Comparative Literature Certificate
The Comparative Literature Certificate is designed to encourage students to choose language and literature classes by offering a variety of options for which Modern & Classical Languages (M&CL) courses can count. In this certificate program, these foreign language courses are taught in English thereby attracting a wider audience across campus.
The Comparative Literature Certificate reflects the values of the M&CL program by integrating cultures and languages, and echoes two of UM-Dearborn’s strengths: diversity and marketability. In order to better serve students and the community, the Comparative Literature Certificate offers a credential for undergraduate degree-seeking students, non-degree students, and post-degree students.
The post-degree certificate component addresses the needs of college graduates, speakers of Arabic, English, French, German, Spanish and other languages, and community members seeking a post-degree professional certificate.
Information about the Certificate
The Comparative Literature Certificate is a stand-alone certificate that aims at providing learners with training in the following areas of comparative literature:
- Reading complex texts of world cultures in translation. This is a necessary skill for any cross-cultural profession.
- Critical and comparative analysis. This is an important skill for critical thinking.
Making connections between original texts and their translations. This is a significant skill for bi-lingual and multi-lingual learners.
In order to achieve proficiency in the main skills of studying Comparative Literature, the Certificate provides students with the following skills:
- Writing-intensive skills as students respond to texts.
- Ability to work/collaborate in groups through problem-base projects as students prepare presentations and creative work on culture-specific aspects in comparing texts.
- Critical and creative thinking as students are required to research and analyze the cultural and historical contexts of the texts in question.
- Cumulative GPA of at least 2.5
- Meet with the Comparative Literature Certificate Advisor
- Complete the application form
- Complete the application form
- Equivalent proficiency of 202 in a foreign language (Arabic, French, German and Spanish)
Non-degree and post-degree students are eligible if they already have a BA or BS degree with a GPA of 2.5 or more and if they have equivalency of 202 in a foreign language.
Four courses (12 credits):
1. 1.1 COML 301: Literary Criticism
2. 1.2 Choose one core course from the following list:
- Arabic: COML 303, COML 302, ARBC 304, or ARBC 331
- French: FREN 330, FREN 331, FREN 339, FREN 375 or COML/HUM/WGST 433
- German: GER 371, 372, 374, 376, or 377.
- Spanish: SPAN 350, 351, 353, 356, or 357.
3. Choose two additional courses, one from Group A and one from Group B:
Group A: Choose any one course from any of the following categories:
1. An upper-level translation, film, or culture course in one of the languages offered by M&CL.
- Arabic: ARBC 310, ARBC 311, ARBC 312, , ARBC 332 and ARBC 335
- French: FREN 332, FREN 334, FREN 336, FREN 337, FREN 338, FREN 355 and FREN 408, COML/HUM/WGST 433
- German: GERM 374 and 376
- Spanish: SPAN 353, SPAN 356, SPAN 420 and SPAN 451
2. Literature, film, and culture courses taught in English offered by COML and M&CL.
- ARBC 365 and ARBC 350
- COML/HUM/WGST 433
- COML/MCL 455
- MCL 353
- MCL/COMM/JASS 381
- FNDS 1204
- FNDS 1307
- FNDS 1308
Group B: Choose any one course from the following COML courses:
- COML 340: Modern European Short Fiction
- COML 341: Modern European Poetry in Translation
- COML 334: Modern Literature: The Novel
- COML 347: Classical Literature in English Translation
- COML 375: The Hero in Literature
- COML 390: Topics in Comparative Literature
- COML 399: Independent Studies
Suggested course sequence can be as follows: COML 301, one core course, one Group A course and one Group B course.
- Pass/fail is not allowed.
- Students are allowed to transfer up to 3 credits by petition.
- A minimum of 2.5 GPA is required for courses within the certificate.
- Credits earned in the certificate count towards the Arabic Minor, French Minor and Major, Spanish Minor and Major, German Minor, International Studies Major, Global Cultures Minor and other certificates.
