Comparative Literature

University of California, Berkeley

This is an archived copy of the 2014-15 guide. To access the most recent version of the guide, please visit http://guide.berkeley.edu/.

About the Program

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

The Department of Comparative Literature is a vibrant place for the research and study of literatures and cultures in an interdisciplinary framework, from a transnational and cross-cultural perspective.

The program has particular strengths in Latin American literatures, French and German, Hebrew and Yiddish studies, classics, critical theory, East Asian literatures and arts, performance studies, post-colonial theory, film and media, poetry and poetics, English and American literatures, Early Modern and Renaissance studies and Slavic literatures and cultures. Though undergraduates often read in translation, we focus on close readings as well as critical study of works in context.

Comparative Literature majors are trained in the cross-cultural and critical reading of literatures and cultures. With a grounding in the theory and history of literature and in the close analysis of texts and cultural discourses, Comparative Literature students come to engage in original research projects that cross disciplinary and national boundaries.

Declaring the Major

If you are thinking of majoring in Comparative Literature, you should meet with a Department's major advisor at your earliest opportunity, and tentatively map out a program for yourself within the major. You will probably discover that the requirements are flexible enough to suit you, and may find it to your advantage to ask the Department's advisor to suggest relevant freshman and sophomore courses.

Majors must see the Student Affairs Officer or a faculty advisor each semester to plan a program for the coming year, and to obtain their AC (Advisor Code) numbers in order to pre-enroll via TeleBEARS. Before calling upon your adviser, please familiarize yourself with the basic requirements listed in this Bulletin. Keep in mind that most of these requirements must be interpreted according to literatures in which you plan to work and your own long-range plans: you are strongly advised to read everything here before deciding what requirements apply to you and what course of study seems most suitable to your aims and aptitudes.

Honors Program

Students who have attained junior standing may be admitted to the honors program if they:

  1. Have accumulated at least an overall 3.3 grade point average (GPA) and at least a 3.55 GPA in the major, and at the time of graduation have accumulated at least a 3.65 GPA in the major and a 3.4 average in all work completed at the University.

  2. Have completed at least eight upper division units in literature, including COM LIT 100 or the equivalent.

  3. Are prepared to do upper division work in one vernacular foreign literature or one classical literature.

In addition to the requirements for the regular program outlined above, candidates for the BA with honors in Comparative Literature must demonstrate, through either examination or coursework, a sense of the historical development of their principal literature, and earn a grade of B or higher for an honors thesis in COM LIT H195. Students interested in the honors program are urged to consult an adviser in the Department of Comparative Literature at their earliest opportunity.

Minor Program

There is no minor program in Comparative Literature.

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Major Requirements

In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, listed on the College Requirements tab, students must fulfill the below requirements specific to their major program.

General Guidelines

  1. All courses taken to fulfill the major requirements below must be taken for graded credit, other than courses listed which are offered on a Pass/No Pass basis only. Other exceptions to this requirement are noted as applicable.
  2. No more than one upper-division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs, with the exception of minors offered outside of the College of Letters and Science.
  3. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 must be maintained in both upper- and lower-division courses used to fulfill the major requirements.

For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.

Upper-division Requirements

COM LIT 100Introduction to Comparative Literature4
COM LIT 190Senior Seminar in Comparative Literature4
Select 1 Period Course of the following:4
The Ancient Mediterranean World
The Middle Ages
The Renaissance
Eighteenth- and 19th-Century Literature
The Modern Period
Major Literature: Select at least four upper-division courses (minimum 12 units), with readings in the original language12
Minor Literature: Select at least two upper-division courses (minimum 6 units), with readings in the original language and selected to fit the student’s period of primary interest6
Classical Literature: Select one upper-division course in a classical literature where works are read in translation or in the original from Greek, Latin, Classical Arabic, Biblical Hebrew, Sanskrit. or Classical Chinese or Japanese4

College Requirements

Undergraduate students in the College of Letters and Science must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.

For detailed lists of courses that fulfill college requirements, please see the College of Letters and Sciences  page in this bulletin. 

Entry Level Writing

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing Requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley. 

American History and American Institutions

The American History and Institutions requirements are based on the principle that a U.S. resident graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

American Cultures

American Cultures is the one requirement that all undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of the United States. AC courses offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.

Quantitative Reasoning

The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is designed to ensure that students graduate with basic understanding and competency in math, statistics, or computer science. The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course.

Foreign Language

The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and conversation in a foreign language equivalent to the second semester college level, either by passing an exam or by completing approved course work.

Reading and Composition

In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing and critical thinking the College requires two semesters of lower division work in composition. Students must complete a first-level reading and composition course by the end of their second semester and a second-level course by the end of their fourth semester.

Breadth Requirements

The undergraduate breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship.  Engaging students in new disciplines and with peers from other majors, the breadth experience strengthens interdisciplinary connections and context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.

