Modern Languages

104 Eisenhower Hall
785-532-6760
Fax: 785-532-7004
modlang@k-state.edu
http://www.ksu.edu/mlangs

Department Head:

Melinda A. Cro

Director of Graduate Studies:

Li Yang

Graduate Faculty:

Kathleen Antonioli, Ph.D., Duke University
Rebecca Bender, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University
Douglas K. Benson, Emeritus, Ph.D., University of New Mexico
Earl Brown, Ph.D., University of New Mexico
Necia Chronister, Ph.D., Washington University, St. Louis
Robert L. A. Clark, Ph.D., Indiana University
Mary T. Copple, Ph.D., University of New Mexico
Robert T. Corum, Emeritus, Ph.D., University of Virginia
Melinda Cro, Ph.D., The University of Georgia
Claire L. Dehon, Ph.D., University of Kansas
María Teresa DePaoli, Ph.D., Purdue University
Andrea Faber, University of Massachusetts
Abby Franchitti, Ph.D., University Francois Rabelais, France
Lucia Garavito, Ph.D., University of Kansas
Derek Hillard, Ph.D., Indiana University
Lavinia Horner, Ph.D., University of Tennessee
Laura Kanost, Ph.D., University of Kansas
Sara Luly, Ph.D., The Ohio State University
Pablo Diente Martinez, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University
Janice McGregor, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University
Benjamin Torrico, Ph.D., University of Kansas
Laura Valentin-Rivera, Ph.D., Texas Tech Univeristy
Li Yang, Ph.D., University of Iowa

*Denotes graduate faculty that are certified to serve as the major professor for doctoral students.

Graduate Faculty Associates:

Leena Chakrabarti, Ph.D., Kansas State University
Beverly M. Earles, Ph.D., Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Glenda Leung, Ph.D., University of Freiburg
Jenell Williams, MA, University of Kansas
Mary Wood, MA, University of Kansas

Final examinations

In both program options a final comprehensive written and oral examination is required at the completion of work. This exam is tailored to the particular M.A. option. It generally takes two years to complete the M.A. program in literature. Practicing teachers who typically take only one course per semester may need an additional year or two to complete the option in second language acquisition.

Teaching support

The Department of Modern Languages prides itself on the excellence of its teaching faculty, and it considers one of its most important goals that of training outstanding future teachers. The faculty work closely both with on-campus graduate teaching assistants and practicing teachers to ensure the maximum benefit from the program.

Careers

In addition to teaching and pursing further study at the doctoral level, graduates in modern languages may also wish to pursue careers in textbook publishing, consultation in multimedia language programs, educational graphics, translation and editing, educational foundations, educational travel, and educational administration. Some of these career fields require additional specialized training. The knowledge of a language, culture, and literature at this level can also be combined with other fields: journalism, ecology, theology, music and art, film, library science, and business.

Special programs and activities

We offer summer programs in Germany, Peru, and Spain. Graduate students in German may qualify for substantial scholarships in a recently expanded program for study in selected universities of Austria, Germany, or Switzerland. The university has an agreement with the University of Costa Rica and connections to a number of study abroad programs, including International Students Exchange Program. The department sponsors the publication of Studies in Twentieth and Twenty-First Century Literature, a scholarly journal devoted to the study of literature written in French, German, Russian, and Spanish. The journal is indexed by the Modern Language Association (MLA) International Bibliography database.

Financial support

A limited number of graduate teaching assistantships (GTA) is available that offer the opportunity of teaching university-level courses under close pedagogical supervision. Appointments may be partial (teaching two courses per year) or full-time (three courses per year). All full-time GTAs receive a 100% tuition waiver. Those who have partial appointments receive a tuition reduction. GTAs must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 hours of classwork in the Department of Modern Languages per semester to qualify. Except in unusual circumstances, GTAs are expected to enroll in 9 hours. Assistantships are normally renewable for a period of two years, assuming satisfactory teaching performance and progress toward the degree. The department also offers graduate fellowships to incoming M.A. candidates as well as to students in their second year of graduate study.

Admission

Most incoming students have undergraduate degrees in the particular language of study or in teaching, although we also may accept on a provisional basis those students who have considerable expertise in the language and culture in other ways, e.g., native speakers or U. S. citizens with extensive travel, living, and educational experience abroad.

We do not require the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) for admission. Graduate applications to begin study in the fall must be received in our office by March 1, and by October 1 for the spring. Depending on the language you wish to study, assistantships may or may not be available after this date.

All international students must provide evidence of financial support. International students who do not have a degree from a university in the U.S. must submit a minimum TOEFL score of 560 (paper-based test), 220 (computer-based test), or 83 (iBT - internet-based test) before they will be admitted to any graduate program at K-State. Students wishing to receive a Graduate Teaching Assistantship, the minimum TOEFL score required is and 610 (paper-based test), 253 (computer-based test), or 101-102 (iBT - internet-based test). International students who apply for a teaching assistantship must also pass the SPEAK test / TSE (Test of Spoken English) with a score of 50 or receive a 26 on the speaking portion of the TOEFL iBT. We do have courses in English as a second language on campus in July and August to help applicants reach this TSE speaking score should they require it. It is in the applicant’s best interest to take both the TOEFL and the TSE early if possible. (Please contact the English Language Program for details on the SPEAK test).

Modern languages courses

Courses at the 500 level may not be included in the M. A. program of study unless they are in a language or discipline other than the candidate’s major field.