Literature

Dr. Sandra Naddaff, Director of Studies

The Committee on Degrees in Literature is designed to meet the needs of students interested in the study of literature, literary and cultural theory, and other forms of representation in more than one culture or language. The concentration offers these students an individually tailored but carefully structured program, centered around a core of special courses and tutorials.

The Literature concentration provides students with the opportunity to explore a number of fundamental questions. What is literature? How has it been defined, analyzed, and valued? Are literary studies restricted to written texts? What tools and methods are used to study related forms like oral culture, film, mass cultural media, and visual and performance art? How do the definitions and functions of these literary and cultural forms change with differing languages, contexts, and purposes? The concentration proposes less to answer these questions than to investigate them.

The concentration in Literature considers that knowledge of more than one language and one national literature is essential to addressing these comparative questions. In cases where a student does not have the necessary linguistic competence at the time of application, we are happy to help him or her make arrangements to acquire proficiency through continued course work or summer study.

During the sophomore year students participate in group tutorials. By studying a variety of works, drawn from different genres, periods, media, and national literatures, sophomore concentrators will be introduced to some of the fundamental questions and techniques of literary and cultural interpretation.

Junior tutorial allows students to design an individual program of study. During the fall term, students explore, with the help of their tutors, possible areas of specialization. At the end of the term, they submit a statement defining a special topic within literary and cultural studies. During the spring term of junior tutorial, they further their knowledge in their special topic and write a 20-25 page junior essay.

Senior tutorial focuses primarily on thesis preparation. A senior thesis of 45-70 pages is required of all concentrators and is due on March 15. Second term of senior tutorial will also help students prepare for the senior general examination.

After one term of Literature 97 and if possible before the second term of the senior year, concentrators are required to enroll in at least two courses offered by members of the Committee on Degrees in Literature and listed or cross-listed under the rubric of Literature in Courses of Instruction. These courses are especially designed to pursue theoretical topics in literary and cultural study.

Admission to the concentration is based on interviews, as well as on academic records and non-English language preparation.

The concentration supports students in their petitions to study out of residence. Subject to the approval of the Director of Studies, students may receive one term of tutorial credit and up to three other half-course concentration credits for corresponding course work done outside Harvard. However, to ensure that students get the most out of their individualized tutorials, such credit will, as a rule, only be extended for work done outside Harvard during the junior year. Students must also follow the Faculty procedures for petitioning for this credit.

Petitions for joint concentrations with other departments or programs will be considered.

REQUIREMENTS 16 half-courses

1. Required courses:
1. Literature 97a and 97b; Literature 98a and 98b; Literature 99a and 99b (see item 2, Tutorials).
2. Two half-courses from among the courses listed under Literature in Courses of Instruction, each passed with a grade of B- or above.
3. At least four half-courses in one foreign or classical literature beyond the language instruction level, each passed with a grade of B- or above; or alternatively, three half-courses in one foreign or classical literature beyond the language instruction level, each passed with a grade of B- or above, and one additional course, passed with a grade of B- or above, from among the courses listed under Literature in Courses of Instruction. Students wishing to pursue the latter option should petition the Director of Studies.
4. Four half-courses chosen from the following, each passed with a grade of B- or above:
1. English literature.
2. Comparative literature.
3. Foreign or classical literatures or Folklore and Mythology (including additional courses in the literature chosen under item 1c above).
4. Core offerings under Literature and Arts A and C, as well as appropriate Foreign Cultures courses
5. Courses listed under Literature in Courses of Instruction (in addition to those chosen under item 1b above)
6. By petition to the Director of Studies, courses offered by non-literature departments or programs (e.g., Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality, Philosophy, History, Anthropology) containing a substantial literary component or special relevance to the student's special field.
   
   Note: Under items 1b and 1c, courses should not be limited to a single historical period; under item 1d, a course involving non-Western texts should be included whenever possible.
2. Tutorials:
1. Sophomore year: Literature 97a and 97b. A grade of B- or above is required.
2. Junior year: Literature 98a and 98b. Graded SAT/UNS. A 20-25 page paper is required.
3. Senior year: Literature 99a and 99b, the writing of the senior thesis. Graded SAT/ UNS. In order for a student to receive a grade of SAT for the fall term, one chapter of the thesis must be submitted by the end of the fall term.
3. Thesis: A 45-70 page senior thesis is required of all concentrators.
4. General Examination: A three-part written examination, covering the student's special field, general literary problems, and skills in close readings. The special field examination will be given at the end of the junior year. The other two parts of the general examination will be given at the end of the senior year.

ADVISING

Each Literature concentrator is assigned a tutor who also functions as the student's adviser. In the sophomore year, this tutor is assigned by the Director of Studies, but in following years a student may either request a tutor from among the members of the Committee on Degrees in Literature and the Literature Tutorial Board; or the student will be assigned a tutor (generally a member of the Tutorial Board) by the Director of Studies according to his or her interests. Generally, this tutor changes from year to year as the student's program and interests change. In certain cases, however, a student may request the same tutor for more than one year.

HOW TO FIND OUT MORE

Freshmen interested in finding out more about Literature should contact Dr. Sandra Naddaff by email (snaddaff@fas.harvard.edu) or should make an appointment to see her during office hours by calling 617-495-4186.

For general information contact Professor Stephen Owen, Chair; Dr. Sandra Naddaff, Director of Studies; or Ms. Barbara Akiba, Department Administrator at Boylston Hall (617-4954186).

ENROLLMENT STATISTICS

Number of Concentrators as of November