Admission requirements conform to the general University regulations. Applicants whose specialization is in French or Francophone literatures and cultures or who are in a program deemed equivalent are encouraged to apply. The English language proficiency test (TOEFL) is not required to enter the MA in French Program.

The application process is completed online.

The application includes the following documents which must be downloaded:

1. A letter of intent in French, stating why you want to do a Master’s degree in French with us, what your areas of interest would be, your intellectual and academic background that prepared you and what you would like your research focus to be (a page to a page and a half in length).
2. All of your official transcripts since the first year of university.
3. Two reference letters written by your undergraduate professors. We recommend that students ask for these letters very early, communicate the deadlines to their referees (professors providing a letter of reference) and provide them with relevant documents (CV, copy of transcripts, study plan, etc.).
4. Your resume (Curriculum Vitae).
5. A non-refundable amount of 110 Canadian dollars must accompany your application form for administrative fees. This fee must be paid in Canadian dollars using a credit card payment or electronic transfer.

The main criterion is the excellence of your grades and the quality of your letters of recommendation. Offers of admission will be normally sent in the spring by the School of Graduate Studies upon the recommendation of the department’s Graduate Studies Committee.

If you are an international student intending to undertake full-time studies in Canada, you must first notify the officials of the Canadian Immigration Service in your country of origin. Applicants must not leave their country until they have in their possession an offer of admission, issued only by the Faculty of Graduate Studies of McMaster University, and a valid study permit to study at McMaster issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Please note that students from certain countries must obtain a Temporary Resident Visa before being allowed to study in Canada. For further information, please visit the website Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada (French and English versions).

Canadian equivalency for grades obtained at foreign universities will be calculated following the guidelines of the Ontario Universities Registrars’ Association (OURA).

For more information, we invite you to consult International Student Services.

MA with project

The candidate is required to:

1. Obtain a grade of at least B- in each of six half courses, one of which, FRENCH 705 Introduction to Literary and Critical Theory, is mandatory. Exceptionally, after consultation with the Department, one graduate course at the 700-level may be taken outside of the Department in a subject related to the student’s research. With the approval of the Graduate Program Committee, a student may select a course of study under FRENCH 730 Lectures Dirigées.
2. Write in French, under the supervision of a member of the Department of French, a Major Research Paper (MRP) normally amounting to 35-45 double-spaced typewritten pages (excluding bibliography). The paper must be on an approved subject and present solid research and critical analysis. The student must successfully defend this project at an oral examination conducted in French.

MA with thesis

Admission to the French MA thesis stream is not automatic with admission to the MA program. By the end of the first term after submitting a formal request, students will require approval in writing from their prospective supervisor, submission of a formal thesis proposal and approval by the Departmental Graduate Studies Committee. The candidate is required to:

1. Obtain a grade of at least B- in each of four half courses, one of which, FRENCH 705 Introduction to Literary and Critical Theory, is mandatory. Exceptionally, after consultation with the Department, one graduate course at the 700 level may be taken outside of the Department in a subject related to the student’s research. With the approval of the Graduate Program Committee, a student may also select a course of study under FRENCH 730 Lectures Dirigées.
2. Write, under the supervision of a member of the Department of French, a thesis that would normally amount to 80-120 double-spaced typewritten pages. The thesis should be on an approved subject, embodying the results of original research and showing independent critical judgment. The student must successfully defend this thesis at an oral examination normally conducted in French.

Visit Graduate Studies to learn more about tuition, supplementary fees and everything you need to know about being paid as a Teaching or Research Assistant. Tuition fees are assessed on a term-by-term basis, depending on the number of courses a student takes or if they are paying by term.

The McMaster Graduate Scholarship (MGS) is the most common form of scholarship support available to graduate students in our program. The MGS ensures that students receive a guaranteed minimum level of scholarship support. Adjustments to the MGS will depend on other available scholarships.

The Faculty of Humanities Adjustments guidelines policy is available for review.

Graduate Course Offerings & Outlines 2024-2025

Fall

FRENCH 6CC3 / Theoretical Reflections on Interdisciplinarity, Dr. Elzbieta Grodek
FRENCH 6U03 / Topics in Literature and Culture of Quebec and Francophone Canada, Dr. Joëlle Papillon
FRENCH 705 / Introduction to Literary and Critical Theory, Dr. John Stout
FRENCH 711 / Voltaire et son siècle, Dr. William Hanley
FRENCH 730 / Lectures Dirigées

Winter

FRENCH 6MM3 / Sex, violence, and elegance: the eighteenth-century French novel, Dr. William Hanley
FRENCH 6Y03 / Topics in 20th Century French Literature, Dr. Elzbieta Grodek
FRENCH 701 / La poésie française contemporaine, Dr. John Stout
FRENCH 730 / Lecture Dirigées
FRENCH 733 / La Littérature Autochtone. Dr. Joëlle Papillon

Students who are accepted also have the option of taking, with the professor’s agreement, one directed (tailored) reading course (FRENCH 730) a year on a chosen subject.

McMaster Scholarships
External Scholarships

The Department offers a teaching assistantship to all students admitted to the Graduate Program by the official deadline.

Discover the resources available for Teaching Assistants and offered by the Paul R. MacPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Excellence in Teaching.

• McMaster Teaching Assistant Guide
• McMaster Teaching Assistant Guide for Remote Teaching
• Forward with FLEXibility: A Teaching and Learning Resource on Accessibility
• MacPherson Supported Teaching Tools

The MacPherson Institute is located in the McMaster Mills Library (L504) and is a resourceful and welcoming place to meet teaching and learning specialists at McMaster.

TAs’ Community of Practice

Teaching Assistants’ Community of Practice in the Department of French:

French TAs meet a couple of times each term to share best practices and discuss their teaching experiences.

Collective Agreement

CUPE 3906 – T.A.s (Unit 1)

A collective agreement providing terms and conditions of employment as a TA at McMaster.

Research assistantships are occasionally available conditional on faculty research funding.

With a French graduate degree, you could work as a teacher, journalist, translator, interpreter, proofreader, international aid and development worker, diplomatic service officer, education consultant, government administrator, public policy analyst, and lawyer.

You will gain marketable skills such as:

• Analytical and critical thinking
• Conceptual, systemic, interconnected thinking
• Listening and communication
• Discussion and negotiation
• Writing and literature review skills
• Problem-solving
• Teamwork ability
• Planning and organizing activities
• Intercultural dialogue
• Understanding of diverse worldviews and practices
• Open-mindedness
• Life-long learning skills

Academic job postings are available on University Affairs and Fabula, among other sources.

Career and professional development