Comparative Literature, B.A.

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(120 UNITS)

The Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature prepares students to enter professions that expect a global outlook and excellent reading and writing skills, including work in the fields of education, creative and professional writing, public service, law, medicine or business. In addition, it can provide a foundation for students who intend to pursue advanced degrees in preparation for teaching at the college level. The curriculum prepares students to examine the diverse ways in which writing and literature let us see the past, compare literary and cultural traditions, understand advanced rhetorical and linguistic techniques, and make sense of the world through narrative and sophisticated theoretical perspectives.

In addition to the requirements for the major, students must meet all other university requirements for a bachelor’s degree. Please consult the Graduation Requirements for the Bachelor’s Degree section in this catalog for complete information. All courses in the major require a “C” (2.0) or better. In selecting courses, students are urged to consult a faculty adviser.

Required Courses (21 units)

ENGL 300 - Analysis of Literary Forms (3)
CPLT 324 - World Literature to 1650 (3)
CPLT 325 - World Literature from 1650 (3)
CPLT 450 - Medieval Literature (3) or
ENGL 450 - Medieval Literature (3) or
CPLT 451 - Literature of the Renaissance (3)
9 additional units of CPLT courses

British and American Literature (6 units)

Select upper-division ENGL courses.

Breadth Requirements (6 units)

Select adviser-approved courses in such fields as anthropology, history, art history, music history or philosophy

Electives (9 units)

Select upper-division, adviser-approved courses in comparative literature, or literature courses in English or an adviser-approved foreign language

Reading Competence in a Foreign Language

This requirement can be met by examination or by successfully completing an adviser-approved 400-level course offered by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, provided it is not taught in translation. Information on the examination is available in the Department of English, Comparative Literature and Linguistics office.