Comparative Literature

The M.A. and Ph.D. programs in Comparative Literature offer a global breadth of study of literature and other cultural productions. Drawing upon multiple languages and cultural contexts, students consider new configurations such as the Global South or Inter-American studies as well as traditional regions of comparison. Students combine a shared series of seminars in comparative research methods and theory (ancient through very current) with coursework in their own areas of interest. In addition to specializations including—but not limited to—comparative medieval studies; comparative Middle Eastern studies; comparative modernisms; ecocriticism and the Anthropocene; human rights, ethics, and critical health studies; migration, diaspora, and globalization; poetry and poetics; postcolonial and decolonial studies; translation studies; and world literature, doctoral students can take an interdisciplinary dual-title degree with African Studies, Asian Studies, Visual Studies, or Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Our graduate programs emphasize research experience, pedagogical theories and practice, and career preparation.

The M.A. is a general humanistic degree that helps prepare students for a variety of situations, including teaching in private high schools or community colleges, or further graduate work. The Ph.D. is a more specialized degree. The Ph.D. in Comparative Literature can be combined with a minor in a professional field such as teaching English as a second language. Other potential combinations include our dual-title Ph.D. programs in:

• Comparative Literature and African Studies
• Comparative Literature and Asian Studies
• Comparative Literature and Visual Studies
• Comparative Literature and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Only the faculty members and courses officially associated with the Department of Comparative Literature are listed here. Faculty members and courses in other departments are also available to comparative literature students according to their preparation.

Admission Requirements

Applicants apply for admission to the program via the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School application for admission. Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-300 Admissions Policies.

Students with appropriate course backgrounds and at least a 3.00 junior/senior average (on a 4.00 scale) will be considered for admission. The admission process is highly competitive and the best qualified students will be admitted subject to space availability.

The language of instruction at Penn State is English. English proficiency test scores (TOEFL/IELTS) may be required for international applicants. See GCAC-305 Admission Requirements for International Students for more information.

Most students who do graduate work in comparative literature hold a B.A. or M.A. degree in comparative literature or in a particular language and literature. Students completing degrees in such fields are welcome to apply --as are students in other humanistic fields, such as philosophy or history, if they have studied literature.

For admission to the M.A. program, students should be prepared to study at least one foreign literature in its own language. For admission to the Ph.D. program, students should be prepared to study at least two foreign literatures in their own language. Doctorate-seeking students usually complete the M.A. before being formally admitted to the Ph.D. program, but exceptional students may be admitted from the B.A. level directly to the Ph.D. Students are encouraged to plan a unified M.A./Ph.D. program if they take both degrees here; however, Ph.D. applications are welcomed from students holding or completing an M.A. elsewhere.

Degree Requirements

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-600 Research Degree Policies.

A minimum of 30 credits at the 400, 500, or 800 level is required, with at least 18 credits at the 500 level. There are 9 credits required in the following core courses: CMLIT 501, CMLIT 502, and CMLIT 503. In addition, 18 credits in comparative literature courses and other literature courses are required, with at least 6 credits in non-Anglophone literature. The culminating experience for the degree is a satisfactory master’s paper completed while the student is enrolled in CMLIT 596. Students must demonstrate advanced proficiency in at least two languages (one may be English).

Students pursuing a graduate degree in comparative literature have individualized programs of study within the requirements specified above. For example, one student may emphasize film and new media; another, the novel. One student may concentrate on earlier literatures; another, on international modernism. One student may be interested primarily in the European tradition; another, in literatures. In such a program, the relationship between student and adviser is important. Each graduate student works with faculty advisers familiar with comparative studies as a whole and with the student's particular area of interest.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-600 Research Degree Policies.

Requirements for the Ph.D. in comparative literature include:

• 9 credits total in 3 required courses: CMLIT 501, CMLIT 502, and CMLIT 503--with substitute courses if these have been used in the M.A. program;
• at least an additional 24 credits in literature courses, including course work in the three languages that the student selects, with emphasis on the student's primary literature--students should organize their course work, as much as possible, around a unifying principle, such as genre, period, or theme;
• passing a qualifying examination;
• proficiency in two foreign languages; ¹
• passing a comprehensive examination; and
• a written dissertation and  passing a final oral examination (the dissertation defense). The dissertation must be accepted by the Ph.D. committee, the head of the graduate program, and the Graduate School.

