Comparative Literature

Chair of Studies

518 Kimpel Hall

479-575-5939

Web: http://www.uark.edu/depts/english/cplt.html/

Comparative Literature Committee:

• Professors DuVal, Haydar, Pritchett
• Associate Professors Fredrick, Kahf, Slattery
• Assistant Professor Arenberg

For names of faculty teaching Comparative Literature courses,
see English and foreign language faculty lists.

Degrees Conferred:

M.A., Ph.D. (CPLT)

The Departments of Communication (COMM), English (ENGL), and Foreign Languages and Literatures (FLAN) offer programs designed to provide advanced academic training in two or more foreign languages, in literary translation, in comparative literature (including classics), and in cultural studies.

Areas of Concentration: Master of Arts – classics, English, German, French, Arabic, and Spanish. Doctor of Philosophy – traditional, modern language, cultural studies, literary translation.

Prerequisites to Degree Program: The following materials must be submitted to the Chair of Studies in Comparative Literature:

1. Application for Admission to Graduate Study in Comparative Literature. The form is available from the Chair of Studies.

2. Graduate Record Examination scores on the Aptitude Test
(verbal and quantitative) and the Advanced Test in Literature.

3. Scores on other standardized tests, if available.

4. Complete official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work.

5. Three letters of recommendation from former teachers,
employers, or supervisors.

6. An examination paper from a literature course, including essay answers, or a term paper or other evidence of writing ability.

Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree: The candidate must take a minimum of 36 hours of courses to be selected from offerings in the fields of classics, English, German, Arabic, French, and Spanish, under the following guidelines:

1. A minimum of 12 hours must be taken in each of two of the following language areas: classics, English, German, Arabic, French, and Spanish.

2. A minimum of six hours must be taken in courses that deal with the literatures of several language groups. World literature courses at the 3000 level will satisfy this requirement.

3. All courses selected must be approved by the adviser, who will consult with the Comparative Literature Committee.

4. WLIT 5193, Introduction to Comparative Literature, is required of all candidates.

5. Each master’s degree candidate is required to take a comprehensive examination.

Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree: The doctoral program in comparative literature is designed so that it may be based upon a Master of Arts in Comparative Literature, English, French, German, Spanish, or Communication, or upon the Master of Fine Arts in Translation. Candidates must take a minimum of 66 graduate hours (including credit offered for the M.A. or M.F.A but excluding dissertation credit) and must attain a 3.00 grade-point average in each of their fields. WLIT 5193 Introduction to Comparative Literature and one additional course in critical theory (e.g., ENGL 5253 Modern Criticism or its equivalent) are required of all students. In addition to meeting hour and distribution requirements in one of the concentrations listed below, the student must select a field, period, or genre specialization to support the dissertation (e.g., the epic tradition, postmodern cinema, Renaissance poetry, strategies for translating dialects). The program of study for each student, including administration of candidacy examinations and the satisfaction of all requirements of the Graduate School, will be designed, approved, and supervised by the Chair of Studies and a faculty adviser drawn from the area of specialization.

Traditional Concentration: A candidate will prepare three fields, one of which will be world literature (the others will be drawn from Arabic, English, French, German, Spanish, or classics). A minimum of 24 hours must be taken in one field, a minimum of 18 in the second, and a minimum of 15 in the third. Courses may be substituted from related fields with program approval. The M.A. will typically be in comparative literature. Each student must demonstrate fluency in at least one language other than English and a reading knowledge of a second foreign language.

Modern Language Concentration: A candidate will prepare two fields, one of which will be English, French, German, or Spanish. The second field may be English (if not selected as the first field) or a second foreign language (Arabic, French, German, or Spanish). A minimum of 36 hours must be taken in the first field, a minimum of 24 in the second. Up to 12 hours of relevant WLIT or related courses may be applied to either or both fields with program approval. The M.A. will typically be in English, French, German, or Spanish. Each student must demonstrate fluency in two languages other than English.

