Literature Major

Major Requirements

The major in Literature requires a minimum of 9 courses, distributed as follows:

1. Core Courses (3 courses)

2. Creative Writing (1 course)

One creative writing course selected from:

3. Pre-1700 Literature (1 course)

One course emphasizing literature before 1700 .

7. Single-Author

One of the 9 major courses must qualify as a single-author course .

Note:

With the exception of the single-author requirement, no course may be counted toward more than one requirement.

Senior Thesis in Literature

The senior thesis is a general education requirement and the capstone experience of a student’s undergraduate education. Students must complete a senior thesis in at least one of their majors under supervision of a faculty reader who teaches within that major, unless granted a special exception.

Literature majors should select a thesis advisor as early as possible in the spring of their junior year, or earlier if they will be abroad that semester. Students choosing a creative writing thesis are required to provide their prospective advisors with a writing sample in their chosen genre.

The senior thesis and the research course may not be counted as courses in the major. Literature majors writing a 2-semester thesis take a grade of IP (in progress) in the first semester so that the 2 semesters’ work can be graded at the end.

Special Options for Majors

Dual Major

The dual major in literature requires a minimum of 7 courses. Dual majors may waive the LIT 100 CM course requirement and 1 elective course requirement from the full major.

Dual majors in literature are encouraged to write a senior thesis in literature.

Honors in Literature

Departmental honors are conferred by vote of the department. Normally, to be eligible for departmental honors in literature, students majoring in literature, including students with a dual major, must:

Earn at least a 3.50 GPA in all literature courses
Write a thesis in literature
Receive a grade of A- (3.67) or better for the thesis.

Study Abroad

All CMC students are encouraged to consider study abroad during the junior year. Students planning to study literature abroad should consult with the chair of the Literature department to determine which off-campus courses will be accepted by the department. Consult the chair of the Literature department for further information.

General Education Requirements for Humanities Majors

For the general education requirement in the social sciences and the humanities, CMC students majoring in a field of the humanities must take designated courses in 3 of the 4 fields of the social sciences (economics, government, history, and psychology), and in 3 of the 4 fields of the humanities (literature, philosophy, religious studies, and literature in a foreign language). Majors with a dual or double major in either the humanities or the social sciences will be required to take an additional course in those categories.

Learning Goals and Student Learning Outcomes for the Literature Program

Literature Department learning goals and outcomes have been formulated in the context of CMC’s college-wide student learning outcomes and are available from the department chair.

Learning Goals

The Learning Goals of the literature program are:

To enhance students’ knowledge of the history of literature
To enhance students’ technical understanding of how literature works
To enhance students’ abilities to engage in perceptive reading and critical thinking
To enhance students’ understanding of the cultural roles of literature and rhetoric
To enhance students’ skills in writing and research

Student Learning Outcomes

The Student Learning Outcomes for the literature program are:

Students will demonstrate mastery of the basic conceptual vocabulary used in the study of literature-i.e. the ability to define and use terms appropriate to literary genres, literary techniques, rhetorical figures, and critical theory.
Students will demonstrate a clear understanding of the standard periodizations of English literature and some of the major authors and works in each period.
Students will be able to demonstrate detailed knowledge of at least one major author’s work.
Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to analyze a poem in terms of its meter, structure, argument, imagery, tone, and other stylistic features. Although we do not have a required course in poetry alone, our required LIT057 CM - British Writers I and LIT058 CM - British Writers II courses both include the study of poetry as described above. In addition to these required courses, our unusually rich array of poetry courses provides students with many opportunities to enhance these skills.
Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to analyze a narrative (in a play, film, short story, or novel) in terms of its plot, characters, ethical concerns, themes, and structure.
Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to write clear and cogent prose. Students will nurture an appreciation of reading, and they will develop proficiency in the craft of writing by practicing their skills in a range of forms and genres, including (but not limited to) expository prose, poetry, fiction, and literary journalism. The mission of the Literature Department is as much to teach this craft as it is to expand students’ understanding of literature; the two objectives reinforce one another.
Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to give a considered and coherent rationale for the study of literature and its place among the humanities. Three of our required courses-LIT057 CM - British Writers I , LIT058 CM - British Writers II , and LIT100 CM - Literary Theory Since Plato -address this learning outcome, as do most of our other courses.