Welcome to Penn State

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE
AT PENN STATE

What is Comparative Literature?

Comparative literature has developed as a discipline in colleges and universities to permit new ways of studying literature from an international perspective. The comparative (international) study of literature is an up-to-date, global approach that emphasizes the integration of literature from many countries. It includes the comparison of different national literatures, the study of genres, themes, and periods, the theory of literature, and the relation of literature to other art forms. It has been called the study of “literature without walls.”

In introductory comparative literature courses, the non-English works are taught in English translation. No knowledge of a foreign language is required to take them and there are no prerequisites for admission to them. These courses qualify as “humanities” courses in the University’s General Education category, as further humanities electives in a variety of colleges and programs, or as part of the comparative literature major.

Every person comes to comparative literature with a unique background. For our majors, a program of study is developed to suit each individual’s interests. A typical B.A. program permits you to gain a knowledge of the Western literary heritage, and of non-Western literatures as well. It provides practice in writing, and the opportunity to develop an integrated sequence of courses in an area of literature that appeals to you.

The international study of literature invites you to see beyond your own cultural and linguistic heritage and to appreciate human diversity. This approach to literature also allows you to go beyond a single academic department. Students who choose a comparative literature major can take courses in different literatures from around the world. As seniors, students in the major participate in a Senior Seminar (CM Lit. 400W) designed to help them integrate what they have learned about many literatures from many times and places.

What can Comparative Literature do for you?

Many people start college with the idea that a degree should lead automatically to a job. After all, a college education costs a great deal of money and it ought to give you an advantage in the job market. Many undergraduate programs at Penn State are directly vocational in their goals (like engineering). However, a liberal arts education involves quite a different preparation for life and work.

Comparative literature is one of the subjects within the liberal arts which are commonly labeled “the humanities” because they concentrate on human values, imagination, creativity, and systems of thought. An education in the humanities will not give you a passport to a specific job, but studies in the humanities—and especially in comparative literature—will educate you by enlarging you as a person, by teaching you to think, and by training you in important skills such as analytical writing, argumentation, and communication in a global context, which are prerequisites for success in many professional careers.

Comparative literature not only allows you to appreciate and internalize the values of your own culture; it also opens the way into other cultures. In today’s shrinking world, there is virtually instantaneous communication between countries. An understanding of the cultures of other countries and the ability to communicate with other people are important abilities for the future: these are the fundamental skills developed in the comparative study of literature.

Career Opportunities

The comparative literature major offers several advantages: a knowledge of at least two cultures, the ability to analyze written materials, experience in writing, and proficiency in at least one foreign language. Like other liberal arts students, comparative literature graduates may find jobs in:

—government service
—foreign and domestic offices
—international agencies
—publishing firms
—financial, banking, or import/export companies

Many corporations are interested in graduates who have language experience, communication skills, and an international or multicultural perspective.

In addition, by combining the major with courses in education, you may prepare to teach in public elementary or secondary schools in the United States or abroad. To prepare for college-level teaching, some of our students go on to graduate school in M.A. or Ph.D. programs. Comparative literature students have also been admitted to prestigious law schools and library science programs.

A few recent examples: one student taught overseas on a Fulbright grant after graduation and then was admitted to law school at Berkeley. Others are attending law school at Harvard and the University of North Carolina. Another is principal of a law firm in Philadelphia. Others run an information consulting business, publish an international hi-tech trade journal, work as a journalist, serve as a financial planner with a corporation, teach Spanish and French in high schools, and work as a human resources manager. After graduate school (Princeton), one of our recent B.A. majors is now a faculty member at a Pennsylvania college; another is a faculty member at a university in Texas.

You must be a realist when you are seeking employment. Take full advantage of the University’s Career Development and Placement Center, 413 Boucke Building (865-2377), which includes a library of occupational information. Counselors there will discuss career opportunities and employment trends with you, and they can help you set career goals and plans. You can establish a dossier with them and schedule interviews with potential employers who visit Penn State. Ask for a listing of summer jobs and internships which might be appropriate to your interests.

The College of Liberal Arts also sponsors a number of activities, such as “Liberal Arts Career Day,” which will be of interest to you.

You may also take advantage of the new comparative literature career course described on page 3.

