Can study at different program sites be combined? What about with online courses?
It is indeed possible to study at one, two or three (if available) of the MATL sites within your program of studies. While MATL courses are offered only at USM during the fall and spring semesters (except for online courses and study abroad credit), during the summer sessions you can study at one site or possibly at two different ones in the same summer. If you are summer-only student, you can study at one site your first summer and then potentially at a second site the following summer(s). Because MATL core courses are offered at all summer sites, even French and TESOL emphasis students can have the opportunity to undertake a part of their studies in Mexico or Spain (when offered). For the future, we are exploring the possibilities of offering some TESOL courses in Mexico and Spain.

With online courses available during the year and hybrid courses available during the summers, you can design a program of studies that best suits your learning style, site preferences and availability. See below for more information about online courses.

Are there any teaching assistantships available?
A limited number of teaching assistantships are available during fall and spring semesters at the USM campus in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, for qualified applicants (not for summer students). Please feel invited to contact us for further information about teaching assistantships or visit our web site on Teaching Assistantships. It is particularly important that assistantship applicants submit completed applications, including required GRE or MAT scores, as early as possible in the academic year preceding admission.

What kind of financial aid is available?
Information about various types of financial aid is available.

Why does the summer session start so early?
We are locked into our university's academic calendar, particularly concerning the end dates of the summer sessions. In Mexico, we are also constrained by UDLA's calendar, which has that university literally shutting down around the 20th of July. Our hybrid offerings also offer flexibility in working in summer study that is compatible with your professional responsibiities. There is, however, the possibility of getting credit for study in an intensive Spanish institute or for ethnographic research projects after MATL courses have ended. Incompatible calendars are one of the reasons we operate courses on a semi-intensive 4-week basis along with some hyrbid courses. A number of our summer graduate students, most of whom are full-time teachers, find that they need to complete the program over a three summer period because of finishing their own teaching resposibilities in mid to late June. Quite frankly, a three-summer program of studies has a number of advantages over a two-summer one.

Can I start a summer session late?
Because of the intensive nature of the MATL summer courses, students may not begin their course work late.

Then can I take more than two courses per summer session?
Again, because of the intensive nature of the summer courses, students are not allowed to take more than two courses in a single summer session of enrollment or 12 hours for the entire summer (Remember that there are usually two sessions per summer, plus the hybrid courses).

Can I take more than 12 hours in a summer?
The USM does not allow graduate students to register for more than 12 hours in a semester.

What about completing the MATL online?
Starting the fall 2006, we anticipate offering at least one core and one emphasis area course online each fall and spring semesters. With other course alternatives, it is possible to complete the degree over the course of several year. Depending on demand, we might increase the number of online offerings. Online electives in other departments are also available, particularly for those in the TESOL Emphasis.

How many online courses should I do in a semester?
The answer to that question depends primarily on your profile as a student and especially on your obligations during a semester. If you are working full time, even a single graduate course can be an overload. Online courses are challenging and equivalent to classroom-based courses (sometimes they are even more demanding).