Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies (CLCS)

Luis Fernando Restrepo
Program Director
425 Kimpel Hall
479-575-7580
Email: lrestr@uark.edu

Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies Website

Degrees Conferred:
M.A., Ph.D. (CLCS)

Program Description:  Established in 1958, the Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies Program is an innovative interdisciplinary graduate program for advanced studies in literature and culture across linguistic, national, disciplinary, and genre boundaries.  Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies takes for granted that matters of everyday culture — popular culture as well as literary culture — are political matters in the way that power relations are established and sometimes challenged.  The program offers advanced academic training in comparative literature, cultural studies, Hispanic studies, literary translation, and world language acquisition.

The program is supported primarily by the Departments of Communication, English, and World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. The program also has affiliated faculty members in several programs and departments in the humanities and social sciences, including Anthropology, Art,  Classics, Theatre, History, Philosophy, Sociology, Education, as well as interdisciplinary programs such as African and African American, Latin American and Latino, Middle Eastern, Indigenous, Jewish, and Gender Studies.

Primary Areas of Faculty Research: Literary theory and criticism, cultural studies, postcolonial studies, gender studies, visual discourses, world languages, literary translation.

M.A. in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies

Admission to the Master of Arts Degree in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies: The normal preparation for graduate study in comparative literature and cultural studies is an undergraduate degree in world languages, English, or a related field in the humanities and the social sciences. Applicants should have advanced proficiency in the intended languages of study. Admission requirements:

1. Application to the Graduate School.
2. Complete official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work. 
3. International students are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam, or other Graduate School-approved English proficiency exams, meeting the minimum score required by the Graduate School.
4. Statement of purpose describing academic interests and professional goals.
5. A curriculum vitae.
6. An academic writing sample, demonstrating critical thinking, writing ability and research potential (10 pages approximately).
7. Three letters of recommendation.

Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies: In addition to the general requirements of the Graduate School, all master’s candidates must meet the following requirements:

1.  All master’s candidates must take CLCS 51903 Introduction to Comparative Literature and COMM 55003 Communication and Cultural Studies
2. All master’s candidates must take 6 hours of world languages and literatures in areas and historical periods different from their primary fields. 
3. All master’s candidates must demonstrate reading proficiency in a language other than English. The language requirement may be fulfilled either by taking 12 hours in the target language or by taking the reading exam administered by the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures. Documented coursework from an accredited institution in which the language of instruction is other than English may be used to substitute for a language exam.
4.  Master’s candidates in the non thesis option must take ENGL 52103 Portfolio Workshop.  

Requirements of the Thesis Option  

1. Candidates in the master’s option must complete 30 hours of graduate course work and 6 thesis hours. Master’s candidates intending to enter the Ph.D. program are recommended to choose the thesis option.
2. Candidates will take 6 hours of course work and 6 thesis hours in their primary area of concentration.
3. Candidates will take 12 hours of graduate course work in a second field (other literary tradition or cultural studies).
4. Master’s candidates in the thesis option must present a thesis proposal early in their second year of study and must turn in the thesis during the last semester of course work, following Graduate School guidelines for thesis submission.
5. Theses in a language other than English. Students in the Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies Program may request permission to submit their thesis in a language other than English, with legitimate justification.  Valid reasons for submitting a thesis in a language other than English includes the subject matter, special primary audience, publication venues, academic position in a foreign country, historical or literary value, and the documents to be used, analyzed and interpreted. Limited English writing skills is not a valid justification. Students must request approval of the target language from the thesis committee, the program advisory committee, the program director and the dean of the graduate school before starting the project.  All committee members must be proficient in the target language and approve target language usage.  Abstracts must be written in English.
6. Candidates in the thesis option are required to take a world literatures and cultures comprehensive exam. This is a pass/fail exam that may be repeated only once.  Further instructions for the exam are available in the CLCS Student Handbook. 

Requirements for the Non-Thesis Option

1. In addition to the general requirements, Master’s candidates in the non-thesis option must select two fields and complete 12 hours of graduate course work in each field (Arabic, Classics, English, French, German, Spanish, and courses in other disciplines in the humanities and the social sciences).
2.  Master’s candidates in the non-thesis option must take ENGL 52103 Portfolio Workshop in their fourth semester and present a portfolio showcasing their best work and highlighting the skills and knowledge acquired in the program. The portfolio is evaluated by a three-member faculty panel, including the instructor of record, the CLCS Program Director and another CLCS-affiliated faculty member.

