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BA/MA in French

Want to get a headstart on your career and save tuition on a year of graduate school? The new combined BA/MA in French enables motivated students to complete two degrees within five years.

What are the requirements to enter the BA/MA?

Students must have a 3.0 GPA in the French major and apply to the MA in French before the end of junior year. Montclair State students meeting this standard are exempt from taking the GRE (not required for the MA in French).

Interested entering undergraduate students should apply to the BA in French with a concentration in French civilization (BA_MA_FREN).

What will my program look like?

In the first three years, students within the French civilization track of the French major will take courses required for their BA program. During the fourth year, students will take 12 credits of graduate courses (alongside other MSU required BA course work) including a required research methods course. These credits count toward both the BA in French and the MA in French Studies. Should an undergraduate student change their mind and not enter the MA program, these twelve credits will count toward the BA in French with a concentration in French civilization.

Assuming the student is admitted into the MA program, they will take the remaining eighteen credits toward the MA in French with a concentration in French Studies in the fifth and final year.

This path is mapped out in the University catalog.

What are the benefits of the program?

  • Increased language training and at a more much more sophisticated level
  • In-depth knowledge of the major movements and figure of French history and culture useful for doctoral programs, government work, and translation
  • Training in critical thinking, oral and written communication of arguments through class discussion, presentations, and research papers
  • Mastery of major databases, research practices, and critical theories
  • Mentorship and pre-professional networking through conferences and research groups
  • Opportunities for international partnerships and engagement

What are my career options after I complete this dual degree?

Upon graduation, students can enter the workforce as translators and project managers or continue to doctoral programs in French or other fields. Many students gain employment in international fields such as diplomacy, the intelligence community, or non-governmental agencies where their knowledge of French and Francophone language, literature and culture is a tremendous asset, particularly in French-speaking Africa and the Caribbean whose language speakers have been projected to rise to some 750 million people by 2050.