Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies

Undergraduate Program

Undergraduate Advisor
Pim Higginson, Ortega Hall 349B
fhigginson@unm.edu

College of Arts and Sciences and Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies Major Undergraduate Admission Requirements

A minimum of 26 credit hours; 23 credit hours must be in courses acceptable toward graduation.

A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00 on all work.

Transfer students must have a 2.00 transfer GPA.
Continuing UNM students must have a 2.00 institutional GPA.

Demonstrated academic achievement by satisfying the following:

Completion of the University Writing and Speaking Core.
Completion of the University Mathematics Core.
Completion of the University Foreign Language Core.

Completion of Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies major admission coursework with grades of "C" or better:

ENGL 250.
COMP 222 or 224.

Degree Offered

Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies (B.A.)
Concentrations: Comparative Literature; Cultural Studies.

Major Study Requirements

Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies is an interdisciplinary major with concentrations in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies. Students complete 30 credit hours of coursework. The Introduction to World Cultures and Critical Theory (9 credit hours) provides students with a survey of world literatures and cultures and introduces them to analyzing cultural productions through critical and cultural theory. The Cultures and Literatures (9 credit hours) component of the major broadens a student’s awareness of the diversity of cultural productions around the world. The Concentration (12 credit hours) component offers the opportunity to pursue an individualized interdisciplinary program of study by taking courses chosen in consultation with the coordinator. Students may choose to write an honors essay as the capstone to their work. Because this is an interdisciplinary program offered by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures in conjunction with affiliated departments, students must work closely with the coordinator in order to construct an appropriate program of study. Courses not listed below may sometimes be taken, subject to approval of the program coordinator.

I. The Introduction to World Cultures and Critical Theory–9 credit hours

ENGL 250 and 6 credit hours from the following courses: COMP 224; ENGL 292, 293.

II. Cultures and Literatures–9 credit hours

Literature, culture and theory courses at the 300-level or above offered by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures and programs and departments affiliated with the Program in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies. These courses must broaden a student’s knowledge of the forms of representation and cultural production that emerge from specific historical periods and places.

III. The Concentration–12 credit hours

Students choose a concentration in either Comparative Literature or Cultural Studies.

Concentration in Comparative Literature: Courses chosen in this concentration are divided between literatures in two different languages (one of which may be English or American Literature). Courses may include studies in theory, history, film and the arts, as well as in literary texts.

Concentration in Cultural Studies: Courses chosen in this concentration normally focus on critical and cultural theory and provide students with tools for analyzing literary and cultural problems while broadening their knowledge of world cultures and forms of representation in different media.

Second Major Study Requirements

Students complete 27 credit hours of coursework, as described below. For specific courses in categories II and III, see corresponding categories in the major.

9 credit hours: COMP 224; ENGL 292, 293.
6 credit hours in literature, culture and theory courses.
12 credit hours in cultural studies or comparative literature.

Minor Study Requirements

Students complete 21 credit hours of coursework, as described below. For specific courses in category III, see category III in the major.

6 credit hours from the following courses: COMP 224; ENGL 292, 293.
6 credit hours taken in the following courses: COMP 330–340, 432, *480.
9 credit hours in cultural studies or comparative literature, as described above.

Graduate Program

Graduate Advisor
Pim Higginson, Ortega Hall 349B
fhigginson@unm.edu

Degree Offered

Master of Arts in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies (M.A.)
Concentrations: Classics; Comparative Literature; Cultural Studies.

Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies is an interdisciplinary Master of Arts (M.A.) program administered by the coordinator and the Advisory Committee (see above).

Master of Arts in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies

The Master of Arts is offered as an interdepartmental program that may be completed by fulfilling requirements under Plan I or Plan II. Students following Plan I take 25 credit hours of graduate coursework and additional 6 credit hours of thesis work. Students following Plan II take 34 credit hours of graduate coursework. Students following Plan I or Plan II complete Foreign Languages and Literatures examination requirements for the degree by their final semester of study. The requirement for second-language proficiency for students in the Cultural Studies concentration may be satisfied after a student has been admitted to the program by taking a four-semester language sequence, or by passing a proficiency examination or proof of equivalent knowledge acquired elsewhere. Students in the Comparative Literature concentration are expected to be proficient in two languages, one of which can be English. In addition, M.A. candidates must demonstrate proficiency in a third language through a four-semester sequence of coursework, a proficiency examination, or proof of equivalent knowledge acquired elsewhere. Because this is an interdisciplinary program offered by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures in conjunction with affiliated departments and programs, students must work closely with a CLCS coordinator to construct an appropriate plan of study. The coordinator determines which courses outside of Foreign Languages and Literatures may be applied to the M.A. degree in consultation with a student’s committee on studies. Only 3 credit hours of problems courses may be counted toward the M.A. under Plan I and only 6 credit hours under Plan II.

