The Department of Modern Languages and Cultures offers courses in beginning through advanced Chinese and Japanese language, as well as in Japanese film, literature, civilization, art, architecture, cities, and issues in contemporary culture. You can study the culture of Zen, write haiku poetry, learn the tea ceremony, and discuss the latest developments in animé.

Students can pursue extensive study of Chinese or Japanese language and culture while combining their interest in language with coursework in Asian history, religion, and art and art history(concentration requirements are at end of this flyer).

Every course we offer fits into several of our clusters. You can ask for an exception to one element of a cluster or design one of your own. Click here for more information about the Japanese cluster.

Emphasize language study or combine language with literature and culture courses:

The rest of our ASIAN HUMANITIES CLUSTERS involve courses given in English, although majors and native speakers generally do some of the reading in the original languages

CHI 101 Elementary Chinese I
CHI 102 Elementary Chinese II
CHI 114 Conversational Chinese I
CHI 151 Intermediate Chinese I
CHI 152 Intermediate Chinese II
CHI 202 Advanced Intermediate Chinese I
CHI 203 Advanced Intermediate Chinese II
CHI 204 Conversational Chinese II

JPN 101 Elementary Japanese I
JPN 102 Elementary Japanese II
JPN 114 Conversational Japanese I
JPN 151 Intermediate Japanese I
JPN 152 Intermediate Japanese II
JPN 202 Advanced Intermediate Japanese I
JPN 203 Advanced Intermediate Chinese II
JPN 204 Conversational Japanese II
JPN 205 Advanced Japanese I
JPN 206 Advanced Japanese II

JPN 190Q Great Cities (see 262-262)
JPN 210 Introduction to Traditional Japanese Culture
JPN 217 Traditional Japanese Literature
JPN 220 Urban Culture, 1650-1850
JPN 222 Japanese Theater
JPN 233 The Culture of Zen
JPN 234 Haiku Poetry
JPN 246 Contemporary Japanese Culture
JPN 254 Modern Japanese Literature
JPN 255 Japanese Literature and the Problem of Evil
JPN 256 The City in Film
JPN 261 Great Cities: Kyoto
JPN 262 Great Cities: Tokyo
JPN 263 Great Novels of China and Japan: The Red Chamber Dream and The Tale of Genji
JPN 273 Japanese Women Writers
JPN 283 History of Japanese Cinema
JPN 284 Mobsters, Monsters, Swords
JPN 285 Akira Kurosawa
JPN 286 The Japanese New Wave (1960s Cinema)
JPN 287 Nagisa Oshima
JPN 290 Women in Japanese Film
JPN 292 Japanese Animation (Anime)
JPN 293 New Japanese Directors

David Pollack
Ph.D (Berkeley), Professor of Japanese

Joanne Bernardi
Ph. D. (Columbia), Associate Professor of Japanese

William Schaefer
Ph. D. (Chicago), Assistant Professor of Chinese

Mariko Tamate
M.B.A. (Temple U), Senior Lecturer in Japanese

Fumino Shino
B.A, (Kumamoto), Senior Lecturer in Japanese

Shifang Yu
Senior Lecturer in Chinese

Ping Pian
Lecturer in Chinese

For more information about Asian language, literature and culture courses or about becoming a Chinese or Japanese Major or Minor, contact:

Comparative Literature is the interdisciplinary study of literature and culture from different perspectives and from different national groups.

Different students choose Comparative Literature for different reasons. Generally, students whose interests in language, literature, or culture traverse national boundaries find a rich variety of material for their studies. Additionally, students who study popular culture, literary or cultural theory, film, gender studies, music, and/or art also find that Comparative Literature provides them ample opportunity to pursue their inquiries.

Comparative Literature at the University of Rochester offers students significant flexibility in designing a concentration both broad in national and historical diversity and rich in depth. Students who study Comparative Literature choose their courses from a huge selection of national literatures and cultures. They can choose either to pursue work in a foreign language (or two), or complete their coursework in English.

Comparative Literature is by definition interdisciplinary. Students who pursue work in Comparative Literature, either through a cluster, a minor, or a major, will gain access to several different national cultures and, depending on the level pursued, a deeper sense of how those cultures interact with their neighbors, their regions, and the world.

Those who study Comparative Literature will possess valuable skills in literary analysis, cultural awareness, and critical thinking and writing. Sensitive to the manner in which different national groups conceive their identities in an era of ever-increasing globalization, students of Comparative Literature aim at international awareness through humanistic inquiry.

