Comparative Literature Department

Graduate Office (812)855-9602

In addition to the major and minor coursework requirements described in detail here, Ph.D. students must also:

Fulfill language requirements
Pass the Ph.D. qualifying examination, and
Complete and defend a dissertation.

Course Requirements

At least 65 hours of graduate course work are required. Credit hours earned for the Master's Degree are counted in this total, but the research hours given for the doctoral dissertation are not. At least 35 hours of course work in Comparative Literature are needed; all graduate students will be required to take: C501 (Introduction to Contemporary Literary Studies), C502 (Fields and Methods of Comparative Literature), and two survey courses, one dealing with the pre-modern period and one dealing with the modern period (up to 1914). The first part of this requirement could be met by taking C505, C521, C523, or C525; the second part could be met by taking C506, C529, C533, C535, or C537. In special cases, petitions to substitute other courses for those period courses listed above may be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies.

Many courses from other departments (e.g., offerings in French, Slavics, Theater and Drama, etc.), that use a comparative approach may be counted toward the Comparative Literature major. These courses are listed under the heading "Comparative Literature" in the Graduate School Bulletin . If a question arises, consult the Director of Graduate Studies. With the consent of the Director of Graduate Studies, a student may also apply to have a course count toward the Comparative Literature major that is not cross-listed. Approval for such an arrangement should be obtained from the Director of Graduate Studies before the student enrolls in the course. Only by way of exception can a student ask that a course offered by another department be counted as a Comparative Literature course. Please Note: In general, all requests for exceptions must be approved with the written consent of the Director of Graduate Studies.

Instructors are encouraged to file written evaluations of a student's performance. These evaluations are available for the student's inspection on personal request.

If graduate students majoring in Comparative Literature receive a grade of C+ or lower in C501, (or any required Comparative Literature course) or fail C502, they must either repeat the course (under the same or different instructor) or meet the conditions for making up the deficiency set by the original instructor.

A student should take no more than 35 hours of graduate course work (excluding C805 credit) without first completing the M.A. degree. If a student exceeds 35 credit hours before being admitted to the Ph.D. program, the Department will determine which credit hours beyond 35 (if any) will count toward the Ph.D. requirements.

Upon completing the Master's Degree requirements the student will have to petition to enter the Ph.D. program. Students must submit a letter indicating their desire to enter the Ph.D. program, a new statement of purpose, along with 3 letters of recommendation supporting their Ph.D. admission to Comparative Literature. (Please contact the Graduate Studies Office at 812-855-9602 for further information/details). Admission to the Ph.D. program is by no means an automatic procedure.

The Comparative Literature Department offers a flexible curriculum. Students may take courses in virtually any language or literature, as well as in a wide variety of other fields, and apply the credit toward the Ph.D. The criteria for course selection should include consideration of the qualifying examinations, as well as the concern for establishing an area of specialization. Detailed descriptions of Comparative Literature course offerings are available from the Office no later than the preregistration period for any given semester or summer session.

REVALIDATION OF GRADUATE CREDIT

"Normally, a course may not be counted toward degree requirements if it has been taken....seven years prior to the passing of the Qualifying Examination for Ph.D. students". However, the Director of Graduate Studies "may recommend to the Dean that course work taken prior to the above deadline be revalidated if it can be demonstrated that the knowledge contained in the course (s) remains current..."Each course for which consideration for revalidation is being requested should be justified separately" (Graduate School Bulletin). Please see the Bulletin for the various ways in which currency of knowledge may be demonstrated.

Ph.D. Minors Requirements

The Department usually requires certification of (a) two minor fields (subject concentrations) or (b) an intensive minor in a single field. The requirements for certification vary with each department granting minors, and students must contact the departments in which they intend to minor to be certain certain of the requirements. There is usually a minimum of 12 credit hours required in each minor; an intensive minor would normally consist of 24 credit hours. It is the sole responsibility of the student to have the appropriate departments notify both the Comparative Literature Department and the Graduate School that the respective minor requirement has been met. Students are normally expected to obtain prior approval of their plans for course work in their minor field from the graduate adviser (or comparable officer in the minor department or program.) For those who plan to teach, a solid grounding area other than Comparative Literature (for example, in a national literature) is strongly recommended. As most teaching positions will be joint appointments, competence in more than one area is critical.

Besides Ph.D. minors granted by individual departments or programs, many interdepartmental minors are available. The Minor in Literary Theory is jointly administered by the departments of English and Comparative Literature.

For information about the interdepartmental and other minors, please see the Graduate School Bulletin.

Ph.D. Minor in Biblical And Literary Studies
Ph.D. Minor in Cultural Studies
Ph.D. Minor in Film Studies
Ph.D. Minor in Gender Studies
Ph.D. Minor in Global Studies
Ph.D. Minor in Jewish Studies
Ph.D. Minor in Human Sexuality
Ph.D. Minor in Medieval Studies
Ph.D. Minor in Renaissance Studies
Ph.D. Minor in Semiotic Studies