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Graduate Program in French
M.A.T. Degree Learning Goals and Assessment
(Adopted May 2015)


The M.A.T. program in French Studies is designed for individuals already teaching French or seeking to meet requirements for professional continuing education, certification or re-certification, or transfer to another program. A candidate is admitted on the basis of formal background in French studies. The course requirement for this program may be satisfied by course work taken during the summer session, and exceptionally during the regular academic year with the approval of the graduate director. Students are required to do 30 credits—27 chosen from among courses on French and Francophone culture, language, literature, and film and the remaining 3 credits dedicated to the preparation of a teaching portfolio.

Learning Goal 1: Consolidate and diversify individual reading, writing and speaking skills in view of developing native-like competence in the target language; acquire knowledge of the productions, issues, and approaches relevant to the French-speaking cultures of the world.

Assessment of student achievement of Goal 1:

  • Oral and written performance in graduate courses
  • Preparation and public presentation of the teaching portfolio.

Roles of the program in helping students to achieve Goal 1:

  • One-on-one advising to ensure that students are being prepared in an academically rigorous, and professionally relevant way
  • Effective monitoring of student progress
  • Review of teaching portfolio by faculty mentoring committee
  • Evaluations of teaching effectiveness of instructors in graduate courses

      If effectiveness of instructors in graduate courses does not meet expectations, work with faculty to improve effectiveness

  • Periodic review of curricular offerings to ensure relevance; review of degree requirements and assessment tools

-        By program graduate faculty

-        In consultation with the office of the dean of the graduate school and/or the unit dean

 

Learning Goal 2: Achieve mastery of current foreign language teaching methodologies and pedagogy; encourage creative engagement with a range of authentic cultural objects in view of K-12 classroom implementation.

Assessment of student achievement of Goal 2:

  • Performance in methodology courses and workshops
  • Review by faculty of student’s pedagogical performance
  • Preparation and presentation of teaching portfolio

Roles of the program in helping students to achieve Goal 2:

  • Close advising to ensure that students are being prepared in an academically rigorous, and professionally relevant way
  • Effective monitoring of student progress
  • Review of teaching portfolio by a faculty mentoring committee
  • Evaluations of teaching effectiveness of instructors in charge of the methodology courses
    • Work with instructor of the methodology courses to improve their effectiveness if needed
    • Periodic review of curricular offerings, degree requirements and assessment tools

-        By program graduate faculty

-        In consultation with the office of the dean of the graduate school and/or the unit dean

 

Learning Goal 3: Prepare students to be professionals in the field of French and Francophone literatures, culture, and language education.

Assessment of graduate student achievement of Goal 3:

  • Grades in graduate courses
  • Participation in teaching workshops, professional development and other activities tailored to career goals, assessed accordingly
  • Collection of data on professional placement or continuation of graduate studies

Role of the program in helping students achieve Goal 3:

  • Host professional development and career workshops
  • Develop curricular projects such as the portfolio for teachers in M.A.T. program

The graduate program committee will periodically review the structure and content of the M.A.T. program and the feedback received from assessments and surveys.

 

Graduate Program in French
M.A./Ph.D. Degree Learning Goals and Assessment
(Adopted May 2015)

The M.A./Ph.D. program in French is designed to train students at the highest level to pursue academic careers in the field of French Studies. Masters and doctoral candidates in French at Rutgers receive rigorous and broad training in various aspects of French language, literatures in French, theory, literary and cultural criticism, cinema, and language pedagogy. Students may also use the skills acquired in the M.A./Ph.D. program to pursue careers at cultural institutions and international organizations as well as in publishing, journalism, and translation.

Learning Goal 1: Attain the ability to read and write critically and creatively, developing analytic skills and a comprehensive knowledge of French and Francophone literary and cultural tradition.

