Comparative Literature
Acting Director of the Program: Jean-Philippe Mathy3080 Foreign Languages Building
707 South Mathews Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-4987
jaharrs2@uiuc.edu
Graduate Degree Programs
The program in comparative literature offers graduate programs leading to the degrees of master of arts and doctor of philosophy and is designed to provide a systematic study of subjects and problems common to several literatures. Its purpose is to enable students who have varied linguistic competence and preparation to explore the theory of literature and criticism; the interrelations of several literatures; the main currents, periods, and movements in literary history; the development of literary themes and types; and the relations between literature and the other arts.Admission
In addition to meeting the Graduate College admission requirements, a student entering the program should have an undergraduate major in English, the classics, or a foreign language. Majors in history and philosophy may be accepted with the special consent of the director of the program. For applicants to the Ph.D. curriculum, the master of arts will function as the qualifying test. Students entering with a recognized masters degree from another university or from another department of this University will take the comparative literature component and a literary component of this program’s regular master of arts examination at the end of the first year as a qualifying test.The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required of all students unless it is unavailable in a student’s country of origin. Applicants whose first language is not English must achieve a Teaching of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 620 on the paper-based test (260 on the computer-based test). Students may begin in the spring semester but should apply with fall students.
Graduate Teaching Experience
Although teaching is not a general Graduate College requirement, experience in teaching is considered an important part of the graduate experience in this program.Master of Arts
The candidate must demonstrate a competency in at least two foreign languages as well as in English. Latin is necessary for students planning to specialize in the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, or Neoclassicism. Competence in the languages offered is measured either by the successful completion of one advanced course in the literature of each of the languages chosen or by passing an examination administered by the program in comparative literature with the assistance of an expert in the language concerned. This choice is intended to provide for languages that may not be taught in regular departments.The candidate must complete 32 gh of credit, including two courses in the theory of literature (CWL 501 and 502) and two seminars in comparative literature selected from CWL 551, 561, 571, and 581; at least 12 of the other 16 gh should be taken in two or three national literatures in a distribution approved by the adviser; at least 20 of 32 gh must be in courses at the 500 level. The candidate must pass a written examination based on a reading list, which is designed to test knowledge of literary history as well as ability to interpret a literary or critical text.