Unit Requirements

  • 120 total units, including at least 60 L&S units

  • Of the 120 units, 36 must be upper division units

  • Of the 36 upper division units, 6 must be taken in courses offered outside your major department

Residence Requirements

For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters and Science. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement by attending classes here for four years. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless you go abroad for a semester or year or want to take courses at another institution or through University Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to see an adviser to determine how you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.

Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.

Senior Residence Requirement

After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your B.A. degree), you must complete at least 24 of the remaining 30 units in residence in at least two semesters. To count as residence, a semester must consist of at least 6 passed units. Intercampus Visitor, EAP, and UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) units are excluded.

You may use a Berkeley summer session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence Requirement, provided that you successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that you have been enrolled previously in the College.

Modified Senior Residence Requirement

Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) or the UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) may meet a Modified Senior Residence Requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have completed 90 units.

Upper Division Residence Requirement

You must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding EAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for your major.

Student Learning Goals

Learning Goals for the Major

  1. Achieve solid proficiency in at least one language other than English, to the level needed to work with original texts in at least two national literary traditions
  2. Attain a solid grounding in at least two national literary traditions, one of which is considered the student’s major literature
  3. Understand key characteristics of historical periods in the major literature
  4. Achieve knowledge of one relevant classical literature
  5. Recognize and understand the workings of genre in literature (novel, poetic form, epic, drama)
  6. Achieve fluency in the use of major critical and theoretical modes of analysis
  7. Situate literary movements in their relation to historical and cultural contexts
  8. Analyze aspects of literature that can or must be studied cross-culturally (such as translation, avant-garde movements, romanticism, modernism, diasporic literatures)

Skills

  1. Critical reading. Students develop the capacity to:
    • Perform a strong and revealing close analysis of a text
    • Recognize the literary and rhetorical features that structure texts and shape their reception
    • Employ the conceptual tools and insights of literary theoretical texts in reading and interpreting texts drawn from various literary genres, literary criticism, historical materials, and literary theory itself
    • Present accurately the arguments of a literary critic or theorist, uncovering unarticulated assumptions to illuminate the context in which the argument is made
    • Understand the implications of different interpretive approaches, considering the benefits and limitations of different strategies
  2. Argumentation. Students learn to:
    • Develop a line of questioning that leads to the construction of a logical, well-supported argument
    • Evaluate their own arguments and those of others on the criteria of logical coherence, good use of evidence and comprehensiveness
    • Respond to new evidence or new perspectives on the evidence by refining or revising their argument
  3. Oral and written expression. Students learn to:
    • Present complex information and ideas orally, both in a prepared presentation and spontaneously
    • Participate in a discussion with multiple participants by asking questions, listening closely to others, building upon their contributions, and formulating productive and relevant responses
    • Write formal expository prose that is clear, persuasive, and economical
    • Revise their own writing to improve its clarity and effectiveness
  4. Research. Students learn to:
    • Formulate a productive research question that has a rigorous conceptual framework and makes good use of the available evidence
    • Use databases, indices and other tools to identify and locate relevant materials
    • Assess the relevance and reliability of available materials
    • Cite published work properly

Academic Opportunities

Study Abroad

While progressing toward the undergraduate degree in comparative literature, you may have the opportunity to earn credit while studying abroad. Comparative literature majors and minors are encouraged to participate in the Berkeley Programs for Study Abroad (EAP).

For information about these programs, contact an adviser in the Berkeley Programs for Study Abroad Office, 160 Stephens Hall #2302, Berkeley, CA 94720-2302, or phone (510) 642-1356. Information is also available online at the Study Abroad website .

Courses

Comparative Literature

COM LIT H1A English Composition in Connection with the Reading of World Literature 4 Units

Expository writing based on analysis of selected masterpieces of ancient and modern literature. Limited to 10 qualified freshmen and/or sophomores who meet for round-table discussions and attend weekly tutorial sessions. Individual assignments provide each student with the opportunity to exploit his or her linguistic and literary training. H1A satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement, and H1B satisfies the second half.

COM LIT H1B English Composition in Connection with the Reading of World Literature 4 Units

Expository writing based on analysis of selected masterpieces of ancient and modern literature. Limited to 10 qualified freshmen and/or sophomores who meet for round-table discussions and attend weekly tutorial sessions. Individual assignments provide each student with the opportunity to exploit his or her linguistic and literary training. H1A satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement, and H1B satisfies the second half.

COM LIT N1A English Composition in Connection with the Reading of World Literature 3 Units

Expository writing based on analysis of selected masterpieces of ancient and modern literature. Satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement.

COM LIT N1B English Composition in Connection with the Reading of World Literature 3 Units

Expository writing based on analysis of selected masterpieces of ancient and modern literature. Satisfies the second half of the Reading and Composition requirement.

