THE FACULTY OF LANGUAGES AND LINGUISTICS

VI. DEPARTMENTAL PROGRAMS

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

Major in Comparative Literature

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

The Program Structure

The Comparative Literature curriculum includes the following four areas:

1. Literature and cultural courses in the original language: These courses require students to work with the literature and other media in the original language. The aim is to provide students with a comprehensive view of the literary and cultural traditions in their concentration, while at the same time offering them a close analysis of literary and cultural texts.
2. Theoretical approaches: these courses aim to provide students with a broad conceptual framework for the various approaches to text and cultural 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 and cultural traditions and to develop the conceptual tools required to analyze them.

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 concentrations. 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 other forms of creative expression, 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 concentration of the Comparative Literature major. Students may then count two upper-level courses toward both the first major and the primary requirement of the Comparative Literature major.

The major requires 36 credits consisting of 11 courses and a senior thesis, 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 literature courses above the gateway level in the primary literature, in the original language
• 3 literature courses above the gateway level 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
• 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://courses.georgetown.edu/)

Undergraduate Bulletin 2012-2013 Table of Contents
Copyright 2012, Georgetown University.