In the Comparative Literature major, students examine literature across languages, geographic location, time periods, and genres. The discipline also explores the relationship between literature and other forms of cultural expression such as pop culture, technology, arts, music, or film, as well as the relationship between literature and other academic disciplines, like anthropology, history, religious studies, or women's and gender studies. It's a great major for anyone who loves to explore other cultures.
Students sometimes ask whether they need to be fluent in a foreign language in order to study comparative literature. Definitely not! While all of UWM's instructors and faculty in comparative literature do research in other languages, all Comparative Literature courses are taught entirely in English. Comparative Literature majors choose one of two paths - one path that requires some literature courses be taken in a foreign language program, or another path where all classes are taught in English.
Our alumni can be found working in university and K-12 education, the arts, politics, law, library services, publishing, social services, journalism and communications, editorial roles, marketing, fundraising, corporate sales, consulting, and many other fields. Their knowledge and skills in cross-cultural communication, critical analysis, reading and comprehension of complex text, and writing are highly valued.
Requirements
Course of Study – Bachelor of Arts Degree
Complete 120 credits including 90 credits in the College of Letters & Science and with 36 of the 90 credits in L&S upper-level (numbered above 300) courses. The College requires that students must complete in residence at UWM at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in their major. Students are also required to complete University-wide General Education Requirements and the specific L&S requirements listed below.
To complete a major, students must satisfy all the requirements of the major as stated in this catalog. Students who declare their majors within five years of entering the UW System as a degree candidate may satisfy the requirements outlined in any catalog issued since the time they entered. Credits used to satisfy the major also may be used to satisfy other degree requirements.
University General Education Requirements (GER)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Oral and Written Communication | ||
| Part A | ||
| ENGLISH 102 | College Writing and Research (or equivalent) | |
| Part B | ||
| Course designated as OWC-B; may be completed through a major-specific course requirement | ||
| Quantitative Literacy | ||
| Part A | ||
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Contemporary Applications of Mathematics | ||
| Introduction to College Algebra | ||
| Algebraic Literacy II | ||
Or equivalent course | ||
| Part B | ||
| Course designated as QL-B; may be completed through a major-specific course requirement | ||
| Arts | ||
| Select 3 credits | 3 | |
| Humanities | ||
| Select 6 credits | 6 | |
| Social Sciences | ||
| Select 6 credits | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences | ||
| Select 6 credits (at least two courses including one lab) | 6 | |
| UWM Foreign Language Requirement | ||
| Complete Foreign Language Requirement through: | ||
Two years (high school) of a single foreign language | ||
Two semesters (college) of a single foreign language | ||
Or equivalent | ||
| UWM Cultural Diversity Requirement | ||
| One course from the Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences must also satisfy UWM's Cultural Diversity requirement | ||
College of Letters & Science Requirements
I. English Writing Requirement
Students must satisfy the English Writing Requirement by completing ENGLISH 102 with a grade of C or higher or by placing beyond ENGLISH 102 on the English Placement Test (EPT).
Note: This requirement is the same as the University General Education Requirement for Oral and Written Communication Part A. The College of Letters & Science does not have a specific requirement for a writing course beyond English 102, but students must complete the university-wide requirement for Oral and Written Communication Part B listed above.
II. Mathematics and Formal Reasoning
To satisfy the Mathematics and Formal Reasoning Requirement, students must satisfy the following two requirements:
1. Achieve a Math Placement Level of at least 30 or earn at least 3 credits with a grade of C or higher in one of the following courses or an equivalent course:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 102 | Mathematical Literacy for College Students II | 3 |
| MATH 103 | Contemporary Applications of Mathematics | 3 |
| MATH 105 | Introduction to College Algebra | 3 |
| MATH 108 | Algebraic Literacy II | 3 |
| MATH 175 | Mathematical Explorations for Elementary Teachers I | 3 |
Note: This requirement is the same as the University General Education Requirement for Quantitative Literacy Part A, listed above.
2. Complete one course (at least 3 credits) at the 200 level or above chosen from courses in Mathematics, PHILOS 211, or Letters and Science statistics courses:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one of the following: | ||
3 or more credits in any 200-level or above Math course | ||
| Introduction to Statistics in Africology | ||
| Introduction to Anthropological Statistics | ||
| Statistical Methods in Atmospheric Sciences | ||
| Biostatistics | ||
| Economic Statistics | ||
| Quantitative Analysis in Geography | ||
| The Quantitative Analysis of Historical Data | ||
| Elementary Statistical Analysis | ||
| Elementary Logic | ||
| Political Data Analysis | ||
| Survey Research | ||
| Psychological Statistics | ||
| Introduction to Statistical Thinking in Sociology | ||
Note: This requirement is NOT the same as the University General Education Requirement for Quantitative Literacy Part B. To complete the BA, students must take one of the L&S approved courses. The courses listed here will satisfy the QL-B requirement.