That depends on the student. You can do work in Comparative Literature either with language-intensive courses, or you can do all your work in English.

Students with interest and proficiency in foreign languages can do work in Comparative Literature in two ways: you can construct your major with concentration on the literature and culture of two national areas (see below), in which case you can do advanced level courses in the, or you can do one area in the original language and one in English.

Students whose interests and skills do not necessarily include advanced work in a foreign language can take all of their courses in English. Any courses that is listed under the "CLT" rubric is taught in English, and that includes literature, culture, as well as theoretical or other kinds of courses.

For more information about the Comparative Literature cluster click here.

11 courses, consisting of:

In consultation with the Comparative Literature faculty advisor, students choose 5 courses representing an area of concentration in the field. Students can define that area according to their own interests and educational and career goals.

There are literally dozens of courses in Comparative Literature-please see the Modern Languages and Cultures Department web site for more information. Here's a small sample of what you will find:

CLT 101 Cowboys and Indians
CLT 101 Great Books, Great Debates
CLT 112 Dante's Divine Comedy
CLT 113 Tolstoy's War and Peace
CLT 160 The New Europe
CLT 206 The Holocaust and After
CLT 210 Post Franco Spain
CLT 211 History of French Film
CLT 211 Filming/Writing Post-Colonial Women
CLT 212 Monsters, Ghosts, and Aliens
CLT 213 Italian Cinema
CLT 214 History of Japanese Cinema
CLT 217 Theater at the Close of the 20th Century
CLT 224 Japanese Women Writers
CLT 226 Third World Women
CLT 227 Enlightenment
CLT 231 Introduction to Francophone Literature
CLT 241 Caribbean Novel and Theory
CLT 242 Poe and Hoffmann
CLT 246 The Picaresque Novel
CLT 253 Boccaccio's Decameron
CLT 254 The Tale of Genji
CLT 254 Recent Japanese Fiction
CLT 255 Classics to Moderns
CLT 255 Checkhov and his Contemporaries
CLT 256 Cervantes and the Rise of the Novel
CLT 262 Germany and the Orient
CLT 265 Russian Literature Between the Revolutions
CLT 265 Dangerous Texts
CLT 287 Studies in Translation
CLT 282 Marx and Marxism

Students are encouraged to study abroad in one or more of the national areas of their interest. Generally speaking, coursework undertaken abroad will count toward a major or minor in Comparative Literature.

For more information about programs in Comparative Literature, contact Professor Susan Gustafson at (585) 275-4253.

Majors are required to take the following courses:

Majors are expected to consult with the French undergraduate advisor before registering for courses.

Majors are urged to consider studying in a French-speaking country for a year, a semester, or in a UR-sponsored summer study program. The University is affiliated with the Institute of European Studies program at Paris and Nantes, and the Educational Programs Abroad internship in the French National Assembly, and the Paris Film Program. Work done in an approved study abroad program may be given concentration credit up to a maximum of four courses.

Majors intending to teach French at the secondary level or to do graduate work in French are advised to acquire a reasonable facility in another foreign language.

The minor in French requires five courses beyond FR 114. These will normally include FR 153 (Intermediate French), FR 200 (Advanced French), FR 202 (Introduction to French Literature), FR 204 (Contemporary France), FR 206 (French Cultural Traditions), and FR 157 and FR 207 (Summer Program in Rennes). With permission of the undergraduate advisor, another 200-level course may be substituted for one of the above. All courses you intend to count toward the minor must be approved by the undergraduate advisor.

Awarded annually to one or more sopho-mores who show particular excellence and promise in the study of the French language, and French and Francophone literature and culture.

Each year, the French program of the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures sends a graduating senior to teach at the Université de Rennes 2 (Haute Bretagne). Students teach English for the full academic year and are paid a salary that allows them to live comfortably and profit from the many activities in and around Rennes. Furthermore, they may enroll, free of charge, in academic programs and earn the Maîtrise degree.

Awarded annually to the graduating senior who has excelled in the study of French. The Arvin Prize carries with it a handsome cash award, and in some cases it may be divided between or among deserving students.

For more information about French clusters click here.

