Comparative Literature - Harvard University

Comparative Literature from Harvard University is a Campus Master Literature degree that prepares you for a Liberal Arts career. The Department of Comparative Literature undertakes to promote and facilitate studies in the history, theory, and criticism of literature extending beyond the limits set by national and linguistic boundaries. The work of the department is designed to provide for the needs of students who wish to pursue a unified program of study involving literature in two languages (for the AM) or more than two (for the PhD). Students will take most of their courses in the departments of their elected literary fields, whose offerings those of this department are designed to supplement. Courses in other disciplines may be included when appropriate in individual programs. Every member of the department also participates in one of the other departments of language and literature , and members of those departments are regularly or occasionally engaged in the work of this department, and generally available upon request for consultation by its students. The members of the faculty listed as cooperating in Comp. Lit. 399 will usually be available for direction of dissertations and other counseling of students in this department; members of literary departments not there listed may also be willing to engage themselves for such assistance upon request. All students in the department are required to take the proseminar (Comp. Lit. 299ar) during their first year of residence; candidates for the doctorate are required also to take at least one further course in theory and method, critical, historical, or linguistic. During the first two years of graduate study, the prospective candidate for the doctorate in comparative literature is expected to fulfill the residence requirements by taking courses offered in this and other departments of the University (thus also discharging the requirements for the master's degree ), and to prepare, by both general and specialized studies, for the Common Essay and reading check at the beginning of the third year. After passing these examinations, candidates may continue to engage in seminars and attend courses, but their primary task thenceforth will be the completion of a dissertation. The Master of Arts (AM) Degree Students already in the program may receive the AM degree , but application for admission must be made to the PhD program. The only exception to this policy is for undergraduates in Harvard College with advanced standing who may apply to work toward a combined AB/AM degree . To obtain this degree the candidate must complete eight half-courses. One of these half-courses must be the Pro-Seminar, another one must be in comparative literature , and the remaining six must include three in the first literature and two in the second literature . No more than one of the eight half-courses may be a reading course. Candidates are required to have at least as many 200-level as 100-level courses, and only in rare exceptions will courses below the 100-level be allowed to count toward the degree . The candidate must demonstrate proficiency in three languages, one of which may be English. One of the languages must be premodern or crosscultural, as described in the requirements for the PhD. View more details on Harvard University . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Literature courses.