Course Catalog 2019-2020 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Comparative Literature
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 Return to: College of Arts and Sciences, Degree Programs and Requirements
Kirk W. Ormand, Professor of Classics and Comparative Literature; Program Director
Stiliana Milkova, Assistant Professor, Comparative Literature
Comparative literature (CMPL) is the study of literature, theory, and criticism across the boundaries of language, nation, culture, artistic medium, genre, and historical period. Faculty in Oberlin’s program are drawn from across the humanities, arts, and social sciences, and the curriculum emphasizes these important areas of the discipline:
•Literary Theory
•Literature and the Other Arts
•World Literature
•Asian and European Languages and Literatures
•Translation
Comparative literature enables students to integrate their studies in more than one discipline. Because the major requires a combination of depth, breadth, and creativity, students consult with advisors to create individualized curricular pathways. Majors must demonstrate advanced proficiency in at least one language other than English and write a capstone or honors project.
Program alumni have attended top graduate programs, received numerous Fulbrights and other fellowships, and gone on to successful careers in academia, journalism, film, theater, translation, non-profits, publishing, libraries, the arts, and teaching at all levels.
Curriculum Overview
Comparative literature offers coursework for the major and minor. Because many departments contribute courses to comparative literature, students with an interest in the discipline should consult with their advisor and the program director to define an individual area of emphasis. For example, several courses presented for the major might focus on a specific period or movement (the Renaissance, modernism), a genre (tragedy, lyric poetry), a problem (literature and the other arts, translation) or an approach (feminism, post-structuralism).
Students must take at least one 400-level course in a foreign language taught in a language other than English. For the following four languages, the required level is 300: Greek, Latin, Chinese, or Japanese. Outside of the classroom, majors and others may attend our annual Translation Symposium that brings prominent comparatists to campus. We encourage students to study abroad for a semester or a year in one of the many Oberlin-affiliated programs.
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Major
A minimum of ten courses (eleven for Honors) to be distributed as follows:
1. Comparative Literature 200, one course.
2. At least one course at the 400 level in a foreign literature taught in the original language (300 in Greek, Latin, Chinese, or Japanese).
3. A capstone course the senior year to be supervised jointly by faculty members from appropriate departments. (Honors students must complete two semesters.)
4. Six or more major electives: courses in literature, theory, criticism, cultural studies, and related disciplines, chosen to include comparative study within or among courses.
5. At least six courses counted toward the major must be earned at Oberlin College.
Students must earn minimum grades of C- or P for all courses that apply toward the major.
Minor
A minimum of five courses to be distributed as follows:
1. Comparative Literature 200, one course.
2. At least one course at the 400 level in a foreign literature taught in the original language (300 in Greek, Latin, Chinese, or Japanese).
3. Three or more additional courses in literature, theory, criticism, cultural studies, and related disciplines chosen to include comparative study within or among courses.
4. No more than two of the courses required for the minor can also be counted toward requirements for another major or minor. Three of the four courses other than CMPL 200 should have some clear thread of connection: they might be from the same century in different literatures, study the same genre (tragedy, fiction), pursue a single theme or topic, etc. At least three of the courses must be earned at Oberlin College. Under normal circumstances a minor must be declared by the beginning of the second semester of the junior year.
Honors
Students who wish to pursue Honors should apply by April 15 of the junior year. Admission will be granted on the basis of the grade-point average in the college and major, faculty recommendations, and a written proposal. The project will be for two courses during the two semesters of the senior year, normally under the supervision of two faculty members from different departments. Interested majors should consult the director.
I) Requirements
• GPA: Minimum GPA in the major and in the college: 3.5.
• Faculty Support: The student must have support from two faculty members willing to advise the project.
II) How to Apply
By April 15 of the junior year, students must submit a proposal to the Comparative Literature program director. Proposals should be submitted by email to the director of Comparative Literature and include the following:
• Name
• Declared major(s) and minor(s)
• Current GPA overall and in CMPL
• Tentative project title
• 4-6 page project narrative
• 1-2 page preliminary bibliography (annotations optional).
• Statement of faculty support from two potential advisors.
III) The Project Narrative
The narrative is the most significant part of the proposal. There is no standard format, but the following questions must be addressed:
• What do you propose to study, and why? (Describe your research topic and how you came to it.)
• What is your background in the areas you propose to study? (Describe relevant coursework, language levels, and other significant experience or training that has prepared you for this project.)
• What are the theoretical grounds for the comparison? (Describe the theories, methodologies, and frameworks you intend to use.)
IV) Statement of Faculty Support
The proposal is not complete unless it includes statements of support from two faculty members in areas relevant to the project. Faculty members must confirm 1) that they consider the project to be valuable and feasible and 2) that they are willing to serve as advisors if it is approved.
V) Completing the Honors Project
Fall Semester:
• “Substantive progress” report. By mid-November, advisors must send a brief message to the CMPL director describing whether or not the student has made “substantive progress” on the honors project. If yes, then the student will enroll for 3 credit-hours for the spring semester to finish the project. If not, then the Honors project will revert to the required 3-hour senior project. The November 1st deadline is early enough that the project can be reconceived on a smaller scale.
In each case, the two faculty advisors are responsible for determining what constitutes substantive progress. This may vary depending on the nature of the project, but in all cases the student will have met with both advisors, shown work in progress, and discussed the feasibility of the remaining proposed work.
Spring Semester:
• Students submit a work of approximately 40-60 pages to both advisors by April 25. The advisors and one external reader will conduct a final oral exam of 45-60 minutes and make recommendations for honors. The comparative literature committee will then meet to consider all the honors recommendations together, and forward a list to the College Honors committee. This committee makes the final decision about the level of honors.
Courses
The following courses, either cross-referenced, cross-listed or wholly in Comparative Literature, are centered on comparative approaches and therefore are of special interest to majors. For crosslisted courses, students may enroll using either the Comparative Literature number or the crosslisted number in the department of origin.
Cross-Referenced Courses
The following courses are taught in English and may be of interest to comparative literature majors. For a more complete listing of cross-listed courses, as well as courses in other languages, see www.oberlin.edu/complit
East Asian Studies (EAST)
First Year Seminars (FYSP)
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