FR 101 Elementary French I
FR 102 Elementary French II
FR 105 Intermediate French I
FR 106 Intermediate French II
FR 107S French in France
FR 111 Elementary French in Paris
FR 112 Intensive French - In Paris
FR 114 Conversational French (2 credits)
FR 115 Introduction to Reading French
FR 153 Intermediate French
FR 155 French Conversation and Composition
FR 157 French in France (May - June )
FR 158 Intermediate Francophone Studies/Summer
FR 160 The New Europe
FR 160W The New Europe
FR 200 Advanced French
FR 202 Introduction to Literature in French
FR 204 Contemporary French Culture
FR 205 Francophone Cultures
FR 206 French Cultural Traditions
FR 207 French in France (Summer)
FR 208 Advanced Francophone Studies/Summer
FR 209 History of French Language
FR 210 Linguistic Structure of French
FR 211 Aspects of French Grammar
FR 212 A Course in French Translation
FR 213 Paris and Normandy
FR 220 18th Century Novel
FR 230 19th Century Novel
FR 231 Realism & Ideology in the Novel
FR 232 Detection and Crime in Paris
FR 240 Le Roman francais
FR 245 French Avant-garde(s)
FR 246 Obsessions
FR 254 Film History
FR 261 20th Century Novel
FR 262 The Banquet Years
FR 263 French Travelers in the 20th Century
FR 264 Contemporary French Thought
FR 265 The Cult of the Body
FR 266 Resistance and Collaboration
FR 267 The Strains of Modernization
FR 268 Rhetorics of Everyday Life
FR 271 Introduction to Francophone Lit
FR 272 Madness and Post Colonial Literature
FR 273 The Francophone Novel
FR 274 Caribbean Novel & Theory
FR 275 Freud and Lacan
FR 276 Contemp Womens Wrtg & FR Fem
FR 278 African Novel
FR 280 French Film - The New Wave
FR 281 History of French Cinema
FR 283 Contemporary French Film
FR 284 Filming/Writing

Thomas DiPiero
(Ph.D., Cornell University). Professor of French 18th Century French novel. Literary and cultural theory, most specifically in the domains of identity politics and psychoanalysis.

Cilas Kemedjio
(Ph.D., The Ohio State University)FDI Curriculum Director, Associate Professor of French and Francophone Studies. Fields of research include Francophone African and Caribbean literatures, French theory, and cultural studies. "L'esclave est d'abord celui qui ne sait pas. L'esclave de l'esclavage est celui qui ne veut pas savoir." (Édouard Glissant).

Robert Doran
(Ph.D., Stanford University). Assistant Professor of French. Areas of research and teaching interest include nineteenth-century French and comparative literature, literary theory, music and literature, aesthetics, intellectual history, visual culture, film, and the relations between Islam and the West.

Julie Papaioannou
(Ph.D., University of Rochester) Visiting Assistant Professor in French

Andree Douchin
(Ph.D., University of Rochester), Senior Lecturer  in French

The Benefits of the German major and minor:

The Benefits of German Humanities Clusters:

Students can participate in the following clusters without knowledge of German. Language students do their work in German. For more information about German clusters click here.

Study abroad gives you invaluable insight into another culture. With German, you can study in a variety of cultural settings in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and more. The German section encourages all Majors and Minors to participate in Study Abroad as part of their academic career. We offer academic and financial support. By studying abroad, you can concentrate on German for special purposes such as Business German, Scientific German, or Translation Techniques.

There are also a number of internship programs. You tailor internships to your own interests. Placements range from positions in banks and the business world to scientific and industrial research to prestigious positions at the German and European parliaments.

The University of Rochester offers a study abroad program in Cologne. A yearly competition rewards two motivated students with this excellent opportunity to study at the University of Cologne free of tuition. Contact any member of the German Section to find out how and when to apply.

Burton Scholarship Funds are available to support summer study abroad. In the past few years, a majority of applicants receive awards.

The Summer in Berlin Study Program offers you six credits of language and culture in one of the most exciting cities in Europe. Check out its web-site for up-to-date details.

Susan Gustafson
PhD (Stanford University), Department Chair, susangustafson@rochester.edu

Jennifer Creech
PhD (University of Minnesota), jcreech@mail.rochester.edu

June Hwang
PhD (University of California, Berkeley), june.hwang@rochester.edu

Knowledge of Italian is fundamental for those who embrace a career in the humanities and the social sciences, especially in art history, literature, history, music, linguistics, education and international relations. It is also becoming increasingly useful for those who plan a career in various technological fields, in business administration and in many other professional fields.

The Minor in Italian requires five courses, usually starting with IT 151 (Intermediate Italian I.) This may include IT 152 (Intermediate Italian II), IT 157/207 (Italian in Italy, Summer) and a variety of other options from 200-level Italian courses.