Students should also be aware of Graduate School requirements with regard to master's degrees.

Requirements for Ph.D. with Comparative Literature Concentration  

Admission Requirements:

1. Application to the Graduate School.
2. Complete official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work.
3. International students are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam, or other Graduate School-approved English proficiency exam, meeting the minimum score required by the Graduate School.
4. Statement of purpose describing academic interests and professional goals. Doctoral applicants must specify which concentration they wish to pursue (comparative literature, cultural studies, Hispanic Studies, applied linguistics, or translation) and describe how their research interests might be met by working with specific members of our faculty. 
5. An academic writing sample preferably from a research or examination paper from a literature or culture course, showing evidence of critical thinking, writing ability and advanced research skills (20pp. approx.) 
6. Three letters of recommendation from former instructors, employers, or supervisors.
7.  Notice: although the GRE is not required for admission into the program, eligibility for doctoral fellowships does require the GRE exam.

Requirements for the Doctoral Degree:

1. Ph.D. candidates must complete a minimum of 66 hours of graduate course work (including credit taken for the M.A. or M.F.A.) and must attain a 3.00 grade-point average in each of their fields. Part or all of the graduate course work completed at other U.S. institutions or accredited institutions abroad with a grade of “B” or higher and taken within seven years of starting the doctoral program may count towards the 66 hours requirement with the approval of the Program Advisory Committee. However, it should be noted that this course work will not be reflected on the student’s transcript. 
2. CLCS 51903 Introduction to Comparative Literature  and COMM 55003 Communication and Cultural Studies  is required of all Ph.D. candidates in the Program in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies.
3. Ph.D. candidates must take 24 hours in a main field. The goal is for the student to use this coursework to create a primary field of specialization.
4. Ph.D. candidates must complete 18 hours in one of the five doctoral concentrations —traditional comparative literature, cultural studies, interdisciplinary Hispanic studies, translation, and world languages and applied linguistics — as described in detail below.
5. Ph.D. candidates must take 9 hours in world literatures and cultures outside their main field, providing historical depth and geographical breadth to their literary and cultural studies.
6. Ph.D. students must complete an additional 9 elective credits. They may use these to develop a tertiary field, strengthen primary or secondary fields, or to take courses outside those fields.
7. Ph.D. candidates must take 18 dissertation hours. 
8. Ph.D. students must declare a concentration by the end of the first year and define a Dissertation Committee by the end of the second year. The committee consists of the student’s research supervisor plus two other faculty members. This committee will administer the candidacy exam, the proposal defense, and the dissertation defense. Additional committee members may participate in the comprehensive exam to evaluate supporting areas in world literatures and cultures.
9. Ph.D. students must demonstrate reading proficiency in two languages other than English before being admitted into candidacy. The language requirements may be fulfilled either by completing 12 hours in the target language or by taking the reading exam administered by the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. Documented coursework from an accredited institution in which the language of instruction is other than English may be used to substitute for a language exam.
10. Candidacy: Upon completion of coursework and world languages requirements, all Ph.D. students must take a two part candidacy exam.
11. The candidacy examination is based on a set of reading lists based on coursework and areas of concentration, that the student composes with the guidance of their advisor and committee members. The reading list is divided into five areas: two lists comprising the student’s areas of concentration and three lists covering world literatures and cultures.  The primary areas of concentration must include 20-25 primary "texts," interdisciplinarily defined; and the world literature and cultures lists must include 15 to 20 primary "texts," interdisciplinarily defined, of which 10 to 25 % of these lists may be theoretical works.  The candidacy examination has two parts:
    1. A written examination covering the student’s three world literatures and cultures fields;
    2. A written examination covering the two main concentration areas.
       Students may retake only once any examination they fail.
12. Dissertation Proposal: After successfully completing the candidacy examination, the Ph.D. student will submit a dissertation proposal to be discussed and approved in a formal meeting with the Dissertation Committee. This meeting is the proposal defense. A student failing a proposal defense may revise the proposal and retake the defense one time.
13. Dissertations in a language other than English. Students in the Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies Program may request permission to submit their dissertation in a language other than English, with legitimate justification. Valid reasons for submitting a dissertation in a language other than English includes the subject matter, special primary audience, publication venues, academic position in a foreign country, historical or literary value, and the documents to be used, analyzed and interpreted. Limited English writing skills is not a valid justification. Students must request approval of the target language from the dissertation committee, the program advisory committee, the program director and the dean of the graduate school before starting the project. All committee members must be proficient in the target language and approve target language usage. Abstracts must be written in English.
    1. Within the time limits specified by the Graduate School, each student must submit a dissertation acceptable to the student’s dissertation committee.
    2. Each student must pass a dissertation defense administered by the student’s Dissertation Committee, with prior notification to the Graduate School of the time and place of the defense.

