Program Overview

Comparative Literature and Thought Major, Comparative Arts Specialization

Program Overview

The Comparative Literature and Thought Major, Comparative Arts Specialization is a program offered by Washington University in St. Louis. This program is designed to introduce students to major texts and foundational methods of inquiry in the humanities, as well as provide an historical perspective on the development of current categories of sociocultural analysis.

Program Requirements

• Total units required: 30-50.5
  • Required Courses (27-36 units):
    • Humanities Core Courses (12 units): All Comparative Literature and Thought (CLT), Comparative Arts (CA) Specialization majors will take two required core courses in "Literature and Arts" and two core courses in "Thought."
    • Upper-Level Courses (15-24 units): All CA majors will complete at least eight upper-level CLT courses (24 units) at the 3000 level or above, including one course with the HTH attribute. Up to three 3000-level Humanities Core Courses taken to satisfy the 12-unit core requirement above can count toward the eight-course upper-level requirement.
  • Capstone (0.5 units, honors program): All CA majors will complete a CA or CLT capstone project (unless CA or CLT is not their primary major).
  • Applied Art and Language Study (3-14 units): All CA majors will pursue applied arts credits and, if necessary, language study. Up to 6 units of foreign language courses focused on literature or intellectual culture may be counted toward the required 24 units of upper-level courses.

Required Courses

Humanities Core Courses

The CLT Humanities Core is meant to introduce major texts and foundational methods of inquiry in the humanities, as well as provide an historical perspective on the development of current categories of sociocultural analysis.

• Literature and Arts:
  • COMPLITTHT 2110: World Literature (3 units)
  • COMPLITTHT 3030: Introduction to Comparative Arts (3 units)
  • Additional course options:
    • COMPLITTHT 2107: Classical to Renaissance Literature: Text & Traditions (3 units)
    • COMPLITTHT 3050: Literary Modernities in Europe and America: Text & Traditions (3 units)
    • COMPLITTHT 3070: Literary Modernities in East Asia: Text & Traditions (3 units)
• Thought:
  • COMPLITTHT 2105: Puzzles and Revolutions: Text & Traditions (3 units)
  • COMPLITTHT 2108: Early Political Thought: Text & Traditions (3 units)
  • COMPLITTHT 2109: Modern Political Thought: Text & Traditions (3 units)
  • COMPLITTHT 2111: Scriptures and Cultural Traditions: Text & Traditions (3 units)
  • COMPLITTHT 3101: An Intellectual History of Sex and Gender: Text & Traditions (3 units)
  • COMPLITTHT 3200: An Intellectual History of Race and Ethnicity: Text & Traditions (3 units)

Upper-Level Courses

CA majors must complete 24 upper-level units, including one course in the history or theory of a non-literary art practice (HTH course attribute). To build on the Humanities Core, these students will take five to eight additional courses at the 3000 or 4000 level.

Applied Arts and Language Study

CA majors must complete at least two semesters of applied arts courses for a minimum of 3 units.

Capstone

The final semester or two in the CA major comprises an important culmination. Students enrolled in CA as their primary major will complete a CLT capstone project. Many will simply revise essays from two upper-level courses and write a sustained essay reflecting on how these exemplify the skills and concerns they have developed over the course of the major.

Honors Program

CA offers an honors program that requires an additional 6.5 units of coursework. Students who have attained a 3.7 grade point in courses in the major are encouraged to apply for admission to the honors program as early as the second semester of their sophomore year and no later than the beginning of the second semester of their junior year. Students seeking CA honors have three options: honors by thesis, honors by creative project, or honors by coursework. We expect that most CA honors students will complete their majors with a creative project.