1

The foreign languages are to be prepared at a level that permits thorough literary analysis of texts and related material in those languages.

Students pursuing a graduate degree in comparative literature have individualized programs of study within the requirements specified above. For example, one student may emphasize film and new media; another, the novel. One student may concentrate on earlier literatures; another, on international modernism. One student may be interested primarily in the European tradition; another, in literatures. In such a program, the relationship between student and adviser is important. Each graduate student works with faculty advisers familiar with comparative studies as a whole and with the student's particular area of interest.

Dual-Titles

Dual-Title Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and African Studies

Requirements listed here are in addition to requirements listed in GCAC-208 Dual-Title Graduate Degree Programs.

Comparative Literature doctoral students who have research and educational interests in African Studies may apply to the Dual-Title Doctoral Degree Program in African Studies. The goal of the program is to enable doctoral students from Comparative Literature to complement their knowledge and skills in their primary discipline with in-depth knowledge of prevailing theories on and problem-solving approaches to thematic, regional, or national issues pertaining to African development and change.

The Dual-Title Doctoral Degree Program will provide interested Comparative Literature doctoral students with a multidisciplinary approach that will enhance their analytical capabilities for addressing key issues in African Studies. It will, thereby, add value to their Comparative Literature degree and should increase their competitiveness in the job market. The well-rounded specialist who graduates from the program may be employed in an international setting and have enhanced opportunities for U.S. academic and non-academic positions as well.

Admission Requirements

Students must apply and be admitted to the graduate program in Comparative Literature and The Graduate School before they can apply for admission to the dual-title degree program. Applicants interested in the dual-title degree program may make their interest in the program known clearly on their applications to Comparative Literature and include remarks in their statement of purpose that address the ways in which their research and professional goals in the primary department reflect an interest in African Studies-related research.

To be enrolled in the Dual Title Doctoral Degree Program in African Studies, a student must have the approval of the Comparative Literature department and then submit a letter of application and transcript, which will be reviewed by an African Studies Admissions Committee. Refer to the Admission Requirements section of the African Studies Bulletin page. An applicant must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4 point scale) to be considered for enrollment in the dual-title degree program. Students must apply for enrollment into the dual-title degree program in African Studies prior to taking the qualifying examination in Comparative Literature.

Degree Requirements

To qualify for the dual-title degree, students must satisfy the requirements of the Comparative Literature doctoral program in which they are primarily enrolled. In addition, they must satisfy the requirements described below, as established by the African Studies Program. Within this framework, course selection is determined by the student with the approval of the Comparative Literature and African Studies academic advisers.

Upon acceptance by the African Studies admissions committee, the African Studies director will assign the student an African Studies academic adviser in consultation with the African Studies admissions committee.

As a student develops specific scholarly interests, s/he may request a different African Studies adviser from the one assigned by the African Studies admissions committee. The student and the Comparative Literature and African Studies academic advisers will establish a program of study that is appropriate for the student’s professional objectives and that is in accordance with the policies of the Graduate Council, the Comparative Literature graduate program, and the African Studies Program.

Course work

The Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and African Studies is awarded to students who are admitted to the Comparative Literature doctoral program and admitted subsequently into the dual-title degree in African Studies. The minimum course requirements for the dual-title Ph.D. degree in Comparative Literature and African Studies are as follows:

• A minimum of 60 postbaccalaureate credits. Course work accepted for the M.A. in Comparative Literature will count toward the 60-credit requirement. At least 45 credits, exclusive of dissertation research credits, must be in Comparative Literature.
• AFR 501
• 15 credits of African-related coursework at the 400- or 500-level; a minimum of 6 of these credits must be taken from a list of courses maintained by the African Studies program chair.
• Up to 6 of the 15 credits may come from Comparative Literature, as approved by the student's Comparative Literature and African Studies Program academic advisors.
• The remaining credits can be taken in AFR or in any department other than Comparative Literature.
• Of the 15 credits, no more than 6 credits may be taken at the 400-level and no more than 3 combined credits may come from AFR 596 and AFR 599 listings.

