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LiteratureADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE: 3134 Literature Building, (858) 534-3214 GRADUATE OFFICE: 3139/3140 Literature Building, (858) 534-3217 UNDERGRADUATE OFFICE: 3110 Literature Building, (858) 534-3210 All literature courses at UCSD are offered by a single Department of Literature. The department brings together writers, teachers, scholars, and students of several different languages and literatures. Here, they are united by the nature of the studies they pursue. This lends a comparative aspect to both undergraduate and graduate programs, which lead to the bachelor of arts, master of arts, the candidate in philosophy, and doctor of philosophy degrees. All students must show knowledge of a foreign literature by doing upper-division or graduate work in that literature in the original language. Courses are offered not only in the literatures themselves but in the theoretical aspects of literature and—often in cooperation with other departments—in the relationship of literary study to other disciplines such as philosophy, visual arts, music, sociology, history, psychology, linguistics, and communication. With special permission, undergraduates may take graduate courses for credit, and graduate students may also take undergraduate courses for credit. The UCSD Library’s Mandeville Department of Special Collections offers the undergraduate and graduate literature student an excellent range of resources, including single-author collections, rare and out-of-print books, tapes, maps, and historical archives. Of special interest are the Southworth Collection of Spanish Civil War materials, the Hill Collection of South Pacific Voyages, the Don Cameron Allen Renaissance collection, and the Archive for New Poetry. Within the latter collection are an extensive series of single-author archives, including the papers of Paul Blackburn, Donald Allen, Lew Welch, Charles Reznikoff, Joanne Kyger, Jerome Rothenberg, and others. The Archive for New Poetry is one of the largest collections of contemporary poetry in the United States. Graduate students also have access, facilitated by travel grants, to all other University of California research collections. Careers for Literature MajorsA major in literature opens many career possibilities. Education is a primary option, but specializations in literature (English, Spanish, etc.) and writing also serve as excellent preparation for graduate and professional programs. A degree in literature provides a strong background for the LSAT and law school. Medical schools seek out students who are prepared not only in the sciences, but also in the humanities and writing. The business world seeks college-trained English majors, and international corporations actively recruit students with a specialty in French, German, Italian, Russian, or Spanish. Literature majors find careers in advertising, book editing and publishing, journalism, communications, mass media, and other professions where writers and editors are in demand. The knowledge of a second language and culture provides literature majors with a decided career advantage. Secondary School English TeachingThe literature department offers an excellent preparation for teaching English/ESL in secondary schools. Suggested majors include Literatures of the World (with a TEP focus), Literatures in English, and Literature/Writing. If you are interested in receiving a California teaching credential from UCSD, contact the Teacher Education Program for information about prerequisites and professional preparation requirements. Please consult the TEP and the literature department early in your academic career to plan an appropriate literature curriculum. The Undergraduate ProgramLower-Division PreparationLower-division requirements vary, depending on the literature program in which the student elects to concentrate. However, the department strongly recommends that, as part of the freshman/sophomore course work, students who have chosen or are considering a major in literature begin an appropriate lower-division language sequence in the Department of Linguistics or Literature as preparation for upper-division course work in a foreign language and literature. All literature majors require knowledge of a second language. Writing Component in Literature CoursesIt is the departmental expectation that students in lower-division courses should write a minimum of 2,500 words per course. In upper-division courses the minimum requirement is 4,000 words per course. The Major in LiteratureThere are nine majors available to students within the Department of Literature: Literatures in English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Literatures of the World, Writing, and the composite major in two literatures. Requirements vary from program to program as described below. Once a student has decided upon a major in literature, he or she is required to meet regularly with an adviser in the Department of Literature. Worksheets defining major requirements are available in the literature undergraduate office to help students organize their course work. All students majoring in literature must study a secondary literature, that is, a literature written in a language different from that of their primary literature. The range of secondary literatures includes Classical Greek, Hebrew, and Latin, as well as the previously mentioned French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish, and for those concentrating in a foreign literature, English. Students will satisfy this requirement by taking three courses in the secondary literature, given substantially in the native language. At least one of these courses must be upper-division. Students