I. The Core (7 credit hours)

COMP 500; MLNG 501 (1 credit hour); one course in theory and criticism: AMST 517; ANTH 547; CJ 500, 501; COMP 580; ENGL 510, 511; FREN 580, 582, 611; GRMN 555; SOC 500, 513.

–plus–

II. The Concentration

Concentration in Classics: Plan I (18 credit hours, plus 6 credit hours of COMP 599 Thesis; Plan II (27 credit hours).

Students under Plan I take 12 credit hours in a combination of both Greek and Latin courses above the 300-level. They take 6 credit hours in courses about the classical world and its legacy or 6 credit hours in theory and criticism. Students under Plan II take 15 credit hours in a combination of both Greek and Latin above the 300-level and 12 credit hours in courses about the classical world and its legacy or 12 credit hours in courses on theory and criticism. For Greek and Latin above the 300-level: GREK *301, *302; LATN *303, *304, 503. For the classical world and its legacy: ENGL 551; HIST 503, 526; PHIL *431, 564. For theory and criticism: AMST 517; ANTH 547; CJ 500, 501; COMP 580; ENGL 510, 511; FREN 580, 611; GRMN 555; SOC 500, 513.

Concentration in Comparative Literature: Plan I (18 credit hours, plus 6 credit hours of COMP 599 Thesis); Plan II (27 credit hours).

Students split credit hours evenly between literatures from two different languages, one of which may be a literature in English: AMST 540, 541, 550, 556, 557, 558, 560; ENGL 545, 547, 548, 549, 550, 551, 552, 553, 554, 555, 556, 557, 558, 559, 561, 562, 564, 565, 568, 570, 572, 574, 579, 580, 581, 582, 586, 587; FREN 502, 512, 522, 524, 532, 542, 552, 570, 580, 582, 584, 585, 588, 600, 611; GREK *301, *302; GRMN 549, 550, 552, 553, 555, 556, 581, 585; LATN *303, *304, 503; PORT 514, 516, 517, 521, 557, 558; SPAN 504, 515, 519, 520, 522, 526, 529, 531, 578, 579, 629, 639.

Concentration in Cultural Studies: Plan I (18 credit hours, plus 6 credit hours of COMP 599 Thesis); Plan II (27 credit hours).

Students take half of the credit hours in cultural criticism and theory: AMST 517; ANTH 547; CJ 500, 501; COMP 580; ENGL 510, 511; FREN 580, 582, 611; GRMN 555; SOC 500, 513.

The second half is taken in an interdisciplinary field defined with advisement from the committee on studies drawing on courses above the 500-level from: American Studies, Anthropology, Cinematic Arts, Communication and Journalism, English, Fine Arts, Foreign Languages and Literatures, History, Law, Linguistics, Philosophy, Political Science, and Spanish and Portuguese.

Graduate Minor

The Program offers a graduate minor in comparative literature and cultural studies. Students may choose to focus their studies in one of three areas: comparative literature, cultural studies or classics. Proficiency in a foreign language must be demonstrated by taking the first two semesters of a language sequence or by passing a proficiency examination.

Requirements: 18 credit hours

Three credit hours COMP 500.
Fifteen credit hours of courses in one of the following areas of focus:

Comparative Literature: Fifteen credit hours, 9 of which must be in a literature in a language other than English (see above). No more than 3 of these credit hours may be in a foreign literature course taught in translation.

Cultural Studies: 9 credit hours of courses in theory and criticism (see above) and 6 credit hours in an interdisciplinary field defined in consultation with the coordinator (see above).

Classics: 9 credit hours in either Greek or Latin above the 300-level (see above) and 6 credit hours in courses about the classical world and its legacy or 6 credit hours in courses on theory and criticism (see above).

Keys and Symbols Reference