All Graduate Courses

All courses are 3 credits unless otherwise indicated.

Comparative Studies 5061 The Global Mediterranean

This course examines the governments, societies, and cultures of the littoral states (empires/nations) of the Mediterranean Sea. We will pay attention to the 'East/West' paradigm as a prism through which to examine past and present events. Cross-listed in Italian and NELC.

Comparative Studies 5189S Comparative Studies Field School
Introduction to ethnographic field methods (participant-observation, writing field notes, photography, interviewing), archiving, and public humanities. An introduction to fieldwork is followed by a field experience (where students will reside together in local housing) followed by accessioning, exhibition planning, and reflection. Maximum credit hours include those for English 5189S. Prereq: Permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 12 cr hrs. Cross-listed in English.

Comparative Studies 5668 Studies in Orality and Literacy

Examination of major theories of writing and of oral composition and transmission, in juxtaposition to case material deriving from a variety of Middle Eastern cultures. Not open to students with credit for 648, or NELC 5568 (648). Cross-listed in NELC 5568.

Critical study of selected themes and topics in a comparative and cross-cultural perspective; emphasis on issues of method, critical theory, representation, power, knowledge, and authority.  Repeatable to a maximum of 12 cr hrs including credit for 651.

Comparative study of folklore. Topics vary, e.g., folklore and gender politics; theories of myth; folklore, memory, and history.  Repeatable to a maximum of 6 cr hrs.

Comparative Studies 5957.02 Folklore in Circulation
Study of transmission of culture.  Topics vary, e.g., tourists, travelers, tricksters; cultures of waste and recycling; orality and literacy. Study of transmission of culture.  Topics vary, e.g., tourists, travelers, tricksters; cultures of waste and recycling; orality and literacy.  Repeatable to a maximum of 6 cr hrs.

Comparative Studies 5980 Ancient and Modern Narrative: Cognition, Affect, Ethics, Belief
This course will juxtapose narratives from an ancient culture with narratives from a modern culture to explore the hypothesis that the power of narrative arises from its capacity to affect the lives of audiences by engaging their cognition, affect, ethics, and beliefs. Team-taught w/ faculty in English. Prereq: Not open to students with credit for English 5980. Cross-listed in English.

Comparative Studies 6100 Critical Foundations: Comparative Analysis
This course prepares students to begin to approach their research interests and questions from a comparative perspective. The function of comparison is not to discover differences and similarities, but to understand more comprehensively the political, social, economic, and aesthetic dimensions of the various discourses and practices that constitute social and individual life.

Comparative Studies 6200 Critical Foundations: Interdisciplinarity & Methods
This course introduces interdisciplinarity as an approach to knowledge production that is problem and question driven and that therefore draws from varied approaches and methodologies. It considers a range of tools that scholars across humanities and social sciences disciplines use to critically analyze the pressing global issues.

Comparative Studies 6300 Critical Foundations: Cultural and Social Theory
This course offers an introduction to comparative cultural studies and social theory. It introduces students to a wide range of well-known thinkers, critical movements, and widely cited texts. Attention will be paid to the ways in which these thinkers, movements, and texts are situated within disciplinary and inter-disciplinary contexts.

Comparative Studies 6400 Critical Foundations: The Humanities and Collaborative Practices
The course introduces students to different forms of collaborative practices and participatory research in the humanities, recognizing the opportunities and possibilities it affords, as well as the challenges and limitations it entails. The course will also offer a space for critical reflection on how we engage other people's ideas, both in terms of our research and within the seminar community.

Comparative Studies 6425 Introduction to Latino Studies

Introduces graduate students to the broad themes, concepts, and questions raised in the interdisciplinary field of Latino studies. Not open to students with credit for 705, ArtsSci 705, or Spanish 6705 or 7705. Cross-listed in Spanish.

Comparative Studies 6500 Critical Foundations: Teaching Seminar in Interdisciplinary Studies
The seminar will teach students to develop strategies to support students in questioning and challenging normative discourses while also developing teaching practices that problematize social reality and knowledge. The course topics focus on three areas: course content, methods of delivery, and issues related to in-class 'comportment.'

Comparative Studies 6750.01 Introduction to Graduate Study in Folklore I: The Philology of the Vernacular

Introduction to the canonical folklore genres and the history of folklore as a discipline. Why and how should we study the vernacular?  Not open to students with credit for 770.01, or English 6751.01 (770.01). Cross-listed in English 6751.01.

Introduction to fieldwork and ethnographic writing in the humanities - interviewing, participant observation, and research ethics. Focus on the ethnography of communication and community representations.
Not open to students with credit for 770.02 or English 6751.02 (770.02). Cross-listed in English 6751.02.

Designed to give able students an opportunity to pursue special studies not otherwise offered.
Repeatable to a maximum of 12 cr hrs or 12 completions. This course is graded S/U.

Critical analysis of relationships among the researcher, object of research, framing knowledge, and political context of ethnographic work.  Not open to students with credit for 706.

