Graduate Programs

Visit the new Graduate Program pages.

Contact our graduate advisors for information about enrolling for courses or enroll through the Graduate School: 610-436-2943.

Group Photo

Please be advised that students already enrolled in our previous M.A. or M.Ed. programs may complete them. As of August 25, 2014, students may enroll only inthe Master of Arts in Languages and Cultures (MALC) program with Millersville University. To switch to this new degree from an existing graduate program, please

contact the Graduate School.

 

The new Master of Arts in Languages and Cultures (MALC) has a 9-credit common core curriculum, a general curriculum of 12 credits of courses in either French, German or Spanish, and 12 credits of elective options for a variety of professions. The new program also includes numerous online courses. See the above link to each program language page.

Graduate Coordinator

Our Graduate Programs and Courses

Come get a master's degree in French, German or Spanish from West Chester and Millersville Universities!

Graduate courses emphasize communication skills, interpretive skills, and culture. Our degree will give you a new edge in the current competitive market place, whatever your field of interest.

Our degree includes a core curriculum of 3 seminars online for all students in French, German and Spanish, a general language 12-credit curriculum in one of the three program languages, and 4 additional elective courses in another program language, or graduate certification, or the ESL certificate for those holding language certification, or other electives for the professions.

Requirements: For the M.A.L.C. in French, German or Spanish from the College of Arts and Sciences, with or without graduate certification, to qualify, you must have:

  • near native-level fluency in French or German or Spanish (or a combination), the Advanced Low level of the ACTFL OPI and WPT.
  • and an undergraduate major in a language or related field.

Tuition information can be found at the Bursar's website. In-state student tuition is $1,644.72 for a 3-credit course. Consult the Bursar's website for exact cost amounts for out-of-state tuition and any other fees which might apply. Please note that ONLINE courses are charged at 102% of INSTATE tuition for out of state students.

Students who will be utilizing financial aid can review their Cost of Attendance in order to review both billable and non-billable expenses.

Completion timeframe: With six sessions a year, you can complete a degree in as little as 1.5 years, or if you need more time, we will give you up to five years to complete your master's degree. Our students include both part-time and full-time candidates.

You may start in the fall, take several courses a semester and obtain your M.A.L.C. in French, German or Spanish the following year. If you start in January, and include the winter and the two summer sessions, you may finish by the end of the calendar year.

Transfer courses: We will transfer in up to 9 credits from another graduate program toward your degree, provided those credits are not part of a completed degree. We also encourage cultural and language immersion study as part of your graduate experience.

Internships: We offer graduate internships in French, German or Spanish (LAN 525) from 3 to 12 credits, as an elective option.

Careers: Our program graduates pursue many careers using French, German or Spanish, including teaching at all levels, further graduate study, law, international relations, marketing, banking, travel, and services in a wide variety of regional and national companies. The high-quality professional training and multicultural perspectives you will acquire will enrich your personal future as well.

Contact Dr. Maria Van Liew (Graduate Coordinator, mvanliew@wcupa.edu) for procedures and details. For admission to the graduate programs you will need to go to Graduate Programs, and complete the following:

  • the cover form
  • two letters of recommendation
  • your transcripts of all college level study with a minimum 2.8 GPA total
  • a goals essay in French, German or Spanish (please email this directly to mauciello@wcupa.edu)

Apply Now

For advising regarding courses, please consult the coordinators:

Previous Master's Degree Options

programs which may be completed by students enrolled before August, 2014

Since August, 2014, only the new Master of Arts in Languages and Cultures degree program is available for enrollment. It includes curricula in French, German and Spanish. The previous degrees listed below may be completed by students already enrolled before that date.

The Master of Arts in French or Spanish - 30 hours
Single Language Option

  • 7 graduate courses in French or Spanish
  • LAN 610 the writing and defending of a masters thesis (6 hrs) and 1 elective or
  • 3 elective graduate courses from additional offerings in the language or from appropriate related fields, LAN or LIN courses, or approved graduate seminars from History, Art, Philosophy, Political Science, etc.
  • An exit assessment of research paper or portfolio of three term papers and oral defense

The Master of Arts in French or Spanish - 30 hours
Dual Language Option

  • 7 -8 graduate courses in the first language
  • 2-3 graduate courses in the second language
  • An exit assessment of a research project or portfolio of three term papers and oral defense

The Master of Education in French or Spanish (College of Arts & Sciences)
with emphasis on Second Language Teaching & Research - 36 hours

  • 6 graduate courses taught in the language
  • 6 courses taught in English in pedagogy methods and research: LAN 500, LAN 503 (prereq LIN 501 or intro course), and 4 more chosen from LAN 583, LIN 503, LIN 540, LAN 504, LAN 505, LAN 582. LIN 501 may be counted for the degree.
  • An exit assessment of a research project or a portfolio of three term papers and oral defense

The Master of Education in French or Spanish, CAS, with PA State Certification K-12 in
French or Spanish ** 36 hours

