Program Overview

Foreign Languages, MA

The Master of Arts in Foreign Languages aims to enhance the linguistic and cultural proficiency of students through courses in sociolinguistics and second language acquisition, film studies, cultural studies, and literary studies. Students may select from six concentrations: Chinese, French, Korean, Spanish, Spanish and French, and Spanish/bilingual-multicultural education.

Concentrations

• Chinese (CHIN)
  • Course List Code | Title | Credits
    • CHIN 500 | Chinese Linguistics Teaching Methodology |
    • CHIN 510 | Topics in Traditional Chinese Literature |
    • CHIN 518 | Approaches to Classical/Literary Chinese |
    • CHIN 520 | Chinese and Sinophone Cinema |
    • CHIN 555 | Topics in Chinese Poetry and Poetics |
    • CHIN 575 | Chinese Popular Culture |
    • CHIN 576 | Advanced Translation |
    • CHIN 585 | Chinese Theatrical Dramas in the 20th Century |
  • Elective Courses
    • Choose four courses (12 credits) from the following. A maximum of 6 credits of CHIN 797 or 799 may be applied to the degree.
      • CHIN 797 | Capstone Project 1,2 |
      • CHIN 799 | Master's Thesis 2 |
      • Other CHIN courses in consultation with an advisor |
      • FRLN courses in consultation with an advisor |
      • ANTH 635 | Regional Ethnography |
      • EDCI 519 | Methods of Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners |
      • EDCI 560 | Methods of Teaching in Foreign/World Languages |
      • EDCI 684 | Advanced Methods of Teaching Foreign/Second Languages in PK-12 Schools |
      • EDRD 620 | Reading/Writing in Foreign/World Languages |
      • FOLK 570 | Topics in Regional Folklore Studies |
      • GGS 517 | Geography of China |
      • Other courses in select areas in consultation with advisor 3 |
    • Total Credits | 30
• French (FRN)
  • Course List Code | Title | Credits
    • Literature
      • Select two courses in literature chosen in consultation with an advisor and cover two different literary periods or Francophone regions. | 6
    • French Language and Linguistics
      • Select two courses in French language and linguistics chosen in consultation with an advisor. | 6
    • French
      • Select two additional courses in French literature or language in consultation with an advisor. | 6
    • Electives
      • Select four electives in consultation with an advisor. A maximum of 6 credits may be used for directed reading and research or thesis. | 12
      • FREN 798 | Directed Reading and Thesis Research |
      • FREN 799 | Thesis |
    • Total Credits | 30
• Korean (KORE)
  • Course List Code | Title | Credits
    • Core Courses
      • Choose six courses from the following: | 18
      • KORE 540 | Korean Translation Practicum |
      • KORE 550 | Critical Korean Cultural Studies |
      • KORE 520 | Seminar in Korean Popular Narrative |
      • KORE 530 | Korean Multimedia Pedagogy |
      • KORE 570 | Seminar in Korean Culture and Media |
      • KORE 610 | Methods of Korean Literary and Cultural Studies |
      • FRLN 590 | Internship in Community-Based Learning |
    • Elective Courses
      • Choose four courses (12 credits) from the following. A maximum of 6 credits of KORE 797 or KORE 799 can be applied to the degree. | 12
      • KORE 511 | Korean Language Pedagogy |
      • KORE 560 | Seminar in Gender and Society of Korea |
      • KORE 600 | Seminar in Digital Korean Studies |
      • KORE 797 | Capstone Project in Korean Studies |
      • KORE 799 | Master's Thesis in Korean Studies |
      • ANTH 635 | Regional Ethnography |
      • EDCI 560 | Methods of Teaching in Foreign/World Languages |
      • EDCI 684 | Advanced Methods of Teaching Foreign/Second Languages in PK-12 Schools |
      • EDRD 620 | Reading/Writing in Foreign/World Languages |
      • FRLN 565 | Theory of Translation |
      • FRLN 573 | Basic Issues in Language Pedagogy |
      • FRLN 575 | Heritage Language Education |
    • Total Credits | 30
• Spanish (SPN)
  • Course List Code | Title | Credits
    • Required Core Courses 1
      • SPAN 502 | Hispanic Sociolinguistics | 3
      • SPAN 510 | Methods of Literary and Cultural Studies | 3
    • Latino, Latin American, or Spanish cultures, literatures, or linguistics
      • Select any five courses with the SPAN subject code. | 15
    • Electives
      • Select three electives in consultation with an advisor. 2 | 9
      • SPAN 798 | Directed Reading and Research |
      • SPAN 799 | Thesis |
    • Total Credits | 30
• Spanish and French (SF)
  • Course List Code | Title | Credits
    • French
      • Select six required courses (not electives) specified under the concentration in French. | 18
    • Latino, Latin American, or Spanish cultures, literatures, or linguistics
      • Take the two required core courses specified under the concentration in Spanish, plus four electives with the SPAN subject code. | 18
    • Electives
      • Select two electives with the FREN, FRLN, and SPAN subject codes. 1 | 6
      • FREN 798 | Directed Reading and Thesis Research |
      • SPAN 798 | Directed Reading and Research |
      • FREN 799 | Thesis |
      • SPAN 799 | Thesis |
    • Total Credits | 42
• Spanish/Bilingual-Multicultural Education (SBM)
  • Course List Code | Title | Credits
    • Required Core Courses 1
      • SPAN 502 | Hispanic Sociolinguistics | 3
      • SPAN 510 | Methods of Literary and Cultural Studies | 3
    • Latino, Latin American or Spanish cultures, literatures, or linguistics
      • Select four courses with the SPAN subject code. | 12
    • Education Courses
      • Select two courses from the following list in consultation with an advisor. | 6
      • EDUC 511 | Child and Adolescent Development in Global Contexts |
      • EDUC 537 | Introduction to Culturally Linguistically Diverse Learners |
      • EDCI 516 | Bilingualism and Language Acquisition Research |
      • EDCI 520 | Assessment of Language Learners |
      • EDCI 560 | Methods of Teaching in Foreign/World Languages |
      • EDCI 684 | Advanced Methods of Teaching Foreign/Second Languages in PK-12 Schools |
      • EDRD 620 | Reading/Writing in Foreign/World Languages |
    • Electives 2
      • Select four electives in consultation with an advisor. | 12
    • Total Credits | 36

