The CLT Major
Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the CLT major for?

Essentially, for anyone interested in in Europe, in Literature, or in both.

A CLT degree, together with the appropriate pre-professional courses, will provide an excellent preparation for a student planning on a career in law, publishing, or journalism. It could also help form an exceptionally well-rounded entrepreneur or health sciences practitioner. (For pre-professional programs at the University of Dallas, see appropriate pages of the University of Dallas Bulletin; also: Business Concentration for non-Business-majors; Pre-Law; Pre-Medicine.

CLT can also form half of a double major. Since a double major allows sharing of up to four courses (12 hours), certain combinations of majors may result in a reduction of the total number of courses required; for instance, CLT and English, Drama, Classics, Modern Languages.

Students intending to pursue graduate studies in literature (or certain other fields in the humanities) should read below the answer to the question "What about the CLT major and languages?"

Why is it called Comparative Literary Traditions, and not European Literary Traditions?

European Literary Traditions would indeed be an appropriate name, at least for the program as it is currently constituted. However, since we also study various related literary traditions in their similarities, divergences, and interrelationships, comparative seems equally appropriate. And, since Comparative European Literary Traditions is clearly too long a name, it was judged necessary to choose between the two qualifiers.

We will, in fact, welcome the opportunity, when circumstances permit, of offering courses that feature non-European literatures. Moreover, even limiting ourselves, for the time being, to Europe, we are not closing ourselves off from the rest of the world, since Europe is not and has not ever been impermeable to outside influences. Some would go so far as to say, along with Rémi Brague, that permeability is an essential characteristic of European culture, the true genius of Europe being to serve as the inheriter, transmitter, and transmuter of things received from elsewhere. If that is so, one cannot understand Europe without knowing non-Europe as well.

What about the CLT major and languages?

Students electing to major in this program should have completed the core curriculum language requirement by the beginning of the junior year, if not earlier. Some experience in two or more languages other than English is highly desirable, but reading competence in at least one is sufficient for beginning study. To facilitate acquisition of reading competence in French and German, the courses MCTF 5311. French for Reading Knowlege and MCTG 5311. German for Reading Knowlege are offered regularly.

The CLT major allows integration of various kinds of foreign-language components, notably a Language Concentration (four courses), and a Language-and-Literature Unit (six courses). The CLT major can also be combined with a French, German, or Spanish major.

For anyone intending to pursue a higher degree in one of our major foreign languages (French, German, or Spanish), we strongly urge you to combine the CLT major with a major in that language/literature. Failing that, you should at least combine the CLT major with a Language-and-Literature Unit. If you intend to do graduate work in Italian, we recommend completing an Italian Concentration.

(A double major in CLT and a foreign language/literature could require no more than 16 courses total. A single Language Concentration can be combined with the CLT for a total of 12 courses; a Language-and-Literature Unit can be so combined for a total of 14 courses.)

For anyone intending to pursue a higher degree in Comparative Literature, we strongly urge you to combine the CLT degree with at least: 1) a Language-and-Literature Unit in one foreign language; 2) a Language Concentration in another foreign language.

For a person intending to pursue a higher degree in English, History, Philosophy, et cetera: we recommend including at least one Language Concentration with the CLT major.

What courses are required for a CLT major?

1. Four CLT courses (designation: MCT)

a. MCT 3309 Comparative Literary Studies
b. Epoch course (Medieval, Early Modern, Modern)
c. Second epoch course in a different epoch
d. MCT 4381 Contemporary Europe

The "epoch" courses deal with moments in the development of European literatures when a number of national/linguistic traditions are responding simultaneously to a common influence, or when they are acting on each other in interesting and fruitful ways. The epochs and their ranges are:

MCT 3310-29: Medieval
MCT 3351-69: Early Modern (Renaissance-1800)
MCT 3370-89: Modern (19th & 20th centuries)

2. Two courses of literary survey in two different literary traditions (various designations)

Taught in English:
MCTF 3305 Introduction to French Literature
MCTG 3305 Introduction to German Literature

Taught in target language:
French Literary Tradition I, II, III (MFr 3341, 42, 43)
German Literary Tradition I, II, III (MGe 3341, 42, 43)
Italian Literary Tradition I, II (MIt 3341, 42)
Spanish Literary Tradition I, II (MSp 3317, 18)

3. Two focus courses

These are specialized courses (in a particular author, period, theme) in a single linguistic/national tradition. Such a course may be taken simply for CLT credit, or for language credit as well; requirements are slightly different. The designation in the first case will be (say, for a French course) MCTF; in the second case, MFr. These will normally be 4000-level courses.

4. Two more courses ad libitum

These can be from the above categories, or (with permission) from other programs, such as English, Classics, Drama, etc.