Comparative Literary Studies Program Major
The requirements for the major are as follows: Nine units of course work are required for the major, at least five of which should be from CPLT courses and must include CPLT 180, which should be taken early on in a student’s studies and CPLT 375, the capstone course in translation. In addition, students take at least one course outside the modern period (before 1900) and three courses in an area of concentration to be developed in consultation with the advisor and director, and at least one of these classes must be at the 300 level. Students may choose to concentrate in the literature of a nation or a region or in a specific field of inquiry (e.g. literature & religion, translation, literature & politics, philosophical or theoretical inquires into literature, visual arts & literature, etc.).
Students are encouraged to explore the diversity of literary studies offered in other departments at the college or if they choose to study abroad. Most courses that deal significantly with literature broadly defined will count for the major, but students are encouraged to consult the Director or Major Advisor to confirm that a course outside CPLT will count toward the major. All units must count toward the major in the departments in which they are offered (unless they are language courses, of which no more than one 200-level course may be counted toward the major).
Comparative Literary Studies Program Major Worksheet
Honors in Comparative Literary Studies Program
There are two routes to honors in the major: Plan A entails writing a thesis. Plan B entails a dossier of essays written for several courses with a statement of connections among them and critical questions raised by them. Both Plan A and Plan B require a student to pass an oral exam.
To be admitted to the honors program, a student must have a grade point average of at least 3.5 in all work in the major field above the 100 level; the department may petition on her behalf if her GPA in the major is between 3.0 and 3.5. See Academic Distinctions.