Program Outcomes

• French
  • Advanced Argumentation Skills
    • Students will be able to develop and support a critical argument on the literary, linguistic and cultural topic or artifact covered in their coursework.
  • Advanced Critical Thinking
    • Students will be able to critically examine linguistic, literary, and cultural practices of the French and/or Francophone or Hispanic peoples through the (a sophisticated) employment of linguistic, literary, and/or cultural studies theory.
  • Advanced Research Skills
    • Students will be able to read and compare academic articles, or perform modified replications of scholarly studies, and discuss their findings and implications in the field, whether the material is related to literature, language, linguistics or cultural studies.
  • Recognition of Multilingual and Multicultural Diversity
    • Students will be able to recognize of cultural diversity through rich exposure to a range of linguistic phenomena and cultural practices and artifacts.
  • Effective Oral Presentation Skills
    • Students will demonstrate effective oral communication in the target language on topics such as research, pedagogy, and relevant cultural material.
• Spanish and Spanish-Bilingual | Multicultural Education
  • Advanced Argumentation Skills
    • Students will be able to develop and support a critical argument on the literary, linguistic and cultural topic or artifact covered in their coursework.
  • Advanced Critical Thinking
    • Students will be able to critically examine linguistic, literary, and cultural practices of the French and/or Francophone or Hispanic peoples through the (a sophisticated) employment of linguistic, literary, and/or cultural studies theory.
  • Advanced Research Skills
    • Students will be able to read and compare academic articles, or perform modified replications of scholarly studies, and discuss their findings and implications in the field, whether the material is related to literature, language, linguistics or cultural studies.
  • Recognition of Multilingual and Multicultural Diversity
    • Students will be able to recognize cultural diversity through rich exposure to a range of linguistic phenomena and cultural practices and artifacts.
  • Critical Digital Research Skills
    • Students will demonstrate a facility with academic approaches to and best practices in incorporating new technologies, including selecting appropriate tools to perform research and present results in academic and professional settings.