Assessment of student achievement of Goal 1:

  • Grades in graduate courses
  • Annual essay contest (optional)
  • Qualifying examinations assessing depth and breadth of knowledge
  • Review by faculty of student progress with close advising and mentoring
  • Placement in positions and careers that require ability and scholarship in the field of French Studies

Role of the program in helping students to achieve Goal 1:

  • Close advising to ensure that students are being prepared in a coherent and academically rigorous fashion
  • Evaluations of teaching effectiveness
  • Periodic review of curricular offerings, degree requirements, and assessment tools by program faculty in consultation with the office of the dean of the graduate school and/or the unit dean.

  

Learning Goal 2: Ability to teach French language, literature, and culture

Assessment of student achievement of Goal 2:

  • Performance in Teaching Methodology course

-           Assessment of weekly journal and end-of-semester report

-           Two peer observations per semester

  • Mandatory TA observations of coordinator’s classroom four times per semester
  • Classroom visits by TAs coordinator each semester; review of TAs’ teaching performance and individual mentoring by TAs coordinator

Role of the program in helping students to achieve Goal 2:

  • Effective supervision of student teaching apprenticeships, including mentoring of students in methodology courses and review of student evaluations
  • Classroom visit and evaluation of student’s teaching performance by a faculty member each semester with close advising and mentoring (TA / Faculty Mentoring Program)
  • Close mentoring to ensure that students are being prepared in a coherent and academically rigorous way
  • Periodic review of curricular materials and assessment tools

-        By program faculty

-        In consultation with the office of the dean of the graduate school and/or the unit dean

 

Learning Goal 3: Engage in and conduct original research

Assessment of graduate student achievement of Goal 3:

  • Seminar oral presentations and papers
  • Preparation and defense of Ph.D. dissertation proposal
  • Evaluation of dissertation’s first chapter by doctoral committee
  • Assessment of quality of Ph.D. dissertation:

-        Public defense of dissertation

-        Critical reading of dissertation by committee of graduate faculty members and a committee member from outside of the French graduate program.

-        Submission and acceptance of peer-reviewed articles and conference papers based on the dissertation

  • Achievement of students as evidenced by professional placements, selection for conference presentations, peer-reviewed publications, and individual grant attainment

Role of the faculty in helping students achieve Goal 3:

  • Provide early introduction to research methods and opportunities for research
  • Provide opportunities to present research and receive feedback
  • Maintain adequate funding levels through the research phase
  • Provide comprehensive advising and assist in the identification of mentors

 

Learning Goal 4: Develop skills to become leading professionals in careers that require training at the highest levels in the field of French and Francophone Studies.

Assessment of graduate student achievement of Goal 4:

  • Review of masters and doctoral students’ plans for publication
  • Review of students’ participation in academic conferences and networking
  • Collection and review of placement data
  • Survey alumni/ae

Role of the graduate faculty in helping students achieve Goal 4:

  • Train students to compete for external funding
  • Encourage students to present papers at regional and national scholarly conferences
  • Encourage and monitor students’ participation in relevant department and university-wide public lectures and graduate working groups
  • Encourage students to publish and guide them through the process of revising and submitting papers for publication
  • Guide students through the preparation and organization of the French Department Annual Graduate Student Conference
  • Advise students to join relevant scholarly communities; to become members of professional associations in their own field of research; to join online research groups; to develop productive networking skills
  • Host conferences and visiting scholars
  • Encourage participation in professional development programs in such areas as language pedagogy, online teaching and distance learning, library use, course management software, interview skills, presentation skills, development of c.v.’s, proposal writing
  • Train students to develop effective public speaking skill
  • Help student prepare for their job searches (preparing application dossier; selecting writing samples; putting together a job talk; participating in mock job interviews).
  • Acquaint students with non-academic career opportunities.

The French graduate program committee will regularly review the structure and content of the M.A./Ph.D. program and the feedback received from assessments and surveys. These reviews will be used to provide the best possible education to students in order to meet the needs for highly trained individuals in the field of French Studies.