Requirements for the Major

Guidelines for the Major

• 100-level courses (including freshman seminars and CPLT 110) do not count toward the major
• A literature course that does not count toward the major of the department that offers the course would also not count for the Comparative Literature major
• Majors are encouraged to fulfill their three literature electives with advanced courses

The five core courses:

• 201 Major Texts: Ancient to Medieval
• 202 Major Texts: Renaissance to Modern
• 203 Literatures Beyond the Canon
• 301 Methods of Interpretation or 302 Literary Theory
• 490 Literature Major Seminar

Electives:

• Two foreign language literature courses at the 300 level or above
• Three courses offered in literature in the original language or in translation (300 or above)

Requirements for the Minor

The five core courses:

• 201 Major Texts: Ancient to Medieval
• 202 Major Texts: Renaissance to Modern
• 203 Literatures Beyond the Canon
• 301 Methods of Interpretation or 302 Literary Theory
• 490 Literature Major Seminar

Requirements for Honors

All students with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 at the end of their junior year are eligible to participate in the honors program. To receive honors in Comparative Literature, eligible students select an advisor from the faculty of one of the participating literature departments, based on the student interest and the director's expertise. Honors candidates are expected to enroll in an appropriate course of directed study (Literature 495R, normally offered during both semesters of the senior year) for methodological guidance while writing the thesis. In the Fall semester, the student must take Literature 490R, designed as a graduate level course for seniors in the Comparative Literature Program, or (with the thesis director's and the instructors approval) a graduate course relevant to the student's thesis. Honors students must complete an honors thesis and defend the thesis in an oral examination. In addition to the advisor, the committee members will include one other member from the Comparative Literature program and one other examiner who is not a member of the program.

Please refer to the Honors website for more information about pursuing an Honors degree in Comparative Literature.