The Department of French and Italian and the Literary Translation Program collaborate to offer a combined Master of Arts in French and Francophone World Studies and Master of Fine Arts in Literary Translation. Students interested in writing in its different forms—creative, academic, and translation—will find the University of Iowa to be the ideal place to develop their talents and an attractive option for more diversified career preparation.

Combined Degree Requirements

Students in the combined program earn both degrees by completing a minimum of 60 s.h. of coursework, fewer semester hours than if each degree was completed separately. Qualified students may be eligible for up to three years of full funding for a teaching assistant (TA) position.

Listed below are the general categories of coursework required to earn the degree; for more specific information on courses, curriculum, and requirements of either degree, visit the IU General Catalog.

French and Francophone World Studies
Course # Title Hours
One of these:    
FREN:5000/WLLC:5000 Teaching and Learning Languages 3
FREN:6005 Colloquium: Teaching French 3
Both of these:    
FREN:5001 Introduction to Graduate Study 2
FREN:5020 Comparative Stylistics 3
Seven courses in French and Francophone literature, culture, and/or linguistics 21
Total Hours 29

Students additionally complete written and oral final exams for the MA in French and Francophone World Studies. Students are not required to complete a thesis; should they choose to do so, a separate thesis is required.
 

Literary Translation
Course # Title Hours
All of these:    
TRNS:6000 The Craft and Contexts of Translation 3
TRNS:6459 Issues in Translation 3
TRNS:5999 Publishing, Prizes, and Presige 3
TRNS:6400 Thesis 1
TRNS:6444 Thesis Workshop 3
Six translation workshops (18 s.h.), of which 3 s.h. may be French to English translation 18
Total hours 31

Students additionally complete a thesis for the MFA in Literary Translation.

Important Deadlines

Application Deadline: January 15th (for financial support)

Admission

Admission to both degree programs is required, but applicants need apply to one program only and clearly note in their Statement of Purpose that they would like to be considered for the joint degree. For more information, review the Graduate Admissions requirements for French and Francophone World Studies and Literary Translation. For each degree, you can also find more information on the departmental websites for French and Italian and Translation.