One who pursues a French program should expect to gain some level of proficiency in the language. Whether the program focuses on conversational ability or literary studies depends on the institution, so students should pay attention to curricula during the application process.

An MA is a master’s degree awarded to students that have completed a program studying humanities or fine arts subjects such as history, communications, philosophy, theology or English. A Master of Arts degree typically requires coursework, research and written examinations.