The choice of courses in African Studies is to be proposed by the student subject to approval by the Comparative Literature and African Studies academic advisers. The suite of selected courses should have an integrated, intellectual thrust that probes thematic, national, or regional issues and that is complementary to the student’s specialty in Comparative Literature.

Language Requirement

Fulfillment of communication and foreign language requirements will be determined by the student with approval of the Comparative Literature and African Studies program advisers and will meet the existing Comparative Literature requirements. The Ph.D. in Comparative Literature requires proficiency in two foreign languages. The foreign languages are to be prepared at a level that permits thorough literary analysis of texts and related material in those languages.

Qualifying Exam

The dual-title degree will be guided by the Qualifying Exam procedure of the Comparative Literature graduate program. Dual-title graduate degree students may require an additional semester to fulfill requirements for both areas of study and, therefore, the qualifying examination may be delayed one semester beyond the normal period allowable. There will be a single qualifying examination, containing elements of both the major discipline and African Studies.

The qualifying examination committee for the dual-title degree will be composed of Graduate Faculty from Comparative Literature and must include a Graduate Faculty member from the African Studies Program. The designated dual-title faculty member may be appointed from Comparative Literature if that person holds a formal affiliation with the African Studies program.

Ph.D. Committee Composition

In addition to the general Graduate Council requirements for Ph.D. committees, the Ph.D. committee of a Comparative Literature and African Studies dual-title Ph.D. student must include at least one member of the African Studies Graduate Faculty. Faculty members who hold appointments in both programs’ Graduate Faculty may serve in a combined role. If the chair of the Ph.D. committee is not also a member of the Graduate Faculty in African Studies, the member of the committee representing African Studies must be appointed as co-chair.

Comprehensive Exam

After completing most course work, students in the dual-title doctoral degree program in Comparative Literature and African Studies must pass a comprehensive examination that includes written and oral components. Written components will be administered on a student’s examination fields according to the current Comparative Literature exam structure, and on African Studies. The African Studies representative on the student’s Ph.D. committee will develop questions for and participate in the evaluation of the comprehensive examination. The African Studies component of the exam will be based on the student’s thematic, national, or regional area(s) of interest and specialization in African Studies.

Dissertation and Dissertation Defense

Upon completion of the doctoral dissertation, the candidate must pass a final oral examination (the dissertation defense) to earn the Ph.D. degree. Students enrolled in the dual-title program are required to write and orally defend a dissertation on a topic that reflects their original research and education in Comparative Literature and African Studies. The dissertation must be accepted by the Ph.D. committee, the head of the graduate program, and the Graduate School.

Dual-Title Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and Asian Studies

Requirements listed here are in addition to requirements listed in GCAC-208 Dual-Title Graduate Degree Programs.

Graduate students with research and educational interests in Asian Studies may apply to the Comparative Literature/Asian Studies Degree Program. The goal of the dual-title degree in Comparative Literature and Asian Studies is to enable graduate students from Comparative Literature to acquire the knowledge and skills of their major area of specialization in Comparative Literature while at the same time gaining the perspective of Asian Studies.

In order to prepare graduate students for the competitive job market, this program provides them with a solid disciplinary foundation that will allow them to compete for the best jobs in their field. For such students the dual-title Ph.D. in Asian Studies will add value to their degree and their status as candidates. It will produce excellent scholars of literature who are experts in Asian Studies as well. The dual-title degree Comparative Literature and Asian Studies will build curricular bridges beyond the student’s major field so as to provide a unique training regime for the global scholar.

Admission Requirements

Students must apply and be admitted to the graduate program in Comparative Literature and The Graduate School before they can apply for admission to the dual-title degree program. After admission to their primary program, students must apply for admission to and meet the admission requirements of the Asian Studies dual-title program. Refer to the Admission Requirements section of the Asian Studies Bulletin page. The Asian Studies admissions committee reviews applications forwarded by Comparative Literature, and recommends students for admission to the Asian Studies program to the Graduate School. Students already in their first and second years of the Comparative Literature graduate program may also apply to the dual-title program if their applications are forwarded by Comparative Literature. Doctoral students must be admitted into the dual-title degree program in Asian Studies prior to taking the qualifying examination in their primary graduate program.

