World and Comparative Literature
College of Humanities
Dean: Nancy McDermid
Department of World and Comparative Literature
HUM 377
415-338-2068
Chair: Barbara McLauchlin
Undergraduate Adviser and Graduate Coordinator: E. Peel
Faculty
Professor—Bratset
Associate Professors—McLauchlin, Peel
Programs
B.A. in Comparative Literature
Minor in Comparative Literature
M.A. in Comparative Literature
Program Scope
Undergraduate Program
The B.A. in Comparative Literature is an interdisciplinary program which provides students with a global perspective through the reading and analysis of national literatures. Students develop university-level understanding of what different cultures have in common as well as what makes each culture unique. The study of comparative literature also seeks to establish relationships between literature and other fields, from the arts and sciences to folklore and religion. In addition to courses in various national literatures in translation, as well as in English literature, students also learn the methods and techniques of literary analysis and comparison.
Graduate Program
The M.A. in Comparative Literature combines the objectives of graduate study in foreign languages and literature with an emphasis on the intercultural and international aspects of literature. The goal of the program is to provide graduate training in subjects common to more than one national literature. Research work in the program is directed toward the problems of literary theory and analysis, genre studies, and literary history.
Career Outlook
The undergraduate degree in Comparative Literature is designed for students who wish to gain an interdisciplinary and broad liberal arts education. The undergraduate degree also provides a sound foundation for students who wish to continue work in comparative literature at the graduate level. Students find that the program provides a rich background for teaching in the humanities, liberal arts, and foreign languages and literature.
The M.A. in Comparative Literature is of particular value for students who intend to pursue a doctoral degree in comparative literature or in a foreign language and literature, or who plan to teach literature at the K-12 or community college levels.
BACHELOR OF ARTS IN COMPARATIVE LITERATURE
Courses for this program are listed in alphabetical sequence (see World and Comparative Literature discipline in the Announcement of Courses section).
All comparative literature majors and minors are urged to complete four semesters of foreign language (Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian, or Spanish) in college with grades of B or better, or pass a written examination covering the equivalent material. This level of mastery is prerequisite to upper division literature courses in the Department of Foreign Languages. WCL 230 and 250 are highly recommended. Lower division courses in Classics and Humanities are also recommended.
Units
WCL 430 Heroic Tales of the Mediterranean 3
WCL 415 The Literary Use of Legend 3
ENG 583 Shakespeare: Representative Plays 3
ENG 480 Junior Seminar 3
Courses in comparative or foreign literature on
advisement* 21
Upper division English literature courses on
advisement 6
Total 39
*Up to nine units in lower division comparative literature courses may be accepted.
MINOR IN COMPARATIVE LITERATURE
All comparative literature majors and minors are urged to complete four semesters of foreign language (Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Latin, Russian, or Spanish) in college with grades of B or better, or pass a written examination covering the equivalent material. This level of mastery is prerequisite to upper division literature courses in the Department of Foreign Languages. WCL 230 and 250 are highly recommended. Lower division courses in Classics and Humanities are also recommended.
Units
WCL 430 Heroic Tales of the Mediterranean 3
Upper division courses in comparative
literature on advisement 12
Upper division courses in English literature 6
Total 21
MASTER OF ARTS IN COMPARATIVE LITERATURE
Admission to Program
Students interested in this program must have:
- An undergraduate major in literature (English, world literature, comparative literature, or any foreign language and literature).
- A grade point average of 2.8 in the undergraduate major or consent of the graduate adviser.
- Sufficient proficiency in a foreign language taught at the graduate level at San Francisco State University so that the student can take graduate seminars in that language. (Normally, the minimal requisite proficiency is the equivalent of an undergraduate minor in the foreign language.)
Students who have not met all of these requirements may be admitted conditionally, with the consent of the graduate adviser, but will not be advanced to candidacy until all requirements are met.
Written English Proficiency Requirement
Level One: satisfactory performance in first research paper in WCL 800, as reviewed by a three-member faculty committee. Level Two: satisfactory completion of master's thesis or, if thesis not chosen, satisfactory performance on final seminar research paper as reviewed by a three-member faculty committee.
Advancement to Candidacy
Besides meeting all general requirements for advancement to candidacy, applicants must complete successfully, with a grade of B or higher, the course WCL 800, Introduction to Graduate Study, in which ability to do critical writing will be demonstrated.
Courses for this discipline are listed in alphabetical sequence (see Announcement of Courses section). Upper division courses offered by the department may be used upon approval of a faculty adviser.
Program Units
Three graduate seminars in Comparative
Literature:
WCL 800 Introduction to Graduate Study
in Comparative Literature 3
WCL 815 Seminar in Selected Research
Problems 3
WCL 896 Directed Reading 3
Nine units of graduate seminars in a single
foreign literature 9
Graduate or upper division courses in at least
one other literature: English, foreign,
or comparative, on advisement (nine
units if thesis selected) 12
One of the following options:
WCL 898 Master's Thesis (3) and
Oral Defense of Thesis or
Master's Comprehensive Oral Examination
Minimum total 30
Master's Comprehensive Oral Examination
A final oral examination is administered by a three-member faculty committee. The examination is based upon a reading list available in the department office and may be repeated only twice.