should see an adviser to confirm the selection of the specific courses that will be taken to satisfy both the lower-division and the upper-division components of the secondary literature requirement. The lower-division component within the secondary literatures may be satisfied by: French 2B and either 2C or 50; German 2B and 2C; Hebrew 2 and 3 (see “Judaic Studies”); Italian 2B and 50; Greek 2 and 3; Latin 2 and 3; Russian 2B and 2C; two courses from Spanish 50A-50B-50C. For majors other than Literatures in English, two courses from English 27-28-29 and 60, 21-22-23-25-26, and 50 are applicable. (Literatures of the World and writing courses may not be applied toward the English secondary literature requirement.) Note: World Literature courses taught in English do not apply unless there is a foreign-language discussion section and materials are available in the foreign language. World Literature (LTWL) courses whose primary focus is U.S. literature may apply toward secondary literature requirements in Literatures in English. Upper-division courses in the secondary literature are counted as part of the total number of upper-division courses required for the major. Students are free to choose from any of the regularly scheduled upper-division offerings in their secondary foreign literature. Special Studies courses (198s and 199s) cannot be used to satisfy upper-division secondary literature requirements. All regularly-scheduled departmental courses taken to satisfy the requirements of the literature major, including courses in the secondary literature, must be taken for a letter grade. No grade below C– is acceptable for a course taken in the major. At least six of the upper-division courses for the major, including a minimum of four in the primary literature and one in the secondary literature, must be taken at UCSD. Dual Major in LiteratureThe dual major in literature permits a student to develop a solid foundation in two literatures while remaining within one department. Because the UCSD Literature Department houses literatures that are divided among different departments at most universities, our dual major allows students to coordinate their studies with a single, closely-knit group of faculty, and to arrange their program without repeating two different sets of major requirements. (For example, since a dual major necessarily combines literatures written in two different languages, it automatically fulfills the foreign-language requirement for the literature major.) Students pursuing a dual major work closely with a faculty adviser to plan a program of study that meets the following requirements:
Honors ProgramThe department offers a special program of advanced study for outstanding undergraduates majoring in literature. Admission to this program ordinarily requires an overall GPA of 3.5 and a literature major GPA of 3.7 at the beginning of the senior year. Students meeting these requirements will be sent, during the latter part of fall quarter, an invitation to participate in the program. Interested students who anticipate that they will not meet the established criteria may petition to participate in the program by submitting a personal statement and three letters of support from members of the literature faculty by the end of the third week of fall quarter. During the winter quarter of their senior year, all honors students together take an honors seminar (LTWL 191), which aims to deepen their understanding of the issues of theory and method implied in the study of literature. This seminar lays the groundwork for an honors thesis, written in spring quarter (LT 196), each under the supervision of a faculty member who specializes in the literature of the student’s primary concentration. The Honors Program concludes with an oral examination of each honors candidate by a faculty committee, which is charged with recommending whether departmental honors are warranted and, if so, which degree of honors will appear on the student’s transcript and diploma. A student from this program will also be recommended for the Burckhardt Prize, which is awarded at graduation for outstanding achievement in the literature major. The honors seminar and thesis course may be applied toward the primary concentration in the literature major. For Literature/Writing majors, the honors seminar is considered to be equivalent to a writing workshop. Special StudiesThese upper-division independent studies opportunities are intended for advanced students, able to work on their own, and interested in a topic not normally covered by departmental offerings. Students with upper-division standing, a departmental GPA of at least 3.0, an overall GPA of at least 2.5, and completion of lower-division prerequisites in the subject, are eligible to take Special Studies courses (198s and 199s). Those not satisfying these criteria may, with justification supported by the proposed Special Studies instructor, petition for an exception to the regulation. 198s and 199s require at least 4,000 words of writing or an equivalent project as determined by the instructor. Information and Special Studies Enrollment forms are available in the literature undergraduate office. Enrollment requires departmental approval. These courses may not be used to satisfy upper-division secondary literature requirements for majors or minors. Study AbroadStudy abroad can significantly enhance a student’s major, particularly in ways in which it relates to international issues. Literature students are encouraged to study abroad before their senior year. Students who take Education Abroad Program or Opportunities Abroad Program (EAP/OAP) courses in a country appropriate to their major may use up to five upper-division courses to satisfy major requirements or a total of three toward a minor. For dual majors in literature, six courses from abroad may apply, with no more than four toward either one of the two concentrations. These must be approved by the department after they have been entered on the student’s official record at UCSD. The approval process is described in a handout on receiving transfer credit, available in the Literature Undergraduate Office. The main point to remember is that before leaving for study abroad, students should know which EAP courses will count toward the major or minor, and which will not. Individual Program RequirementsPrimary Concentration in Literatures in English
