Comparative Literature Program
Comparative Literature Program Division of Humanities and Fine Arts
Phelps Hall 6206
Telephone: (805) 893-2131
Undergraduate e-mail: ashley@gss.ucsb.edu
Graduate e-mail: sierra@gss.ucsb.edu
Website: www.complit.ucsb.edu
Program Chair: Elisabeth Weber
E-mail: weber@gss.ucsb.edu
Contents:
- Comparative Literature Advisory Committee
- Overview
- Undergraduate Program
- Graduate Program
- Comparative Literature Courses
Comparative Literature Advisory Board
Michael Berry, Ph.D. (East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies)
Julie Carlson, Ph.D.
(English)
Susan Derwin,
Ph.D. (Germanic, Slavic, and Semitic Studies)
Ronald Egan, Ph.D. (East
Asian Languages and Cultural Studies)
Bishnupriya Ghosh, Ph.D.
(English)
Wolf D. Kittler, Ph.D.
(Germanic, Slavic, and Semitic Studies)
Sara Lindheim,
Ph.D. (Classics)
Eric Prieto, Ph.D. (French and Italian)
Dwight F. Reynolds, Ph.D.
(Religious Studies)
Harvey L. Sharrer,
Ph.D. (Spanish and Portuguese)
Jon Snyder, Ph.D. (French
and Italian)
Sven Spieker, Ph.D. (Germanic, Slavic & Semitic
Studies)
Elisabeth Weber, Ph.D.
(Germanic, Slavic, and Semitic Studies)
Simon Williams, Ph.D.
(Dramatic Art)
Affiliated
Faculty
Geraldo Aldana,
Ph.D. (Chicana and Chicano Studies)
Silvia Bermúdez,
Ph.D. (Spanish and Portuguese)
Maurizia Boscagli, Ph.D. (English)
Edward Branigan,
Ph.D. (Film Studies)
Leo Cabranes-Grant,
Ph.D. (Drama/Spanish and Portuguese)
Joao Camilo dos Santos, Ph.D. (Spanish and Portuguese)
Thomas Carlson, Ph.D.
(Religious Studies)
Jorge Checa, Ph.D. (Spanish & Portuguese)
Elizabeth Heckendorn Cook, Ph.D. (English)
Enda Duffy, Ph.D.
(English)
Francis
Dunn,
Ph.D. (Classics)
Jody Enders, Ph.D. (French
and Italian)
Claudio Fogu, Ph.D. (French and Italian)
L.O. Aranye Fradenburg, Ph.D.
(English)
Colin
Gardner, Ph.D. (Art)
Giles Gunn,
Ph.D. (English)
Carl Gutiérrez-Jones, Ph.D. (English)
Richard
Hecht, Ph.D. (Religious Studies)
Jocelyn
Holland, Ph.D. (Germanic, Slavic and Semitic Studies)
Dominique Jullien, Ph.D. (French)
Stephanie LeMenager, Ph.D. (English)
Suzanne
Jill Levine, Ph.D. (Spanish and Portuguese)
Didier Maleuvre, Ph.D. (French and Italian)
Harold
Marcuse, Ph.D. (History)
David
Marshall, Ph.D. (English)
Anne
Maurseth, Ph.D. (French and Italian)
Ellen
McCracken, Ph.D. (Spanish and Portuguese)
Catherine
Nesci, Ph.D. (French and Italian)
Elide
Oliver, Ph.D. (Spanish and Portuguese)
Sara Poot-Herrera, Ph.D. (Spanish and Portuguese)
William
Powell, Ph.D. (Religious Studies)
Rita Raley, Ph.D. (English)
Laurence Rickels, Ph.D. (Germanic, Slavic, and Semitic
Studies)
Mark Rose,
Ph.D. (English)
Katherine
Saltzman-Li, Ph.D. (East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies)
Cynthia Skenazi, Ph.D. (French and Italian)
Candace Waid, Ph.D. (English)
Janet
Walker, Ph.D. (Film and Media Studies)
William Warner, Ph.D.
