南加州大学

Comparative Literature

The primary goal of graduate study in the comparative literature track is to prepare students to engage in original research and teaching after acquiring: a broadly based knowledge of literature's formal or generic development extending across linguistic boundaries; an understanding of literature's historical development within a number of specific cultural or ideological contexts; and a knowledge of the principles of literary criticism and theory essential to the analysis, interpretation and evaluation of individual works. The core of the discipline of comparative literature is advanced competence in several languages allowing research in their literary traditions.

Comparative Media and Culture

The primary goal of the track in comparative media and culture is to prepare students to engage in original research and teaching after acquiring: a broadly based knowledge of the formal specificity and possibilities of different print, visual, sound and digital media; an understanding of the development of different media within their specific cultural and linguistic contexts; and a knowledge of the principles of criticism and theory essential to the analysis, interpretation and evaluation of individual works.

French and Francophone Studies

The majority of students pursue the doctorate in Comparative Studies in Literature and Culture (French and Francophone Studies) in preparation for a career of teaching and research at the college or university level in the field of French and Francophone literature and cultural studies. Students preparing for these careers must obtain a broad knowledge of major French and Francophone literary texts and traditions from the Middle Ages to the present, which is achieved through a combination of course work and exams. They should also develop the intellectual depth that allows them to produce an original dissertation in a timely manner.

Spanish and Latin American Studies

The Spanish and Latin American Studies track in Comparative Studies in Literature and Culture provides an optimal academic environment for students interested in advanced studies and research in Spanish and Latin American literature and culture studies. Students pursue a course of study designed to develop a broad knowledge of the subject matter within the framework of comparative studies as well as current developments in the field and are encouraged to devise individualized programs of specialization in keeping with the highest standards of scholarship.