Master of Arts in French Studies

The Master of Arts in French Studies (MAFS) at The American College of the Mediterranean is a one-year program that offers students the unique opportunity to earn an American MA degree in France. Situated in Aix-en-Provence near the Mediterranean coast, ACM's program unites mainland French with the Francophone countries of North Africa, ensuring that students are exposed to the rich diversity of the French language and culture. The MA in French Studies prepares students for a variety of public and private careers in the international sector and provides them with a foundation to continue their education at the doctoral level. Upon completion, graduates of the program will have the capability and tools to teach French in colleges and universities or they may pursue careers in business or government agencies.

Candidates for the MA in French Studies can choose to specialize in one of the following tracks:

• French and International Studies (FIS): French language for use in international contexts in both the public and private sectors

• The Francophone World (FW): Study concentrated on the French language as it is used in other French-speaking countries (North Africa, Central Africa, the Caribbean)

• Contemporary French Literature (CFL): Traditional curriculum with a focus on more avant-garde literature

• Teaching French as a Foreign Language (TFFL): Practicum and analysis

In keeping with ACM’s commitment to interdisciplinarity, each of these tracks allow students access to courses in related disciplines such as Art, International Relations, Literature Political Science, History, or Sociology. All students, regardless of their track, are required to take the Master’s Seminar, a January Term Traveling Seminar, the Research Methodology for Thesis Preparation course, and participate in an internship.

The MAFS prepares students for various careers in both the public and private sectors in an international environment: careers in business, diplomacy, or translation; it allows a bridge with other specializations such as Global Health in French-speaking African countries or with highly specialized training in French-speaking countries (for example sustainable development and ecology, or other social sciences). Finally, it can also provide students with the necessary skills to teach French in American schools or private institutions in France and French-speaking countries and further prepare them to pursue higher education at the doctoral level.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the MAFS, students will:

• Attain near-native fluency in spoken and written French suitable for academic, pedagogical, or professional contexts.
• Conduct original research in French language, literature, and culture, demonstrating critical awareness of historical, political, and social frameworks.
• Analyze the cultural production of the Francophone world—including literature, film, and art—through comparative, interdisciplinary perspectives.
• Produce scholarly and creative work that reflects intercultural competence and intellectual rigor.
• Engage in reflective and ethical dialogue about identity, migration, and social change across the Francophone world.
• Demonstrate the ability to teach, translate, or communicate across cultures using advanced linguistic and cultural knowledge.

Degree Requirements

During this year-long program (two semesters, January Term, and summer term), candidates will take seven three-credit courses along with a Master’s Seminar and an intensive traveling seminar that unites both the language and cultural components of the program while affording students the opportunity to experience Francophone and Mediterranean Studies on a multinational level. All students, regardless of their track, are required to take the Master’s Seminar, the January Term Traveling Seminar, and the Research Methodology course.

Early Start Program (1 credit)


Semester 1 (13 credits)

All candidates will enroll in four 500-level courses: The Master’s Seminar (4 credits), an internship (3 credits) related to their chosen track, and two courses (6 credits) from the following fields, according to their selected track:

• Linguistics
• French Society and Political Structures
• Second Language Acquisition and Usage
• International Relations
• North Africa and Colonial History
• Francophone Literature

January Term (3 credits)

To satisfy their degree requirement, all MAFS students must enroll in one January Term program, which is a multi-country traveling seminars, many of which explore the France and the Francophone World. All students will participate in a January Term Seminar from the MAFS course list section.

Semester 2 (16 credits)

All candidates will enroll in the Master’s Seminar (4 credits), the Research Building and Methodology for Thesis course (3 credits), and three courses (9 credits) from the following fields, according to their selected track:

• Linguistics
• Discursive and Creative Writing in French
• Second Language Acquisition and Usage
• European History
• Literature and Popular Culture

Summer - Final Research Thesis Project (4 credits)

Students in their final semester will choose a subject and advisor for the Final Research Thesis Project to pursue over the summer term. The candidate’s thesis will be supervised by their faculty advisor with additional oversight from the French department. Oral defense of the thesis will be conducted in front of the MA in French Studies committee at the end of the summer term.