COM LIT R1A English Composition in Connection with the Reading of World Literature 4 Units

Expository writing based on analysis of selected masterpieces of ancient and modern literature. R1A satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement, and R1B satisfies the second half.

COM LIT R1B English Composition in Connection with the Reading of World Literature 4 Units

Expository writing based on analysis of selected masterpieces of ancient and modern literature. R1A satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement, and R1B satisfies the second half.

COM LIT R2A English Composition in Connection with Reading of World and French Literature 5 Units

Expository writing done in connection with the reading of selected masterpieces of ancient and modern literature and the study of selected French texts read in the original. Course will prepare students for more advanced work in French. R2A satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement, and R2B satisfies the second half.

COM LIT R2B English Composition in Connection with Reading of World and French Literature 5 Units

Expository writing done in connection with the reading of selected masterpieces of ancient and modern literature and the study of selected French texts read in the original. Course will prepare students for more advanced work in French. R2A satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement, and R2B satisfies the second half.

COM LIT R3A English Composition in Connection with Reading of World and Hispanic Literature 5 Units

Expository writing done in connection with the reading of selected masterpieces of ancient and modern literature and the study of selected Spanish texts read in the original. Course will help prepare students for more advanced work in Spanish. Satisfies the second half of the Reading and Composition Requirement.

COM LIT R3B English Composition in Connection with Reading of World and Hispanic Literature 5 Units

Expository writing done in connection with the reading of selected masterpieces of ancient and modern literature and the study of selected Spanish texts read in the original. Course will help prepare students for more advanced work in Spanish. Satisfies the second half of the Reading and Composition Requirement.

COM LIT 20 Episodes in Literary Cultures 4 Units

An introductory level exploration of a specific author, work, theme or literary movement in an international context. Emphasis on the ways in which literature has played (and continues to play) a crucial role in the relationship between different cultures, traditions, and languages. Readings and topics to vary from semester to semester.

COM LIT 24 Freshman Seminar 1 Unit

The Freshman Seminar Program has been designed to provide new students with the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small seminar setting. Freshman seminars are offered in all campus departments and topics vary from department to department and semester to semester. Enrollment limited to fifteen freshmen.

COM LIT 39H Freshman/Sophomore Seminar 2 - 4 Units

Freshman and sophomore seminars offer lower division students the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member and a group of peers in a small-seminar setting. These seminars are offered in all campus departments; topics vary from department to department and from semester to semester. Enrollment limits are set by the faculty, but the suggested limit is 25.

COM LIT N40 Women and Literature 3 Units

A study of women as portrayed in literature, and of women writers. Selected readings on a topic which varies from summer to summer, detailed consideration of both literary techniques and the problems of women.

COM LIT 41A Introduction to Literary Forms: Forms of the Epic 4 Units

Comparative study of masterpieces of world literature.

COM LIT 41C Introduction to Literary Forms: Forms of the Novel 4 Units

Comparative study of masterpieces of world literature.

COM LIT 41D Introduction to Literary Forms: Forms of the Drama 4 Units

Comparative study of masterpieces of world literature.

COM LIT 41E Introduction to Literary Forms: Forms of the Cinema 4 Units

Comparative study of masterpieces of world literature.

COM LIT N41 Introduction to Literary Forms 0.0 Units

Comparative study of masterpieces of world literature.

COM LIT N41A Introduction to Literary Forms: The Epic 3 Units

Comparative study of masterpieces of world literature.

COM LIT N41B Introduction to Literary Forms: The Lyric 3 Units

Comparative study of masterpieces of world literature.

COM LIT N41C Introduction to Literary Forms: The Novel 3 Units

Comparative study of masterpieces of world literature.

COM LIT N41D Introduction to Literary Forms: The Drama 3 Units

Comparative study of masterpieces of world literature.

COM LIT 60AC Topics in the Literature of American Cultures 4 Units

Study of the ethnic diversity of American literature. Topics will vary from semester to semester, but may include such themes as Cultures of the City, Gender, Race, Ethnicity in U.S. Literature, Race and Identity. Students should consult the department's course bulletin well before the beginning of the semester for details.

COM LIT N60AC Topics in the Literature of American Cultures 3 Units

Study of the ethnic diversity of American literature. Topics will vary from summer to summer but may include such themes as gender, race, ethnicity, marriage, sexuality, identity, and the supernatural. Students should check the department's bulletin boards for summer course listings and further details.

COM LIT 98 Directed Group Study for Freshmen and Sophomores 1 - 4 Units

Group study in a field that may not coincide with that of any regular course and must be specific enough to enable students to write essays based upon their studies.

COM LIT 100 Introduction to Comparative Literature 4 Units

An introduction to problems of the comparative study of literature and culture. Emphasis on principles of comparative methods and analysis with focus on selected literary, critical, and theoretical texts from antiquity to the present. Readings in English and at least one foreign language.