Students may create an interdepartmental concentration in Italian Studies through the College Center for Study Abroad and Interdepartmental Programs. This major requires a minimum of ten courses in Italian and other related disciplines such as art history, history, music etc.

The Arezzo Program in the Fall semester offers sixteen credits which may be applied toward the requirements for the minor in Italian or an individualized major in Italian Studies.

The Padua Summer Program offers six credits which may be applied toward the requirements for the minor in Italian or an individualized major in Italian Studies.

For more information about Italian clusters click here.

IT 101 (Fall) and IT 102 (Spring) Beginning Italian
Students are the true protagonists and learn from scratch how to read, write, understand, and speak the language.

IT 114 Conversational Italian (Fall - 2 credits)
Class focuses on readings, films and other visual and auditory materials based on contemporary Italy as well as topics of special interest for students. May be taken twice.

IT 124 Topics in Italian Culture (Fall)
This course is taught by a visiting professor from Italy and its specific content varies every year. The course can be taken more than once.

IT 151 (Fall) and IT 152 (Spring) Intermediate Italian
Students enhance their basic skills and approach the language at a higher level of complexity.

IT 155 Advanced Italian Conversation and Composition (Fall)
An advanced course to refine students' level of speaking proficiency and writing skills. Course materials focus on current events, cultural issues, and the media.

IT 195Q Dante's Divine Comedy I (in English - Fall)

IT 196Q Dante's Divine Comedy II (in English - Spring)

IT 200A Topics in Italian Culture and Advanced Italian Language (Fall)
See description of 124.

IT 200B Practicum in Italian (2 credits)

IT 222 Boccaccio's Decameron (in English)

IT 247 Modern Italy (in English)

The Arezzo cluster (Spring - 16 credits)
Four courses in language, literature, history, art history, and a variety of other disciplines. Full immersion in Italian language and culture.

IT 157/207 Italian in Italy (Summer - 6 credits)
Intensive study of language and culture in Padua, Italy. Participants reside with Italian families and experience a full immersion in the language and culture of Italy.

Donatella Stocchi-Perucchio)
Associate Professor of Italian
Director of the Arezzo Program, Italy
donatella.stocchi-perucchio@rochester.edu

Luisa O'Keefe 
Senior Lecturer in Italian
Director of the Padua Program, Italy
laoe@mail.rochester.edu

The University of Rochester offers degrees in both Russian and Russian Studies. The Russian major, minor and clusters are in the Humanities division. The Russian Studies major and minor can count in either the Humanities or the Social Sciences, and there are Russian Studies clusters in both these divisions as well.

Russia has long captivated the West as a land of golden onion-domed churches, vast expanses, despotic tsars, ruthless commissars, long-suffering but large-hearted people, great writers, and, of course, the mysterious Russian soul. It is also now a place where over seven hundred US companies do business and where thousands of Americans work and study.

The Russian curriculum in MLC offers students courses in beginning through advanced Russian language study, Russian literature of the last two centuries, Russian civilization, art, architecture, folklore and film, as well as seminars focusing on Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. Students are also encouraged to take Russian Studies courses that cover such topics as the analysis of ongoing events in Russia, the cult and culture of secrecy, and the politics of identity. In addition, Russian majors generally study abroad in Russia for a summer or a semester

Five courses in Russian language, literature and culture, to be selected in consultation with the Russian Advisor.

Half of our clusters emphasize language study or combine language with literature and culture courses:

The rest involve courses given in English, although majors and native speakers generally do some of the reading in Russian:

For a detailed listing of the courses in each cluster click here.

Russian Studies, an interdisciplinary program of the College of Arts and Sciences, incorporates the perspective of several departments and the linguistic, historical and cultural background needed to understand Russia's past, to analyze its present, and to make responsible predictions about its future.

The four departments providing the core faculty for this program are MLC, History, Political Science, and Art and Art History, but a Russian Studies major or minor concentration includes courses in or cross-listed with Religion and Classics, Judaic Studies, Polish and Central European Studies, Film Studies, Women's Studies, Comparative Literature and Economics. An interdisciplinary approach comes naturally to our students, many of whom are doing a second major in history, political science or another area.

NOTE: The Russian Studies Major and Minor can be counted in either Humanities or Social Sciences, depending on your choice of courses.

For a detailed listing of the courses in each cluster click here.