Total = 37 credits

Thesis

During the first two weeks of the second semester, candidates will determine a thesis topic they will submit at the end of the term/year. The subject will be determined in collaboration with an advisor from the French department. Students must successfully defend their thesis to the MA in French Studies Committee in an oral presentation to obtain their degree.

 

Core Courses

• FRE 588: Master’s Seminar: Critical Thought
• FRE 589: Master’s Seminar: Methodologies
• FRE/LIT 511: Cultural Approach of The Other (Literature, Art and Experiences of New Cultural Spaces in Aix-en-Provence and the surrounding area)
• FRE/LING 512: Contemporary French: The Linguistics of Everyday Language
• FRE 501: Translation and Structure I: From Colloquial to Literature
• FRE/LIN 579: Deep Dive into the French Language
• FRE/LIT 540: French Children’s Literature: Exploring Language, Culture, and
• FRE/LIT 562: Women and the Mediterranean: From Myth to Modernity
• FRE 570/571: Translation and Publishing: Workshop
• FRE/POL 576: Contemporary French Identities
• FRE/POL 517: Dissent in the Mediterranean, from Albert Camus to Leila Slimani
• HIS/FRE 544: Provencal History Through its Monuments
• ART 520: Picasso, Matisse, and the Mediterranean
• ART 582: Cézanne and Van Gogh
• BUS 503: Intercultural Management
• HIS 501: European History: 1870-1918
• HIS/IRL/POL 521: Contemporary Politics of the Middle East
• IRL/POL 503: International Relations
• IRL/COM 516: Media and Conflict
• PHI/POL 512: Political Ethics
• POL/IRL 508: Geopolitics of the Mediterranean Basin: Security in a Diverse Region
• LIT 525: The European Novel
• FRE 541/543: Internship
• FRE 542: Research Building and Methodology
• FRE 599: Final Research Thesis

January Term (3 credits)

To satisfy their January Term program requirement, MAFS students must enroll in one of the options listed below. Prior to selecting a January Term program, students must consult with their school dean and advisor.

Europe and the Islamic World

As part of the Europe and the Islamic world January Term program, students participate in a series of briefings from leading academic, literary, and political experts on the European relationship with the Islamic world. In each city, students attend daily lectures and meetings with distinguished scholars from ACM in addition to local guides and experts in the fields of politics, art history, history, and culture. Special emphasis is placed on the importance of immigration to Europe and its current socio-cultural implications on the region. Course options are as follows:

• Art History 595: Classical Islam and the European Renaissance
• Cross-Cultural Studies 595: Jews, Muslims and Christians in Europe and the Islamic World
• French 595: Cultural History of France and the Islamic World
• History 595: Cultural History of Europe and the Islamic World
• Political Science 595: European Politics and the Islamic World
• Religious Studies 595: Jews, Muslims and Christians in Europe and the Islamic World

  

Great Cities

As part of the Great Cities January Term program, students explore major cities across Europe using literature and the arts as a guide to understanding the rise and establishment of the urban setting. Through readings and media studies, students examine the artistic process from inspiration to creation. Site visits and guided tours then allow students to experience the historical, geographical, and demographic foundations that inform the fictional representations of European cities and their impact on perceptions of those cities today. Students can learn from and exchange their observations with experts from ACM as well as distinguished on-site scholars and local guides to frame their own perception of the cities and these cities’ representation through the arts. Course options are as follows:

• European Studies 503: Europe and the Urban Space
• Anthropology 501: The Artist and the City
• Literature 575: The European City in Literature
• Communications 575: The European City in the Visual Arts
• Geography 501: Europe and its Cities

ACM Faculty

ACM faculty is comprised of experts in the field of French studies, linguistics, translation, literature, language acquisition, political science, art history and more. Both academics and professionals in their field, ACM faculty provide the MAFS the academic depth and the real-life experience necessary for a well-rounded French Studies education.