M.A. in Comparative Literature
Comparative literature is the critical study of texts in two or more languages. The program encompasses the interdisciplinary study of literature and other cultural productions across national, ethnic and linguistic boundaries, with special attention to Lebanon and the Middle East in general. Periods, genres, themes, movements and cross-cultural influences are among the objects of study. Students draw their methods from the literary tradition as well as from other fields of arts and sciences in order to explore the role of culture in a multiethnic globalizing world.
Advanced training is offered in three areas of study:
- Literature and other cultural productions: Students will achieve broad intercultural competence in genre, period and theme.
- Theoretical frameworks: Students will explore a range of literary and cultural theories, and demonstrate significant mastery of at least one.
- Research methods and written and oral expression: Students will work with experienced researchers in a variety of media and receive advanced training in written and oral communication.
Graduates will be able to:
- Discuss, interpret and criticize the operative principles of the methodological pillars of the discipline: theme, genre, literary period, and interdisciplinary studies;
- Apply these principles to specific examples from each of the methodological pillars, with emphasis on material that is relevant to the larger region of the Middle East;
- Recognize, apply, and interpret the principal schools of literary and cultural theory from Classical Antiquity through the present;
- Demonstrate reading competence in at least 2 of the languages of the Program: English, Arabic, Persian, French;
- Deliver efficient class presentations, and produce individual term papers as well as a defensible master’s thesis of substantial length, combining original thought and interpretation of literary and cultural products with demonstrable research skills.
Graduates of the M.A. Program in Comparative Literature can pursue several career options:
- Enter a Ph.D. Program in literature, comparative studies or other fields in the humanities or social sciences.
- Obtain advanced standing in secondary and high school teaching.
- Work as literary translators.
- Work as specialists in literature and culture for the press, publishers, diplomatic agencies, businesses, and international organizations.
Curriculum
Graduate students in Comparative Literature complete 30 credit hours of coursework in three areas:
A. Eighteen credits of course courses:
| Number | Course | Cr |
|---|---|---|
| CLT801 | Methodologies of Comparative Literature | 3 |
| CLT803 | Literary Theory I | 3 |
| CLT804 | Literary Theory II | 3 |
| CLT820 | Period | 3 |
| CLT830 | Themes | 3 |
| CLT840 | Genre | 3 |
B. Six credits of coursework in one of the following:
- A national literature and culture.
- A non-literature cognate (graduate-level courses in a field of the student’s interest such as anthropology, film, history, music, philosophy, psychology, etc.)
C. A written preliminary exam, and a six-credit master’s thesis:
The Preliminary Exam in Comparative Literature tests the student’s capacity to deal with specific topics rather than address very general areas. A reading list that consist of 5-10 texts prepared by the examining committee in consultation with the student takes into consideration the field/s of research related to the thesis topic for each student. The preliminary exam takes the duration of three hours. Each member of the Examining Committee will receive a copy of the answering sheets, and will correct the exam independently. The result, which is either a Pass or Fail, is communicated to the Director of the Program. If the three examiners give a Pass to the examinee, the student will be notified about the result. If one of the examiners fails the student, the Director will call for a meeting where the examiners decided on whether the student should pass or fail. Students who fail are given a second chance within a month from the date of the first exam. Those who fail in the second comprehensive exam will be suspended from the Program.
Duration
This program requires 30 credits, which can be completed in two years.
Location
This program is offered in Beirut and Byblos.