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The MA Degree

General Requirements || Distribution Requirements || M.A. Course Requirements || M.A. Examination || Demonstration of Language Skills for M.A. Degree

Note: There are separate requirements for the Translation Studies Track for the M.A. in Comparative Literature.

General Requirements
1. Completion of thirty-three graduate credits.
  1. Completion of required courses in Comparative Literature.
  2. Fulfillment of course distribution requirements.
2. Passing of M.A. Examination.
3. Demonstration of foreign language facility.
4. Demonstration of bibliographic skills in Comparative Literature and the appropriate related disciplines.
5. For teaching assistants, in addition, the Department's 1 credit Teaching Workshop.

Distribution Requirements

Credit Distributions M.A. with Thesis M.A. without Thesis

Comparative Literature 12 l5

Literature/Primary Concentration 6 6

Literature/Secondary Concentration 3 6

Elective 3 6

Thesis 9 -

total credits: 33 33

Counting Courses in Translation and in Comparative Literature
1. Literature in translation courses may not be counted towards the literature components of the Distribution Requirements unless special arrangements are made to complete required readings in the original.
2. For the M.A.without thesis, up to three credits of graduate coursework in Comparative Literature may be counted towards fulfillment of the requirement of the literature of secondary concentration, provided that the student has obtained formal written permission from the Graduate Program Director prior to the end of the add-drop period for the course in question.
Special Problems/Independent Study Courses
1. For the M.A. with thesis, up to three credits of Special Problems Courses may be counted towards fulfillment of requirements for the degree.
2. For the M.A. without thesis, up to six credits of Special Problems Courses may be counted towards the fulfillment of the requirements for the literatures of primary and secondary concentration and the Comparative Literature requirements (maximum of 3 credits towards any one distribution requirement) provided that the student has obtained formal written permission from the Graduate Program Director prior to the end of the add-drop period for the course in question.

M.A. Course Requirements
1. Comparative Literature 752 ("Theory and Practice of Comparative Literature").
2. A second graduate Comparative Literature course that combines theoretical perspectives with practical criticism.
3. In addition, for students planning to write a translation thesis: Comparative Literature 751 ("Theory and Practice of Translation").
4. For new teaching assistants, a one-credit semester of Teaching Workshop or equivalent (one hour weekly).
M.A. Examination
1. Aims of the M.A. Examination
  1. At the M.A. Examination, the student is expected to demonstrate a knowledge of the literature of primary concentration that approximates that of M.A. candidates in that field.
  2. In the literature of secondary concentration, the student is expected to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the texts chosen, a sense of their place in the history of that literature, and an awareness of their historical and literary-critical relationship to works in the literature of major concentration.
2. Selection of M.A. Examination Committee
  1. An M.A. Examination Committee of three or more members of the Graduate Faculty is appointed for each student preparing for the M.A. Examination.
  2. The student and the Graduate Program Director choose the Chairperson of the Committee. The Chairperson and the candidate, in consultation with the Graduate Program Director, then select the other members of the committee.
  3. The committee must include a representative from the department of the literature of primary concentration and may include a representative from the department of the literature of secondary concentration. Two of the members must be in the Department of Comparative Literature.
3. Duties of the M.A. Examination Committee
  1. The M.A. Examination Committee will help the student compose a list of readings on which he or she will be examined.
  2. The Committee is responsible for the preparation and administration of the M.A. Examination and, where applicable, for the direction and evaluation of the M.A. thesis.
4. Composition of M.A. Examination Reading List
  1. The list for the M.A. examination is to be composed of twenty items: fourteen items from the student's literature of primary concentration, and six from the literature of secondary concentration.
  2. The concept of "item" is flexible. It usually does not mean a single text, unless that text is sizable and of unique historical and literary-critical importance (for example, Proust's A la recherche du temps perdu). An item is likely to be a cluster of three or more texts that make sense as a group; for example, several collections of Symbolist poetry; a group of novels from a particular period or movement; a number of Elizabethan plays or (concentrating on Shakespeare) a representative selection of Shakespearean plays; a group of German Expressionist films. Students are expected to have a thorough and detailed knowledge of the text and to be able to discuss items as meaningful groups. It is obviously impossible to prescribe any rigid format for an item, and committee members work with the student to develop a meaningful list that takes into account the length and difficulty of individual texts and more than one genre. Normally, a single author does not constitute the focus of more than one item.
  3. Work in the literature of primary concentration should cover the historical range of that literature insofar as possible. Work in the literature of secondary concentration may reinforce a selected aspect of the literature of major concentration.
5. Examination Timing and Procedures
  1. Date of M.A. Examination: Candidates for the M.A. are required to take the M.A. examination, normally
    1. Upon completion of thirty-three credit hours of graduate level course work, or
    2. No later than the third year of study.
  2. Duration and Format of M.A. Examination
    1. Candidates for the M.A. with Thesis
      1. Candidates for the M.A. with thesis are examined for no more than four hours (two hours of written examination, two hours of oral) on their knowledge of the texts cited on the M.A. Examination Reading List.
      2. Upon completion of the M.A. Thesis, the candidate presents a thesis defense of no more than two hours.
    2. Candidates for the M.A. without Thesis
      1. Candidates for the M.A. without thesis are examined on their knowledge of the texts cited on the M.A. Examination Reading List.
      2. The examination consists of three essay questions, one each on the literatures of primary and secondary concentration, and one question affording the opportunity to compare items from both.
      3. The student is allowed approximately two hours for each essay.
      4. After the written exam, an oral examination of not more than two hours is administered by the Committee, at which the student may be asked 1) to elaborate on his or her responses to the essay questions; 2) to discuss any items on the reading list not covered on the written examination; and 3) to interpret a passage (in the original language) from one of the readings on the student's M.A. Examination Reading List.
  3. Outcomes of M.A. Examination
    1. The Examination Committee bases its decision on the candidate's performance over the entire exam, both written and oral portions. The examiners may choose from among three possible outcomes: "pass with distinction," "pass," and "fail." The recommendation of all but one member of the Examination Committee is needed for the student to pass the examination; the decision of the examiners is made known immediately after the examiners have conferred.
    2. In the event of a negative decision by the examiners, the Examination Committee consults with the Graduate Program Director during the week following the examination. The Graduate Program Director thereupon informs the student either that permission to take the examination a second and final time has been granted, or that termination of graduate studies will be recommended.
Demonstration of Language Skills for M.A. Degree
1. After admission, language competence may be demonstrated in one or more of the following ways:
  1. in one language, successful completion of two graduate literature courses in which works are read in the original
  2. in a second language, successful completion of one graduate literature course in which works are read in the original
  3. in a third language, successful completion of one graduate literature course in which works are read in the original, or of two undergraduate courses at the 300 level or above in which works are read in the original.
2. We expect our students to be able to read and address complex ideas in their primary languages. We encourage them to acquire facility in writing and speaking those languages as well.

Note: Download the Comparative Literature Statement of Procedure for graduate programs (PDF file) for a printer-friendly version of these pages in one document. University entrance requirements and other Graduate School regulations can be found online in the Graduate School Bulletin.