Academic Advising Resource Center

Comparative Literature

Why take courses in Comparative Literature?

We offer interdisciplinary, discussion-based, student-centered courses that include multicultural and diverse material from across literary and artistic traditions.

From the relationship of music and the visual arts to literature, to transnational readings of exile, to interdisciplinary explorations of the figure of the femme fatale to literary translation theory and practice, the comparative literature major offers robust interdisciplinary training in the traditions and cultures of others seen through their artistic production and in the context of their language(s) and literatures, their history, and their social and political realities.

What kinds of questions does Comparative Literature explore?

  • What is world literature, and how can we read, think, and write about it?

  • In what ways can we consider, both globally and locally, literature across languages, cultures, time periods, genres, and even artistic forms? 
  • How are literary (and more broadly, artistic) texts shaped by their cultures, languages, and social and political realities?
  • What are some conceptual, thematic, formal, or expressive concerns that literatures share across languages, cultures, time periods, genres?
  • What can we learn by comparing or juxtaposing literary texts from different traditions, language, and even time periods?
  • How do theory and critical inquiry inform our understanding and reading of literary texts across languages, traditions, cultures, and chronologies?
  • What is literary translation? How do we think about and practice literary translation as informed interpreters, researchers, and writers?

 

What advice would you give students interested in taking courses in Comparative Literature?

Comparative literature enables students to integrate their studies in more than one discipline. Because the major requires a combination of depth, breadth, and creativity, together with an advanced knowledge of at least one foreign or ancient language, students consult with advisors to create individualized curricular pathways.

Combining literary studies with other disciplines such as History, Politics, Environmental Studies, Art History, Cinema, Classics, Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies, Writing and Communications, Creative Writing, and all the Language and Literature fields at Oberlin, this program allows students to design their own interdisciplinary path of studies.

Many of our students double major in Comparative Literature and another major such as Creative Writing, French, German, Hispanic Studies, Russian, Cinema, Classics, Art History, Studio Art, and even History.

Declaring a minor in Literary Translation is very popular, since all literary translation courses are Comparative Literature courses and many of them also count for the Creative Writing major.

Any literature course students take at Oberlin counts towards the major. A literature course taken while studying away also counts towards the major. Students can even fulfill requirements for the major while studying away. We encourage our majors to study away at least for a semester!

Taking Courses

Courses for non-majors or general interest

  • Any literature course.

Getting started in the major

Majors are able to shape their course of study from a wide range of possible material, beginning with an introductory literature course in any language. After that, CMPL 200 is the gateway to the major.

    Advanced Placement Credit 

    Comparative Literature does not transfer AP credit toward the major requirements. Refer to the AP/IB chart for complete information about AP test scores. 

    Majoring in Comparative Literature

    Provided are two examples of how a student could distribute courses required for the major over three or four years. See the catalog for additional details about major requirements.

    Sample Four-Year Plans
      Fall Spring
    Y1 FYSP 100 CMPL 200
    Y2 FREN 3XX CMPL 2XX
    ENGL 2XX
    Y3 Study Away (Literature courses count for major credit) Study Away (Literature courses count for major credit)
    Y4 FREN 4XX
    CMPL 3XX    		 CMPL 400
      Fall Spring
    Y1 ENGL 2XX ENGL 2XX
    Y2 CMPL 200   EAST 2XX
    Y3 JAPN 3XX       
    CMPL 2XX    		 Study Away (Literature
    courses count for major credit)
    Y4 EAST 3XX CMPL 3XX
    CMPL 400

     

    Related Areas of Study

    Africana Studies; Economics; Environmental Studies; Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies; Jewish Studies; Latin American Studies; Law and Society; Psychology; Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies; Sociology.

    Learn More

    Comparative Literature Major Requirements
    Comparative Literature Department