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: Two courses must be at the 300 level and at least five must be from the CPLT curriculum and include CPLT 180: Introduction to Comparative Literature and the capstone course CPLT 375: Translation and the Multilingual World.  In addition, students should take at least one course that focuses substantially on material outside the modern period (before 1900) and one course that focuses substantially on material outside the western tradition.  Students are encouraged to work with their advisor and/or the director to develop an area of concentration or focus within their major plan: e.g.,  literature of a nation or a region or in a specific field of inquiry (e.g., literature & religion, translation, literature & politics, comparative drama, philosophical or theoretical inquiries into literature, visual arts & literature).

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).

Notes:

• Students may not count more than two Credit/Non Credit courses toward the major.
• Students may not count independent work (350, 360, 370) toward the two 300 level units required for the major.
• AP and IB credit can not 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.