Graduate Studies, Comparative Literary Studies Program, Northwestern University

For additional information on our graduate program, please contact Peter Fenves, Director of Graduate Studies.

Click here for a list of current graduate students.

Each student in the CLS program also has a home department. Departments currently functioning as home departments for graduate students in the CLS Program are:

Classics, English, French and Italian, German, RTF, Slavics.

In the first year:

All CLS graduate students, regardless of “home department,” will take the following three courses in their first year. The general aim of these three courses is to prepare students for a two-part oral examination that is conducted at the end of the spring quarter. The examination is localized around a small set of “problems” developed by the student. One part of the examination is directed toward a list of 30 major works of theory from Plato to Foucault; the second, shorter part is directed toward a small group of contemporary literary theorists, whom the student chooses with the help of the DGS in the program. (See the list of possible works.)

1) CLS 410: Literary Theories. The aim of this course is to cover a wide variety of literary-theoretical work. Each year the focus changes; it will be possible for students to re-take the class.

2) CLS 411: Critical Practices. Intensive analysis of several major works on the first part of the reading list. During this seminar students develop the set of “problems” around which the spring-quarter examination will be organized.

3) CLS 412: Literary-Studies Colloquium. The aim of this course is to help first-year graduate students prepare for the examination. At the beginning of the seminar students identify those works they would like to examine further, and this serves as the basis of the discussion.

4) CLS 413: Comparative Studies in Theme. Use and variation of a literary theme (such as the journey) or technique (such as symbolism and allegory) in various times and cultures.

5) CLS 481: Studies in Literary Theory. Central issues of criticism, exemplified by the writings of major theorists.

6) CLS 487: Studies in Literature and the Arts. The relation between literature and the visual arts and/or music. Content varies.

7) CLS 488: Studies in Literature and the Disciplines. Topics in the encounter between literary studies and other culturally oriented disciplines (e.g., philosophy, history, and anthropology) with an emphasis on problems of theory and method. Content varies.

8) CLS 490: Independent Reading. Permission of instructor and department required.

9) CLS 499: Independent Study. Permission of instructor and department required. May be repeated for credit.

10) CLS 590: Research. Independent investigation of selected problems pertaining to thesis or dissertation.

11) CLS 596: PhD Dissertation Tutorial. Production of a dissertation prospectus, including a statement of purpose and critical method, an outline, and bibliography. May only be taken in the third year in the quarter prior to admission to candidacy.

In the second and third years:

I. Students will be largely focused on fulfilling the requirements of their “home departments.”

II. The CLS program will re-establish the requirements for each “home department” by determining, in conjunction with the departments, what combination of (a) courses and (b) exams should be required for a CLS student.

III. As of now, CLS will seek to expand the number of possible “home departments” primarily by adding more languages-literary units, in particular Spanish and Italian. In addition to RTF and Rhetoric and Public Culture (which are already possible “home departments”), CLS will explore the possibility of making Philosophy into a possible “home department.”

Number of courses required for the degree:

First year sequence: 3

Courses in “home department”: 6-8

Electives: 4-6

Total required units: 15

Language requirement:

Two languages other than a native language. A primary foreign language requires two levels of examination (reading and seminar work; reading and writing; advanced reading in no-longer-spoken languages, etc.). A secondary language requires only a single level of examination.

Additional requirement to qualify to write the dissertation:

Students develop a dissertation proposal of about 8-10 pages at the end of the third year (by the beginning of the fourth year at the latest). This proposal will be serve as the basis for a formal defense in which the members of the dissertation committee are present. By the end of the fall of the fourth year students should expand this proposal into a prospectus of 12-15 pages, along with a detailed bibliography. This will be submitted to the graduate committee in CLS for review.

Dissertation:

Upon completion of the dissertation students defend their work in a public forum.

Financial Support and Teaching:

Students are generally accepted with five years of support, two of which are in the form of fellowships. Under a fellowship there is no teaching. In general students take their fellowships in the first year and then again at the beginning of the dissertation work. There are three basic forms of teaching in which students participate in teaching our undergraduate: assisting with a class taught by a CLS faculty member; participating in language instruction (usually but not always the language of the “home department”); teaching a small seminar of one’s own. The “mix” of teaching depends on a number of factors, most especially each individual student’s evolving academic profile; but it generally includes all three of these forms.

