French M.A. Program at Texas Tech University

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French MA Program at Texas Tech University

The French Program at Texas Tech University, a Research 1 University, is currently accepting graduate students into its MA Program.

The French MA program is part of the Department of Classical & Modern Languages and Literatures, offering advanced two-year training in French and Francophone Language, Literature, and Culture, as well as in linguistics and language teaching. Most MA students are funded through a teaching assistantship, which allows for a substantial tuition reduction and a monthly stipend. Graduate students have the possibility to apply for a summer assistantship at the study-abroad program in Reims, France. Students who have completed the MA program have been admitted to top Ph.D. programs across the United States. Others have gone on to teach in high school, work in government administration, or succeed in international companies.

The French MA Program at Texas Tech maintains a focus on literary studies and pedagogy while integrating a large scope of cultural material and a variety of theoretical frameworks. Courses are taught in the following areas: Medieval literature; 16th-, 17th-, 18th, 19th-, 20th- and 21st-Century literatures; French Civilization; Cinema; Literary Theory; Teaching Methods; and Francophone literatures. It is a vibrant program that benefits from an experienced team of cross-disciplinary professors. Faculty members encourage intellectual inquiry and critical thinking through several collaborative endeavors.

The French Program at Texas Tech offers an intensive, hand-on, practical teaching Methods course to our Graduate Part-Time Instructors and Teaching Assistants, thus assuring solid, communicative-based instruction in our undergraduate courses. It assures that all new instructors in our department receive training and practice in effective teaching.

MA students in French receive thorough training and constant guided supervision in their own teaching of lower-level French courses, thus assuring a high quality of instruction and practice. All applicants to the MA are encouraged to apply for a teaching assistantship and funding, which is allocated on a competitive basis.

The graduate advisor formulates a degree plan with respect to the interests of the student and availability of French faculty. MA students have the possibility to do a master's thesis in the following periods and areas: Medieval Studies, 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century, 19th Century, 20th Century, 21st Century, Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition, Francophone Literature, Literary Theory, and Cinema. 
Teaching Assistantship in French at TTU:

Graduate students accepted to the MA program in French may be offered one of the following assistantships:

TA1s are teaching assistants who are part of a formal mentoring and training program and do not yet have full independent responsibility for a class. Typically, first year Master students in French come in with the status of TA1 and work toward becoming ready to teach their own independent section in their second year, or in the summer following their first year.

TA2s are teaching assistants who are part of a formal mentoring and training program, and also have full independent responsibility for teaching their own sections, under guidance and direction of the French Language Program Director (LPD).

GPTIs are Graduate Part Time Instructors who are still part of the mentoring and training program, however who have typically completed one year of graduate study, the first-year mentoring and training program, and who have responsibility for their own independent course sections.

The first year mentoring and training program consists of the following professional development activities:

Enrollment in FREN 5305/LING 5322 - Practicum in Language Teaching: Teaching Methods
Weekly studios with the Language Program Director to learn about best practices and approaches to: assessing student learning, designing instructional activities to foster language development and interculturality, supporting students with special needs, navigating and optimizing use of teaching and learning tools
Apprenticeship in teaching through tutoring activities

For more information, visit our program's webpage. If you have questions, contact Dr. Bruno Penteado, Recruitment Coordinator (bpentead@ttu.edu), or Dr. Lucas Wood, Director of Graduate Studies (lucas.wood@ttu.edu).