Requirements for the Comparative Literature Concentration (CLIT): This concentration is for students interested in world literature and the intersections of different literary traditions beyond national borders.  Candidates will complete at least 18 hours in a second world language and literary tradition. 

Requirements for Ph.D. with Cultural Studies Concentration  

Admission Requirements:

1. Application to the Graduate School.
2. Complete official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work.
3. International students are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam, or other Graduate School-approved English proficiency exam, meeting the minimum score required by the Graduate School.
4. Statement of purpose describing academic interests and professional goals. Doctoral applicants must specify which concentration they wish to pursue (comparative literature, cultural studies, Hispanic Studies, applied linguistics, or translation) and describe how their research interests might be met by working with specific members of our faculty. 
5. An academic writing sample preferably from a research or examination paper from a literature or culture course, showing evidence of critical thinking, writing ability and advanced research skills (20pp. approx.) 
6. Three letters of recommendation from former instructors, employers, or supervisors.
7.  Notice: although the GRE is not required for admission into the program, eligibility for doctoral fellowships does require the GRE exam.

Requirements for the Doctoral Degree:

1. Ph.D. candidates must complete a minimum of 66 hours of graduate course work (including credit taken for the M.A. or M.F.A.) and must attain a 3.00 grade-point average in each of their fields. Part or all of the graduate course work completed at other U.S. institutions or accredited institutions abroad with a grade of “B” or higher and taken within seven years of starting the doctoral program may count towards the 66 hours requirement with the approval of the Program Advisory Committee. However, it should be noted that this course work will not be reflected on the student’s transcript. 
2. CLCS 51903 Introduction to Comparative Literature  and COMM 55003 Communication and Cultural Studies  is required of all Ph.D. candidates in the Program in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies.
3. Ph.D. candidates must take 24 hours in a main field. The goal is for the student to use this coursework to create a primary field of specialization.
4. Ph.D. candidates must complete 18 hours in one of the five doctoral concentrations —traditional comparative literature, cultural studies, interdisciplinary Hispanic studies, translation, and world languages and applied linguistics — as described in detail below.
5. Ph.D. candidates must take 9 hours in world literatures and cultures outside their main field, providing historical depth and geographical breadth to their literary and cultural studies.
6. Ph.D. students must complete an additional 9 elective credits. They may use these to develop a tertiary field, strengthen primary or secondary fields, or to take courses outside those fields.
7. Ph.D. candidates must take 18 dissertation hours. 
8. Ph.D. students must declare a concentration by the end of the first year and define a Dissertation Committee by the end of the second year. The committee consists of the student’s research supervisor plus two other faculty members. This committee will administer the candidacy exam, the proposal defense, and the dissertation defense. Additional committee members may participate in the comprehensive exam to evaluate supporting areas in world literatures and cultures.
9. Ph.D. students must demonstrate reading proficiency in two languages other than English before being admitted into candidacy. The language requirements may be fulfilled either by completing 12 hours in the target language or by taking the reading exam administered by the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. Documented coursework from an accredited institution in which the language of instruction is other than English may be used to substitute for a language exam.
10. Candidacy: Upon completion of coursework and world languages requirements, all Ph.D. students must take a two part candidacy exam.
11. The candidacy examination is based on a set of reading lists based on coursework and areas of concentration, that the student composes with the guidance of their advisor and committee members. The reading list is divided into five areas: two lists comprising the student’s areas of concentration and three lists covering world literatures and cultures.  The primary areas of concentration must include 20-25 primary "texts," interdisciplinarily defined; and the world literature and cultures lists must include 15 to 20 primary "texts," interdisciplinarily defined, of which 10 to 25 % of these lists may be theoretical works.  The candidacy examination has two parts:
    1. A written examination covering the student’s three world literatures and cultures fields;
    2. A written examination covering the two main concentration areas.
       Students may retake only once any examination they fail.
12. Dissertation Proposal: After successfully completing the candidacy examination, the Ph.D. student will submit a dissertation proposal to be discussed and approved in a formal meeting with the Dissertation Committee. This meeting is the proposal defense. A student failing a proposal defense may revise the proposal and retake the defense one time.
13. Dissertations in a language other than English. Students in the Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies Program may request permission to submit their dissertation in a language other than English, with legitimate justification. Valid reasons for submitting a dissertation in a language other than English includes the subject matter, special primary audience, publication venues, academic position in a foreign country, historical or literary value, and the documents to be used, analyzed and interpreted. Limited English writing skills is not a valid justification. Students must request approval of the target language from the dissertation committee, the program advisory committee, the program director and the dean of the graduate school before starting the project. All committee members must be proficient in the target language and approve target language usage. Abstracts must be written in English.
    1. Within the time limits specified by the Graduate School, each student must submit a dissertation acceptable to the student’s dissertation committee.
    2. Each student must pass a dissertation defense administered by the student’s Dissertation Committee, with prior notification to the Graduate School of the time and place of the defense.