Dual Degree Options

• Foreign Languages, MA and Global Affairs, MA Dual Degree
  • The Department of Modern and Classical Languages and the Global Affairs Program offer a dual master's program where a student can earn both a Foreign languages MA (concentration in Chinese, French, Korean, Spanish, Spanish and French, or Spanish-bilingual/multicultural education) and the Global Affairs MA with a minimum of 48 credits rather than the minimum of 60 credits.
  • Application Requirements
    • Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Graduate Admissions. For information specific to this dual master's program see Application Requirements and Deadlines.
  • Requirements
    • Students pursuing a dual master's program linking the Foreign Languages MA with a concentration in Chinese, French, Korean, Spanish, Spanish and French, or Spanish bilingual/multicultural education with the Global Affairs MA can share 12 credits between the two programs.

Accelerated Master's

• Foreign Languages, BA (Chinese Concentration)/Foreign Languages, Accelerated MA (Chinese Concentration)
  • Overview
    • Highly-qualified Mason undergraduates may be admitted to the bachelor's/accelerated master's program and obtain a BA in Foreign Languages with a concentration in Chinese and an MA in Foreign Languages with a concentration in Chinese in an accelerated time-frame after satisfactory completion of a minimum of 138 credits.
  • BAM Pathway Admission Requirements
    • Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Graduate Admissions Policies and Bachelor's Accelerated Master's Degree policies. For information specific to this accelerated master's program, see Application Requirements and Deadlines on the departmental website.
  • Accelerated Master's Admissions Requirements
    • Students already admitted in the BAM Pathway will be admitted to the MA program, if they have met the following criteria, as verified on the Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Transition form:
      • Minimum overall GPA of 3.00
      • Successfully meeting Mason's requirements for undergraduate degree conferral (graduation) and completing the application for graduation.
  • Accelerated Pathway Requirements
    • To maintain the integrity and quality of both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs, undergraduate students interested in taking graduate courses must choose from the following:
      • Advanced Standing courses (up to 12 credits)
        • 500-level CHIN courses
      • Reserve Graduate Credit courses (up to 6 credits) taken while an undergraduate and will only count for the graduate degree program
        • 500-level CHIN courses
• Foreign Languages, BA (Korean Concentration)/Foreign Languages, Accelerated MA (Korean Concentration)
  • Overview
    • Highly-qualified Mason undergraduates may be admitted to the bachelor's/accelerated master's program and obtain a BA in Foreign Languages with a concentration in Korean and an MA in Foreign Languages with a concentration in Korean in an accelerated time-frame after satisfactory completion of a minimum of 138 credits.
  • BAM Pathway Admission Requirements
    • Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Graduate Admissions Policies and Bachelor's Accelerated Master's Degree policies. For information specific to this accelerated master's program, see Application Requirements and Deadlines on the departmental website.
  • Accelerated Master's Admissions Requirements
    • Students already admitted in the BAM Pathway will be admitted to the MA program, if they have met the following criteria, as verified on the Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Transition form:
      • Minimum overall GPA of 3.00
      • Minimum grade of B- in each advanced standing course
      • Successfully meeting Mason's requirements for undergraduate degree conferral (graduation) and completing the application for graduation.
  • Accelerated Pathway Requirements
    • To maintain the integrity and quality of both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs, undergraduate students interested in taking graduate courses must choose from the following:
      • Advanced Standing courses (up to 12 credits)
        • KORE 511 Korean Language Pedagogy
        • KORE 520 Seminar in Korean Popular Narrative
        • KORE 530 Korean Multimedia Pedagogy
        • KORE 540 Korean Translation Practicum
        • KORE 550 Critical Korean Cultural Studies
        • KORE 560 Seminar in Gender and Society of Korea
        • KORE 570 Seminar in Korean Culture and Media
        • FRLN 565 Theory of Translation
        • FRLN 573 Basic Issues in Language Pedagogy
        • FRLN 575 Heritage Language Education
        • FRLN 590 Internship in Community-Based Learning
