Master of Arts ( M.A. ) Students must complete ten courses (30 credits) for the Master's degree and pass the comprehensive examination, in addition to demonstrating reading knowledge of French, German, Italian, Latin, or Spanish. M.A. students must maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 (B), or 3.5 (B+) for those receiving financial aid. Five of the ten graduate English courses for the M.A. degree must meet the following historical distribution requirements:
one course in literature before 1485 (British 1)  one course in British literature, 1485-1800 (British 2)  one course in British literature after 1800 (includes Irish & post-colonial) (British 3)  one course in American literature before 1910 (American 1)  one course in American literature since 1910 (American 2) In addition, M.A. students must take: either Research Methods or Introduction to Critical Theory  The remaining four courses are electives. Students should select their courses carefully and consult periodically with the Graduate Director to insure that they are fulfilling all requirements. There is one exception to the ten-course requirement. Those rare students who wish to do an in-depth M.A. research project may do so, with the permission of the Graduate Director, which would take the place of one elective course. Students who plan to do the research project should secure a mentor in the semester before their research and writing. They also need to complete and submit a special registration form with their mentor. The M.A. comprehensive exam consists of two 3-hour parts, administered on the same day.
Languages:   M.A. students must demonstrate reading knowledge of one foreign language at Fordham. Students may fulfill this requirement in French, German, Italian, Latin or Spanish by receiving a least a B in the zero-credit graduate reading courses. Many students choose to do this during one of the (shorter) summer sessions. A second option to fulfill the language requirements at Fordham is to schedule an examination with the appropriate chair in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences’ Modern Languages or Classics Departments. Taking an exam might be a good option for those students who have studied a language at another institution. Exams at Fordham are not listed on transcripts until successfully passed. However, students who have little formal training in a foreign language are urged to take a course. Students wishing to substitute another modern or ancient language for those above should obtain approval from the Graduate Director. The primary criteria for such requests should be scholarly—that is, the substituted language should have some intrinsic importance to one’s area of literary interest or career plans. If students wish to take a language class at another university, they are welcome to do so, but the only criterion accepted for fulfillment of Fordham’s language requirement is an exam given by the relevant Fordham language department. For example, students wishing to take Spanish might take a Spanish-for-reading course at CUNY. The CUNY course has no effect on their Fordham degree; they would fulfill the requirement once they took and passed the reading language exam at Fordham.
Timetable for Completion (M.A.):  Master’s degree requirements must be completed within a maximum of five calendar years. This time-limit applies to both full-time and part-time students. A normal course load is three courses (9 credits) per semester, which makes the completion time of two years for a M.A. degree a reasonable expectation.
Example of full-time M.A. student schedule:
Fall:                  Spring:              Summer I or II:   Fall:                  Spring:               Total:	3 courses (9 credits)  3 courses (9 credits)  Language for reading knowledge (0 credits)   3 courses (9 credits)  1 course plus M.A. exam (3 credits)  30 credits
The Master's Comprehensive Exam:   The M.A. comprehensives are administered three times a year: in the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters. Format: Students may choose from three formats for their exam questions: 1 American / 3 British, 3 American / 1 British, or 2 American / 2 British. The exam consists of two parts, one in the morning and one in the afternoon on the same day. There are four sections (according to the format chosen by the student) and each includes three essay questions from which to choose, for a total of four essay questions to be answered, two in the morning and two in the afternoon. The list of texts that will be covered on the exam is available from the Graduate Administrator.   Normally, M.A. students should be able to prepare for their exams in three months. They should discuss the exam with faculty and the Graduate Director, and expect questions that ask for comparative and synthetic thinking. There is also a handout available that covers recommended study strategies for the exam. There are three official grades on Master's exams: High Pass (distinguished work of the highest caliber), Pass (satisfactory work), and Failure. There is also the unofficial grade of Low Pass--which indicates marginally passable work (not suitable for Ph.D. program admission). Low Pass officially lists as a Pass, and therefore allows for a student to receive the degree. All M.A. exam grades are the product of agreement between at least two faculty members. M.A. students who fail their exam may re-take it once; they should consult with the Graduate Director to plan their further preparation. Note: All graduate students must fulfill their language requirements before they can take their comprehensive exams.