Trying out Comparative Literature

Journey to other countries—try a course. You can take lower-level comparative literature courses before you complete freshman English. A good first course is any of the comparative literature courses on the “Humanities” list for General Education. You might begin with CMLIT 001, CMLIT 002, CMLIT 010, or CMLIT 101—see the descriptions later in this booklet. Or you might try CMLIT 100, “Introduction to Comparative Literature,” which is offered at University Park and at some other campuses. CMLIT 100 is organized around special themes or topics each year. Or, you might choose one of these survey courses: CMLIT 003, on African Literature; CMLIT 004, on Asian Literature; CMLIT 005, on Literatures of the Americas. These courses are excellent ways of filling your “humanities” requirements and will give you the basis for further work as well. CMLIT 003, 004, 108, 111, 404, 422, and 423 fill the B.A. Other Cultures requirement: CMLIT 003, 004, 005, 010, 101, 108, and 110 qualify as Cultural Diversity courses.

Other introductory courses are described later in this booklet. For guidance, make an appointment with Sydney Aboul-Hosn, co-chair of the Undergraduate Studies Committee Chair 863-7383. You should also feel free to stop in at the department office, 311 Burrowes Building.

The Comparative Literature Major

Students in the major study comparative literature and two “national literatures” or literatures of primary interest to you (one of which may be English). See the check-sheet later in this handbook. There are 36 credits (twelve courses) in the major. Up to 6 credits may be counted simultaneously for general education in the humanities (GH) or in the arts (GA).

1. PRESCRIBED COURSES (6 credits): CMLIT 100 and CMLIT 400W

2. ADDITIONAL COURSES (6 credits): Select 6 credits in literary traditions from CMLIT 001(GH), 002 (GH), 003, 004, 005.

3. SUPPORTING COURSES AND RELATED AREAS (24 credits—12 credits must be 400 level—department list includes 0-6 of GH and GA/DA courses):

a. Select 6 credits in genre, period, and theme courses from department list #1

b. Select 12 credits in literature from department list #2 (6 credits in each of two departments) and/or in literature, language, or culture courses offered through an Education Abroad program with departmental approval.

c. Select 6 credits in foreign language beyond the 12th-credit level

Because you can choose most of the comparative literature courses, your literature areas, your language courses, and the way in which you would like to use your 18 credits of electives, you have great flexibility. If you are interested in fields such as philosophy, theater and film, folklore, women’s studies, and so forth, you can choose literature courses reflecting those interests and also pursue those interests in the elective credits.

The Department of comparative literature, in conjunction with Career Development and Placement Services, offers a one-credit course in which is designed especially for Comparative Literature majors to help them explore career possibilities. The objectives of this course are to:

(1) present a lifelong career development framework,

(2) present career planning and decision making skills that will assist you in your development of a personally defined career,

(3) provide an overview of career options available to comparative literature majors, and

(4) assist you in the development of practical career implementation skills

An individualized plan of study will include seminars and personal counseling to address issues such as occupational information, resume preparation, job search strategies, and interviewing. The course will include brief background studies about the development and importance of comparative literature as a discipline and the historical role of literature in general.

Students are encouraged to take this course as early as possible in their undergraduate programs. If you wish to enroll in this new program, register for one credit of CMLIT 296 (Independent Study) and contact the department.

Declaring the Major: If you wish to enroll in our major, obtain a Declaration of Major form from the Liberal Arts Academic Student Services Center in 136 Sparks and bring it to the comparative literature office, 311 Burrowes Building at the University Park Campus. You are welcome to make an appointment to talk with a comparative literature adviser about job opportunities or other topics.

The Individual Academic Project

The department offers students in the major a unique opportunity called the Individual Academic Project (IAP). IAP's are optional, not required. They are individually designed to help you gain experience that supplements your coursework and individualizes your education.

An IAP can increase your input into your education and enhance your skills and credentials. Some may carry credit or provide payment, others may not. We might teach you how to read the handwriting of a medieval manuscript, involve you as a co-producer of our radio show Odyssey Through Literature, include you as an assistant on a faculty research project, invite you to serve as a teaching intern, etc. Not everyone will decide to include an IAP, but we will make one or more IAP choices available to each student majoring in comparative literature.

Adding on to a Comparative Literature Major

One way of using the 18 elective credits included in your B.A. degree is to take courses that impart concrete skills which will supplement your humanities training and make you more marketable: computer science, accounting, etc.

A second way of using these credits is to package them towards a second major or a minor. Recent choices have included second majors in English, art history, French, journalism, history, and Russian—the possibilities are almost endless.

A third way to combine degree programs is also available; this is the simultaneous degree. In this case, two degrees and two diplomas are earned and 30 credits or more beyond the requirements for one degree are taken.

More information on double majors or simultaneous degrees can be obtained in the Liberal Arts Academic Student Services Center, 139 Sparks Building.