      • Reserve Graduate Credit courses (up to 6 credits) taken while an undergraduate and will only count for the graduate degree program
        • KORE 511 Korean Language Pedagogy
        • KORE 520 Seminar in Korean Popular Narrative
        • KORE 530 Korean Multimedia Pedagogy
        • KORE 540 Korean Translation Practicum
        • KORE 550 Critical Korean Cultural Studies
        • KORE 560 Seminar in Gender and Society of Korea
        • KORE 570 Seminar in Korean Culture and Media
        • FRLN 565 Theory of Translation
        • FRLN 573 Basic Issues in Language Pedagogy
        • FRLN 575 Heritage Language Education
        • FRLN 590 Internship in Community-Based Learning
• Foreign Languages, BA (Spanish Concentration)/Foreign Languages, Accelerated MA (Spanish Concentration)
  • Overview
    • Highly-qualified Mason undergraduates may be admitted to the bachelor's/accelerated master's program and obtain a BA in Foreign Languages with a concentration in Spanish and an MA in Foreign Languages with a concentration in Spanish in an accelerated time-frame after satisfactory completion of a minimum of 138 credits.
  • BAM Pathway Admission Requirements
    • Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Graduate Admissions Policies and Bachelor's Accelerated Master's Degree policies. For information specific to this accelerated master's program, see Application Requirements and Deadlines on the departmental website.
  • Accelerated Master's Admissions Requirements
    • Students already admitted in the BAM Pathway will be admitted to the MA program, if they have met the following criteria, as verified on the Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Transition form:
      • Minimum overall GPA of 3.00
      • Successfully meeting Mason's requirements for undergraduate degree conferral (graduation) and completing the application for graduation.
  • Accelerated Pathway Requirements
    • To maintain the integrity and quality of both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs, undergraduate students interested in taking graduate courses must choose from the following:
      • Advanced Standing courses (up to 12 credits)
        • 500-level SPAN courses
        • 500-level FRLN courses
      • Reserve Graduate Credit courses (up to 6 credits) taken while an undergraduate and will only count for the graduate degree program
        • 500-level SPAN courses
        • 500-level FRLN courses
• Foreign Languages, BA (Spanish Concentration)/Foreign Languages, Accelerated MA (Spanish/Bilingual-Multicultural Education Concentration)
  • Overview
    • Highly-qualified Mason undergraduates may be admitted to the bachelor's/accelerated master's program and obtain a BA in Foreign Languages with a concentration in Spanish and an MA in Foreign Languages with a concentration in Spanish/Bilingual Multicultural Education in an accelerated time-frame after satisfactory completion of a minimum of 144 credits.
  • BAM Pathway Admission Requirements
    • Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Graduate Admissions Policies and Bachelor's Accelerated Master's Degree policies. For information specific to this accelerated master's program, see Application Requirements and Deadlines on the departmental website.
  • Accelerated Master's Admissions Requirements
    • Students already admitted in the BAM Pathway will be admitted to the MA program, if they have met the following criteria, as verified on the Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Transition form:
      • Minimum overall GPA of 3.00
      • Successfully meeting Mason's requirements for undergraduate degree conferral (graduation) and completing the application for graduation.
  • Accelerated Pathway Requirements
    • To maintain the integrity and quality of both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs, undergraduate students interested in taking graduate courses must choose from the following:
      • Advanced Standing courses (up to 12 credits)
        • 500-level SPAN courses
        • 500-level FRLN courses
      • Reserve Graduate Credit courses (up to 6 credits) taken while an undergraduate and will only count for the graduate degree program
        • 500-level SPAN courses
        • 500-level FRLN courses

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Master of Arts in Foreign Languages program at George Mason University aims to enhance students' linguistic and cultural proficiency through courses in sociolinguistics, second language acquisition, film studies, cultural studies, and literary studies. The program offers five concentrations: Chinese, French, Spanish, French and Spanish, and Spanish/bilingual-multicultural education.