COM LIT 112A Modern Greek Language and Modern Greek Composition 4 Units

Modern Greek pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and syntax studied. The forms of writing (prose, poetry, drama) and the reading of literary texts as auxiliary to the acquisition of compositional skills.

COM LIT 112B Modern Greek Language and Modern Greek Composition 4 Units

Modern Greek pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and syntax studied. The forms of writing (prose, poetry, drama) and the reading of literary texts as auxiliary to the acquisition of compositional skills.

COM LIT 120 The Biblical Tradition in Western Literature 4 Units

Examination of selected aspects of the Biblical tradition and their relevance to the study of later literature.

COM LIT 151 The Ancient Mediterranean World 4 Units

The literature of Greece, Rome, the Biblical lands, and other ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean basin.

COM LIT 152 The Middle Ages 4 Units

The literature of the Middle Ages.

COM LIT 153 The Renaissance 4 Units

European literature of the Renaissance.

COM LIT 154 Eighteenth- and 19th-Century Literature 4 Units

Literature of the 18th and 19th centuries.

COM LIT 155 The Modern Period 4 Units

Literature of the 19th and 20th centuries.

COM LIT 156 Fiction and Culture of the Americas 4 Units

Comparative study of American, Native-American, Spanish-American, Caribbean, and Brazilian literature and culture. Readings chosen to illustrate diverse attitudes of Americans toward their culture, politics, and environment.

COM LIT 165 Myth and Literature 4 Units

Study of the earliest myth texts and of the progressive growth of literature out of myth to the present day. Myth and oral composition. Emphasis on the meanings of myth as reflected in varying idioms.

COM LIT 170 Special Topics in Comparative Literature 1 - 4 Units

An independent studies course designed to fulfill a need intrinsic to the undergraduate major's program which cannot otherwise be satisfied because it involves either a literature not covered in regularly scheduled course offerings or a special methodological framework or bias of selection.

COM LIT 171 Topics in Modern Greek Literature 4 Units

This course frames methodologically selected topics in Modern Greek Literature and places them in their historical, social or cultural context.

COM LIT 190 Senior Seminar in Comparative Literature 4 Units

Seminar-style treatment of a major topic in Comparative Literature. Substantial paper required.

COM LIT H195 Honors Course 1 - 4 Units

Preparation and writing of an honors thesis under the supervision of a member of the faculty.

COM LIT 198 Directed Group Study 1 - 4 Units

Group study in a field that may not coincide with that of any regular course and must be specific enough to enable students to write essays based upon their studies.

COM LIT 199 Supervised Independent Study and Research 1 - 4 Units

Enrollment restrictions apply.

Faculty

Professors

Sharon Aronson Lehavi, Professor.

Judith Butler, Professor. Feminist theory, rhetoric, sexuality studies, comparative literature, 19th and 20th century continental philosophy, social and political thought, philosophy and literature.
Research Profile

Victoria Kahn, Professor. Rhetoric, comparative literature, Renaissance literature, poetics, early modern political theory, the Frankfurt School.
Research Profile

Francine R Masiello, Professor. Gender theory, culture, globalization, comparative literature, Spanish, Latin American literature of the 19th and 20th centuries, comparative North and South literatures.
Research Profile

Miryam B. Sas, Professor. Japanese literature, Japanese arts and culture, Japanese film, Japanese theater, Japanese avant-gardes, 20th century critical theory, experimental visual and literary arts, cultural memory, critical gender studies.
Research Profile

Associate Professors

Anne-Lise Francois, Associate Professor. Popular culture, English, comparative literature, the modern period, comparative romanticisms; lyric poetry; the psychological novel, novel of manners; gender, critical theory; literature, philosophy; fashion.
Research Profile

Robert G. Kaufman, Associate Professor.

Sophie Volpp, Associate Professor. East asian languages and cultures, history of performance, gender theory, the history of sexuality, material culture, material objects in late-imperial literature.
Research Profile

Lecturers

Maria Kotzamanidou, Lecturer.

Professors

Francine R Masiello, Professor. Gender theory, culture, globalization, comparative literature, Spanish, Latin American literature of the 19th and 20th centuries, comparative North and South literatures.
Research Profile

Contact Information

Department of Comparative Literature

4125 Dwinelle Hall

Phone: 510-642-2712

Visit Department Website

Department Chair

Miryam Sas, PhD (Department of Film and Media)

4116 Dwinelle Hall

mbsas@berkeley.edu

Undergraduate Faculty Adviser

Sophie Volpp, PhD

4313 Dwinelle Hall

volpp@berkeley.edu

Undergraduate Adviser

Anna del Rosario

4118 Dwinelle Hall

Phone: 510-642-1202

complituga@berkeley.edu

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