An undergraduate minor in Comparative Literature trains students in the critical analysis of texts. It explores how the rhetorical and aesthetic features of those texts respond to and shape social values, attitudes and beliefs. The minor is international in scope and emphasizes intellectual breadth. It explores the relationships among different cultures and between literature and other fields of knowledge, such as art history, philosophy, religion and political thought. This broad latitude maximizes students’ opportunities to pursue their interests through their studies, making a minor in Comparative Literature the perfect complement to a degree in STEM, the social sciences, another humanities discipline, or a pre-professional field.
Our department recently changed its name to Cinema & Media Studies. Please see our FAQ about the name change and what it means for current students.
Declaring a Minor in Comparative Literature
Students in good academic standing may declare the minor at any time by meeting with their major adviser. Only the adviser in your major department may sign the form to declare a minor. This is to ensure students meet satisfactory progress requirements. In addition to meeting with your major adviser, you should meet with the adviser for Comparative Literature to discuss registering for and fulfilling the minor requirements. Please see Undergraduate Advising’s Minor page for additional considerations about earning a minor.
Minor Requirements
The Comparative Literature minor requires a minimum of 30 credits from the following:
- C LIT 250, C LIT 251 or C LIT 252 (5 credits)
- C LIT 400 (5 credits)
- Two differently numbered courses from among C LIT 320, C LIT 321, C LIT 322, C LIT 323. (10 credits).
- The remaining credits are to be earned normally in 300 and 400 level literature courses from among the offering of Comparative Literature and the following participating departments: Asian Languages and Literatures, Classics, English, Germanics, Near Eastern Languages and Civilization, French and Italian Studies, Spanish and Portuguese Studies, Scandinavian Studies, and Slavic Languages and Literatures. Note: Not more than one cinema studies course may be counted toward the Comparative Literature minor.
No course presented toward fulfillment of the 30-credit minor requirements may be taken on a credit/no credit or satisfactory/non-satisfactory basis. There is no formal application procedure for declaring the Comparative Literature minor; however, a minimum GPA of 2.0 is required in order to be admitted to the program.
Contact an adviser for more information.