These clusters involve courses given in English:

In addition to Russian language at all levels, the following courses are regularly offered in English.

AH 253 Art & Politics in the 20th Century
AH 260 Russian Avant-Garde Art (1871-1930)
AH 270 KINOFOT: Soviet Cinema & Photography

HIS 151 Imperial Russia
HIS 152 Stalin's Russia
HIS 198Q Russian Revolution
HIS 240 Russia's Women: Past & Present
HIS 244 Russian Religious Ideas
HIS 332 St. Petersburg: History & Culture

PSC 251 Old & New Nationalisms in Europe
RSC 256 Global Post-Communist Economy
PSC 262 Post-Communist Politics
PSC 268 Transitions to Democracy
PSC 270 International Politics
PSC 271 Russia & Eastern Europe
PSC 292 Politics & Economics of Post-Communist Transformations

RUS 123/124 Background Studies in Russian Culture
RUS 126/127 Russia Now
RUS 128 Russian Civilization
RUS 190/235 Tolstoy's War & Peace as Novel, History, and Film
RUS 191/237 Dostoevsky
RUS 214 Russian Folklore
RUS 231 Great Russian Writers
RUS 232 Superfluous Men, Superior Women
RUS 239 Tolstoy & Dostoevsky
RUS 243 Chekhov & His Contemporaries
RUS 247 Secret Nation: The Cult & Culture of Secrecy in Russia
RUS 248 Politics of Identity
RUS 264 Writers in Exile: Russian Literature Outside of Russia
RUS 265 Russian Literature Between the Revolutions: 1917-1991
RUS 267 Russia Goes to the Movies
RUS 289 Dangerous Texts: Literature and Politics in Russia

RST 160 The New Europe: Formations & Transformations
RST 390 Supervised Teaching
RST 394 Internship (in Rochester's Russian émigré community)

Study in St. Petersburg during the White Nights in June on the UR Summer Program (6 credits). Begin or continue your study of Russian. Eligible students receive grants from the Mildred Burton Fund for this program. Students also study for a semester or academic year in Russia through the CIEE and ACTR programs (up to four courses count toward the major).

Kathleen Parthé
Ph. D. (Cornell), Professor of Russian, Director of the Russian Studies Program

John Givens
Ph.D. (University of Washington), Associate Professor of Russian

Randall Stone
Ph.D. (Harvard), Associate Professor of Political Science

Matthew Lenoe
Ph.D. (University of Chicago), Associate Professor of History

for Russian, Professor John Givens at 585-275-4251.
for Russian Studies Program, Professor Kathleen Parthé, Director, at 585-275-4251.

Explore the many roads leading to proficiency in the Spanish language and a better understanding of Hispanic cultures. The Spanish program in MLC offers students courses in beginning through advanced language, Spanish and Spanish-American literatures from the Golden Age to the present, film, culture and linguistics, as well as numerous study abroad opportunities.

Five courses in Spanish language, literature and culture, to be selected in consultation with the Spanish advisor. They usually start with SP 151 and may include SP 152, SP 200, and other 200-level courses. Students using SP157/207 (Spanish in Mexico) toward the minor must take at least one 4-credit course above SP200 as part of their minor program.

The minor in Latin American studies can serve to complement the student’s major field of concentration by giving him or her a broad view of Latin American cultures and their relations to the United States and the rest of the world.

Five courses with Latin American content are required for the minor, of which three must be at the 200-level from the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures, and one each (total of two) from two different related areas such as history, political science, religion and anthropology. The minor must be approved by the Spanish section in its beginning stages. Study abroad in a Latin American country is strongly encouraged.

Normal offerings in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures include:

Other courses with approval of the Spanish undergraduate advisor.

Every course we offer fits into our clusters. You can also apply for an exception to one element of a cluster or design one of your own. Our approved clusters emphasize language study or combine language with literature and culture courses:

• Introduction to Spanish Studies
• Literature and Identity in Hispanic Societies
• Hispanic Cultures (Interdisciplinary cluster)

Spanish Study Abroad/Summer (Ecuador, Mexico, Spain)

Spanish Language Courses

Literature and Culture Courses

Faculty

Beth E. Jörgensen
Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Professor of Spanish

Ryan Prendergast
Ph.D. (Emory University), Associate Professor of Spanish

Raúl Rodríguez-Hernández
Ph.D. (Cornell University), Associate Professor of Spanish

Claudia Schaefer
Ph.D. (Washington University), Professor of Spanish/Department Chair

