Mar 20, 2026

[DRAFT] Course Catalog 2026-2027

[DRAFT] Course Catalog 2026-2027 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Comparative Literature Major

The major consists of a minimum of 10 full courses (or the equivalent).

Note: Students must earn minimum grades of C- or P for all courses that apply toward the major.

View the catalog page for the comparative literature program.

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 Fulbright 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.

Summary of Requirements

CMPL 200 - Introduction to Comparative Literature ⇒ cross-listed with ENGL 275
One Advanced Foreign Literature Course
Minimum of Six Full Comparative Literature Major Elective Courses
One Full Capstone Course

Note(s) on Requirements

CMPL 200 and the required capstone course(s) must be taken at Oberlin.
The advanced foreign literature course must be taught in a language other than English. For certain languages, the minimum course level is 300, while for other languages the minimum level is 400; see detailed requirement below.
Students completing the advanced foreign literature requirement with the half course CHIN 456 will only need 9.5 full courses to complete the major.
The capstone course is to be completed during the senior year and supervised by a faculty member from an appropriate department. Honors students must complete two semesters.

Transfer of Credit Toward the Major

The comparative literature program will accept up to the equivalent of three full courses of transfer credit to count toward the comparative literature major requirements. Two types of approval are needed. (1) Approval from the Office of the Registrar that the transfer course meets Oberlin’s transfer-of-credit eligibility standards and (2) approval from the department/program chair that the course(s) may count to the major. Current students taking post-matriculation credit must secure this approval before registering for course(s). Students who enter Oberlin as transfer students will have their pre-matriculation credit evaluated by the Office of the Registrar for elective credit, and they can later seek approval from the department/program for applying coursework to major requirements.

Study Away

Students are encouraged to study away for a semester or a year in one of the many Oberlin-affiliated programs.

Course of Study

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 (e.g., the Renaissance, modernism), a genre (e.g., tragedy, lyric poetry), a problem (e.g., literature and the other arts, translation), or an approach (e.g., feminism, post-structuralism).

Honors in Comparative Literature

Students who wish to participate in the Honors Program in Comparative Literature 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.

Detailed Major Requirements

Comparative Literature Course Lists

Advanced Foreign Literature Courses

Return to the summary of requirements.

Notes:

Students must take at least one 400-level literature course in a foreign language taught in a language other than English. For the following four languages, the required minimum level is 300: Greek, Latin, Chinese, or Japanese.
Students completing the advanced foreign literature requirement with the half course CHIN 456 will only need 9.5 full courses to complete the major.

Comparative Literature Major Elective Courses

Return to the summary of requirements.

The major elective courses comprise courses in literature, theory, criticism, cultural studies, and related disciplines, chosen to include comparative study within or among courses.

A capstone course the senior year is to be supervised jointly by faculty members from appropriate departments. Honors students must complete two semesters.

Note: The required capstone course(s) must be taken at Oberlin.

Comparative Literature Major

Summary of Requirements

Note(s) on Requirements

Transfer of Credit Toward the Major

Study Away

Course of Study

Honors in Comparative Literature

Detailed Major Requirements

Comparative Literature Course Lists

Advanced Foreign Literature Courses

Comparative Literature Major Elective Courses

Africana Studies Courses

Chinese Courses

Cinema and Media Courses

Classics Courses

Comparative American Studies Courses

Comparative Literature Courses

Creative Writing Courses

East Asian Studies Courses

English Courses

French Courses

Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies Courses

German Courses

Greek Courses

Hispanic Studies Courses

Italian Courses

Japanese Courses

Jewish Studies Courses

Latin Courses

London Program Courses

Religion Courses

Russian Courses

Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Courses

Sociology Courses

Theater Courses

Capstone Courses