Film can be included in any of the tracks within the Comparative Literature major, as Comp Lit offers a number of film courses (see below). Students who are interested in pursuing an interdisciplinary approach to film, however, may pursue the Film Concentration as a variant of the Comparative Literature and a Related Discipline track, with film classes from a variety of departments taking the place of the Related Discipline. (See the Major in Comparative Literature page for details about the Related Discipline track.)
More specifically, students interested in concentration in film may structure their major as follows:
- Comparative Literature requirements: You need 6 courses in Comparative Literature, one of which must be The History of Literary Criticism (Comp Lit 394 HI). Film courses taught through the Comparative Literature program may be included here. You will also need to take the Junior Year Writing course, which is a university requirement and does not count towards the major. We strongly recommend that you take Introduction to Film Analysis for your optional 100-level course.
- The related discipline is film, and you need another 4 courses here. These courses can come from any department (e.g., Comparative Literature, Communication, language departments). To count for this part of the major, they need to be at the following course levels: language departments: 240+; English: 200+; Comp Lit, Communication, and most other departments: 300+.
- Major literature (for some of you this will be English) in which you take 3 courses. In the English Department, any course from 200 up counts; one course may be Creative Writing. In the other language departments, 240 is the first course that counts. Film courses in your major literature may be included here.
- Minor literature: You need 2 courses (240 or above) plus one literature course. If your minor literature is French, Italian, or German, you may take French, Italian or German film. You are encouraged to take upper-level courses in literature. (If your minor literature is English, the courses should be at the 200-level or above.)
This track may be done in conjunction with the University Film Certificate in the Interdepartmental Program in Film Studies.
Undergraduate film courses offered in the Comparative Literature program include:
COMP-LIT 170: Introduction to Film Analysis: Cinematic Time Travel
COMP-LIT 350: International Film
COMP-LIT 382: Cinema and Psyche
COMP-LIT 391SF: International Science Fiction Cinema
COMP-LIT 397B: Dystopian Futures in Film and Fiction