Application Procedures For Graduate Studies in Languages, Linguistics, & Comparative Literature (LLCL) 

We accept students for Fall and Spring enrollments. Students who are interested in teaching assistantships should apply as early as possible as assistantships are competitive, and a student stands a better chance of receiving one when applying early. International students who require an F1 visa should also begin the application process as early as possible.

To apply to the graduate program in LLCL, you need to ...

1. Make sure you meet the minimum admission requirements for the MA in LLCL degree that are listed here (enter 'French', 'Spanish', 'comparative literature' or 'linguistics' in the search box).

  • If you do not meet the admission requirements, please contact LLCL Graduate Studies to learn about your options.

2. Fill out and submit an electronic application via GradCAS. Click here to access the application (scroll down to the 'GradCAS' button for the College of Arts & Letters).

  • Application deadlines
    • Fall admission:
      • February 1 for all applicants
    • Spring admission:
      • September 1 for international applicants (who require a new student visa)
      • November 1 for all other applicants
  • In the application, you will need to answer a set of questions about yourself and provide contact information for two people who have agreed to write letters of recommendation for you (preferably, university professors or other individuals who can attest to your academic ability and potential for graduate study).
  • You will also need to upload (i) a statement of purpose (a letter/essay of 300-500 words in which you introduce yourself and explain your interest in pursuing graduate study; this should be written in English) and (ii) a writing sample (preferably, a scholarly paper written during your undergraduate studies; if you are planning to study or teach in French, Italian or Spanish, it is recommended that the sample be written in that language).
  • International applicants who are not native speakers of English will need to provide results of a language proficiency test (TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo; click here for more info).
  • GRE is not required for the M.A. in LLCL.
  • There is a limited number of Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) positions available for full-time domestic and international students. GTAs receive an annual stipend and a tuition fee waiver in exchange for teaching or assisting in the department. If you are interested in applying for this financial support, please be sure to indicate this on your application and in your statement of purpose.
  • If you need help with navigating the GradCAS portal or if you run into technical issues (broken links, error messages), please contact LLCL Graduate Studies.

  • Students who meet the application requirements but are experiencing financial difficulties may petition the department for an application fee waiver code. If approved, the department will pay the fee on your behalf out of the departmental budget. The fee waiver petition will only be considered when the application portfolio is complete and only the payment is missing. Please reach out to LLCL Graduate Studies for more information if this applies to you.

3. Submit official transcripts for previously completed undergraduate/graduate work.

  • If the transcript does not state that a degree was awarded to you, make sure to also enclose a copy of your diploma.
  • Many colleges and universities now offer electronic transcripts that are delivered immediately. If requesting a paper transcript instead, we recommend that it is mailed to FAU's Graduate College (FAU, Graduate College, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33421-0991) rather than the GradCAS processing center in Watertown, MA.
  • If you studied at a non-U.S. institution, your transcripts may need to be translated and evaluated. FAU does not provide translation services but it can provide evaluation services. In the GradCAS application, you can check a box to request for your foreign credentials to be evaluated internally by FAU (no additional fee for this but the process can take several weeks). Alternatively, you can use a NACES member company (not free but faster processing).
  • If your foreign institution does not mail out official transcripts or you only have access to scans/unofficial electronic copies at the moment, please contact LLCL Graduate Studies for further instructions.

4. Record a short video and send it via email to vkharlamov@fau.edu .

  • In the video, you will need to answer four questions that are provided in the GradCAS application.
  • If the file is too large for email, you can upload it to YouTube, Google Drive, DropBox, etc. and email a link to the video instead. 

 

  More information for international students