Cultural Studies Concentration: A student will prepare three fields, the first of which will be communication with an emphasis in cultural studies. A minimum of 30 hours must be taken in this first field, a minimum of 15 each in the other two, each of which shall emphasize Arabic, classics, English, French, German, Spanish, or World Literature. Courses may be substituted from related fields with program approval. The M.A. will typically be in communication. Each student must demonstrate fluency in at least one language other than English and a reading knowledge of a second foreign language.

Literary Translation Concentration: A student will prepare three fields. A minimum of 36 hours will be taken in French, German, or Spanish for the first field; a minimum of 9 hours will be taken in translation workshops (ENGL 5043) for the second field; and a minimum of 12 hours drawn from courses in the form and theory of translation, poetry, and fiction (ENGL 5223, ENGL 5263, ENGL 5273, ENGL 5283, ENGL 5293) for the third. Courses may be substituted from related fields with program approval. The M.A. will typically be in French, German, or Spanish. Each student must demonstrate fluency in at least one language other than English and a reading knowledge of a second foreign language.

Through an agreement with the Academic Common Market, residents of certain Southern states may qualify for graduate enrollment in some of these degree programs as in-state students for fee purposes. See Appendix A for details.

WLIT4123 Survey of Russian Literature from Its Beginning to the 1917 Revolu tion (IR)  The instructor will discuss the historical and cultural backgrounds while focusing on major writers and will deal with literature as an outlet for social criticism. There will be textual analysis. It will be taught in English.

WLIT4133 Survey of Russian Literature Since the 1917 Revolution (IR)  The instructor will discuss the historical and cultural backgrounds while focusing on major writers and will deal with literature as an outlet for social criticism. There will be textual analysis. It will be taught in English with readings in English.

WLIT4273 Literature of India and the Near East (IR)  Leading works and genres of the ancient civilizations, the Moslem world and India, and their contribution to the Western literary tradition.

WLIT4293 Literature of China and Japan (IR)  Survey of the literary works of the Far East, and of its contribution to the Western Tradition.

WLIT4913 Literary Reflections of the Holocaust (IR)  Drawing on fiction, poetry, autobiography, and drama from works written originally in French, Polish, German, Dutch, English, and Yiddish, this course introduces students to the Holocaust through literature. Deals with the adequacy of imaginative literature in the face of atrocity, the comparative effectiveness of fiction versus autobiography, and the dangers of exploitation and trivialization.

WLIT4923 Modern World Drama (IR)  Drama from Ibsen to the 1930s.

WLIT4963 Contemporary World Drama (IR)  Drama since the 1930s.

WLIT4993 African Literature (IR)  A study of modern African fiction, drama, poetry, and film from various parts of Africa in their cultural context. Works are in English or English translation.

WLIT5193 Introduction to Comparative Literature (IR)  Literary theory, genres, movements, and influences. Prerequisite: WLIT 1113.

WLIT5233 Form and Theory of Translation (IR)  An examination of the principal challenges that confront translators of literature, including the recreation of style, dialect, ambiguities, and formal poetry; vertical translation; translation where multiple manuscripts exist; and the question of how literal a translation should be.

WLIT5483 Germanic and Celtic Backgrounds of Medieval Literature (IR)  Literary traditions of Old and Middle English, of Germany, Ireland, Scandinavia, and Wales.

WLIT5593 The Renaissance (IR)  Italian forms and writers of the late 15th and 16th centuries and the spread of the Renaissance tradition in Spain, Portugal, France, and Northern Europe up to 1660.

WLIT5623 The Bible as Literature (IR)  The several translations of the Bible; its qualities as great literature; its influence upon literature in English; types of literary forms.

WLIT5793 The Enlightenment (IR)  Literature of the late 17th and 18th centuries, especially in France and Germany.

WLIT5963 Twentieth-Century Continental Novel (IR)  Survey of the continental novel from 1900 to the present.

WLIT600V Master’s Thesis (1-6) (FA, SP, SU)  

WLIT603V Special Studies in Comparative Literature (1-6) (IR)  

WLIT690V Seminar (1-6) (IR)  

WLIT699V Master of Fine Arts in Translation Thesis (1-6) (FA, SP, SU)  

WLIT700V Doctoral Dissertation (1-12) (FA, SP, SU)