Requirements for the Cultural Studies Concentration (CULS).  This concentration is for students interested inter and trans disciplinary approaches to study literature and culture, including non- literary genres such as mass media, popular culture, visual discourses, and communication theories.  In addition to the other program requirements, students in the cultural studies concentration must complete 18 hours of coursework in an area related to cultural studies, including take COMM 55003 Communication and Cultural Studies and the seminar COMM 59903 Readings In Cultural Studies.

Ph.D. with Interdisciplinary Hispanic Studies Concentration 

Admission Requirements:

1. Application to the Graduate School.
2. Complete official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work.
3. International students are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam, or other Graduate School-approved English proficiency exam, meeting the minimum score required by the Graduate School.
4. Statement of purpose describing academic interests and professional goals. Doctoral applicants must specify which concentration they wish to pursue (comparative literature, cultural studies, Hispanic Studies, applied linguistics, or translation) and describe how their research interests might be met by working with specific members of our faculty. 
5. An academic writing sample preferably from a research or examination paper from a literature or culture course, showing evidence of critical thinking, writing ability and advanced research skills (20pp. approx.) 
6. Three letters of recommendation from former instructors, employers, or supervisors.
7.  Notice: although the GRE is not required for admission into the program, eligibility for doctoral fellowships does require the GRE exam.

Requirements for the Doctoral Degree:

1. Ph.D. candidates must complete a minimum of 66 hours of graduate course work (including credit taken for the M.A. or M.F.A.) and must attain a 3.00 grade-point average in each of their fields. Part or all of the graduate course work completed at other U.S. institutions or accredited institutions abroad with a grade of “B” or higher and taken within seven years of starting the doctoral program may count towards the 66 hours requirement with the approval of the Program Advisory Committee. However, it should be noted that this course work will not be reflected on the student’s transcript. 
2. CLCS 51903 Introduction to Comparative Literature  and COMM 55003 Communication and Cultural Studies  is required of all Ph.D. candidates in the Program in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies.
3. Ph.D. candidates must take 24 hours in a main field. The goal is for the student to use this coursework to create a primary field of specialization.
4. Ph.D. candidates must complete 18 hours in one of the five doctoral concentrations —traditional comparative literature, cultural studies, interdisciplinary Hispanic studies, translation, and world languages and applied linguistics — as described in detail below.
5. Ph.D. candidates must take 9 hours in world literatures and cultures outside their main field, providing historical depth and geographical breadth to their literary and cultural studies.
6. Ph.D. students must complete an additional 9 elective credits. They may use these to develop a tertiary field, strengthen primary or secondary fields, or to take courses outside those fields.
7. Ph.D. candidates must take 18 dissertation hours. 
8. Ph.D. students must declare a concentration by the end of the first year and define a Dissertation Committee by the end of the second year. The committee consists of the student’s research supervisor plus two other faculty members. This committee will administer the candidacy exam, the proposal defense, and the dissertation defense. Additional committee members may participate in the comprehensive exam to evaluate supporting areas in world literatures and cultures.
9. Ph.D. students must demonstrate reading proficiency in two languages other than English before being admitted into candidacy. The language requirements may be fulfilled either by completing 12 hours in the target language or by taking the reading exam administered by the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. Documented coursework from an accredited institution in which the language of instruction is other than English may be used to substitute for a language exam.
10. Candidacy: Upon completion of coursework and world languages requirements, all Ph.D. students must take a two part candidacy exam.
11. The candidacy examination is based on a set of reading lists based on coursework and areas of concentration, that the student composes with the guidance of their advisor and committee members. The reading list is divided into five areas: two lists comprising the student’s areas of concentration and three lists covering world literatures and cultures.  The primary areas of concentration must include 20-25 primary "texts," interdisciplinarily defined; and the world literature and cultures lists must include 15 to 20 primary "texts," interdisciplinarily defined, of which 10 to 25 % of these lists may be theoretical works.  The candidacy examination has two parts:
    1. A written examination covering the student’s three world literatures and cultures fields;
    2. A written examination covering the two main concentration areas.
       Students may retake only once any examination they fail.
12. Dissertation Proposal: After successfully completing the candidacy examination, the Ph.D. student will submit a dissertation proposal to be discussed and approved in a formal meeting with the Dissertation Committee. This meeting is the proposal defense. A student failing a proposal defense may revise the proposal and retake the defense one time.
13. Dissertations in a language other than English. Students in the Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies Program may request permission to submit their dissertation in a language other than English, with legitimate justification. Valid reasons for submitting a dissertation in a language other than English includes the subject matter, special primary audience, publication venues, academic position in a foreign country, historical or literary value, and the documents to be used, analyzed and interpreted. Limited English writing skills is not a valid justification. Students must request approval of the target language from the dissertation committee, the program advisory committee, the program director and the dean of the graduate school before starting the project. All committee members must be proficient in the target language and approve target language usage. Abstracts must be written in English.
    1. Within the time limits specified by the Graduate School, each student must submit a dissertation acceptable to the student’s dissertation committee.
    2. Each student must pass a dissertation defense administered by the student’s Dissertation Committee, with prior notification to the Graduate School of the time and place of the defense.

