Undergraduate Major

The department of Comparative Literature offers a five-track curriculum:

• general humanities courses open to all students
• literature in translation courses for students who want advanced study of literature and the other arts and disciplines
• translator training for students who want to add translation to their marketable skills
• a major program
• a minor program

Comparative Literature Major

The comparative literature major is designed to allow students significant freedom in designing a major with a literary emphasis. It stresses foreign language skills and encourages students to approach literature from an interdisciplinary perspective. The department’s commitment to a vital engagement with literature and the arts, its encouragement of cross-disciplinary work and its strengths in the areas of modern theory and philosophy, cultural studies and translation studies create a distinctive context for an innovative humanities major.

Requirements

• COLI 110, 111. World Literature I and II (or appropriate equivalents)
• one comparative literature course at the 200 level or higher
• two courses in a foreign language beyond the 215 or 203 level (unless students can demonstrate strong language proficiency in some other way)
• five courses in advanced literature, art or related disciplines at the 300 or 400 level. These should be chosen on an individualized basis with the consultation of the departmental undergraduate adviser.
• COLI 481. Methodologies.

Honors

Candidates for honors in the comparative literature major must write an honors thesis with a director chosen from among the comparative literature faculty. To be eligible, students must have a grade-point average of at least 3.5 for courses within the major. They may write their thesis in a single semester by enrolling in COLI 499, Honors Thesis, or may choose to devote a full year to the project by enrolling initially in COLI 498, Honors Seminar, and then, in the second semester, in COLI 499. COLI 498 is not a prerequisite for COLI 499; it simply offers students the opportunity to undertake larger projects. Students should consult with the undergraduate director to determine which option will best serve their needs and interests. The designation of honors in comparative literature is awarded to students who receive a grade of at least A– for their honors theses.

Comparative Literature Minor

Requirements

• one 100-level course in Comparative Literature. Enrollment preference is given to minors in 100-level courses
• one course in any foreign language, 215 or 203 level or above (in case of Greek or Latin, 203 level or above)
• COLI 481
• three other 300- or 400-level courses in comparative literature.

Subject to approval by the undergraduate director, suitable courses in related areas may be substituted for any of the above, except COLI 481 and the foreign language.