Outline:

Program Structure:

• Total Credits: 30-42 (varies by concentration)
• Core Requirements: All students must meet core and distribution requirements and demonstrate proficiency through a portfolio or a thesis/capstone project.
• Concentrations:
• Chinese (CHIN):
• Core Courses (18 credits):
Choose six courses from a list including Chinese Linguistics, Teaching Methodology, Topics in Traditional Chinese Literature, Approaches to Classical/Literary Chinese, Chinese and Sinophone Cinema, Topics in Chinese Poetry and Poetics, Chinese Popular Culture, Advanced Translation, and Chinese Theatrical Dramas in the 20th Century.
• Elective Courses (12 credits): Choose four courses from a list including Capstone Project, Master's Thesis, Internship in Chinese Studies, Regional Ethnography, Methods of Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners, Methods of Teaching in Foreign/World Languages, Advanced Methods of Teaching Foreign/Second Languages in PK-12 Schools, Reading/Writing in Foreign/World Languages, Topics in Regional Folklore Studies, Theory of Translation, Basic Issues in Language Pedagogy, Heritage Language Education, Geography of China, and other courses in select areas in consultation with an advisor.
• French (FRN):
• Literature (6 credits):
Select two courses in literature chosen in consultation with an advisor and cover two different literary periods or Francophone regions.
• French Language and Linguistics (6 credits): Select two courses in French language and linguistics chosen in consultation with an advisor.
• French (6 credits): Select two additional courses in French literature or language in consultation with an advisor.
• Electives (12 credits): Select four electives in consultation with an advisor.
A maximum of 6 credits may be used for directed reading and research or thesis.
• Spanish (SPN):
• Required Core Courses (6 credits):
SPAN 502 Hispanic Sociolinguistics and SPAN 510 Methods of Literary and Cultural Studies.
• Latino, Latin American, or Spanish cultures, literatures, or linguistics (15 credits): Select any five courses with the SPAN subject code.
• Electives (9 credits): Select three electives in consultation with an advisor.
• Spanish and French (SF):
• French (18 credits):
Select six required courses (not electives) specified under the concentration in French.
• Latino, Latin American, or Spanish cultures, literatures, or linguistics (18 credits): Take the two required core courses specified under the concentration in Spanish, plus four electives with the SPAN subject code.
• Electives (16 credits): Select two electives with the FREN, FRLN, and SPAN subject codes.
• Spanish/Bilingual-Multicultural Education (SBM):
• Required Core Courses (6 credits):
SPAN 502 Hispanic Sociolinguistics and SPAN 510 Methods of Literary and Cultural Studies.
• Latino, Latin American or Spanish cultures, literatures, or linguistics (12 credits): Select four courses with the SPAN subject code.
• Education Courses (6 credits): Select two courses from a list including Child and Adolescent Development in Global Contexts, Introduction to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners, Bilingualism and Language Acquisition Research, Assessment of Language Learners, Methods of Teaching in Foreign/World Languages, Advanced Methods of Teaching Foreign/Second Languages in PK-12 Schools, and Reading/Writing in Foreign/World Languages.

Other:

• Dual Degree Options: The Department of Foreign Languages and the Global Affairs Program offer a dual master's program where a student can earn both a Foreign Languages MA (concentration in French, Spanish, or Spanish-bilingual/multicultural education) and the Global Affairs MA in a minimum of 48 credits.
• Accelerated Master's: Highly-qualified Mason undergraduates may be admitted to the bachelor's/accelerated master's program and obtain a BA in Foreign Languages with a concentration in Chinese or Spanish and an MA in Foreign Languages with a concentration in Chinese or Spanish in an accelerated time-frame.
• Program Outcomes: The program aims to develop students' advanced argumentation skills, critical thinking, research skills, recognition of multilingual and multicultural diversity, and effective oral presentation skills.