III. Foreign Language Requirement
Placement testing may be used to satisfy all or part of this requirement. Language courses (including American Sign Language) other than English taken in high school may be used to satisfy all or part of this requirement. One year of high school language equates to one semester of college work.
Completion of the L&S Language Requirement also satisfies the university-wide Foreign Language GER, but not vice versa.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Completed in one of the following ways: 1 | 0-18 | |
Successful completion of the 4th semester of college work or equivalent in one language other than English (including American Sign Language) | ||
Successful completion of the 3rd semester of college work or equivalent in one language other than English (including American Sign Language) PLUS the 2nd semester of college work or equivalent in another language other than English (including American Sign Language) | ||
IV. International Requirement
See Approved Courses for the L&S International Requirement for course options.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Completed in one of the following ways: 1 | 9 | |
Complete 3 courses (min. 9 cr) in a single foreign language (not including literature-in-translation or American Sign Language) at the 3rd semester level and above | ||
Complete 3 non-language courses (min. 9 credits) with an international content chosen from at least 2 curricular areas. | ||
Complete 9 credits in combination of the two options above. | ||
V. Breadth Requirement
Along with completing the University General Education Requirements of 3 credits in the Arts (A); 6 credits in the Humanities (HU), Social Sciences (SS), and Natural Sciences (NS/NS+); and a course with the Cultural Diversity (CD/+) designation, L&S students must complete the Breadth requirement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Arts | ||
| Select 3 credits | 3 | |
| Humanities | ||
| Complete 12 credits of L&S courses with Humanities Breadth designation; no more than 6 credits from a single subject area. * | 12 | |
| Social Sciences | ||
| Complete 12 credits of L&S Courses with Social Science Breadth designation; no more than 6 credits from a single curricular area. * | 12 | |
| Natural Sciences | ||
| Complete 12 credits of L&S Courses with Natural Sciences Breadth designation, including at least one laboratory or field course; no more than 6 credits from a single curricular area. * | 12 | |
| Cultural Diversity | ||
| Complete 3 credits in a course with Cultural Diversity (CD) designation. ** | 3 | |
| * | Students should check their course selections carefully with the list of approved L&S Breadth Courses. Students are advised to select at least 6 credits worth of courses in each of the Humanities, Social Science, and Natural Sciences areas that can satisfy both the campus-wide General Education Requirements and the L&S Breadth requirement. |
| ** | Students are advised to select a course that satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement as well as a Humanities or Social Science breadth/GER requirement. |
VI. The Major
The College of Letters and Science requires that students attain at least a 2.5 GPA in all credits in the major attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.5 GPA on all major credits attempted, including any transfer work. Individual departments or programs may require higher GPAs for graduation. Some departmental majors require courses from other departments. Contact your major department for information on whether those credits will count as part of the major GPA. The College requires that students must complete in residence at UWM at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in their major.
Research Requirement
Within their majors, students must complete a research experience approved by the L&S faculty. A list of courses satisfying the research requirement in each major can be found here.
Major Requirements
The program welcomes prospective majors who have maintained a minimum 2.500 GPA in their language and literature courses during the freshman and sophomore years. Prospective majors should meet with the Comparative Literature coordinator to declare the major. Students are assigned a Comparative Literature advisor in their primary areas of interest. The advisor helps students design plans of study tailored to their particular interests, academic goals, and professional aspirations.
Comparative literature majors are encouraged to take additional literature courses offered in languages other than English when possible. They also are encouraged to take additional courses outside of the program in the analysis of literature and other arts. In many cases, these courses may be counted toward the comparative literature major.
All CompLit courses and approved electives that a student takes will count in calculating the major GPA. The College of Letters and Science requires that students attain at least a 2.500 GPA on all credits in the major attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.500 GPA on all major credits attempted, including any transfer work.
The department offers two options for the major. Both major options require that, in their senior year, students complete a research project that focuses on major theoretical and critical trends in comparative literature. Students may fulfill this requirement by completing either COMPLIT 463 or COMPLIT 464.