Students with appropriate course backgrounds and a 3.00 junior/senior average (on a 4.00 scale) will be considered for admission. The admission process is highly competitive and the best qualified students will be admitted subject to space availability. Scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are required for admission.

There are no specific requirements for admissions into the dual-title program beyond the requirements of the Graduate School and Comparative Literature, though applicants interested in the program should also make their interest in the dual-title program known clearly on their application for admission to the Comparative Literature program and include remarks in their essays that explain their training, interests, and career goals in an area of Asian Studies.

Degree Requirements

To qualify for an Asian Studies degree, students must satisfy the requirements of the Comparative Literature program in which they are primarily enrolled. In addition, they must satisfy the requirements described below, as established by the Asian Studies Program. Within this framework, final course selection is determined by the students, their Asian Studies adviser, and their Comparative Literature program adviser.

Upon a student’s acceptance by the Asian Studies admissions committee, the student will be assigned an Asian Studies academic adviser in consultation with the Asian Studies chair. As students develop specific scholarly interests, they may request that a different Asian Studies faculty member serve as their adviser. The student and adviser will discuss a program of study that is appropriate for the student’s professional objectives and that is in accord with the policies of The Graduate School, the Comparative Literature department and the Asian Studies program.

Course work

The dual-title Ph.D. degree in Comparative Literature and Asian Studies is awarded only to students who are admitted to the Comparative Literature doctoral program and admitted to the dual-title degree in Asian Studies. The minimum course requirements for the dual-title Ph.D. degree in Comparative Literature and Asian Studies are as follows:

• CMLIT 501, CMLIT 502, and CMLIT 503 
• 15 credits of Asia-related coursework at the 400 or 500 level. At least 6 of these 15 credits will be from ASIA 501 and ASIA 502. As many as 6 may come from Comparative Literature, as approved by the student’s doctoral adviser and the ASP director of graduate studies. The remaining credits can be taken in ASIA or in any department other than Comparative Literature.
• An additional 21 credits in literature or theory-related courses, including graduate course work in the three languages that the student selects, with emphasis on the student's primary literature

Particular courses may satisfy both the Comparative Literature requirements and those of the Asian Studies program. Within this framework, final course selection is determined by the students, their Asian Studies adviser, and their Comparative Literature program adviser.

Qualifying Examination

The qualifying examination committee for the dual-title Ph.D. degree will be composed of Graduate Faculty from Comparative Literature and must include at least one Graduate Faculty member from the Asian Studies program. Faculty members who hold appointments in both programs’ Graduate Faculty may serve in a combined role. There will be a single qualifying examination, containing elements of both Comparative Literature and Asian Studies. Dual-title graduate degree students may require an additional semester to fulfill requirements for both areas of study and, therefore, the qualifying examination may be delayed one semester beyond the normal period allowable.

Ph.D. Committee Composition

In addition to the general Graduate Council requirements for Ph.D. committees, the Ph.D. committee of a Comparative Literature and Asian Studies dual-title Ph.D. student must include at least one member of the Asian Studies Graduate Faculty. Faculty members who hold appointments in both programs’ Graduate Faculty may serve in a combined role. If the chair of the Ph.D. committee is not also a member of the Graduate Faculty in Asian Studies, the member of the committee representing Asian Studies must be appointed as co-chair. The Asian Studies representative on the student’s Ph.D. committee will develop questions for and participate in the evaluation of the comprehensive examination.

Dissertation and Dissertation Defense

Students in the dual-title program are required to write and orally defend a dissertation on a topic that is approved in advance by their Ph.D. committee and reflects their original research and education in Comparative Literature and Asian Studies. Upon completion of the doctoral dissertation, the candidate must pass a final oral examination (the dissertation defense) to earn the Ph.D. degree. The dissertation must be accepted by the Ph.D. committee, the head of the graduate program, and the Graduate School.

Dual-Title Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and Visual Studies

Requirements listed here are in addition to requirements listed in GCAC-208 Dual-Title Graduate Degree Programs.