Professional development:

CLS maintains a regular program of professional development within which students are brought into contact with faculty members, university press editors, and fellowship consultants who discuss a wide variety of contemporary issues in the study of literature and culture.

Applying to the Program in Comparative Literary Studies

The Graduate School at Northwestern University only accepts online applications.

Before beginning the online application (Online Northwestern Graduate Application) please read both the information below and the following guidelines for applying: The Graduate School Admission Process.

Specify Comparative Literary Studies (0416) as the field of graduate work in the online application.

Application deadlines are listed here: Application Deadlines.

Supplemental Materials
Letters of Recommendation, transcripts of all course work, a writing sample, a statement of purpose and any other supplemental materials should be sent directly to the Program Office:

Program in Comparative Literary Studies
1-117 Crowe Hall
1860 Campus Dr.
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL 60208

The statement of purpose should specify with which home department the student would expect to be affiliated (if more than one is possible, please list in order of preference). For more information on the statement of purpose visit the admission guidelines for application materials.

THE GRADUATE INTERDISCIPLINARY CLUSTER INITIATIVE

Graduate students in Humanities and related fields are encouraged to participate in the Interdisciplinary Cluster Initiative, a program designed to help graduate students during their academic career at Northwestern by fostering connections with students and faculty in other programs with whom they might have natural intellectual affinities. Interdisciplinary clusters in different areas of intellectual inquiry have been developed by faculty across schools and programs and will provide a second intellectual home for incoming and current graduate students. Clusters offer their own discrete courses as well as sponsor a number of activities and events for students and faculty. Students interested in pursuing dedicated interdisciplinary study should visit http://www.tgs.northwestern.edu/academics/interdisciplinary/ for more information about the intellectual activities of these programs. Prospective students have the opportunity to select on their application to graduate school the cluster with which they would like to affiliate, though choosing a cluster is not a requirement for admission. Students may affiliate with a cluster at any point during their study at Northwestern.

Current interdisciplinary clusters are:

African Studies
Asian Studies
Classical Traditions
Comparative and Historical Social Science
Critical Studies in Theatre and Performance
Critical Theory
Gender Studies
Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Medieval Studies
Rhetoric and Public Culture
Russian, East European and Jewish Studies



		»Introduction »Program »Faculty »Courses »Undergraduate »Graduate »Application »Events »Contact

