• Please also complete and return the application form (click here) with your dossier.

Students admitted into the BA/MA program must submit their application materials to the Graduate School, via the official online application system, no later than January 15 of their last year of undergraduate study.