Comparative Literature graduate students who have research and educational interests in global visual culture may apply to the Dual-Title Doctoral Program in Visual Studies. The program aims to (a) provide students with the conceptual and methodological tools they will use to interpret literature and its history in global contexts; (b) help them develop a comprehensive understanding of literary systems, processes, and networks across languages, cultures, and media; and (c) guide them in using their specialized knowledge and skills to produce research of publishable quality. The program prepares graduates for college and university teaching, and careers in other related fields.

The dual-title Ph.D. in Visual Studies comprises two core components:

1. historical and theoretical analysis of various forms of visual culture, their diverse sources, and their current manifestations;
2. historical and theoretical analysis of visual media in the information age, including the visual aspects of the digital humanities and the presentation of scholarship and teaching in visual media.

A program-specific required course in each of these areas will ensure breadth of training for participating students. Together these components will offer students a sophisticated understanding of and ability to intervene in debates about visual culture and visuality in the world today.

Admission Requirements

Students must apply and be admitted to the doctoral program in Comparative Literature and The Graduate School before they can apply for admission to the dual-title degree program. Applicants interested in the dual-title degree program may make their interest in the program known clearly in their applications to Comparative Literature and include remarks in their statement of purpose that address the ways in which their research and professional goals in the primary department reflect an interest in Visual Studies-related research. After admission to the doctoral program, students must apply for admission to and meet the admissions requirements of the Visual Studies dual-title program, as described in the Admission Requirements section of the Visual Studies Bulletin. Doctoral students must be admitted into the dual-title degree program in Visual Studies prior to taking the qualifying examination in the Comparative Literature program.

Comprehensive Exam

After completing most course work, doctoral students in the dual-title doctoral degree program in Comparative Literature and Visual Studies must pass a comprehensive examination that includes written and oral components. Written components will be administered on a student’s examination fields according to the current Comparative Literature exam structure. The faculty member representing Visual Studies on the student’s committee will participate in developing, administering, and evaluating the student’s comprehensive exams.

Dissertation and Dissertation Defense

Upon completion of the doctoral dissertation, the candidate must pass a final oral examination (the dissertation defense) to earn the Ph.D. degree. Students enrolled in the dual-title program are required to write and orally defend a dissertation on a topic that reflects their original research and education in Comparative Literature and Visual Studies. The dissertation must be accepted by the Ph.D. committee, the head of the Comparative Literature program, and the Graduate School.

Dual-Title Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Requirements listed here are in addition to requirements listed in GCAC-208 Dual-Title Graduate Degree Programs.

Comparative Literature graduate students who have research and educational interests in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies may apply to the Dual-Title Doctoral Program in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. The program creates a formal structure for training graduate students to describe, analyze, and evaluate the practices, phenomena, and policies that both issue from and structure the experiences and possibilities of women, as well as training for students to analyze how gender and sexuality intersect with literary production in multiple societies. This training cultivates breadth by pushing students to think across disciplines, geographic regions, geopolitical boundaries, domains of practice, aesthetic fields, literary genres, and historical eras. It also balances this breadth with rigor: it combines systematic training in comparative literary research, including working with primary sources in languages other than English, with a thorough grounding in the techniques and intellectual resources of state of the art scholarship on women, gender, and sexuality.

The Dual-Title Doctoral Degree Program in Comparative Literature and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies has three broad learning objectives at its core (in addition to the objectives that animate the regular doctoral program in Comparative Literature). Students will leave the program with expert awareness of responsibly produced knowledge and ethical research techniques for producing new knowledge, about:

1. the forces that constitute, shape, distinguish, and link the lives of women in a variety of historical and geographic locations;
2. ways to understand the history of women, of gender, and of sexuality in global perspectives and specific local and linguistic contexts, with emphases on the relation of these fields to the history of the aesthetic, as well as to a variety of other economic, social, or philosophical structures that help determine the natures of gender and the lives of women; and
3. the history, content, conceptual options, and ethical stakes of the theoretical debates about the best ways to engage in the field of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

Admission Requirements

Students must apply and be admitted to the graduate program in Comparative Literature and The Graduate School before they can apply for admission to the dual-title degree program. After admission to their primary program, students must apply for admission to and meet the admissions requirements of the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies dual-title program. Refer to the Admission Requirements section of the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Bulletin page. Students must have the approval of the Comparative Literature graduate director to apply for the dual-title. The application must include a statement of purpose that addresses how the student’s research and professional goals intersect with the objectives of the dual-title graduate degree program in Comparative Literature and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. The Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Admissions Committee reviews applications and recommends students for admission to the dual-title Ph.D. program. Doctoral students must be admitted into the dual-title degree program in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies prior to passing the qualifying examination in their primary graduate program.