  • 6 graduate courses taught in the language - 18 h.
  • The following Education courses (15 credits)
    • EDA 542 Foundations of Special Education (3)
    • EDP 550 Ed. Psychology (3)
    • EDP 531 Assessment for Learning (3)
    • EDP 569 Child & Adolescent Psychology (3)
    • EDR 550 Literacy Dev. Inclusive Classrooms (3)
      FORMAL ADMISSION [EDF 030] TO THE TEACHING PROGRAM MUST BE COMPLETED IN ORDER TO TAKE THE FOLLOWING COURSES:
  • Tech Tools to Transform [EDT 500 or EDM 349 (1)]
  • Spec. Ed: Processes and Proc. [EDA 511]
  • Prin. Teaching & Field Experience (3) [EDA 505]
  • Techniques of L2 Tchg PK-12 (3) [LAN 503]
  • OPI /WPT exams to be completed before student teaching during coursework
  • Student Teaching: EDS 411-412, with or without emergency certification, 12 h.
  • An exit assessment of a research project or three term papers and oral defense

** Student teaching exists only as a 400-level curriculum offering and has never been counted toward any graduate degree at WCU. Certification is awarded upon completion of EDS 411-412. Students may apply for an internship and do their certification as part of a full time contract teaching job.

Students may transfer in 20% of their graduate work to complete both certification and the master's degree, provided that the courses are approved by our College of Education and come from a graduate-degree-granting institution and are not part of a granted graduate degree.

Students are urged to obtain graduate certification before finishing the master's degree; they have five years to complete the above degree. Graduate certification may be completed separately from the master's degree. Graduate level certification courses taught in English may be taken by post-bacc students in Russian who have met the state criteria for competency in that language.

The Master of Education in French or Spanish, CAS, with the PA State Graduate Certificate in ESL - 36 hours

  • 6 graduate courses taught in French or 6 graduate courses in Spanish
  • the 6 required courses for the State Graduate Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language (18 hrs), if not already completed:
    • (LIN 501—program prerequisite)
    • LAN 500, LAN 503, LIN 540 or LAN 582, ENG 575, ENG 576, ENG 587
  • An exit assessment of a research project or three term papers and oral defense

This option is only for students who already hold a PA State Certificate Level I or Level II (presumably K-12 in a language). Note: Students who have already completed LAN 500 and LAN 503 as part of an M.Ed. or graduate certification may include them in the ESL Certificate. There is no separate PA State Certification in ESL. This option is jointly staffed and advised by faculty from the MATESL program and the Dept. of Languages and Cultures.

All graduate certification students must also apply for formal admission to teacher education, or FATE, designated on their transcript as EDF 030. All graduate certification students should also consult with an advisor in the College of Education. They must also pass the ACTFL OPI and WPT exams before student teaching, achieving a level of Advanced Low.

Students who enroll initially in the Graduate Certification program may apply to the Master of Arts in Languages and Cultures in French or German or Spanish at any time through application procedures. Note that students holding a university degree may also enroll through the Graduate School in our Post-Baccalaureate program to take undergraduate level courses for completion of the major in a language and the required education courses.

ALL applicants must meet with the appropriate language and education coordinators:

  • French: Dr. Roxane Petit-Rasselle or Dr. Anne-Marie Moscatelli
  • German: Dr. Joseph Moser or Dr. Margarete Landwehr
  • Spanish: Dr. Jason Bartles
  • Education and Pedagogy: Dr. Maria Josè Cabrera (610-436-2383), or Dr. Keith Corbitt (610-436-2169), as well as a graduate advisor in the College of Education.

**All students must fill out an approved course of study form with their advisor and submit it to the College of Education, as well as obtaining Formal Admission to Teacher Education.

Consult the individual programs on this page for more information, as well as our Graduate Handbook .

Graduate Mission Statement

The Department of Languages and Cultures at West Chester University offers high quality stimulating graduate programs leading to the master's degree, in keeping with our stated mission to serve the regional community of teachers, scholars and professionals. We offer rigourous training in K-12 second language acquisition in accordance with the mandates of the PDE (Pennsylvania Department of Education) and NCATE (National Council of Accreditation of Teacher Education) organizations. Our graduate students are carefully advised and personally mentored to assure their transformation and success as a result of completion of our curriculum and degree requirements. We also train professionals in the business world in both language skills and cultural competency, in keeping with the demands of the expanding global market place. Our faculty are active and interactive professionally, participating in a wide variety of meetings national and international and organizing workshops and meetings on campus for students and fellow faculty. Our course offerings are continually restructured and updated to reflect the current exigencies of language professional environments, and emphasize diversity of personal and cultural experience while they offer equality of access and opportunity to all qualified students without regard to age, sex, race, or creed. This diversity is in keeping with our primary goal of advancing crosscultural awareness and communication and developing in our students the necessary skills to successfully meet the challenges of the future.

Lastly and perhaps most importantly, the Department of Languages and Cultures at WCU provides an intellectual forum for professionals in the surrounding area, offering a stimulating exchange of ideas, information, and strategies which they may in turn share with others in their community.

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