		Graduate Studies For additional information on our graduate program, please contact Peter Fenves, Director of Graduate Studies. Click here for a list of current graduate students. Each student in the CLS program also has a home department. Departments currently functioning as home departments for graduate students in the CLS Program are: Classics, English, French and Italian, German, RTF, Slavics. In the first year: All CLS graduate students, regardless of “home department,” will take the following three courses in their first year. The general aim of these three courses is to prepare students for a two-part oral examination that is conducted at the end of the spring quarter. The examination is localized around a small set of “problems” developed by the student. One part of the examination is directed toward a list of 30 major works of theory from Plato to Foucault; the second, shorter part is directed toward a small group of contemporary literary theorists, whom the student chooses with the help of the DGS in the program. (See the list of possible works.) 1) CLS 410: Literary Theories. The aim of this course is to cover a wide variety of literary-theoretical work. Each year the focus changes; it will be possible for students to re-take the class. 2) CLS 411: Critical Practices. Intensive analysis of several major works on the first part of the reading list. During this seminar students develop the set of “problems” around which the spring-quarter examination will be organized. 3) CLS 412: Literary-Studies Colloquium. The aim of this course is to help first-year graduate students prepare for the examination. At the beginning of the seminar students identify those works they would like to examine further, and this serves as the basis of the discussion. 4) CLS 413: Comparative Studies in Theme. Use and variation of a literary theme (such as the journey) or technique (such as symbolism and allegory) in various times and cultures. 5) CLS 481: Studies in Literary Theory. Central issues of criticism, exemplified by the writings of major theorists. 6) CLS 487: Studies in Literature and the Arts. The relation between literature and the visual arts and/or music. Content varies. 7) CLS 488: Studies in Literature and the Disciplines. Topics in the encounter between literary studies and other culturally oriented disciplines (e.g., philosophy, history, and anthropology) with an emphasis on problems of theory and method. Content varies. 8) CLS 490: Independent Reading. Permission of instructor and department required. 9) CLS 499: Independent Study. Permission of instructor and department required. May be repeated for credit. 10) CLS 590: Research. Independent investigation of selected problems pertaining to thesis or dissertation. 11) CLS 596: PhD Dissertation Tutorial. Production of a dissertation prospectus, including a statement of purpose and critical method, an outline, and bibliography. May only be taken in the third year in the quarter prior to admission to candidacy. In the second and third years: I. Students will be largely focused on fulfilling the requirements of their “home departments.” II. The CLS program will re-establish the requirements for each “home department” by determining, in conjunction with the departments, what combination of (a) courses and (b) exams should be required for a CLS student. III. As of now, CLS will seek to expand the number of possible “home departments” primarily by adding more languages-literary units, in particular Spanish and Italian. In addition to RTF and Rhetoric and Public Culture (which are already possible “home departments”), CLS will explore the possibility of making Philosophy into a possible “home department.” Number of courses required for the degree: First year sequence: 3 Courses in “home department”: 6-8 Electives: 4-6 Total required units: 15 Language requirement: Two languages other than a native language. A primary foreign language requires two levels of examination (reading and seminar work; reading and writing; advanced reading in no-longer-spoken languages, etc.). A secondary language requires only a single level of examination. Additional requirement to qualify to write the dissertation: Students develop a dissertation proposal of about 8-10 pages at the end of the third year (by the beginning of the fourth year at the latest). This proposal will be serve as the basis for a formal defense in which the members of the dissertation committee are present. By the end of the fall of the fourth year students should expand this proposal into a prospectus of 12-15 pages, along with a detailed bibliography. This will be submitted to the graduate committee in CLS for review. Dissertation: Upon completion of the dissertation students defend their work in a public forum. Financial Support and Teaching: Students are generally accepted with five years of support, two of which are in the form of fellowships. Under a fellowship there is no teaching. In general students take their fellowships in the first year and then again at the beginning of the dissertation work. There are three basic forms of teaching in which students participate in teaching our undergraduate: assisting with a class taught by a CLS faculty member; participating in language instruction (usually but not always the language of the “home department”); teaching a small seminar of one’s own. The “mix” of teaching depends on a number of factors, most especially each individual student’s evolving academic profile; but it generally includes all three of these forms. Professional development: CLS maintains a regular program of professional development within which students are brought into contact with faculty members, university press editors, and fellowship consultants who discuss a wide variety of contemporary issues in the study of literature and culture. Applying to the Program in Comparative Literary Studies The Graduate School at Northwestern University only accepts online applications. Before beginning the online application (Online Northwestern Graduate Application) please read both the information below and the following guidelines for applying: The Graduate School Admission Process. Specify Comparative Literary Studies (0416) as the field of graduate work in the online application. Application deadlines are listed here: Application Deadlines. Supplemental Materials Letters of Recommendation, transcripts of all course work, a writing sample, a statement of purpose and any other supplemental materials should be sent directly to the Program Office: Program in Comparative Literary Studies 1-117 Crowe Hall 1860 Campus Dr. Northwestern University Evanston, IL 60208 The statement of purpose should specify with which home department the student would expect to be affiliated (if more than one is possible, please list in order of preference). For more information on the statement of purpose visit the admission guidelines for application materials. THE GRADUATE INTERDISCIPLINARY CLUSTER INITIATIVE Graduate students in Humanities and related fields are encouraged to participate in the Interdisciplinary Cluster Initiative, a program designed to help graduate students during their academic career at Northwestern by fostering connections with students and faculty in other programs with whom they might have natural intellectual affinities. Interdisciplinary clusters in different areas of intellectual inquiry have been developed by faculty across schools and programs and will provide a second intellectual home for incoming and current graduate students. Clusters offer their own discrete courses as well as sponsor a number of activities and events for students and faculty. Students interested in pursuing dedicated interdisciplinary study should visit http://www.tgs.northwestern.edu/academics/interdisciplinary/ for more information about the intellectual activities of these programs. Prospective students have the opportunity to select on their application to graduate school the cluster with which they would like to affiliate, though choosing a cluster is not a requirement for admission. Students may affiliate with a cluster at any point during their study at Northwestern. Current interdisciplinary clusters are: African Studies Asian Studies Classical Traditions Comparative and Historical Social Science Critical Studies in Theatre and Performance Critical Theory Gender Studies Latin American and Caribbean Studies Medieval Studies Rhetoric and Public Culture Russian, East European and Jewish Studies