Students may apply to the dual-title program when they request admission to the Comparative Literature Department, or at any time prior to taking the qualifying exam in Comparative Literature, provided that they

1. secure the approval of the graduate director in Comparative Literature, and
2. have sufficient funding and time to complete the dual-title requirements.

Practically speaking, this will likely mean applying to the dual-title program before completing the second year of study in Comparative Literature.

Degree Requirements

The doctoral degree in Comparative Literature and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies is awarded only to students who are admitted to the Comparative Literature doctoral program and admitted to the dual-title degree in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. To qualify for a degree in Comparative Literature and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, students must satisfy the requirements of the Comparative Literature program, in which they are primarily enrolled, and of the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies dual-title program.  Except where noted otherwise, students must complete the requirements listed below in addition to completing the general requirements for doctoral study in the Department of Comparative Literature.

Course work

The minimum course requirements for this dual-title Ph.D. degree are 18 credits of coursework related to Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Of these 18 credits, 9 consist of the required core course sequence in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies:

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
WMNST 501		3
WMNST 507	Feminist Theory	3
WMNST 502	Global Feminisms	3

Students also must complete 9 additional credits of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies course work chosen in consultation with the Graduate Director in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Most of these courses (at least 5 credits) should be at the 500 level, but a student may count some 400-level credits, with the approval of the Graduate Director in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Particular courses may simultaneously satisfy degree requirements in Comparative Literature and in the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies dual-title. Students who already hold a master's degree or other graduate credits from another institution may petition the Graduate Director in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies to have equivalent course credits accepted.

Language Requirements

There are no additional language requirements for the dual-title degree (the usual doctoral requirements of the Department of Comparative Literature are to be followed).

Qualifying Examination

The dual-title field must be fully integrated into the qualifying exam for the doctoral program. In addition, students in the dual-title Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program will be required to present to their committee a portfolio of work in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies which includes:

• a statement of the student’s interdisciplinary research interests,
• a program plan,
• and samples of writing that indicate the student’s interest in questions taken up by scholars of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. 

The qualifying examination committee for the dual-title Ph.D. degree will be composed of Graduate Faculty from Comparative Literature and must include at least one Graduate Faculty member from the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program. Faculty members who hold appointments in both programs’ Graduate Faculty may serve in a combined role. Dual-title graduate degree students may require an additional semester to fulfill requirements for both areas of study and, therefore, the qualifying examination may be delayed one semester beyond the normal period allowable.

Ph.D. Committee Composition

In addition to the general Graduate Council requirements for Ph.D. committees, the Ph.D. committee of a Comparative Literature and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies dual-title Ph.D. student must include at least two members of the Comparative Literature Graduate Faculty and two members of the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Graduate Faculty. Faculty members who hold appointments in both programs’ Graduate Faculty may serve in a combined role. If the chair of the Ph.D. committee is not also a member of the Graduate Faculty in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, the member of the committee representing Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies must be appointed as co-chair.

Comprehensive Exams

The faculty member representing Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies on the student’s committee will participate in developing, administering, and evaluating the student’s comprehensive exams. The exam will incorporate written and oral components based on the student’s thematic or regional areas of interest and specialization and may include questions on queer theory, feminist methodology, global women’s studies and sexuality studies in Comparative Literature.

Dissertation and Final Oral Examination (Dissertation Defense)

Students in the dual-title program are required to write and orally defend a dissertation on a topic that is approved in advance by their Ph.D. committee and reflects their original research and education in Comparative Literature and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Upon completion of the doctoral dissertation, the candidate must pass a final oral examination (the dissertation defense) to earn the Ph.D. degree. The dissertation must be accepted by the Ph.D. committee, the head of the graduate program, and the Graduate School.

