Comparative Literary Studies Major

Goals for the Comparative Literary Studies Major

• Practice and refine skills in the analysis of literary texts, genres and literary movements across departmental, national, and linguistic boundaries as well as in relationship to other texts, cultures, media, or technologies.

• Learn to recognize and apply key concepts of theoretical approaches to cultural and textual studies.

• Acquire an overview of the history and disciplines of comparative literature and world literature, especially as they evolve in the current global literary moment.

• Acquire a thorough understanding of the dynamics presented by a literary text in translation and adaptation.

Requirements for the Comparative Literary Studies Major

The requirements for the major are as follows: Nine units of course work is required for the major, at least five of which should be from the CPLT curriculum and must include CPLT 180, which should be taken early on in a student’s studies and CPLT 375, the capstone course in translation.  In addition, students take at least one course outside the modern period (before 1900) and three courses in an area of concentration to be developed in consultation with the advisor and director, and at least one of these classes must be at the 300 level.  Students may choose to concentrate in the literature of a nation or a region or in a specific field of inquiry (e.g. literature & religion, translation, literature & politics, philosophical or theoretical inquires into literature, visual arts & literature, etc.). 

Students are encouraged to explore the diversity of literary studies offered in other departments at the college or if they choose to study abroad. Most courses that deal significantly with literature broadly defined will count for the major, but students are encouraged to consult the program director or major advisor to confirm that a course outside CPLT will count toward the major. All units must count toward the major in the departments in which they are offered (unless they are language courses, of which no more than one 200-level course may be counted toward the major).

Honors in Comparative Literary Studies

There are two routes to honors in the major: Plan A entails writing a thesis. Plan B entails a dossier of essays written for several courses with a statement of connections among them and critical questions raised by them. Both Plan A and Plan B require a student to pass an oral exam.

To be admitted to the honors program, a student must have a grade point average of at least 3.5 in all work in the major field above the 100 level; the department may petition on the student's behalf if the student's GPA in the major is between 3.0 and 3.5. See Academic Distinctions.

Students who are interested in honors need to contact the director of the program at the end of their junior year to learn about expectations, formats, and deadlines. Decisions about admittance to either one of the routes are made by the advisory board of the program.