Your adviser is the department’s graduate coordinator. You will be released to register for classes after completing advising every semester with the graduate coordinator.

You will need to complete a Committee Request form at the conclusion of your first year of studies. It is your responsibility to work with your committee to determine how best to prepare for your comprehensive exams at the conclusion of your program of study. You will also work with the chair of your committee to schedule your exams. The graduate coordinator will share important dates related to applying for graduation and completing your exams.

Minors are optional. You will declare the minor when you complete the Committee Request form; you must include a professor from your minor field of study on your committee form. Your committee member representing your minor area of study will participate in the oral examination to evaluate your mastery of that content. You must meet with your minor area professor in order to prepare for success on that portion of the exam. Once you have passed your comprehensive examination, the Graduate School will be informed of your completion of both the major field of study and of the minor field of study.

You can transfer up to 9 hours of graduate coursework from another university, provided those courses are related to your M.A. degree at MSU and will have been taken no more than eight years prior to the completion of the degree. Any minor coursework that you wish to transfer will need to be approved by the minor department. Speak to the graduate coordinator to arrange for these credits to transfer.

Yes, CMLL currently offer study abroad programs every other year in France, Germany, and Spain that regularly take graduate students. Students in all languages may participate in study abroad programs through direct exchange programs or through provider companies that coordinate with MSU’s Office of Study Abroad. (See the Office of Study Abroad website for program options.) You should consult with the graduate coordinator to ensure that all of the credits earned on the program will transfer. All study abroad credits transfer as S grades and not as letter grades, unless the course is taught by MSU faculty. In addition to study abroad options, the department’s study abroad program coordinators may at times invite graduate students to assist with the coordination of a study abroad program. The opportunities are limited, and at the discretion of the program coordinator.

The department offers some graduate courses during the summer, generally determined by student demand. If you are interested in completing summer coursework, you are encouraged to consult with your professors to see what options might be made available.

We do offer some hybrid courses (open to both on-campus students and distance learners), and are constantly working to increase our online offerings to better accommodate students who need to complete coursework away from campus. Some of our summer courses are also available as online courses. As with our summer classes, we are best able to meet specific needs if we determine that there is demand, so contact your professors to see if their courses might be offered online. Please note that our program is not an online program, and students should therefore plan to take nearly all of their coursework in Starkville.

You may take a DIS course by speaking with the graduate faculty member in the department that you would like to work with. Together, you will choose a field of study and determine the course requirements. The professor will then arrange with the department to create the course in Banner. Remember that you are limited to two DIS courses to count toward completion of the M.A.

You may take a leave of up to two calendar years without having to reapply to the program. You are encouraged to stay in contact with the department while you are not taking courses, so that we can best advise you when you decide to return to campus.

The Graduate School requires that you complete your degree within eight years of your acceptance into the program. CMLL places no other requirement on the completion of your degree, but the department generally only guarantees funding through a Teaching Assistantship for four semesters. You should consult with the graduate coordinator if you will need a fifth semester and would like to continue to work as a TA; TA positions are contingent on departmental funds, and no guarantee can be made that funding will be available for a fifth semester as a Teaching Assistant.

The composition of the examination committee is determined by you; however, the committee should be selected to represent the courses you have completed as well as to evaluate your mastery of the reading list. The committee must comply with the requirements of the Graduate School (a minimum of two professors from CMLL, a professor from a minor field of study if applicable, and a minimum of three graduate faculty members overall on the committee). The purpose of the written and oral comprehensive exams is to evaluate your mastery of the reading list and your command of the target language. As a result, two of your committee members must be graduate faculty within your language concentration who represent the majority of coursework taken, and who will best be able to evaluate your mastery of the reading list, your course of study, and the contents of your thesis (if applicable).

In general, it should take you at least two semesters to complete the thesis, though in practice students sometimes take three semesters. In order to stay on target for graduation, you are encouraged to speak with your professors as soon as you decide to complete a thesis. Your major professor will be your best resource to determine a reasonable timeline for completion of the thesis. Please note that if your thesis requires you to be enrolled as a graduate student beyond two years (two fall and two spring semesters), you will likely not continue to receive funding through an assistantship offered by the department.

The Graduate School requires that you complete a minimum of 9 hours of coursework in your major field, with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA, and no grades lower than a C. Once you have completed these requirements, your change in status should be automatically processed by the Office of the Graduate School. You will be informed of your change in status once it has been processed.

If you are interested in our graduate program or have any questions, please reach out to our Graduate Coordinator, Dr. Scott DiGiulio.