Integrated Undergrad-Grad Programs

Integrated B.A. in Comparative Literature and M.A. in Comparative Literature

Requirements listed here are in addition to requirements listed in GCAC-210 Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate (IUG) Degree Programs.

The Department of Comparative Literature offers an integrated B.A./M.A. program that is designed to allow academically superior baccalaureate students to obtain both the B.A. and the M.A. degrees in Comparative Literature within five years of study. The first two years of undergraduate course work include the University General Education and Liberal Arts requirements in addition to language and literature study in the major. In the third year, students are expected to define areas of interest in two primary literatures in different languages. In addition, students in the B.A./M.A. program should begin to undertake work in a second foreign language. The fourth year includes graduate-level work in methodology and the student's selection of primary literatures, which replaces comparable 400-level senior year courses. The fifth and final year of the program typically consists of graduate work in Comparative Literature courses as well as the chosen literatures. The program culminates with an M.A. paper.

By encouraging greater depth and focus in the course of study beginning in the third undergraduate year, this program helps students more clearly define their area of interest and expertise in the otherwise vast field of international literatures. As a result, long-range academic planning for exceptional students pursuing doctoral degrees after leaving Penn State, or other professional goals, will be greatly enhanced. The student may also be more competitive in applying for admission to Ph.D. programs as well as for institutional and national grant monies and scholarships.

Admission Requirements

Applicants apply for admission to the program via the Graduate School application for admission. Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-300 Admissions Policies.

The number of openings in the integrated B.A./M.A. program is limited. Admission is selective based on specific criteria and the unqualified recommendation of faculty. Applicants to the integrated program:

1. Must be enrolled in the Comparative Literature B.A. program.
2. Must have completed entrance to their undergraduate major and have completed no less than 60 credits. Students must be admitted no later than the end of the second week of the semester preceding the semester of expected conferral of the undergraduate degree. It is strongly suggested that students apply to the program prior to completing 100 credits. Transfer students must have completed at least 15 credits at Penn State to enroll in an IUG.
3. Must be accepted without reservation into the M.A. program in Comparative Literature. Students must apply to the program via the Graduate School application for admission, and must meet all the admission requirements of the Graduate School and the Comparative Literature graduate program for the Master of Arts degree, listed on the Admission Requirements tab.
4. Should have a recommended overall GPA of 3.2 (on a 4.0 scale) in undergraduate coursework and a minimum GPA of 3.5 in all coursework completed for the major.
5. Must present a departmentally approved plan of study in the application process. The plan should cover the entire time period of the integrated program, and it should be reviewed periodically with an adviser as the student advances through the program.
6. Must be recommended by the chairs of the Department's undergraduate and graduate committees.

Degree Requirements

A typical sequence of course work for the integrated program would appear as follows:

• Students must fulfill all requirements for each degree in order to be awarded that degree, subject to the double-counting of credits as outlined below. Degree requirements for the B.A. in Comparative Literature are listed in the Undergraduate Bulletin. Degree requirements for the M.A. degree are listed on the Degree Requirements tab. Up to 9 credits may be double-counted towards the degree requirements for both the graduate and undergraduate degrees; a minimum of 50% of the double-counted courses must be at the 500 or 800 level. Independent study courses and credits associated with the culminating experience for the graduate degree cannot be double-counted. Because the B.A./M.A. is an integrated (rather than a sequential) degree program students are encouraged to gradually increase the number of graduate courses taken for credit. (See chart of suggested progress below.) Still, students should satisfy all of the B.A. requirements (including double-counted classes), before taking courses that count only toward the M.A. Students must sequence their courses so all undergraduate degree requirements are fulfilled before taking courses to count solely towards the graduate degree. Students are expected to complete the undergraduate degree requirements within the typical time to degree for the undergraduate major. In the semester in which the undergraduate degree requirements will be completed, IUG students must apply to graduate, and the undergraduate degree should be conferred at the next appropriate Commencement. If students accepted into the IUG program are unable to complete the M.A. degree, they are still eligible to receive their undergraduate degree if all the undergraduate degree requirements have been satisfied.
• CMLIT 501 will double-count for both degrees, and will replace CMLIT 400Y (a core requirement of the B.A.-only program). Students enrolled in the Integrated B.A./M.A. program can also double-count two further 500-level courses (CMLIT 502 and CMLIT 503) toward both the B.A. and the M.A. degrees.

