Guidelines for the Masters Comprehensive in French Studies

Purpose:

The purpose of this examination is to demonstrate the student’s basic, general comprehension of the three fields of French Studies: Linguistics, Literature, and Society and Culture. The examination is graded on a pass/fail basis.

Preparation:

Students are encouraged to obtain the reading list for the examination early in their studies and to familiarize themselves with its contents. The three core courses, as well as other offerings in the French Studies program, present material that is pertinent to the examination. It is helpful to take and retain good notes from course work, and to reflect on how these define major issues in each field. This being said, the examination is not merely a review of coursework. Because students make an individual selection of works from the reading list, and because some material on that list may not have been covered in classes, students must demonstrate the capacity to work independently.

Past examinations are on file in the department office (HU235), and may be consulted. Students have found it helpful to select a theme (the family, the role of women, etc.) in preparing the reading list for Society and Culture. A theme, a genre, or a critical problematic may also serve as a guiding principle for readings in Literature. Students are particularly encouraged to consult with the faculty member who is their Literature examiner well in advance of the examination. Because this portion of the examination is less fact-based and more interpretive in nature, it is helpful for a dialogue to be initiated with the examiner so that s/he may shape questions around the student’s interests and needs. Lagarde et Michard’s Anthologie et histoire littéraire, Denis Hollier’s New History of French Literature, and the New Oxford Companion to Literature in French are recommended reference works.

Depending upon previous preparation and other commitments, students usually take from one semester to one year to prepare the examination.

Exam committee:

The student will be examined by a committee of three faculty members, one from each field. The Director of Graduate Studies appoints the committee, but students may request a particular examiner for reasons of specialization, etc.

Time-table:

Students should notify the Director of Graduate Studies the semester BEFORE they intend to take the examination. The final reading list must be submitted to the DGS by no later than the first week of the semester in which the student takes the examination. Examinations are offered twice a year, normally in October and April.

Format:

The examination has two major parts, one written and one oral. Both parts are to be done in French.

1. Written Exam: The written exam has three sections, one in each field. Students will have up to three hours to complete each section, for a total of nine hours. Normally the written exam takes place on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of a week determined by the DGS. Students devote a day to each field. Dictionaries may be used, but no other book or notes. 
2. Oral Exam: The oral exam has two parts and normally takes place two weeks after the written exam. The first part of the oral exam is an explication de texte that lasts about two hours. The student will analyze either a literary or a cultural text that will be made available 24 hours in advance of the exam. (The student will be given a choice between two texts). To the extent possible, the explication de texte will examine the literary, cultural, and linguistic aspects of the text in question. The examiners will discuss the explication with the student, and then open the discussion to a review of the written exam and other questions pertaining to the student’s reading list. Students should feel free to elaborate on aspects of the written exam that they wish to clarify or correct. The complete oral exam lasts approximately two hours.

October 2001