Literature Major

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

Major Requirements

Literature majors take at least nine literature courses, distributed as follows:

LIT 057 CM - British Writers I
LIT 058 CM - British Writers II
LIT 100 CM - Literary Theory Since Plato
This course should be taken when it is regularly offered, not through independent study. Students who will be studying abroad during the junior year should plan ahead to take the course as sophomores.
One single-author course
One course emphasizing literature before 1700
One course emphasizing literature between 1700-1900
One course in American literature
Two elective courses in literature (Creative Writing classes:
LIT 031 CM -Introduction to Creative Writing
,
LIT 034 CM -Creative Journalism
,
LIT 036 CM -Screenwriting
,
LIT 038 CM -Fiction Writing
, and
LIT 183 CM -Advanced Fiction Writing
count as electives.)

Some courses meeting the requirements under 4, 5, 6, and 7 are listed in more than one category, but 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 two-semester thesis must take a grade of “P” (in progress) in the first semester so that the two semesters’ work can be graded at the end. For further information on honors, see Honors in Literature below.

Special Options for Majors

Dual Majors

A dual major including literature requires a minimum of seven literature courses distributed as follows:

LIT 057 CM - British Writers I
LIT 058 CM - British Writers II
One single-author course (see listing above)
One course emphasizing literature before 1700 (see listing above)
One course emphasizing literature between 1700-1900 (see listing above)
Two elective courses in literature, including at least one course in American literature.

Dual majors are strongly urged to take LIT 100 CM - Literary Theory Since Plato . Dual majors are also encouraged to write a senior thesis in literature. For further information, see Senior Thesis in Literature above.

Please note the restrictions on honors in the major for students with a dual major under Honors in Literature below. For further information on dual majors and the requirements for the other discipline of the dual major, please check the appropriate sections of this catalog.

Honors in Literature

To be eligible for departmental honors in literature, students majoring in literature, including students with a dual major, must:

Earn at least a 10.50 GPA in all literature courses.
Write a thesis in literature.

(Please refer to Senior Thesis above for the honors thesis.)

Departmental honors are conferred by vote of the department.

Students with a dual major including literature who wish to be considered for honors in literature will only receive honors if they:

Have completed all requirements for a full major in literature and are granted honors, or
Qualify and receive honors in both disciplines of their dual major. See Academic Honors at Graduation for details.

Literature Department Learning Goals and Student Learning Outcomes

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.
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 be able to demonstrate familiarity with various forms of research, including use of the library, the Internet, and databases.
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.

General Education Requirement Information

FWS 010 CM requirement: The English composition and literary analysis requirement is met by FWS 010 CM Freshman Writing Seminar . Students with a score of 5 in one or both of the English Language or Literature Advanced Placement examinations may substitute a CMC literature course numbered above 60 for FWS 010 CM to meet the general education requirement. This course may not be counted for the humanities general education requirement in literature (see below).

All students, unless exempted by the chair of the literature department, must complete FWS 010 CM or the substitute course during their first year at the College.

Literature Requirement (humanities): All CMC literature courses numbered 50 or above may be used to fulfill the literature portion of the general education requirement in humanities, except as otherwise noted in the course descriptions.

Literature Majors: For the general education requirement in the social sciences and the humanities, CMC students majoring in literature must take designated courses in three of the four fields of the social sciences (economics, government, history, and psychology), and in three of the four fields of the humanities (literature, philosophy, religious studies, and literature in a foreign language). Literature 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. For further information, see Academic Policies & Procedures .

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. Please consult the chair
of the Literature department for further information.