First Year	Credits
CMLIT 10	3
CMLIT 100	3
	6
Second Year	Credits
Foreign Language (beyond the 12-credit level)	6
Courses in Literature	6
	12
Third Year	Credits
400-level courses in Literature	6
CMLIT 501	3
Work in foreign language (credits do not count towards the major, but reading proficiency is required for the M.A. degree)
	9
Fourth Year	Credits
CMLIT 502 or 503	3
Comparative Literature courses	6
500-level courses in Literatures (at least 3 credits in non-Anglophone literature)	6-9
	15-18
Fifth Year	Credits
CMLIT 502 or 503	3
500-level courses in Literatures (at least 3 credits in non-Anglophone literature)	9-12
500-level Comparative Literature Courses M.A. paper	6
	18-21
Total Credits 60-66

Minor

A graduate minor is available in any approved graduate major or dual-title program. The default requirements for a graduate minor are stated in Graduate Council policy GCAC-218 Minors.

Student Aid

Graduate assistantships available to students in this program and other forms of student aid are described in the Tuition & Funding section of the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School’s website. Students on graduate assistantships must adhere to the course load limits set by the Fox Graduate School.

Teaching assistantships in the Department of Comparative Literature, as well as in related language and literature departments, typically have been available to students taking comparative literature degrees. In recent years, Comparative Literature students have held assistantships in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, and Women's Studies, as well as in Comparative Literature courses. There also is a graduate assistantship position for an editorial assistant to the journal Comparative Literature Studies, which is edited in the department. In addition, the following awards typically have been available to graduate students in this program.

Samuel P. Bayard Award

Available annually to a graduate student in comparative literature, selected by the graduate committee of the Department of Comparative Literature. Amount varies.

Edwin Erle Sparks Fellowships in the Humanities

Available to beginning and continuing graduate students in the following graduate programs:

• Comparative Literature
• English
• French
• German
• History
• Philosophy
• Spanish
• Communication Arts and Sciences

Folger Institute Fellowships

Penn State is a member of the Folger Institute of Renaissance and Eighteenth-Century Studies. Graduate students in Comparative Literature are eligible for Folger Institute Fellowships to study in seminars and workshops at the Folger Library, Washington, D.C.

Title VI Center for Global Studies Assistantship

Available to beginning and continuing graduate students in Comparative Literature and other programs.

Courses

Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 699 and 800 to 899. Advanced undergraduate courses numbered between 400 and 499 may be used to meet some graduate degree requirements when taken by graduate students. Courses below the 400 level may not. A graduate student may register for or audit these courses in order to make up deficiencies or to fill in gaps in previous education but not to meet requirements for an advanced degree.

Comparative Literature (CMLIT) Course List

Learning Outcomes

Master of Arts (M.A.)

1. Graduates will demonstrate knowledge of literature and critical theory from a global perspective, in multiple languages and media, and across a broad range of historical periods.
2. Graduates will demonstrate their development of new knowledge in the discipline, by designing and executing a sustained piece of scholarship (MA Paper) that brings their newly created knowledge into conversation with on-going debates in the discipline.
3. Graduates will demonstrate the ability to participate appropriately in a variety of professional situations, including seminars, lectures, and, when feasible and advisable, conferences or teaching.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

1. Graduates will demonstrate knowledge of literature and critical theory from a global perspective, in multiple languages and media, and across a broad range of historical periods.
2. Graduates will demonstrate the ability to organize disciplinary knowledge through the creation of syllabi, by discussing and thinking about their teaching in ways that reflect current pedagogical practice and theory, and, as feasible, by teaching introductory and advanced concepts and topics appropriate to their field.
3. Graduates will demonstrate their development of new knowledge in the discipline, by designing and executing a sustained piece of scholarship (the dissertation) that brings their newly created knowledge into conversation with on-going debates in the field.
4. Graduates will demonstrate the mastery of conventions for presenting research suitable for presentation at professional conferences and for writing articles suitable for submission to literary journals. 
5. Graduates will demonstrate the ability to participate appropriately in a variety of professional situations, including seminars, lectures, conferences, and job interviews.

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