Description:

The Departments of Comparative Literature and Philosophy at Penn State offer a doctoral minor in Literary Theory, Criticism, and Aesthetics. This minor responds to the continuing growth of interest in literary theory and criticism and to the increasing number of teaching positions for holders of doctorates in literature with a secondary specialization in literary theory and criticism, as well as to the need for holders of doctorates in philosophy to teach in fields to which their discipline may lend theoretical support.

The minor strengthens the training of students in literature and in related fields by providing a coherent philosophical and theoretical basis for their advanced work. The program widens the scope of issues in the study of philosophy and comparative literature, and it provides interdisciplinary support for students in other liberal arts doctoral programs, such as English, foreign languages and literatures, history, speech communication, and the social sciences. In addition, the program can provide a basis for graduate programs outside the College of the Liberal Arts, including those in music and in the visual arts.

Students in the program will develop an individualized course of study in consultation with their advisers for the minor (one adviser from Comparative Literature and one from Philosophy; see list of advisers below). A minimum of 15 credits in addition to those required for the major should be chosen from the list of courses below. Six required credits (3 in comparative literature and 3 in philosophy) will serve as the basis for a historical study of literary theory and criticism and philosophical aesthetics. Students who take this minor must include one of the designated advisers of the minor on their doctoral committees.

Courses Included in the Minor:

Students must take six credits (3 in each discipline) from asterisked (*)courses.

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