In addition to its majors, the University offers packages of courses called minors. These too can be combined with a comparative literature major to strengthen your overall education. Minors of interest include foreign languages, women’s studies, and the geographical specialties (African studies, Asian studies, etc.). A minor in business is recommended if you want to increase job skills.

Minor in World Literature

If you are interested in literature, but aren’t able to fit the comparative literature major into your schedule, try a minor in World Literature. This minor consists of 18 credits, and does not involve advanced foreign language work. Ask the Undergraduate Staff Assistant in the comparative literature office for information. These minors can be combined with any major as long as course scheduling works out. See the check sheet included in this handbook.

Advising

When you are admitted to the comparative literature major, you will be assigned a faculty member as an adviser. Your adviser can help you work out an individualized and integrated program of studies—as well as provide other kinds of academic guidance. In addition, other members of the comparative literature faculty are willing to meet with interested students (see faculty listing toward the end of this booklet). If you wish to substitute a course or do something else not explicitly provided for in the rules — do ask!

Foreign Languages within the Department of Comparative Literature

The Department of Comparative Literature, as part of its commitment to a global perspective, has a special interest in what are sometimes called the critical languages, or the less-studied languages. We provide language instruction in Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, and Swahili.

Studying these languages can be both beneficial in a career sense and personally rewarding. Nearly one fourth of the world’s people speak Chinese, for instance, yet very few U.S. citizens study that language. There are many job opportunities for those who know Japanese. The Mediterranean Basin, where Arabic and Hebrew are spoken, is an area of great political importance to the U.S. Swahili is spoken in several African countries; Korean is increasingly studied in the U.S. In the case of all of these languages, the literary heritage is ancient and wonderful in its own right.

At present, Arabic, Korean, and Swahili are offered at the elementary level. Chinese, Hebrew, and Japanese are offered through the advanced level. Students can use those languages and literatures within the comparative literature major. Minors in Chinese, Hebrew, and Japanese are also available. Students can also major in Japanese.

Are these critical languages much harder to learn than the more familiar foreign languages? The answer will vary with each person. Arabic and Hebrew are written with alphabets different from the Roman alphabet that is used by Western languages. Chinese and Japanese are written with characters, rather than with an alphabet. In this respect, since a new writing system must be learned, these languages may be more difficult, but there can be compensations. Chinese, for instance, has no past-tense verbs (adverbs such as “yesterday,” “today,” and “tomorrow” are used to indicate time).

If you would like to talk with an instructor of one of these languages, or with a student who is presently studying the language and can tell you what it is like, get in touch with the Undergraduate Program Staff Assistant in the comparative literature department at 863-0589.

Certification as a Translator

For those with foreign language interests, careers in translation might be suitable.

The course CM-LIT 410 covers the theoretical and practical aspects of translating both literary and non-literary works. The position of the translator as preserver and transmitter of knowledge, information, and culture is emphasized. Special problems of translating poetry and various genres of prose are explored. The student is provided with both a sound philosophical basis and practical experience in translating from, and into, a foreign language through various exercises.

Students wishing to become accredited translators may do so by passing the translator’s test offered by the American Translators’ Association. More information may be obtained by writing to the American Translators Association at 1735 Jefferson Highway, Suite 903, Arlington, VA 22202-3413.

The Honors Program (University Scholars)

As a comparative literature major, you may be able to earn an Honors degree through the Schreyer Honors College. You will write an Honors thesis and in other ways have a special program—for example, you might take some graduate courses. If you are not already in the Schreyer Honors College, your major must nominate you. Ask the Undergraduate Program Staff Assistant in the comparative literature office for information.

Students in the Schreyer Honors College have several advantages. They can enroll in special sections of courses with other Schreyer Scholars and may find these courses especially stimulating. They are likely to have more freedom and flexibility in planning their degree requirements. They are eligible for special field trips, meetings with noted visitors, special funding opportunities, etc. The Honors thesis gives you an opportunity to investigate a topic of special interest to you.

Campus Activities Outside the Classroom

All students majoring in comparative literature at University Park have mailboxes in the department’s office to keep them up-to-date on all department activity. You will also be added to the department listserv, so you should check your e-mail periodically for important announcements, which may pertain to you.

During the fall and spring semesters, the comparative literature department at University Park sponsors a Monday bag-lunch series. A speaker gives a talk on a subject of literary or general cultural interest, and there is opportunity for questions and discussion. This is a great opportunity for students and faculty to meet each other and learn about a wide variety of fascinating topics. You will receive notices about these luncheons in your departmental mailbox. Other campuses may have luncheons or discussion groups too.

