The MA Thesis Option

An MA thesis may be substituted for two courses (6 credits) in the MAFLL or MAFLP programs.

Any student who has completed 15 hours of course work (or, in unusual circumstances, 9 hours) and wishes to take advantage of the thesis option must make arrangements with a tenured professor in the appropriate field. Once the professor has agreed to direct the thesis, the Chair of the appropriate language faculty must be notified.

FLP students who elect the thesis option must take no fewer than five literature courses in the classroom.

Theses may be directed by tenured faculty only.

Before a student registers for the thesis credits, he/she must meet with the chosen thesis director to discuss a topic of interest to the student.

Once a student is registered, the director suggests a schedule of meetings during the first semester. In these tutorial sessions, the readings selected are discussed and an outline for the paper is established. At the end of the first semester, the student receives a grade of satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

The director arranges the meetings for the second semester in which the draft of the thesis is examined and revised. Together with his/her director, a student selects a faculty reader for the thesis. While this reader may be an untenured professor, he or she must be a literature specialist within the Department, and in the same language area as the student (i.e., a specialist in French, German, or Spanish literature). A deadline is set for the completion of the thesis in time for the reader to go over the draft.

The thesis may be written in either the target language or in English; however, the one-page abstract required by the Graduate School must be written in English. The thesis must follow the guidelines of the latest edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.

The text of the thesis (excluding end notes and bibliography) must be at least 60 pages in length.

A thesis defense is not required. However, the student may be questioned about his/her thesis during the MA Oral Comprehensive Examination.

The thesis director, reader, and student should have the latest version of the regulations concerning theses and dissertations issued by the Office of Graduate Studies. All University regulations regarding format, deadlines, etc. must be followed.

The thesis director gives his/her student an "S" or a "U" for the research portion of the project (first 3 credits) which takes place during the first semester. Upon completion of the thesis, a grade is given. The grade covers the two semesters of work (six credits) and replaces the "S" or "U" given in the first semester.