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BA in Comparative Literature

The Curriculum of Comparative Literature explores major works of literature and theory, as well as interrelations among national literatures, thereby enabling students to acquire a broad, liberal education. It offers both a major and a minor.

Sophomores planning to major in Comparative Literature should take the two-semester Great Books course (CMPL 121 and 122) as part of their General College requirements.

An undergraduate major consists of eight courses: either one literature course in Classics or one course in one major author (e.g., ENGL 320 Chaucer, ENGL 225 Shakespeare, RUSS 464 Dostoevsky, ITAL 357 Petrarch and Boccaccio, SPAN 280 Cervantes, etc.); two literature courses in a foreign language (beyond the General College foreign-language requirement - usually 121 or higher; these would be in addition to the major author course mentioned above if the course in the major author is taken in the original foreign language); and five courses taught within the Curriculum of Comparative Literature or cross-listed as Comparative Literature courses, to be chosen in consultation with the undergraduate adviser. Either CMPL 250, Approaches to Comparative Literature, or 251, Introduction to Literary Theory, is required as one of the five courses. The curriculum offers many undergraduate courses.

Undergraduates majoring in Comparative Literature may minor in any department, curriculum, or school in which a minor program is offered. However, the two foreign language literature courses required for the major in Comparative Literature may not also be counted as part of a minor in any of the foreign language departments. Courses offered by the English department can be used to meet Arts and Scienes or General College requirements.

Undergraduate Minor in Comparative Literature
Comparative Literature as a Second Undergraduate Major

Students may choose to take Comparative Literature as a second major, a particularly attractive option for students majoring in a foreign language since two of the foreign language major requirements can also count toward the eight-course major requirement in Comparative Literature.

Comparative Literature as an Undergraduate Minor

The minor in Comparative Literature is available to any undergraduate who has completed CMPL 121 and 122 as part of the General Education requirement or completes the courses during the junior or senior year.

In addition to CMPL 121 and CMPL 122, the minor consists of four additional courses listed or cross-listed in Comparative Literature, with one exception. Courses cross-listed between Comparative Literature and Classics may not be counted for a minor in Comparative Literature by students majoring in Classics.