Curriculum and Degree Information
The Comparative Literature program at the CUNY Graduate Center offers two degrees:
Program Objectives
The Program is committed to training students in both literary history and literary theory. Through coursework and individualized research, students will master and practice a range of critical approaches, from the established to the very recent. By the completion of the degree, students will be able to read two modern languages with complete fluency and demonstrate competence in at least one national literature taught at the Graduate Center.
Learning Goals
1) Students are expected to demonstrate thorough knowledge of literary theory from classical traditions to contemporary approaches.
Method of assessment: completion of three required courses in literary theory (79500 Theory and Practice of Literary Criticism; 89100 History of Literary Theory and Criticism I; 89200 History of Literary Theory and Criticism II).
2) Students are expected to demonstrate thorough knowledge of literary history from ancient to contemporary periods.
Method of assessment: successful completion of First Exam.
3) Students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in two languages and reading knowledge of a third.
Method of assessment: completion of coursework and/or successful completion of language exam(s).
4) Students are expected to demonstrate extensive knowledge of one national literature.
Method of assessment: successful completion of First Oral Exam.
5) Students are expected to demonstrate the ability to carry out independent research and writing in a specific literary and/or theoretical field.
Method of assessment: qualifying paper, successful completion of Second Oral Exam and dissertation defense.
6) Students are expected to develop pedagogical skills related to the teaching of language, literature or composition.
Method of Assessment: successful completion of a teaching practicum; teaching evaluations and performance reviews.
Additional Opportunities
- Matriculated Ph.D. students at the Graduate Center can pursue a Certificate in Critical Theory. The Critical Theory program provides rigorous training in all aspects of critical theory, providing students with its history and ways to incorporate it into their own research and teaching.
- The CUNY Graduate Center is home to the Writers' Institute. The Writers' Institute encourages students to find their own literary voice and introduces writers to prestigious editors. With the rewarding guidance that a senior industry-insider offers, students will be able to explore the extraordinary range of possibilities offered by the print media world.
- The Comparative Literature program is affiliated with the Institute for World Literature at Harvard, which is hosted each summer by different partner institutions worldwide.