Requirements for the Interdisciplinary Hispanic Studies Concentration (HISP): This concentration is designed for candidates with an M.A. in Spanish whose scholarly and teaching interests are primarily in Hispanic studies and in interdisciplinary and transnational approaches to the literatures and cultures of Spain, Latin America and Hispanic United States. Candidates in this concentration will complete 18 hours in one of these three fields: Iberian, Latin American or U.S. Latino/Latina literatures and cultures.

Ph.D. with Literary Translation Concentration

Admission Requirements:

1. Application to the Graduate School.
2. Complete official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work.
3. International students are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam, or other Graduate School-approved English proficiency exam, meeting the minimum score required by the Graduate School.
4. Statement of purpose describing academic interests and professional goals. Doctoral applicants must specify which concentration they wish to pursue (comparative literature, cultural studies, Hispanic Studies, applied linguistics, or translation) and describe how their research interests might be met by working with specific members of our faculty. 
5. An academic writing sample preferably from a research or examination paper from a literature or culture course, showing evidence of critical thinking, writing ability and advanced research skills (20pp. approx.) 
6. Three letters of recommendation from former instructors, employers, or supervisors.
7.  Notice: although the GRE is not required for admission into the program, eligibility for doctoral fellowships does require the GRE exam.

Requirements for the Doctoral Degree:

