项目介绍

2022年9月29日

The graduate program in Comparative Literature emphasizes flexibility and creativity. Our students tend to thrive under Cornell’s graduate field system. As early as possible students choose a three-member special committee (whose membership can–and often does– change as interests and approaches evolve). Only the committee chair must be a member of the Graduate Field in Comparative Literature. The other two members may be chosen from any other Fields at Cornell. Some students do end up with a committee of members from Comparative Literature, English or one of the national literature departments, but our students have ranged as far as Architecture and Experimental Biology in selecting mentors. The committee is endowed with significant autonomy in guiding the student through coursework, exams, teaching, dissertation and beyond.

Embracing flexibility

The program imposes no required courses, thus allowing the student maximal latitude in composing a program of study. We understand “comparison” in a very generous sense and we encourage work that is theoretical, anthropological, critical, or historical as well as grounded in the study of particular cultural or linguistic traditions and in different media. Normally students to have the ability to do advanced work in at least two languages as well as having reading knowledge of a third language.  Recently, students and faculty have worked reading literature with trauma theory, cognitive science, environmental humanities, new media studies, and many more. We maintain close collaboration with other fields and programs at Cornell including Anthropology, Philosophy, Art History, Performing and Media Arts, Religious Studies, The Law School, Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Asian American Studies, Africana Studies.