literature

Literature is one of the pillars of a liberal education. By reading the imaginative prose and verse of authors from across the globe and through the centuries, we encounter humanity at its kindest and cruelest, in its hopes and fears, suffering and sublimity.

You can study literature in combination with the arts, sciences, and social sciences, as well as in humanities-intensive programs and courses. Cultural studies and study-abroad opportunities typically feature a substantial literature component.

How to Choose Your Path

You’ll choose what you study to earn a Bachelor’s degree that’s meaningful to you. Some students decide their programs as they go, while others chart their course in advance.

Aim for both breadth and depth; explore fields that may be related or that may seem very distant. You'll be surprised at what you discover.

If you're new to college, look for programs where you can gain a foundation, build key skills, and broaden your knowledge (FR only, FR-SO, or FR-SR).

If you already have a foundation in this field, look for programs with intermediate or advanced material (SO-SR, JR-SR, or FR-SR). These programs may include community-based learning and in-depth research. Some of these programs have specific prerequisites; check the description for details.

Talk to an academic advisor to get help figuring out what coursework is best for you.

Planned offerings for 2019–20
Class Standing Quarters Offered Credits
Advanced Writing: Capstone in Literary Arts and the Humanities JR-SR
  • Spring
 16
Arts of Urgency: Latin American Film and Literature FR-SR
  • Fall
  • Winter
 16
Autobiography and Memoir: Making Meaning FR-SR
  • Winter
 4
Comparative Eurasian Foodways: A Cultural, Agricultural, and Gastronomic Odyssey SO-SR
  • Winter
  • Spring
 16
Comparative Eurasian Foodways: Immigrant Experiences FR-SR
  • Spring
 16
Cosmology and Mythology: Living Between Earth and Sky FR-SR
  • Spring
 8, 12
Creative Writing: Identity and Imagination FR-SR
  • Winter
 4
Cycle Makers and Cycle Breakers: Transitional Studies JR-SR
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Spring
 16
Eating in Translation FR-SR
  • Fall
 16
Embodying Shakespeare FR-SR
  • Spring
 4
Embodying the Book: Studies in Literature and Performance SO-SR
  • Winter
 8
Experiments in Text FR-SR
  • Fall
 4
Flight of the Firebird: What Ignites Russia's Imagination in Literature and Culture SO-SR
  • Spring
 16
French Language, Arts, and Culture: Dark Romantics SO-SR
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Spring
 16
From the Earth: The History, Stories, and Social Justice of Farming in the U.S. FR-SO
  • Fall
  • Winter
 16
From the Ground Up: Writing Natural History SO-SR
  • Winter
  • Spring
 8
Gateways for Incarcerated Youth SO-SR
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Spring
 16
Highway 101 Revisited: History, Literature, Music, and Ecology SO-SR
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Spring
 16
Illustrations of Character: Faith, Reason, and Ethics FR-SR
  • Fall
  • Winter
 16
Indigenous People and the Pacific World SO-SR
  • Spring
 8, 16
Inscribing the Body: Embodiment and the Performance of Identity in Creative Writing FR-SR
  • Winter
 4
Ireland in History and Memory JR-SR
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Spring
 16
Latin American Cinema Series FR-SR
  • Winter
 2
Literary Arts Foundations: Texts and Contexts SO-SR
  • Winter
  • Spring
 12, 16
Madness and Creativity: The Psychological Link FR-SO
  • Fall
  • Winter
 16
Monsters: A Literary and Cultural Exploration SO-SR
  • Fall
 8
Performance: Theatre and Movement FR-SR
  • Fall
 16
Political Economy and Social Movements SO-SR
  • Fall
  • Winter
 16
Reading and Writing LGBTQ Narratives of Resistance and Resilience FR-SR
  • Fall
 8
Reading Moby Dick JR-SR
  • Spring
 4
Shifting the Margins: Revolutionary Writing in Times of Crisis FR-SR
  • Spring
 4
Stories and Histories: El Cuento Latinoamericano FR-SR
  • Spring
 16
Student-Originated Studies: Critical Theory + Critical Practice JR-SR
  • Fall
  • Winter
 16
Telling the Story: Business, Digital Marketing, and Ethics SO-SR
  • Winter
  • Spring
 16
The Art of Acting: Integrity, Eloquence, Empathy FR-SR
  • Fall
 6, 8
The Feminine Imaginary and Ancient Greece: Sappho, Medea, and Cassandra SO-SR
  • Spring
 16
The Power of Stories: Language, Communication, and Leadership for Creating Change FR-SR
  • Winter
 8, 12
The Southern Century: 20th Century History of the U.S. South FR-SR
  • Winter
 16
Planned offerings for 2020–21
Class Standing Quarters Offered Credits
Autobiography JR-SR
  • Winter
 8
Dangerous Reading: Foundation in the Humanities and Arts SO-SR
  • Fall
  • Winter
 16
Decision / Making: Foundations in Literary Arts & Creative Writing SO-SR
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Spring
 16
Greece and Italy: An Artistic and Literary Odyssey SO-SR
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Spring
 16
In the Presence of Beauty: Writing, Healing, Resilience SO-SR
  • Fall
  • Winter
 8
Teaching English Language Learners: Culture, Theory, and Methods SO-SR
  • Fall
  • Winter
 16
The Art of Adaptation: Myth and Modernity SO-SR
  • Spring
 8
The Meaning of Work: A Creative and Critical Inquiry SO-SR
  • Fall
 8
The Spanish-Speaking World: Cultural Crossings SO-SR
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Spring
 16
Writing Machines: Computer Programming and Literature FR
  • Fall
  • Winter
 14