The Master of Arts degree in Romance Languages is designed for students interested in French, Italian, Spanish, or any combination of two of these. It provides advanced training for those who plan to complete their graduate studies in literature, language, literary, and cultural theory at the master's level, and for those who anticipate continuing graduate work up to the doctoral degree. The program is tailored to the needs of those who wish:
- To teach these languages at the elementary, middle school, or high school levels, whether they are seeking initial certification or cross-endorsement;
- To teach these languages at the college level;
- To work in related fields, such as foreign service, other government service, private industry, translation and interpreting, librarianship, etc.
The program is built on three premises:
- The teaching of language and culture requires mastery of cultural awareness in the target language, as well as, literary works from different periods and genres.
- Scholarly research and writing, such as is required in graduate courses, is essential for exploring and understanding such production. This kind of explorative activity culminates in a capstone experience (i.e., thesis, comprehensive exams, or special project).
- Use of the target language at all times in classroom discussion and the research and writing of examinations and papers, assures fluent, correct, and idiomatic mastery of the language.