Major and Minor Requirements in Comparative Literature & Thought

Major in Comparative Literature and Thought

Total units required: 27.5-48.5

Required Courses (27-36 units): 

Humanities Core Courses (12 units): All Comparative Literature and Thought (CL&T) majors will take two core (one required) courses in "Literature and Arts" and two core courses in "Thought."

Upper-Level Courses (15-24 units): All CL&T majors will complete at least eight upper-level CL&T courses (24 units) at the 300-/3000-level or above. Up to three 300-/3000-level Humanities Core Courses taken to satisfy the 12-unit core requirement above can count toward the eight-course upper-level requirement.

Capstone (0.5 units or honors program): All CL&T majors will complete a CL&T capstone project (unless CL&T is not their primary major).

Language Study (3-12 units): All CL&T majors will pursue second language study. Up to 6 units of foreign language courses focused on literature or intellectual culture may be counted toward the required 24 units of upper-level courses.

For detailed requirements, please visit the CL&T Major's page in the 2024-2025 Undergraduate Bulletin.

Senior Honors: To be considered for honors, a student must have a grade point average of at least 3.7 by the end of the sixth semester and must be approved to write a Senior Honors thesis by either the Director of Comparative Literature or the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Honors courses (Comp Lit 497 Independent Work for Senior Honors and Comp Lit 498 Independent Work for Senior Honors) supplement the major and do not satisfy any of the above requirements.

Major in Comparative Literature and Thought, Comparative Arts Specialization

Total units required: 30-50.5

Required Courses (27-36 units):

Humanities Core Courses (12 units): All Comparative Literature and Thought (CL&T), Comparative Arts (CA) Specialization majors will take two required core courses in "Literature and Arts" and two core courses in "Thought."

Upper-Level Courses (15-24 units): All CA specialization majors will complete at least eight upper-level CL&T courses (24 units) at the 300-/3000-level or above, including one course with the HTH attribute. Up to three 300-/3000-level Humanities Core Courses taken to satisfy the 12-unit core requirement above can count toward the eight-course upper-level requirement.

Capstone (0.5 units or honors program): All CA specialization majors will complete a CA or CL&T capstone project (unless CA or CL&T is not their primary major).

Applied Art and Language Study (3-14 units): All CA specialization majors will pursue applied arts credits and, if necessary, language study. Up to 6 units of foreign language courses focused on literature or intellectual culture may be counted toward the required 24 units of upper-level courses.

A student pursuing the Comparative Literature and Thought Major, Comparative Arts Specialization, will adapt the Comparative Literature and Thought Major as follows:

  • Students will select Comp Lit 313E Introduction to Comparative Arts (3 units) as one of the four courses from the Humanities Core. As an alternative, they may substitute a first-year program or Ampersand seminar in Comparative Arts.
  • Upper-level courses for the major must include one course in the history or theory of a non-literary art practice (HTH course attribute). If such courses are not listed in CL&T, students may enroll with the permission of their CL&T advisor and the CL&T Director of Undergraduate Studies.
  • Students must complete at least two semesters of applied arts courses for a minimum of 3 units.

For detailed requirements, please visit the CL&T Major (Comp Arts Specialization) page in the 2024-2025 Undergraduate Bulletin.

Senior Honors: To be considered for honors, a student must have a grade point average of at least 3.7 by the end of the sixth semester and must be approved to write a Senior Honors thesis by either the Director of Comparative Literature or the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Honors courses (Comp Lit 497 Independent Work for Senior Honors and Comp Lit 498 Independent Work for Senior Honors) supplement the major and do not satisfy any of the above requirements.

Minor in Comparative Literature and Thought

Total units required: 15

CL&T minors are required to take four courses from the Humanities Core, two from the Literature and Arts category (including one required course) and two from the Thought category. In addition, CL&T minors must take a fifth elective course from the CL&T offerings.

For detailed requirements, please visit the CL&T Minor page in the 2024-2025 Undergraduate Bulletin.

Comparative Literature and Thought also administers minors in Legal Studies, Data Science in the Humanities (DASH), Medieval and Renaissance Studies, and Translation Studies. 

Legacy majors and minors

 (IPH; Text and Traditions, Comp Lit, Comp Arts) who entered Washington University during academic year 2023-24:

 

The Major in the Interdisciplinary Project in the Humanities

Total units required: 44

Foundations for the major include four of the Text and Traditions core courses, shown below, which may include a humanities-based Ampersand first-year program (IPH 201C Classical to Renaissance Literature: Text and Traditions and IPH 203C Early Political Thought: Text and Traditions taken in the same semester) plus two of the IPH courses in the core.