(English)
Kay Young, Ph.D. (English)
Comparative
literature, an interdepartmental undergraduate and graduate program, combines
the study of national literatures with courses that address the relationship
between literature and other disciplines such as anthropology, cultural
studies, gender studies, philosophy, linguistics, media and technology studies,
psychoanalysis, religious studies, and the fine and performing arts.
The Comparative Literature Program offers two
undergraduate major tracks leading to the B.A. degree, Comparative Literature
with Foreign Language Emphasis and Comparative Literature with
Interdisciplinary Emphasis, and M.A./Ph.D. and Ph.D. programs at the graduate level.
A degree in comparative literature provides preparation
for possible careers as teachers and scholars in literary and cultural studies
as well as for careers that require expertise in foreign languages and
familiarity with multi-cultural perspectives, such as international journalism,
business, law, and diplomacy.
Senior Honors Program in
Comparative Literature
To earn departmental senior honors, the student will
work with a professor of choice for two quarters to complete a senior thesis,
while enrolled in Comparative Literature 199 (Independent Studies). No more
than 4 units of 199 credits may be applied to the major requirements. Students
who complete departmental honors will receive the notation of “Distinction in
the Major” on both official transcripts and their diploma. Students interested
in departmental honors should consult with their undergraduate advisor.
Bachelor
of Arts—Comparative Literature
Preparation for the major. Six quarters (or the equivalent) of a language other than English; three
courses from the following: Comparative Literature 30A, 30B, 30C, 31, 32, 33,
34, 35, 36; and one of the following series: History 2A-B-C, 4A-B-C, Art
History 6A-B-C, Religious Studies 80A-B-C, Philosophy 20A-B-C.
Upper-division major, Foreign Language Emphasis: A minimum of five upper-division courses in comparative literature, including
Comparative Literature 100 (Introduction to Comparative Literature) and
Comparative Literature 195 (Junior/Senior Seminar); and six literature courses
(of which a minimum of three must be taught in a language other than English).
Students wishing to pursue graduate study in comparative literature should
select this emphasis and are strongly advised to select literature courses in
two foreign languages rather than a single foreign language and English. Note:
By petition, up to 8 units of upper-division
College
of
Creative Studies
literature courses may be applied to the upper-division major.
Upper-division major, Interdisciplinary
Emphasis: A minimum of five upper-division courses in comparative
literature, including Comparative Literature 100 (Introduction to Comparative
Literature) and Comparative Literature 195 (Junior/Senior Seminar); three
literature courses (of which a minimum of one course must be taught in a language
other than English); and three courses in a single ancillary discipline (that
must be chosen in consultation with the undergraduate advisor). Note:
By petition, up to 8 units of upper-division
College
of
Creative Studies
literature courses may be applied to the upper-division major.
Minor—Comparative Literature
All courses to be applied to the minor must be
completed on a letter-grade basis. This includes both courses offered in
comparative literature and those offered by other departments and applied to the
minor.
Preparation for the minor. Six quarters (or the equivalent) of foreign language study; two courses from
the following: Comparative Literature 30A, 30B, 30C, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36.
Upper-division minor. Twenty upper-division units, distributed as follows: Comparative Literature
100, and 16 units selected from courses in comparative literature.
Note: Substitutions and waivers are
subject to approval by the chair of the department. Please see the special conditions governing minors in the
College
of
Letters and Science.
Graduate study in this program requires completion of
graduate courses in comparative literature in addition to courses offered by
other departments and programs. These include graduate courses in literature
offered by the departments of Classics, East Asian Languages and Cultural
Studies, English, French and Italian, Germanic, Slavic, and Semitic Studies,
and Spanish and Portuguese, and Theater. Graduate course work can also be done
in related departments such as Anthropology, Communication, Film Studies,
History, History of Art and Architecture, Linguistics, Music, Philosophy,
Political Science, Religious Studies, Sociology, and Feminist studies. The M.A./Ph.D. is normally a six-year
program. The Ph.D. for students who enter with an M.A. should take no more than
four years to complete the program. Applicants to the Comparative Literature
Program should confirm that appropriate resources are available for their desired
course of study.