Credit Requirements
A total of 36 credits is required for the major, including COMPLIT 207 and COMPLIT 208 and at least 24 credits at the advanced level (numbered 300 and above). At least 15 of the advanced credits must be taken in residence at UWM. Students may count toward the major up to 6 credits in the following selected in consultation with their advisor:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMPLIT 133 | Contemporary Imagination in Literature and the Arts | 3 |
| COMPLIT 135 | Experiencing Literature in the 21st Century: | 3 |
| COMPLIT 230 | Literature and Society: | 3 |
| COMPLIT 231 | Literature and Religion: | 3 |
| COMPLIT 232 | Literature and Politics: | 3 |
| COMPLIT 233 | Literature and Film: | 3 |
Option A
This option is recommended particularly for students who intend to pursue graduate work in comparative literature. Option A students must complete the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| COMPLIT 207 | Global Literature from Antiquity to the 1600s: | 3 |
| COMPLIT 208 | Global Literature from the 17th Century to the Present: | 3 |
| COMPLIT 463 | Literary Criticism: Major Authors | 3 |
| or COMPLIT 464 | Seminar in Comparative Literary Criticism: | |
| Select 9-12 credits in CompLit courses numbered 300 and above | 9-12 | |
| Select 9-12 credits in advanced literature courses (numbered 300 and above) offered in a foreign language | 9-12 | |
| Electives | ||
| Select 6 credits from the following: | 6 | |
| Contemporary Imagination in Literature and the Arts | ||
| Experiencing Literature in the 21st Century: | ||
| Literature and Society: | ||
| Literature and Religion: | ||
| Literature and Politics: | ||
| Literature and Film: | ||
CompLit courses numbered 300 and above | ||
| Total Credits | 36 | |
Option B
This option is offered for students with little if any training in a foreign language. Though such work normally is not considered as suitable preparation for graduate work in comparative literature, Option B offers training that is useful and applicable in many academic and professional fields. Option B students must complete the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| COMPLIT 207 | Global Literature from Antiquity to the 1600s: | 3 |
| COMPLIT 208 | Global Literature from the 17th Century to the Present: | 3 |
| COMPLIT 463 | Literary Criticism: Major Authors | 3 |
| or COMPLIT 464 | Seminar in Comparative Literary Criticism: | |
| Select 12 additional credits in CompLit courses numbered 300 and above | 12 | |
| Select 9 credits in advanced courses (300 and above) in the analysis of literature or the other arts 1 | 9 | |
| Electives | ||
| Select 6 credits from the following: | 6 | |
| Contemporary Imagination in Literature and the Arts | ||
| Experiencing Literature in the 21st Century: | ||
| Literature and Society: | ||
| Literature and Religion: | ||
| Literature and Politics: | ||
| Literature and Film: | ||
CompLit courses numbered 300 and above | ||
| Total Credits | 36 | |
| 1 | Advanced courses (300 and above) in the analysis of literature or the other arts offered by CompLit or by other related departments and programs, with the approval of the CompLit advisor. This includes literature-in-translation courses offered by foreign language programs as well as courses in Art History, English, Film Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, or other disciplines that have as their focus the study of literature and/or the other arts |
Comparative Literature Advising
Students select a departmental advisor from Comparative Literature faculty and staff upon declaring a major or minor in Comparative Literature. Departmental advisors work closely with students to develop an individual course of study that will both match their interests and fulfill program requirements
Letters & Science Advising
The College of Letters and Science provides general academic advising for all students with a major in the College, particularly as it relates to campus' general education requirements and the College's degree requirements. We also provide specialized advising for pre-professional students (pre-med, pre-dental, pre-pharmacy, etc.) regardless if their major is in Letters and Science or not. Prospective students, including high school students and students seeking to transfer to a program in Letters and Science may also receive advising from our admissions counselors.
Upon admission, students are assigned an advisor in the College advising office. Academic advising is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. by appointment. Appointments outside of these times may be available and phone appointments are available for online students. The advising office is located on the first floor of Holton Hall. Current students should call (414) 229-4654 to schedule an appointment or use the Student Success Collaborative website to make an appointment with your assigned advisor; online scheduling is only available if you already have a Letters & Science advisor assigned to you. Prospective students should call (414) 229-7711 or email let-sci@uwm.edu.
When students declare a major, they will receive an additional faculty advisor located within the major department who will assist with requirements for that major. Students should read the "Declaration of Major" information on the website of the major that they are interested in. In some cases, the student will need to choose a faculty advisor as part of the declaration process.
All students are cautioned to consult their Letters & Science academic advisor AND their major advisor prior to each registration period to ensure they understand all requirements. Do not rely on pre-printed sample plans, as they are intended to be samples only and may not be right for your particular situation.
Honors in the College of Letters and Science
Dean's Honor List
GPA of 3.750 or above, earned on a full-time student's GPA on 12 or more graded credits in a given semester.
Honors Degree and Honors Degree with Thesis
Granted to graduating seniors who complete Honors College requirements, as listed in the Honors College section of this site.
Commencement Honors
Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester, will receive all-university commencement honors and be awarded the traditional gold cord at the December or May Honors Convocation. In schools and colleges in which fewer than 15% of the traditional students have a 3.500 GPA, all-university honors will be awarded to approximately the top 15% of graduating students. A criterion GPA (not lower than 3.200) for this 15% will be calculated based on statistics from the previous comparable semester. Please note that for honors calculation, the GPA is not rounded and is truncated at the third decimal (e.g., 3.499).
Final Honors
Earned on a minimum of 60 graded UWM credits: Cum Laude - 3.500 or above; Magna Cum Laude - 3.650 or above; Summa Cum Laude - 3.800 or above.