THE FACULTY OF LANGUAGES AND LINGUISTICS

VI. DEPARTMENTAL PROGRAMS

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

The Comparative Literature major provides students the opportunity to study literatures within their cultural contexts. Majors in Comparative Literature focus on two different literary traditions through the study of literary works in their original language. In addition, students are encouraged to explore the relationships between literatures from a variety of perspectives, such as literature and philosophy, literature and politics, literature and the arts, or literature and film.

The Comparative Literature curriculum includes the following four areas:

1. Literature courses in the original language: These courses require students to work with the literature in the original language. The aim is to provide students with a comprehensive view of the literary tradition in their concentration, while at the same time offering them a close analysis of texts.
2. Theoretical approaches to text: these courses aim to provide students with a broad conceptual framework for the various approaches to text analysis. This course may be taken from any department named above.
3. Literature courses in translation: These courses enable students to explore themes across a variety of literary traditions.
4. Comparative literature courses: The objective of these courses is to compare different literary traditions and to develop the conceptual tools required to analyze texts.

Students apply for admission to the major no later than the Spring of their sophomore year. At the same time, they need to declare a primary and secondary literature concentration. Students may choose their primary and secondary concentrations from among the following departments: Arabic Language, Literature and Linguistics; Classics; East Asian Languages and Cultures; English; French; German; Italian; Slavic Languages; and Spanish and Portuguese. The program allows students to explore many disciplines, learn about a variety of crucial approaches to texts, and work closely with faculty members. Furthermore, students with a particular interest in literature can combine their major in English or a foreign language with a second major in Comparative Literature. For those students, the literature of the first major will be designated as the primary literature of the Comparative Literature major. Students may then count two literature courses toward both the first major and the primary literature requirement of the Comparative Literature major.

The major requires 39 credits consisting of 12 courses and a senior thesis (3 credits), in addition to the general education requirements and any prerequisites determined by individual departments. Students develop an intellectually coherent program in consultation with the Program Director. Each program of study consists of the following required courses:

• 1 Introduction to Comparative Literature
• 4 upper-level literature courses in the primary literature, in the original language (261 and above in the Languages; 100 and above in English)
• 3 upper-level literature courses in the secondary concentration, in the original language (4 courses if the student’s primary concentration is in English)
• 1 course in theoretical approaches to text
• 1 designated comparative course
• 1 upper-level literature course in translation
• 1 additional course to be chosen from the previous three categories (theory, comparative, or translation)
• Completion of a senior thesis written in English by the end of the Spring semester of the senior year

(For course listings for Comparative Literature see http://explore.georgetown.edu/courses/)

Undergraduate Bulletin 2009-2010 Table of Contents
Copyright 2009, Georgetown University.