In addition to meeting program requirements, candidates
for graduate degrees must meet university degree requirements found in the
chapter “Graduate Education at UCSB.”
Admission
In addition to fulfilling all university requirements
for admission to graduate status, described in the chapter in the general
catalog “Graduate Education at UCSB,” applicants to the M.A./Ph.D. program will normally have completed an undergraduate
major in comparative literature or a related field. For admission to the Ph.D.
program, applicants must have completed an M.A. in comparative literature or a
closely related field. Application packets for both programs should consist of
the following: (1) two official sets of transcripts from all postsecondary
institutions; (2) three letters of recommendation; (3) official scores on the
GRE general test (sent electronically by ETS) and, if the applicant is not from
an English-speaking country, official TOEFL scores (sent electronically by
ETS); (4) one writing sample of no more than 25 pages in length; (5) two copies
of the statement of purpose; (6) competence in a foreign language; and (7) the
Program’s foreign language form. The writing samples should be substantial
papers written in an upper-division or graduate literature course. Foreign
language proficiency can be demonstrated by (a) submission of a writing sample
in a foreign language, (b) submission of an academic transcript providing a
record of classes taken in a foreign language, or (c) evidence that the applicant
is a native speaker of a foreign language. The program’s admission policy is
based on intellectual potential and promise, academic records, and programmatic
fit.
Master of Arts—Comparative Literature
Degree Requirements
The M.A. requires a minimum of 36 units of
graduate-level course work in either (a) three national literatures, or, (b)
two national literatures and one related discipline chosen in consultation with
the graduate advisor. The 36 units of graduate-level course work must include a
minimum of 8 graduate units in each of two national literatures and 4 graduate
units in the student’s third national literature or the related discipline.
Eight additional graduate units must be taken in comparative literature. A
maximum of 4 units of 596 course work can be counted toward the master’s
degree. By the end of the second year of study, students must pass a written
qualifying field examination or successfully complete a thesis in a national
literature other than the literature of their native language. The written
field examination or thesis will be followed by an oral examination, which must
be successfully completed to pass the field examination. Students are invited
to join the Ph.D. program by the Graduate Studies Committee. The invitation is
contingent upon the student’s performance meeting the standards of excellence
needed for Ph.D. study in Comparative Literature at UCSB in graduate course
work and on the first qualifying examination, as well as upon the positive
recommendations by the student’s exam committee and the faculty with whom the
student has worked.
Doctor of Philosophy—Comparative Literature
Degree
Requirements
The Ph.D. degree in comparative literature requires the
study of three fields consisting of either (a) three national literatures, or,
(b) two national literatures and one related discipline. One of the literatures
may be in English. The other(s) must be studied in the original language. Two
fields are considered major and the third minor. The selection of fields must
be approved by the graduate advisor.
Students entering the program with an M.A. in
comparative literature or a closely related field need a minimum of 24 units of
additional graduate-level course work to be distributed in consultation with
the graduate advisor. These must include 4 units in each of two national
literatures, 4 units in the student’s third national literature or related
discipline, and 4 units in comparative literature. Additional course work may
be required to make up for deficiencies. Students must pass three field exams
in three national literatures, or two national literatures and in a related
field. The first field examination should be taken in the first quarter of
their second year at UCSB.
For students entering the program with a B.A., a minimum
of 60 units of graduate-level course work including work done at the M.A. level
is required leading to the Ph.D. A minimum of 12 units of graduate-level course
work must be completed in each of the student’s three fields, plus at least 12
additional units of graduate-level course work from the offerings in the
Comparative Literature Program, with the remaining 12 units to be distributed
among the student’s fields in consultation with the Graduate Advisor. The field exam written at the M.A. level counts as the first field
exam for the Ph.D. The other two qualifying field examinations and the
remaining 24 units of course work should be completed by the end of the first
quarter of the fourth year of study. Students may retake each field exam only
one time.
Upon completion of the three field exams, students
prepare an oral exam, administered by the dissertation committee, in which they
present a dissertation prospectus on the proposed dissertation topic. Students
who pass this examination and demonstrate a proficiency in a second foreign
language will be advanced to candidacy. The final requirement is the successful
completion of a doctoral dissertation, including an oral defense.