There are usually social activities at University Park in the fall and spring semesters—a fall get-acquainted social event and a spring picnic. You will be invited to these if you are a major in the department.

The Comparative Literature Radio Show (and Internship)

The comparative literature department sponsors a weekly radio show called “Odyssey through Literature.” This show was originated by a comparative literature student and continues to be produced by her, now in cooperation with WPSU. The weekly programs are each focused on a literary topic and include an interview with a writer or scholar.

Each semester we expect to have the opportunity for one or two undergraduates to serve as Program Assistants or Interns for the radio show. They can receive independent-study credit for this activity.

If you are interested, get in touch with Nancy Marie Brown, producer of the program by calling her office at 865-3477. This project might provide a very attractive opportunity for students who are interested both in literature and in telecommunications.

Education Abroad

Penn State’s Education Abroad Programs are of special interest to comparative literature majors. You may count up to 18 credits taken in a study abroad program in place of the national literatures component of the major. With careful planning, Education Abroad can easily fit into the course sequence for the comparative literature degree.

Thirty-two countries in Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle and Far East, Central and South America, Africa and Oceania are currently represented in the Penn State Office of Education Abroad Programs (OEAP), and new programs are continually being developed. OEAP administers forty-five semester or full-year programs in sixteen countries and twelve summer programs in ten countries. Penn State is also a member of the Council on International Educational Exchange with institutions from seventeen other countries and maintains direct exchange linkages with twenty-two overseas universities.

You will be registered at Penn State while you are abroad on a Penn State program and receive regular academic credit. The costs of these programs are approximately the same as the cost of a semester at the University, with travel expenses added. Small scholarships are sometimes available.

Information and application forms can be obtained from the Office of International Programs, 222 Boucke Building.

Teacher Certification

If you wish to teach in public school in Pennsylvania, you must have certification. This may be accomplished in several ways.

You may pursue a multiple major in Comparative Literature and Education. This may requires early planning in order to graduate on time. We will be happy to help you work out this program. You may also consult the University Certification Office in 181 Chambers.

Students who graduate with a degree in Comparative Literature may also attain certification through the following programs:

–The University of Pittsburgh offers a fifth-year post-baccalaureate program of Professional Study. Details may be obtained from the Pitt website at:
http://www.univ-relations.pitt.edu/bulletins/education/ed.html

–Temple University offers a Master of Education Program which allows students to obtain teaching certification and a master’s degree concurrently in about a year and a half of graduate study. Consult the Temple website at: http://www.temple.edu/gradbulletin/program/education/ed04.html

Pennsylvania does not require certification to teach in private elementary or secondary schools.

Scholarship Fund

A scholarship fund for outstanding undergraduate majors has been established, with an award made each spring. Named in honor of the late Professor Sam Bayard, this scholarship was created through faculty contributions, book-sale profits, and other sources. Professor Bayard’s special fields of interest were folklore, mythology, music, and Celtic studies. The annual Samuel P. Bayard award is given to an outstanding undergraduate student in the department. The undergraduate recipient (1998) was Eliana Carelli and Aaron Carpenter; (1999) was Natalie Beck, (2000) wasTod Hartman and Leanne MacDonald, (2001) Patrick Fitzgerald and Alicia Korenman.

Work-Study Jobs

Jobs are usually available in the department's office for students who have received “work-study” awards. Office work, editorial duties, and library research are included. You may be able to serve as a research assistant to a faculty member, or as an apprentice teacher. If you have an award under this granting program, check in the office to see what’s available.

An Invitation

We are a small but energetic department. We know that we operate under the handicap of an unfamiliar name—comparative literature. If you studied international literature in high school, it was probably not given any special name, so we are eager to talk with you and explain what we do. If you are on the University Park campus, call 863-7383 and ask for Sydney Aboul-Hosn. If you are on one of the other Penn State campuses, you can call (814) 863-0589 to make an appointment with Sydney to inquire about the comparative literature representative on your campus. You will get individualized attention.

The B.A./ M.A. 5-Year Program

The department has developed a program that would allow some exceptional and highly motivated students to complete both a B.A. and an M.A. in comparative literature within a five-year period. There are specific requirements which must be met in order to qualify for this program. If you are interested in this possibility, check with Sydney Aboul-Hosn, at (814) 863-7383, or at sra113@psu.edu. or request a B.A./M.A. handbook in 311 Burrowes.