1. Ph.D. candidates must complete a minimum of 66 hours of graduate course work (including credit taken for the M.A. or M.F.A.) and must attain a 3.00 grade-point average in each of their fields. Part or all of the graduate course work completed at other U.S. institutions or accredited institutions abroad with a grade of “B” or higher and taken within seven years of starting the doctoral program may count towards the 66 hours requirement with the approval of the Program Advisory Committee. However, it should be noted that this course work will not be reflected on the student’s transcript. 
2. CLCS 51903 Introduction to Comparative Literature  and COMM 55003 Communication and Cultural Studies  is required of all Ph.D. candidates in the Program in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies.
3. Ph.D. candidates must take 24 hours in a main field. The goal is for the student to use this coursework to create a primary field of specialization.
4. Ph.D. candidates must complete 18 hours in one of the five doctoral concentrations —traditional comparative literature, cultural studies, interdisciplinary Hispanic studies, translation, and world languages and applied linguistics — as described in detail below.
5. Ph.D. candidates must take 9 hours in world literatures and cultures outside their main field, providing historical depth and geographical breadth to their literary and cultural studies.
6. Ph.D. students must complete an additional 9 elective credits. They may use these to develop a tertiary field, strengthen primary or secondary fields, or to take courses outside those fields.
7. Ph.D. candidates must take 18 dissertation hours. 
8. Ph.D. students must declare a concentration by the end of the first year and define a Dissertation Committee by the end of the second year. The committee consists of the student’s research supervisor plus two other faculty members. This committee will administer the candidacy exam, the proposal defense, and the dissertation defense. Additional committee members may participate in the comprehensive exam to evaluate supporting areas in world literatures and cultures.
9. Ph.D. students must demonstrate reading proficiency in two languages other than English before being admitted into candidacy. The language requirements may be fulfilled either by completing 12 hours in the target language or by taking the reading exam administered by the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. Documented coursework from an accredited institution in which the language of instruction is other than English may be used to substitute for a language exam.
10. Candidacy: Upon completion of coursework and world languages requirements, all Ph.D. students must take a two part candidacy exam.
11. The candidacy examination is based on a set of reading lists based on coursework and areas of concentration, that the student composes with the guidance of their advisor and committee members. The reading list is divided into five areas: two lists comprising the student’s areas of concentration and three lists covering world literatures and cultures.  The primary areas of concentration must include 20-25 primary "texts," interdisciplinarily defined; and the world literature and cultures lists must include 15 to 20 primary "texts," interdisciplinarily defined, of which 10 to 25 % of these lists may be theoretical works.  The candidacy examination has two parts:
    1. A written examination covering the student’s three world literatures and cultures fields;
    2. A written examination covering the two main concentration areas.
       Students may retake only once any examination they fail.
12. Dissertation Proposal: After successfully completing the candidacy examination, the Ph.D. student will submit a dissertation proposal to be discussed and approved in a formal meeting with the Dissertation Committee. This meeting is the proposal defense. A student failing a proposal defense may revise the proposal and retake the defense one time.
13. Dissertations in a language other than English. Students in the Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies Program may request permission to submit their dissertation in a language other than English, with legitimate justification. Valid reasons for submitting a dissertation in a language other than English includes the subject matter, special primary audience, publication venues, academic position in a foreign country, historical or literary value, and the documents to be used, analyzed and interpreted. Limited English writing skills is not a valid justification. Students must request approval of the target language from the dissertation committee, the program advisory committee, the program director and the dean of the graduate school before starting the project. All committee members must be proficient in the target language and approve target language usage. Abstracts must be written in English.
    1. Within the time limits specified by the Graduate School, each student must submit a dissertation acceptable to the student’s dissertation committee.
    2. Each student must pass a dissertation defense administered by the student’s Dissertation Committee, with prior notification to the Graduate School of the time and place of the defense.

Requirements for the Literary Translation Concentration (LTTR). This concentration is designed for candidates interested in advanced studies in translation theory and scholarly research on literary translation. Candidates in this concentration must take 18 hours of translation coursework including nine hours in translation workshops (ENGL 50403) and nine hours from the following form and theory courses in poetry and fiction (ENGL 52203, ENGL 52603, ENGL 52703, ENGL 52803, ENGL 52903). Courses may be substituted from related fields with advisor approval. The dissertation project may be a study of some translation issue or a book-length translation of a literary work with a critical introduction and annotated text. Candidates will typically have an M.F.A. in literary translation or an M.A. in Arabic, Classics, French, German, Spanish, or other languages and literatures.

Ph.D. with World Languages and Applied Linguistics Concentration

Admission Requirements:

1. Application to the Graduate School.
2. Complete official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work.
3. International students are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam, or other Graduate School-approved English proficiency exam, meeting the minimum score required by the Graduate School.
4. Statement of purpose describing academic interests and professional goals. Doctoral applicants must specify which concentration they wish to pursue (comparative literature, cultural studies, Hispanic Studies, applied linguistics, or translation) and describe how their research interests might be met by working with specific members of our faculty. 
5. An academic writing sample preferably from a research or examination paper from a literature or culture course, showing evidence of critical thinking, writing ability and advanced research skills (20pp. approx.) 
6. Three letters of recommendation from former instructors, employers, or supervisors.
7.  Notice: although the GRE is not required for admission into the program, eligibility for doctoral fellowships does require the GRE exam.