Comparative Studies 7301 Theorizing Literature

Provides an accelerated introduction to literary theory and criticism, surveying significant developments in modern and contemporary literary and cultural studies in global perspective. Cross-listed in NELC. *This course may be used toward a Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in Comparative Literature. More information about the GIS can be found here.

Comparative Studies 7320 Theorizing Race and Ethnicity

Advanced introduction to field of critical race theory; critical analysis of concepts of law in relation to race and ethnicity.  Not open to students with credit for 752.

Introduction to comparative and cultural studies of science and technology.  Not open to students with credit for 730.

The transmission of cultural forms through time and space across social networks, with special attention to the dynamics of conservation and innovation, reflexivity and habit. Not open to students with credit for English 7351.01 or 7351.11.  Cross-listed in English 7351.01.

Performance as a heightened mode of communication characteristic of vernacular cultural process, studied in the context of ongoing social interaction. Not open to students with credit for 770.02 or English 770.02 or English 7351.02 or 7351.12. Cross-listed in English 7351.02.

Performance as a heightened mode of communication characteristic of vernacular cultural process, studied in the context of ongoing social interaction. Not open to students with credit for 770.03 or English 770.03 or 7351.03 or 7351.13. Cross-listed in English 7351.03.

Comparative Studies 7370 Theorizing Religion

Two or more departments present colloquia on subjects of mutual interest; topics to be announced. Repeatable to a maximum of 15 cr hrs. *This course may be used toward a Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in Comparative Literature, depending on the topic. More information about the GIS can be found here.

Research for Master's thesis. Repeatable to a maximum of 24 cr hrs. This course is graded S/U.

Comparative Studies 8100 Interdisciplinary Learning Laboratory I
The Comparative Studies Interdisciplinary Learning Laboratories are two-part courses that seek to give participants opportunities to engage in sustained interdisciplinary research, to workshop their research projects in conversation with one another, and to share their projects with broader publics. Expect to enroll in CompStd 8200 subsequent to this course. Repeatable to a maximum of 18 cr hrs.

Comparative Studies 8193 Individual Studies
Designed to give able students an opportunity to pursue special studies not otherwise offered.
Prereq: Grad standing or permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 12 cr hrs or 12 completions. This course is graded S/U.

Comparative Studies 8200 Interdisciplinary Learning Laboratory II
The Comparative Studies Interdisciplinary Learning Laboratories are two-part year-long courses that seek to give participants opportunities to engage in sustained interdisciplinary research, to workshop their research projects in conversation with one another, and to share their projects with broader publics. Taken in conjunction with CompStd 8100. Prereq or concur: 8100. Repeatable to a maximum of 18 cr hrs.

Comparative Studies 8791 Seminar in Interdisciplinary Theory

Discussion of interdisciplinary cultural theory. Repeatable to a maximum of 9 cr hrs.

Investigates modes of autobiographical and biographical writing, performance, representation in media. Focuses on particular theories and texts, varying with course topic. Repeatable to a maximum of 9 cr hrs. *This course may be used toward a Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in Comparative Literature. More information about the GIS can be found here.

Repeatable to a maximum of 15 cr hrs. *This course may be used toward a Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in Comparative Literature. More information about the GIS can be found here.

Explores relationships between science, technology and the health sciences and medical practices; topic varies.  Repeatable to a maximum of 15 cr hrs.

Explores relationships between science and technology and other areas, including politics, gender and sexuality, popular culture; topic varies.  Repeatable to a maximum of 15 cr hrs.

Advanced seminar on current or specialized topics in folklore studies. Folklore GIS course.
Cross-listed in English. Repeatable to a maximum of 9 cr hrs.

Examines various topics in the growing field of critical trauma theory.  Repeatable to a maximum of 9 cr hrs.

Exploration of theoretical approaches to relations between cultural and economic production; examines major materialist theories, materialist feminism, and other forms of materialist critique.  Repeatable to a maximum of 9 cr hrs.

Explores relationships between religious institutions and practices and other areas, including politics, gender and sexuality, technology, popular culture; topics vary.  Repeatable to a maximum of 15 cr hrs.

Interdisciplinary study of a movement or problem in critical theory.  Repeatable to a maximum of 15 cr hrs. Cross-listed in English, French, German, Spanish, and WGSSt.

Departmental workshop, colloquium, or seminar.  Topics vary.  Repeatable to a maximum of 9 cr hrs or 9 completions. This course is graded S/U.

Seminar focusing on a particular thinker, school of philosophy, or set of texts from the East Asian philosophical tradition. Topics vary.  Repeatable to a maximum of 9 cr hrs. Cross-listed in EALL and Philos 8102.

Writing seminar for CompStd doctoral students. Repeatable to a maximum of 3 cr hrs. This course is graded S/U.

Research in preparation for Ph.D. exams.  Repeatable to a maximum of 27 cr hrs or 12 completions. This course is graded S/U.

Research for dissertation.  Repeatable. This course is graded S/U.

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