Maria Manni
M.S. Ed (University of Rochester Warner School of Education), Senior Lecturer in Spanish

Michelle Brown
M.A. (SUNY Brockport), Lecturer in Spanish

For more information about the Spanish language, literature and culture courses or about becoming a Spanish Major or Minor, contact Professor Beth Jörgensen at 585-275-4265 or Professor Ryan Prendergast 585-275-4113

Raul Rodriguez-Hernandez
Program Head / Language Placement / Warner School
raul.rodriguez-hernandez@rochester.edu

Beth Jorgensen
Majors/Minors (A to M)
beth.jorgensen@rochester.edu

Ryan Prendergast
Majors/Minors (N to Z)
ryan.prendergast@rochester.edu

Claudia Schaefer
Clusters / Take-5’s
claudia.schaefer@rochester.edu

Honors Application

Entry criteria for the Honors program in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures are: 3.3 GPA and a 3.5 (B+) cum in concentration, substantial completion of required course work, and consent of all the faculty in the section. For students majoring in Comparative Literature there will be an advisory committee in charge of reviewing candidates’ applications for the Honors program. Participation in a study abroad program will be considered a positive factor for the student's admission. Students interested in being considered for the Honors program should complete an application (available in the Department).

The program consists of the following three components, each of which is a four-credit unit:

• The MLC Major Seminar: CLT 389, offered every semester. (Because the material in the Major Seminar applies to advanced work in the major, students are encouraged to enroll in the Major Seminar (CLT 389) in their junior year if at all possible.)
• One seminar or upper-level course within the student's area of concentration and approved by the faculty. The course will be designated by all faculty in the individual sections on the basis of its interest, scope and treatment of material.
• Honors thesis. The thesis will be written under the guidance of a professor in a 393 course. The thesis normally consists of a 40-50 page (double-spaced) essay in English and a 2-3 page abstract in the language of the student's major OR, conversely, of a 25-35 page essay in the foreign language and an abstract in English. The honors thesis will be evaluated by the advisor and a second professor in the department, and the grade on the thesis will determine the student’s level of honors (A = Highest Honors; A- = High Honors; B+ = Honors). Students who receive a passing grade lower than B+ on the honors thesis will receive credit for the 393 course, but will not graduate with honors. Honors students will present a portion of their research at the annual MLC undergraduate research conference in the spring. The aim of the honors thesis is to give the student an opportunity to demonstrate her or his potential for in-depth study.

The entire program may be completed in the senior year, or the student may elect to take the section/advanced course for honors credit in the spring of the junior year if she/he has been admitted to the Honors program.

The Seminar is offered every Fall and Spring Semester, Tuesday and Thursday from 4:50 p.m. to 6:05 p.m. (CLT 389-4 credits)

The Major Seminar introduces you to the critical study of many of the significant theories involved with the study of language, literature, and culture. Furthermore it asks you to reflect on what it is you do when you study languages and national cultures. Languages are not empty—you have to talk about something, and the ways you talk about something in a given language relate directly to the theories and contents of cultures. (Because the material in the Major Seminar applies to advanced work in the major, students are encouraged to enroll in the Major Seminar (CLT 389) in their junior year if at all possible.)

Working closely with other students across the department, you will receive guided instruction on how to formulate a thesis for your paper, how to research the topic, and how to produce a persuasive argument. You should expect not just to passively follow instructions and to do homework, but to think critically about what you’re doing and what it means to study language, literature, and culture. Class sessions will provide you with ample opportunity to reflect analytically on all of the readings you do.

You can expect a challenging course in which you will learn how to read different kinds of literary and academic prose and how to write a major research paper actively using the theoretical language you have learned in the seminar. To prepare you for this, you will do a significant amount of reading that will familiarize you with various directions in literary and cultural theory, including but not limited to:

This is a capstone course for all concentrators in Modern Languages and Cultures because the course reflects the methods and ideas that we share in all sections of the department. You can expect to be able to answer the following questions after you’ve completed the Seminar:

Your major in MLC requires you to take the Major Seminar. If for reasons acceptable to the Department you absolutely cannot participate in the required seminar, there is a process to petition a departmental committee to write a senior essay instead, but you will still need to address critical and theoretical issues. Consult with your advisor on the petition process.

You will have the opportunity to learn from other MLC majors, who come from Comparative Literature, French, German, Italian Studies, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish.

Absolutely!

Professor William Schaefer will be teaching this class in the fall and spring semester.