Requirements for the Doctoral Degree:

1. Ph.D. candidates must complete a minimum of 66 hours of graduate course work (including credit taken for the M.A. or M.F.A.) and must attain a 3.00 grade-point average in each of their fields. Part or all of the graduate course work completed at other U.S. institutions or accredited institutions abroad with a grade of “B” or higher and taken within seven years of starting the doctoral program may count towards the 66 hours requirement with the approval of the Program Advisory Committee. However, it should be noted that this course work will not be reflected on the student’s transcript. 
2. CLCS 51903 Introduction to Comparative Literature  and COMM 55003 Communication and Cultural Studies  is required of all Ph.D. candidates in the Program in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies.
3. Ph.D. candidates must take 24 hours in a main field. The goal is for the student to use this coursework to create a primary field of specialization.
4. Ph.D. candidates must complete 18 hours in one of the five doctoral concentrations —traditional comparative literature, cultural studies, interdisciplinary Hispanic studies, translation, and world languages and applied linguistics — as described in detail below.
5. Ph.D. candidates must take 9 hours in world literatures and cultures outside their main field, providing historical depth and geographical breadth to their literary and cultural studies.
6. Ph.D. students must complete an additional 9 elective credits. They may use these to develop a tertiary field, strengthen primary or secondary fields, or to take courses outside those fields.
7. Ph.D. candidates must take 18 dissertation hours. 
8. Ph.D. students must declare a concentration by the end of the first year and define a Dissertation Committee by the end of the second year. The committee consists of the student’s research supervisor plus two other faculty members. This committee will administer the candidacy exam, the proposal defense, and the dissertation defense. Additional committee members may participate in the comprehensive exam to evaluate supporting areas in world literatures and cultures.
9. Ph.D. students must demonstrate reading proficiency in two languages other than English before being admitted into candidacy. The language requirements may be fulfilled either by completing 12 hours in the target language or by taking the reading exam administered by the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. Documented coursework from an accredited institution in which the language of instruction is other than English may be used to substitute for a language exam.
10. Candidacy: Upon completion of coursework and world languages requirements, all Ph.D. students must take a two part candidacy exam.
11. The candidacy examination is based on a set of reading lists based on coursework and areas of concentration, that the student composes with the guidance of their advisor and committee members. The reading list is divided into five areas: two lists comprising the student’s areas of concentration and three lists covering world literatures and cultures.  The primary areas of concentration must include 20-25 primary "texts," interdisciplinarily defined; and the world literature and cultures lists must include 15 to 20 primary "texts," interdisciplinarily defined, of which 10 to 25 % of these lists may be theoretical works.  The candidacy examination has two parts:
    1. A written examination covering the student’s three world literatures and cultures fields;
    2. A written examination covering the two main concentration areas.
       Students may retake only once any examination they fail.
12. Dissertation Proposal: After successfully completing the candidacy examination, the Ph.D. student will submit a dissertation proposal to be discussed and approved in a formal meeting with the Dissertation Committee. This meeting is the proposal defense. A student failing a proposal defense may revise the proposal and retake the defense one time.
13. Dissertations in a language other than English. Students in the Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies Program may request permission to submit their dissertation in a language other than English, with legitimate justification. Valid reasons for submitting a dissertation in a language other than English includes the subject matter, special primary audience, publication venues, academic position in a foreign country, historical or literary value, and the documents to be used, analyzed and interpreted. Limited English writing skills is not a valid justification. Students must request approval of the target language from the dissertation committee, the program advisory committee, the program director and the dean of the graduate school before starting the project. All committee members must be proficient in the target language and approve target language usage. Abstracts must be written in English.
    1. Within the time limits specified by the Graduate School, each student must submit a dissertation acceptable to the student’s dissertation committee.
    2. Each student must pass a dissertation defense administered by the student’s Dissertation Committee, with prior notification to the Graduate School of the time and place of the defense.

Requirements for World Languages and Applied Linguistics Concentration (WLAL): This concentration is designed for candidates with research and teaching interest in applied linguistics and second language pedagogy for world languages, literatures and cultures at the college level.  Applicants should have a Master’s of Arts in a world language (French, German, Spanish or other languages) or a field in the humanities or the social sciences. Candidates in this concentration must take 18 hours in applied linguistics related courses including: WLLC 50603 Teaching Foreign Languages on the College Level, WLLC 54603 Descriptive Linguistics, CIED 59203 Second Language Acquisition, two applied linguistics seminars (WLLC 65503 to be repeated for a total of six hours), a qualitative and/or quantitative research methods course, depending on the candidate’s research project approved by the adviser, such as SOCI 50803 Applied Qualitative Research.