Minor

The undergraduate program in Comparative Literature aims to develop students’ verbal and written communication skills, their ability to read analytically and critically, and their global knowledge of literary cultures and the specific properties of literary texts. The program allows students to study imaginative literature with several methods and consciousness of methodology.

A Comparative Literature major prepares a student as a reader and interpreter of literature through sophisticated examination of texts and the developing of a critical vocabulary with which to discuss them. Along with providing core courses that introduce students to significant literary phenomena in a comparative frame, the program of study accommodates the interests of students in areas such as specific regions, historical periods, and interdisciplinary connections between literature and other fields such as philosophy, music, the visual arts, gender, and queer theory, and race and ethnicity. Attention to verbal expression and interpretive argument serves students who will proceed into careers requiring strong language and communication skills and cross-cultural knowledge of the world.

The undergraduate minor in Comparative Literature represents a condensed (22-unit minimum) version of the major. It is designed for students who cannot pursue the major but seek an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of literature.

Declaring the Minor

To declare, students should complete the Comparative Literature declaration worksheet opens in a new tab, sending it to the department Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) for approval. Once signed, they should send the worksheet to the DLCL Undergraduate Student Services Officer opens in a new tab via email, before completing the final step of declaration via Axess.

Requirements Overview

To earn a minor in Comparative Literature, students' plans must adhere to these common overarching requirements:

• Complete at least six courses at three units or more and 22 overall units of coursework in the department.

• All courses must be taken for a letter grade

• Courses may not duplicate coursework used to fulfill another major or minor