Optional Ph.D. Emphasis in
East Asian Literatures
The Department of East Asian Languages and Cultural
Studies offers a doctoral emphasis to students previously admitted to the Ph.D.
program in comparative literature. Students pursuing the emphasis in East Asian
Literatures must complete four graduate-level courses: a pro-seminar on bibliography
and research methodology (Chinese 211 or Japanese 211) and three other approved
seminars or reading courses in the student’s field. In addition, students of
Chinese literature are expected to have completed at least three years of
modern Chinese and three quarters of Classical Chinese (Chinese 101A-B-C) or
the equivalent. Students of Japanese literature are expected to have completed
at least four years of modern Japanese and two quarters of Classical Japanese
(Japanese 181, 182, 183).
There are a total of 16 units of coursework required for
the emphasis in East Asian literatures, which may also be counted to satisfy
the 12 to 24 units of graduate coursework in a national literature necessary
for the Ph.D. in comparative literature. The doctoral committee must include a
faculty member from the East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies department,
either as committee chair or as one of the three participating members. The
dissertation for the emphasis must rely in some significant measure on primary sources
in Chinese or Japanese. Contact the Department of East Asian Languages and
Cultural Studies for additional information on faculty research interests and
course offerings.
Optional Ph.D. Emphasis in
Women’s Studies
The Department of Feminist Studies, with almost fifty
core and affiliated faculty members in over nineteen disciplines, serves as a
model of interdisciplinary work and scholarly collaboration at UCSB. Women’s
Studies doctoral emphasis students are required to successfully complete four seminars
that will enhance their understanding of feminist pedagogy, feminist theory,
and topics relevant to the study of women, gender and/or sexuality. Women’s Studies as an inter-departmental set of conversations and
intellectual questions supports a multifaceted undergraduate curriculum
at UCSB. Doctoral emphasis students are encouraged to apply to teach Feminist
Studies courses as teaching assistants and associates as part of their Feminist
Studies training.
Applicants must first be admitted to, or currently
enrolled in, a UCSB Ph.D. program participating in the Women’s Studies graduate
emphasis. Anthropology; Comparative Literature; Counseling, Clinical, and
School Psychology; English; French and Italian; Germanic, Slavic and Semitic
Studies; History; History of Art and Architecture; Linguistics; Political
Science; Religious Studies; Sociology; Spanish and Portuguese; or Theater and
Dance. Candidates complete four graduate courses and select a member of the
Feminist Studies faculty or affiliated faculty to serve on their dissertation
committees. Applications to the Women’s Studies Doctoral Emphasis may be
submitted at any stage of Ph.D. work, and applications will be considered
throughout the year.
Doctoral Emphasis Coursework
Students pursuing the emphasis in Women’s Studies will
successfully complete four graduate courses that have been approved by the
Doctoral Emphasis advisor.
1. Feminist Theories. A
one quarter graduate seminar in interdisciplinary feminist theory offered by
any department, including Feminist Studies 250 AA-ZZ.
2. Issues in Feminist Epistemology and Pedagogy (Feminist Studies 270). A one quarter seminar that considers
Feminist Studies as a distinct field. It offers an interdisciplinary
exploration of feminist theories of knowledge production and teaching
practices.
Readings
cover past and present critical debates and provide theoretical approaches
through which to analyze interdisciplinary epistemological and pedagogical
issues.
3. Graduate Seminar in Feminist Studies (Feminist Studies 200-290 or 594 AA-ZZ). A one quarter seminar offered by a
Feminist Studies faculty member on topics of central concern to the field.
Or,
Research Practicum (Feminist Studies 280). A cross-disciplinary seminar in which
fundamental questions in contemporary feminist research practice are considered
in light of students’ own graduate projects.
4. Topical
Seminar. A one quarter graduate seminar that addresses topics relevant to
the study of women, gender, and/or sexuality. This seminar must be taken
outside the student’s home department; it may be fulfilled either by another
graduate seminar in Feminist Studies or a seminar in another department.