Primary Concentration in a Foreign LiteratureLiteratures in French
Literatures in German
Literatures in Italian
Russian Literature
Students in the Russian literature major are encouraged to participate in the Education Abroad Program (EAP) in Moscow and to investigate other options for foreign study through the Opportunities Abroad Program (OAP). By petition, credits earned through EAP/OAP can fulfill UCSD degree and major requirements. Literatures in Spanish
Students majoring in Spanish can choose to concentrate on either Spanish or Latin American literature. All students, however, are encouraged to take courses in the various national literatures as well as in Chicano literature for a broad background in Spanish language literatures. Students not having a solid linguistic base in Spanish are advised to take intermediate language courses from the LTSP 2 and 50 sequences for additional review of Spanish grammar, development of writing skills, and introduction to literary analysis. Only 50A and either 50B or 50C, however, can count towards the major. It is strongly recommended that students take LTSP 130A before any other upper-division Spanish (peninsular) literature course and LTSP 130B before any other upper-division Latin American literature course. Primary Concentration in Literatures of the WorldThe major in Literatures of the World allows students to expand the focus of their work beyond a single-language literature. They plan an individual program with options in regional studies (Europe, the Americas, East Asia, Africa, Near East) and topical studies (genre, period, gender, ethnic literature, teacher education, literature and the visual arts, cultural studies, literature and science, writing, Third World Studies, The Western Tradition) as well as the single-language literatures.
At least two of the required twelve upper- division courses must be in literature written before 1850. No more than four courses in Lit/Writing may be taken as part of the world literatures major, and these will generally apply to Group 2.b. Courses formerly listed under General Literature were renumbered effective fall 1998 under the following subject headings:
The Pre-Writing MajorUntil they are admitted to the writing major, students may indicate their interest in writing by declaring a pre-writing major using the prewriting major code (LT01). Admission to the writing major will be determined by evaluation of each student’s performance in the LTWR 8A/8B/8C sequence. Normally, students are expected to achieve a grade of B or better in each of these courses to ensure their eligibility for declaring the major. Primary Concentration in WritingThe writing major is designed to provide direct experience in writing fiction, nonfiction, and poetry as well as engage the student writer in both the world of “writing culture”—public readings, publication, and the media—and literary theory and practical critique. An indispensable feature of this program is that it engages students with one another’s work, both critically and communally. Writing majors will move through a sequence of courses within (and between) genres in order to develop their own style and confidence in the work of writing and critique. Students who are interested in teaching writing will find this major an opportunity both for writing extensively and dealing critically with the act of written composition. Students must complete the sequence LTWR 8A-B-C prior to declaring a major in Literature/Writing. The major requirements are as follows:
Double Major in Literature/Writing and a Subject outside LiteratureStudents who wish to major both in Literature/ Writing and in a department other than the Department of Literature must fulfill all requirements for the writing major as described above. Students must submit a double major petition for approval by the participating departments and the student’s provost office. Double Major within the Department of Literature in Literature/Writing and Another LiteratureStudents who wish to major both in literature/ writing and in literature (any section) should see the department for information regarding appropriate double major requirements. Generally, all requirements for each major must be completed, though the secondary literature and two upper-division courses, where appropriate, may overlap from one major to the other. The Minor in LiteratureThe department offers a wide range of possibilities for noncontiguous minors. The options include courses in a single regional or national literature, courses in more than one literature, and a combination of language and literature courses. In all instances, the minors require six or seven courses depending upon a student’s first quarter of attendance at UCSD. All courses taken to complete a literature minor must be taken for a letter grade. No grade below C– is acceptable. Please see the department undergraduate office for specific minor requirements. For students entering winter quarter 1998 and thereafter, a minor in literature will consist of seven courses as described below.
