General Information
The Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies offers Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Our graduate programs produce specialists working in the specialization disciplines of Applied Linguistics, Media and Cultural Studies, Translation Studies and Transnational and Comparative Literatures.
Applied Linguistics
This specialization involves research in one of the following areas: second language acquisition and pedagogy, discourse studies, sociolinguistics, and multilingualism.
Media and Cultural Studies
This specialization involves the analysis of different media using theories of cultural studies. Areas of emphasis include: folklore studies, gender and sexuality studies, native studies, popular culture, game and design studies, and urban studies.
Translation Studies
This specialization involves research in one or more of the following: cultural translation, history of translation, literary translation, multilingual translation, translation theory and criticism.
Transnational and Comparative Literatures
This specialization involves the study of global literature, criticism, theory, and their intersections with language, art, and culture, either within a single language or across languages.
The Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies emphasizes multidisciplinary and cross-linguistic approaches, but also has the capacity to deliver individualized programs in specific fields and languages. All work and research in MLCS is based within a multilingual and global context.
For more information, see the Modern Languages and Cultural Studies website.
Entrance Requirements
The Department’s minimum admission requirement for the MA program is an undergraduate degree in a related field or the equivalent with an admission GPA of at least 3.3 on the 4-point scale from the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification and standing from a recognized institution. The admission GPA will be calculated on the last 60 units of graded coursework completed, or on the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework.
The minimum admission requirement for the PhD program is an MA degree or the equivalent, related to the area of specialization with an admission GPA of at least 3.3 on the 4-point scale from the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification and standing from a recognized institution. The admission GPA will be calculated on the last «60 of graded coursework completed, or on the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework.
Graduate students entering a degree program in MLCS are required to have at least one language other than English, as assessed by the Graduate Committee.
Where applicable, applicants must provide proof of English Language Proficiency (refer to English Language Requirement ). Any one of the following is acceptable:
- a TOEFL score of 100 (Internet-based) or equivalent,
- an IELTS score of 7.0,
- other acceptable English language proficiency tests.
Applicants are also required to submit the following
- Curriculum Vitae
- Three references (for PhD applicants, one referee should be the Master’s supervisor)
- Statement of Purpose – describe academic background and reasons for pursuing graduate studies
- Two academic writing samples – one written in English and one in the language of focus area.
- Applicants to the thesis-based MA or PhD programs must also submit a Research Proposal – 4-5 pages, including a review of background literature, general information regarding methodology and goals, and a bibliography.
For information on how to apply see Admissions on the Department website.
The application deadline is January 15 for programs beginning the following September.
Graduate Courses
Graduate courses can be found in Course Listings , under the following subject headings:
Comparative Literature (C LIT)
French (FREN)
German (GERM)
Italian (ITAL)
Modern Languages and Cultural Studies (MLCS)
Russian (RUSS)
Scandinavian (SCAND)
Slavics (SLAV)
Spanish (SPAN)
Ukrainian (UKR)