 
CodeTitleUnits
IPH 201APuzzles and Revolutions: Text and Traditions3
IPH 201BThe Great Economists: Text and Traditions3
IPH 201CClassical to Renaissance Literature: Text and Traditions3
IPH 203CEarly Political Thought: Text and Traditions3
IPH 207CModern Political Thought: Text and Traditions3
IPH 209Scriptures and Cultural Traditions: Text & Traditions3
IPH 3050Literary Modernities in Europe and America: Text and Traditions (IPH 3050 is an updated version of IPH 205C Literary Modernities)3
IPH 310The Intellectual History of Sex and Gender: Text and Traditions3
IPH 320The Intellectual History of Race and Ethnicity: Text and Traditions3

Total Required Courses

 
CodeTitleUnits
Four core Text and Traditions courses12
IPH 301Sophomore Research Tutorial2
IPH 401IPH Thesis Prospectus Workshop3
IPH 403Senior Thesis Tutorial3
Area of Concentration courses15
IPH 405Theory and Methods in the Humanities3
IPH 450Interdisciplinary Topics in the Humanities3
or IPH 470Interdisciplinary Topics: Data Signs-A Literary History of Information
IPH 455IPH Senior Colloquium: Interdisciplinary Topics in the Humanities3
Total Units44

 

The Minor in Text and Traditions

Units required: 15

Required courses:

Students take five of the following courses (15 units):

 
CodeTitleUnits
IPH 200CSanity and Madness in Literature from Ancient Greece to the Renaissance3
IPH 201APuzzles and Revolutions: Text and Traditions3
IPH 201BThe Great Economists: Text and Traditions3
IPH 201CClassical to Renaissance Literature: Text and Traditions3
IPH 203CEarly Political Thought: Text and Traditions3
IPH 207CModern Political Thought: Text and Traditions3
IPH 209Scriptures and Cultural Traditions: Text & Traditions3
IPH 3050Literary Modernities in Europe and America: Text and Traditions3
IPH 307Ampersand: Literary Modernities in East Asia: The Interplay of Tradition, Modernity, & Empire: Text & Tradition3
IPH 310The Intellectual History of Sex and Gender: Text and Traditions3
IPH 320The Intellectual History of Race and Ethnicity: Text and Traditions3

Elective courses:

Students may elect to substitute one of the above Text and Traditions courses with a text-centered course that emphasizes primary sources. Prior consultation and IPH advisor approval are required.

 

The Major in Comparative Literature

Total units required: 27

Required courses:

27 units of Comparative Literature courses, including the following:

  • Comp Lit 211 World Literature (3 units)
  • Comp Lit 3050 Literary Modernities in Europe and America: Text and Tradition

Seven additional courses in Comparative Literature at both the 300 and 400 levels (21 units). With permission of the director of undergraduate studies, the student may substitute up to 6 units of appropriate foreign literature courses at the 300 or 400 level.

The major also requires the completion of a capstone experience. Students who are double majoring may elect to complete their capstone in the other major.
Students of Comparative Literature are also expected to have had substantial college-level experience with foreign language study as demonstrated by the completion of either one 400-level foreign language course or two 300-level courses.

The Major in Comparative Arts

Total units required: 27

Required courses:

21 units of Comparative Literature courses, including the following:

  • Comp Lit 211 World Literature (3 units)
  • Comp Lit 313E Introduction to Comparative Arts (3 units)

Five additional courses in Comparative Arts at both the 300 and 400 levels (15 units), including one course on interrelations between literature and other art forms. With permission of the director of undergraduate studies, the student may substitute up to 6 units of appropriate foreign literature courses at the 300 or 400 level.
6 units of advanced study (300 level or above) in theoretical or historical courses in aesthetics, art history, dance, drama, film or music. (Students with minors or majors in one of these fields may elect to substitute 6 units of Comparative Literature.)

The major also requires the completion of a capstone experience. Students who are double majoring may elect to complete their capstone in the other major.
Students of Comparative Arts are also expected to have had substantial college-level experience with foreign language study as demonstrated by the completion of either one 400-level foreign language course or two 300-level courses. They are also expected to pursue work in an applied art form — music, fine arts, drama, dance or creative writing — for four semesters. This course work need not be conducted at the 300 or 400 level.

Note: Students should be aware that courses satisfying the major requirements in another department cannot also be counted toward the major requirements of Comparative Literature or Comparative Arts.

Additional Information

Senior Honors: To be considered for honors, a student must have a grade point average of at least 3.7 by the end of the sixth semester and must be approved to write a Senior Honors thesis by either the Director of Comparative Literature or the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Honors courses (Comp Lit 497 Independent Work for Senior Honors and Comp Lit 498 Independent Work for Senior Honors) supplement the major and do not satisfy any of the above requirements.