Major in Comparative Literature and Culture

Requirements for the Major in Comparative Literature and Culture

The program requires completion of forty-four (44) units, as follows:

Two Core Courses (8 units)

• CMPL - 200 Introduction to Comparative Studies: Literature of the Body
• CMPL - 390 Critical Analysis

Two Foreign Language Courses (8 units)

(in addition to the three foreign language courses required of all students in the College of Arts and Sciences: 101, 102, and 201 or their equivalent as determined by placement tests.)

• 4th Semester of a Foreign Language (202 French, German, Spanish, Japanese)
• 5th Semester of a Foreign Language (300-level course taught in the target language)

Six 300-Level Literature and Culture Electives (24 units)

• Students will select their elective courses at 300-level or above from the offerings of various departments and interdisciplinary programs. These courses must have a strong emphasis in one or more literatures and cultures of the world, and must be relevant to the student's area of concentration for comparative studies.
• Students must discuss their choice of electives with their advisor before registering. In addition, they will submit a petition form to demonstrate how each elective contributed to their area of concentration. (Petition forms are available at the Department of Modern languages office in KA 328).

One Capstone Seminar (4 Units)

• CMPL - 400 Capstone Seminar: Political Fictions

Study Abroad

Majors in Comparative Literature and Culture are strongly encouraged to study abroad.

Students may transfer up to twelve (12) units from the study abroad program into the Comparative Literature and Culture major.

Twenty-four (24) of the forty-four (44) units from the study abroad program into the Comparative Literature and Culture major must be completed in residence at USF.

Learning Goals/Outcomes for the Major in Comparative Literature and Culture

Students will be able to

• engage in comparative analysis of literary texts and other cultural artifacts that seek to enhance our understanding of cross-national cultural commonalities and differences.
• communicate in a foreign language both orally and in writing.
• demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of, and respect toward, one or more of the many cultures of different regions of the world in their varied dimensions (social, historical, political, religious, economic, linguistic and artistic).
• bridge the divisions between national literatures and cultures instead of concentrating on a single tradition or their own.
• develop an intellectual engagement, introspection and reflective sensibility that will contribute to life-long learning.