Lower-division courses applicable toward minors:
General Minor—For students entering fall 1997 and earlier: six Literature courses, at least three of which must be upper-division: usually 1) a three-course lower-division sequence such as LTEN 21/22/23, LTEN 27/28/29, LTFR 2A/2B/50, LTGN 19A/9B/19C, LTLA 1/2/3, LTSP 2A/2B/2C; and 2) three or more upper-division courses, at least two of which must be in a single national literature, taught either in the original language or in translation. No more than one upper-division course in Literature/Writing may be applied toward the general literature minor. Students should see the general literature faculty adviser or the undergraduate staff when planning a minor or program of concentration in general literature. Literatures of the World—For students entering Winter 1998 and thereafter: seven literature courses, at least five of which must be upper- division—usually 1) a two- or three-course lower-division sequence and 2) five upper-division courses with a single unifying theme. As of fall 2003, students may use either the Revelle College Humanities sequence (HUM 1–5) or Eleanor Roosevelt College’s Making of the Modern World (MMW 1–6) to satisfy the lower-division sequence for the LTWL major or minor. Writing Minor—Seven courses, at least five of which must be upper-division. The minimum of five upper-division courses must cover at least two major writing genres, with course work chosen from writing courses numbered 100 through 146. Please see the department for further information and specifics regarding minors in literature. The Graduate ProgramDoctoral Degree ProgramThe department offers a single Ph.D. in literature with concentrations in any of the fields in which members of the department do research (see below). The C.Phil. (candidate in philosophy) is conferred upon all students who pass the qualifying examination and are advanced to candidacy. Ph.D. students in the doctoral program may also qualify for the M.A. upon completion of their qualifying examinations. PreparationThe following are requirements for admission to graduate study in literature:
Completed applications and supporting materials must be received by the deadline posted on our Web site: http://literature.ucsd.edu, for admission to the following fall quarter. Those planning to apply should take the Graduate Record Examination far enough in advance so that the scores will be available to the admissions committee in January. Course of StudyFormal study begins with a first-year, three-quarter introductory sequence (Literature/ Theory 200A-B-C) having an interdisciplinary and theoretical emphasis. During the first three years, the course of study will include at least four seminars in one literature and two in another (students in comparative literature must take at least one seminar or upper-division undergraduate course in a third literature); at least four seminars drawn from offerings in literary theory, the second or a third literature, cultural studies, comparative literature, or composition studies; and five additional seminars open entirely to the student’s choice (four for students in comparative literature). Such “open” seminars should generally be related to the intended dissertation field. At most, two seminars in other disciplines may be substituted for any of the latter group, with the adviser’s permission. Students must also fulfill a historical breadth requirement by completing two seminars dealing with texts or cultural practices prior to 1800. For students with approved M.A. degrees the initial three-year sequence may be reduced somewhat, depending on the department’s criteria for transferring credits and on the students’ plans for doctoral study. Students in comparative literature must take four of the above-described seminars in comparative literature or in other sections, provided that they be clearly comparative in nature. Comparative literature seminars taken for Literature 1, 2, or 3 must be substantially focused upon the relevant language and deal with materials in the original. Students who wish to take these courses in a literature for which seminars are not regularly offered in the Department of Literature may substitute 298s or undergraduate courses enhanced by additional assignments. To do so, however, students must demonstrate through prior course work that they have already attained graduate-level competency in the literature and language in question and they must obtain approval from the comparative literature graduate adviser and the director of Graduate Studies. In the sixth quarter, students may register for one four-unit independent study course to prepare reading lists for the subject-area qualifying examinations. The third year is spent in taking seminars and in preparing for the qualifying examinations. During this year, students may register for one four-unit independent study course in which they work on the long paper required for the qualifying examinations. The qualifying examination is usually taken during the ninth quarter of enrollment. It must be completed by the end of the tenth quarter. The fourth and fifth years will be devoted to preparation of the dissertation Students may write dissertations in any of the fields in which members of the department do research. These fields include English, American, French, German, biblical Hebrew, Italian, Greek, Latin, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Chicano, Asian-American, and African-American literature, comparative literature, literary theory, women’s studies, cultural studies, early modern studies, and composition studies. Specialty in Composition Theory, Research, and PracticeThe Department of Literature offers special studies to graduate students who wish to concentrate on composition theory, research, and practice. The composition subspecialty is an interdisciplinary course of study that requires students to work with faculty both in the department and across the university. The department regularly offers graduate seminars taught by faculty in composition, along with a variety of seminars on