Bachelor of Arts Comparative Literature

Lead Faculty: Dr. Luis Acebal

The Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature degree offers students a course of study in literatures outside the English language tradition. The required courses for this program will take an historical approach to comparative literature and compare at least two different regions of the world within their respective historical period. The literature is read in translation in all the program's courses with the exception of SPN 310: Literary Readings in Spanish, which requires Spanish reading competency. (Students who are interested in studying literature with a focus on the English language tradition of the British Isles and the United States should enroll in the Bachelor of Arts in English program.) By comparing literary works of more than one culture within a given literary era, students will develop and expand their sense of the role of the literary arts in different cultures and languages. Because reading literary works in translation is not the same experience as reading them in their original language, the program requires that one course be comprised of literary readings in their original language.

Program Outcomes:
A graduate of the Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature degree will be able to:

• Have reading knowledge of one additional "research" language.
• Have competence in the history of one literature.
• Demonstrate knowledge in comparative analysis of literary works spanning several traditions.
• Have specialized (period focused) knowledge of two literatures.
• Be familiar with a broad range of literary, critical and cultural theories.
• Be able to understand and contribute to issues and debates in the field of comparative and world literature.
• Evaluate the historical and literary developments of multiple national literatures.
• Conduct research using electronic databases and other relevant traditional sources.

Requirements

To receive the Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Comparative Literature, students must complete at least 180 quarter units as listed below, 45 of which must be completed in residence at National University, and 76.5 of which must be completed at the upper-division level. The following courses are degree requirements. In absence of transfer credit, general electives may be necessary to satisfy the total units required for the degree. Students should refer to the section on undergraduate admission procedures for specific information regarding admission and evaluation. If the foreign language requirement is not completed in General Education, the equivalent must be completed as preparation for the Comparative Literature major either by testing or by satisfactorily passing three courses in Spanish (*Or equivalent preparation from another language.)

Preparation for the Major (4 courses; 18 quarter units):
LIT 100 - Introduction to Literature* (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
SPN 100 - Spanish I*
SPN 200 - Spanish II* (Prerequisite: SPN 100)
SPN 300 - Spanish III* (Prerequisite: SPN 200)

* May be used to satisfy general education requirements.

Requirements for the Major (10 courses; 45 quarter units):
LIT 300 - Methodologies in Comparative Literature (Prerequisite: LIT 100)
SPN 310 - Literary Readings in Spanish
  (Prerequisite: LIT 100, LAS 300 or equivalent competency)
LIT 361 - Literature of the Ancient World (Prerequisite: LIT 100)
LIT 362 - Literature of the Middle Period (Prerequisite: LIT 100)
LIT 363 - Literature of the Early Modern World (Prerequisite: LIT 100)
LIT 461 - 18th Century World Literature (Prerequisite: LIT 100)
LIT 462 - 19th Century World Literature (Prerequisite: LIT 100)
LIT 463 - 20th Century World Literature (Prerequisite: LIT 100)
LIT 480 - Literatures of the Americas (Prerequisites: LIT 100, LIT 300)
LIT 499 - Comparative Literature Capstone Course
  (Prerequisite: Completion of all major coursework.)

Upper-Division Electives (6 courses; 27 quarter units):
Students must complete a minimum of 27 quarter units of electives to fulfill the upper-division unit requirements to earn the Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature. Students must select at least four of these courses from the English (ENG) and Literature (LIT) subject areas.

The following courses are recommended:
ENG 350 - Fundamentals of Linguistics (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
ENG 352 - Origins of English (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
ENG 365 - Creative Writing (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101)
LIT 311 - British Literature I (Prerequisite: LIT 100)
LIT 312 - British Literature II (Prerequisite: LIT 100)
LIT 321 - American Literature I (Prerequisite: LIT 100)
LIT 322 - American Literature II (Prerequisite: LIT 100)
LIT 338 - Shakespeare (Prerequisite: LIT 100)
LIT 345 - Mythology (Prerequisite: LIT 100)
LIT 446 - Studies in Poetry (Prerequisite: LIT 100)
LIT 450 - Studies in the Novel (Prerequisite: LIT 100)
LIT 456 - Studies in Drama (Prerequisite: LIT 100)
LIT 460 - Gender and Literature (Prerequisite: LIT 100)

Program Information

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