Program Overview

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World Literatures Program

The World Literatures program is focused on historical and contemporary literature and the processes of globalization. Students analyze, in English translation, a wide range of fiction, poetry, and drama produced in different geopolitical regions of the world.

Program Description

Students study different literary texts and traditions in their historical and cultural contexts. Program courses emphasize close reading and analysis of particular texts but also explore the relationships between those texts and the cultures that produced them.

Curriculum

To ensure that students' understanding of different literary traditions is global in scope, all students select courses in which they study the literature of the following geopolitical regions:

• Africa
• The Middle East
• East and South Asia and the Pacific Islands
• Europe and North America
• Latin America and the Caribbean

No advanced study of foreign languages is required, only a serious interest in literature, global interconnection, and cultural interaction. The world literatures major makes it possible to study the literatures of the entire world without learning multiple languages. At the same time, students are strongly encouraged to study a foreign language beyond the level required for General Education courses and to substitute one or more courses in a foreign language for courses in translation.

The world literatures major requires 36 semester hours:

• 12 semester hours (four courses) in comparative studies
• 24 semester hours (eight courses) in literatures in other departments

These eight courses are drawn from a list of approved courses in other humanities departments, including:

• African American and African studies
• Comparative studies
• East Asian languages and literatures
• Greek and Latin
• Near Eastern languages and literatures
• Slavic and East European languages and literatures
• Spanish and Portuguese
• Women's, gender, and sexuality studies

Most are focused on the particular literary traditions of the world's regions, and students must take at least one course in each of those regions.

In addition to those five courses, a strong framework for thinking about the world's literatures is provided by these three comparative studies courses:

• Introduction to World LiteratureThis course introduces the world's diverse literary traditions and helps students identify principles of cross-cultural study.
• Translating Literatures and CulturesThis course focuses on the complexity of translating literary and other texts from one language (and culture) to another.
• World Literature: Theory and PracticeThis course builds on the previous two courses to analyze literature in greater depth and more fully explore the role of literature in historical and contemporary contexts of globalization.

Research

The department supports student research in a variety of ways, but most importantly through opportunities to work closely with faculty to develop a personalized research agenda that culminates in a thesis project. Most world literatures majors graduate with research distinction.

Possible Careers

Like students majoring in other disciplines in the College of Arts and Sciences, students majoring in world literatures develop skills in critical thinking and verbal communication that are essential to many positions in government and other service institutions, in business and industry, and in education. The world literatures major also prepares students to further their education in professional schools and in graduate degree programs in the humanities.

Graduates have chosen jobs in the public and private sectors, and many have continued their education to become lawyers, professors, teachers, and other professionals.

Like other liberal arts majors, the Bachelor of Arts in world literatures prepares students to be critical thinkers, creative problem-solvers, and good writers and communicators. Graduates with world literatures degrees have increased understanding of cultural differences and interrelationships, which is especially important in today's complex global politics and economy.