history, theory, cultural studies, and literatures in English of special interest to students in composition. Students in special studies in composition take two research methods courses outside the department on topics such as field work, historiography, or research design in the human sciences to qualify them to conduct the research for their dissertations. Students are also encouraged to apply to teach in one of the five college undergraduate writing programs on campus, to see for themselves how classroom and administrative practice intersect with theory and research. Language RequirementsGraduate students in literature are required to develop the ability to read literary and secondary texts and—when appropriate—to follow seminar discussions or lectures in a second language, a language other than the one in which the literature of their intended specialization is written. To satisfy this requirement students must demonstrate language proficiency and completion of two seminars in the literature of the second language. With the approval of the director of Graduate Studies, students may satisfy the language requirement by substituting for a seminar an upper-division undergraduate course enhanced by additional assignments, and which must be completed with the grade of A. This is normally done only when there is no seminar offered in the chosen language. Students must pass an examination in reading, interpretation, and translation in each of the two courses taken to satisfy the second language requirement. The language requirements must be satisfied by the end of the third year of study. Doctoral students specializing in comparative literature require knowledge in depth of two foreign languages. “Knowledge in depth” means the ability to attend graduate seminars given in the original language (or seminars where the texts are read in the original language). Students must demonstrate this ability by enrolling in such seminars or, where this is not possible, by taking enhanced upper-division courses. If upper- division courses are not available, students may take guided independent study in the language in question. The M.A. program in comparative literature requires knowledge in depth of one foreign language. Advancement to CandidacyNo later than the first quarter of the third year, the student should choose a Ph.D. adviser, who will, in consultation with the student, form a qualifying examination committee. The student and the qualifying examination committee will jointly determine the nature of the long research paper, (approximately 30 pages) and the two areas of specialization upon which the student will be examined in writing. After satisfactory completion of the paper and the written examinations, the student will take a two-hour oral doctoral examination. On passing the oral examination, the student is declared eligible for advancement to candidacy for the Ph.D. The C. Phil. degree is conferred on those so advanced. Thereupon, a doctoral dissertation is written. This work is defended in a traditional final examination. TeachingThe department requires that each Ph.D. student do some apprentice teaching before the completion of the degree; the minimum amount required is equivalent to the duties expected of a half-time teaching assistant for three academic quarters. This teaching involves conducting, with the guidance and support of a supervising professor, discussion sections and related activities in a variety of freshman and sophomore courses. Academic credit is granted for the training given under the apprentice teaching program. GradingThe only grading option for literature graduate courses is Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U). Students receive written evaluations of their performance in seminars. Upper-division undergraduate courses must be taken for a letter grade. Students must receive a grade of A to maintain acceptable graduate status and continuation of funding. Departmental Ph.D. Time Limit PoliciesStudents must be advanced to candidacy by the tenth quarter of study. Departmental normative time is five years. Total registered time at UCSD cannot exceed eight years. Financial SupportPh.D. students entering the program with a B.A. may be supported (either by employment or fellowships) for five years. Students who have an M.A. and have been given transfer credit may be supported for four years. Such support depends upon the funds available, the number of students eligible, and the rate of progress. Master’s Degree ProgramThe master’s degree program is intended to meet the needs of several groups: (1) persons interested in possibly applying later, at UCSD or elsewhere, for admission to a Ph.D. program and wishing to strengthen their preparation for such a program; (2) persons seeking a master’s degree only, for reasons of professional development or cultural enrichment; and (3) graduate students who have been admitted to the Ph.D. Program and who decide to qualify also for a master’s degree. The M.A. degree is currently available in five fields: literatures in English, French, German, Spanish, and Comparative literature. Note: The department does not offer financial support for M.A. candidates. It is possible, in cases of full-time employment or other compelling reasons, to apply for permission to enroll on a part-time basis. Completed applications and supporting materials must be received by the deadline indicated in the department’s Web site for admission to the following fall quarter. Those planning to apply should take the Graduate Record Examination far enough in advance so that the scores will be available to the admissions committee in January. The requirements for the M.A. degree are a total of thirty-six units. Included must be the following:
The only grading option for literature graduate courses is Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U). Students receive written evaluations of their performance. Upper-division undergraduate courses must be taken for a letter grade. Students must receive a grade of A to maintain acceptable graduate status and continuation of funding. |
