Comparative Literature

Requirements for the Comparative Literature Major:

All majors in Comparative Literature are expected to have completed 10 courses, half of which must be devoted to the study of works in languages other than English in their original language. Five of these courses must be taken in the Department of Comparative Literature and must include the following two courses: a course in Theory, and the Core Course, usually taken in the junior or senior year. Students will choose among a number of theory courses designated as fulfilling the requirement every year. The one designated Core Course changes every year. For 2016-2017, the designated theory courses will be COML 3781 - Freud and the Invention of Psychoanalysis , taught in Fall 2016, and in Spring 2017, COML 3021 - Literary Theory on the Edge , and COML 3811 - Theory and the Practice of Translation . The Core Course will be COML 3111 - Literature, Art, and the Environment , offered in Fall 2016. Students must earn a minimum grade of C for a course to be counted toward the major. If elected, an honors essay will also count as one of these required five courses.

An honors essay (COML 4930 , COML 4940 ) of roughly 50 pages is optional. It is to be written during the senior year under the direction of a faculty member, preferably from within the department, who has agreed to work in close cooperation with the student. Students are urged to begin research on their thesis topic during the summer preceding their senior year.

Students who elect to do a double major with another literature department may count up to three courses from that major toward their requirements in Comparative Literature.

The department encourages students to study abroad in pursuit of their cultural and linguistic interests, and the number of courses that may be counted toward the major will be determined in consultation with the faculty advisor and with the approval of the director of undergraduate studies.

The major enables students to pursue this commitment to a comparative study that includes a substantial non-English component by offering two tracks.

1. Comparative Literary Studies. This track is designed for students who wish to place greater emphasis on literary study in their course work. Students who select this track are required to complete:
   1. Five courses in Comparative Literature at the 2000 level and above, including the Seminar in Theory and the Core Course.
   2. Five courses in literature or other areas of the humanities at the 2000 or higher level, to be taken in one or more foreign literature departments. Texts must be read in the original language. A student may offer one advanced-level foreign language course (conversation, composition, etc.) toward fulfilling this requirement.
2. Literary, Visual, and Media Studies. This track is designed for students who wish to pursue their comparative study of literature and theory by integrating rigorous work on film, video, or other arts and media. Students who select this track are required to complete:
   1. The Seminar in Theory and the Core Course offered in the Department of Comparative Literature must be included among the 10 required courses.
   2. Four courses in literary study at the 2000 or higher level offered by the Department of Comparative Literature or other humanities departments or programs.
   3. Six courses in visual arts or media studies at the 2000 or higher level offered by the Department of Comparative Literature or other humanities departments or programs.

The following guidelines might be used to determine whether a course in Literary, Visual, and Media Studies may be counted toward the five courses in non-English cultural study required of all majors. Where the media involve a large component of speech or writing (such as film, video, or hypertext), the student would need to work with this material in the original foreign language. Where text or speech in a foreign language is peripheral in a course that focuses on visual material (such as art or architecture) from non-English cultures, the student would need to draw on primary and secondary materials in a foreign language for oral reports, papers, and so forth. Because of the flexibility and interdisciplinary range of this track, students who select it should work closely with their faculty advisor to organize a coherent plan of study and to determine, with the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies, which courses satisfy the foreign language requirement of the major.

Study Abroad:

Students from Cornell frequently participate in the Council on International Educational Exchange and the American Council of Teachers of Russian programs for language study, as well as other Russian language programs. Opportunities are available for study during the summer, a single semester, or the full year. Further information is available from Professor Wayles Browne in the Department of Linguistics (220 Morrill Hall) and from the Cornell Abroad Office.

Russian Minor

The Russian Minor in the Department of Comparative Literature is open to undergraduates in all seven colleges. The Minor allows students to explore an interest in Russian language, literature, and culture. Requirements for the Minor are proficiency in Russian language, and four non-language courses, as specified below.

Language requirement
There are three ways to satisfy the requirement of proficiency in Russian:

1. Complete RUSSA 1121 , RUSSA 1103 , RUSSA 1122 , and RUSSA 1104  in the first year, and RUSSA 2203  and RUSSA 2204  in the second year.
2. Complete RUSSA 1121  and RUSSA 1122  in the first year, and RUSSA 1125 , RUSSA 1126 ,  RUSSA 2203  and RUSSA 2204  in the second year.
3. For those who place out of RUSSA 2204 : Complete RUSSA 3305  or RUSSA 3306  or RUSSA 3308  or RUSSA 3309  or RUSSA 3310  or a Russian literature, history, or government course with reading in Russian. If the literature, history, or government course does not include reading in Russian, this can be done through a supplementary section, such as RUSSA 4491 .

Russian language courses taken abroad or at American summer programs may be counted towards this requirement if they are aimed at achieving similar proficiency levels.

Non-language courses
At least two of the four non-language courses must be in Russian literature, and at least one must have reading in Russian. (Reading courses offered by the Russian Language Program cannot be counted towards any portion of the literature requirement.) The two remaining courses may be in Russian literature, or students may choose Russia-related courses in other departments, for example, Linguistics, History, and Government.

Students who complete the minor requirements will have it represented on their transcript.