2017-2018 Academic Catalog

Nov 25, 2024

2017-2018 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Comparative Literature Major

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Comparative Literature Overview

Comparative Literature is a wide-ranging, multicultural program of studies in poetry, prose, drama, film and related arts. House in the Department of Language, Literature and Culture, Comparative Literature is by nature interdisciplinary and has strong ties to several other departments in the University.

For more information, please visit the Comparative Literature Department website.

Major Requirements

The MAJOR in Comparative Literature consists of:

Two courses in a foreign language at the intermediate level or above, or its equivalent as determined by the major’s adviser.
Demonstration of a reading knowledge of a foreign language, as determined either by completion of a literature course in a foreign language above the intermediate level or approval the major adviser.
Eight courses in literature, film or related arts selected in consultation with a department adviser from the offerings in several departments and programs including Foreign Languages, English, Art History, Screen Studies, and Theater Arts. These eight courses must include The National Imagination (CMLT 130) and a capstone course.

For honors in the comparative literature major, see the guidelines for honors in the foreign languages and literatures major. In order to be considered for honors in comparative literature, the student must take their cap stone course in the fall of their senior year and submit a proposal for their thesis project by December 1. They will then complete a senior honors thesis in the spring of their senior year.

Note:

Literature courses presented to demonstrate reading knowledge of a foreign language may be counted in this group of eight courses. No more than one foreign language course above the intermediate level taken to fulfill requirement 1 may be double-counted for fulfillment of requirement 3.

Honors

This honors program is for language, literature and culture majors only. By November 1 of the capstone semester, faculty will identify qualified senior majors (with a minimum GPA of 3.5) and invite them to submit a proposal for a semester-long honors thesis during the spring of their senior year. Other students who wish to take honors should identify an area of interest during the capstone semester, consult with the capstone professor and/or an appropriate honors adviser, and submit a proposal (by December 1) to the professor they would like to direct the project.*

Proposals will be approved at the discretion of the individual professor.
The Department Chair must also approve the project.
The honors candidate and adviser will decide on a work schedule, but a preliminary draft must be completed by the first week of April.
The final version is due one week before the last day of classes.
A second faculty reader will participate in the final evaluation of the honors project.
An honors project counts as one unit of credit.

*Students graduating early and wishing to do an honors project should see their adviser during the fall of their junior year and get approval for the project from the thesis director and the department chair.

Comparative Literature Faculty

Maria Acosta Cruz, Ph.D. (Spanish)
Belén Atienza, Ph.D (Spanish)
Odile Ferly, Ph.D. (French)
Everett Fox, Ph.D. (Jewish Studies)
Beth Gale, Ph.D. (French)
SunHee Kim Gertz, Ph.D. (English)
Benjamin Korstvedt, Ph.D. (Music)
Stephen Levin, Ph.D. (English)
Juan Pablo Rivera, Ph.D. (Spanish)
Robert Tobin, Ph.D. (German)
Alice Valentine, M.A. (Japanese)

Comparative Literature Courses

Courses offered within the last 2 Academic Years