English and Comparative Literature Major, B.A.

English and Comparative Literature majors study literature, film, writing, and media of broad geographic and cultural provenance, so students have opportunities to practice comparative thinking. Moreover, majors write and research about texts, film, and media inflected with markedly different generic and linguistic features, and this variety hones students' research and writing skills. English and Comparative Literature majors can follow a general course of study or choose to concentrate in one of seven different areas:

  • British and American Literature
  • Comparative and World Literatures
  • Creative Writing
  • Film Studies
  • Science, Medicine and Literature
  • Social Justice and Literature
  • Writing, Editing, and Digital Publishing

See the Requirements page for details on the major concentrations.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the English and Comparative Literature program, students should be able to:

  • Produce clear and persuasive analytical and/or creative writing (that demonstrates the qualities of literature)
  • Research productively and effectively
  • Read critically
  • Compare and analyze texts and contexts
  • Explain the significance and value of historical contexts 

Particularly at this moment in American culture and history, we believe these skills are essential, both in the workplace and in the public sphere more broadly. The major's core curriculum ensures that students gain historical breadth in their discipline (in the form of surveys) as well as depth (in courses that focus on a single genre, topic, or author and thus allow for a sustained emphasis on close analysis). Individual concentrations also provide learning outcomes specific to their area of study.

Requirements

In addition to the program requirements, students must

  • earn a minimum final cumulative GPA of 2.000
  • complete a minimum of 45 academic credit hours earned from UNC–Chapel Hill courses
  • take at least half of their major core requirements (courses and credit hours) at UNC–Chapel Hill
  • earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000 in the major core requirements. Some programs may require higher standards for major or specific courses.

For more information, please consult the degree requirements section of the catalog.

Core Curriculum

Core Requirements 1
Survey I (select one):3
IDEAs in Action General Education logo British Literature, Medieval to 18th Century H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo History of Writing: From Pen to Pixel
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Great Books I: Epic and Lyric Traditions
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Great Books I: Romancing the World H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Great Books I: Visual Arts and Literature from Antiquity to 1750 H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Great Books I: Politics and Literature from Antiquity to 1750
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Great Books I: Science and Literature from Antiquity to 1750
Survey II (select one):3
Nineteenth-Century American Literature
Twentieth-Century American Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Arguing on the Internet: Rhetoric in the Age of Social Media
IDEAs in Action General Education logo British Literature, 19th and Early 20th Century H, F
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to American Literature H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Contemporary Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Literature and Cultural Diversity H, F
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Great Books II H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Great Books II: Savage, Native, Stranger, Other
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Great Books II: Performance and Cultural Identity in the African Diaspora
Great Books II: Imaging the Americas from the Late 18th Century to the Present
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Great Books II: Travel and Identity H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Visual Culture II
Depth Course (select one):3
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Chaucer (British) H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Shakespeare (British) H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Milton (British) H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Studies in Jane Austen (British)
Studies in Virginia Woolf (British)
Faulkner (American)
Studies in African American Authors (American)
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Global Authors: Jane Austen (British) H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Global Authors: Cervantes
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Global Authors: The Worlds of Shakespeare (British)
Concentration (seven courses), see requirements below 221
Additional Requirements
At least six (6) courses (out of 10) must be at or above the 200 level. 3
Of these six (6), at least two (2) courses (out of 10) must be at the 300-level (Writing Intensive) in ENGL or CMPL. 3
Of these six (6), at least one (1) course (out of 10) must be at the 400-level (Research Intensive) in ENGL or CMPL. 3
Total Hours30
H

Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply.

F

FY-Launch class sections may be available. A FY-Launch section fulfills the same requirements as a standard section of that course, but also fulfills the FY-SEMINAR/FY-LAUNCH First-Year Foundations requirement. Students can search for FY-Launch sections in ConnectCarolina using the FY-LAUNCH attribute.

1

The concentration in Film and Media Studies includes different core requirements. See the requirements for this concentration below.

2

If no concentration is chosen, select seven (7) electives in ENGL and/or CMPL (excluding ENGL 100, ENGL 105, ENGL 105I, ENGL 110, and ENGL 191).

3

Required for all concentrations except for the Creative Writing concentration.

Concentration in British and American Literature

In addition to the core curriculum (three courses) and additional requirements described above, students must complete the following requirements.

Pre-1800 course (select one)3
IDEAs in Action General Education logo History of the English Language
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Chaucer H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Survey of Medieval English Literature, excluding Chaucer H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Shakespeare H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Renaissance Drama H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Literature of the Earlier Renaissance H
Literature of the Later Renaissance H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Milton H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Contemporary Approaches to 18th-Century Literature and Culture H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo 18th-Century Fiction H
18th-Century Drama H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Shakespeare and His Contemporaries H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Renaissance Literature and Its Intellectual Contexts
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Perspectives on the Renaissance
IDEAs in Action General Education logo 18th-Century Literature H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Renaissance Literature--Contemporary Issues
Survey of Old and Middle English Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Old English Language and Literature
Arthurian Romance
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Shakespeare and His Contemporaries
War in Shakespeare's Plays
Pre-1900 American literature course (select one)3
Nineteenth-Century American Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo American Literature, Before 1900 H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo African American Literature to 1930 H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo American Literature before 1860--Contemporary Issues H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo American Literature, 1860-1900--Contemporary Issues H
Multi-Ethnic and Diversity course (select one) 3
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Popular Culture in Modern Southeast Asia
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Horror and the Global Gothic: Film, Literature, Theory
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Literature and Cultural Diversity H, F
First-Year Honors: Women's Lives
Digital Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Gay and Lesbian Culture and Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo The Visual and Graphic Narrative
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Latina/o Studies H
Caribbean Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Intersectionality: Race, Gender, Sexuality, and Social Justice
Literature and Gender H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Healing in Ethnography and Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Literature and Race, Literature and Ethnicity H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Growing Up Latina/o
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Disability Studies
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Studies in Asian American Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Mixed-Race America: Race in Contemporary American Literature and Culture
Studies in African American Authors
Jewish American Literature and Culture of the 20th Century
Latina Feminisms
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Contemporary Asian American Literature and Theory
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Asian American Women's Writing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Feminist Literary Theory H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo African American Literature to 1930 H
African American Literature, 1930-1970 H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo African American Literature, 1970 to the Present H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Race, Health, and Narrative H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo The Place of Asian Americans in Southern Literature H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to the Celtic Cultures
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Literature and Media H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Literature and Law
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Gender, Sexuality, and the South Asian Diaspora
Canadian Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Educating Latinas/os: Preparing SLI Mentors
IDEAs in Action General Education logo African American Literature--Contemporary Issues H
Southern Literature--Contemporary Issues
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Queer Latina/o Literature, Performance, and Visual Art
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Queer Latina/o Photography and Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Being and Race in African American Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Literature of the Americas
Select four (4) additional courses from ENGL and/or CMPL 112
Total Hours21
H

Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply.

F

FY-Launch class sections may be available. A FY-Launch section fulfills the same requirements as a standard section of that course, but also fulfills the FY-SEMINAR/FY-LAUNCH First-Year Foundations requirement. Students can search for FY-Launch sections in ConnectCarolina using the FY-LAUNCH attribute.

1

 Excluding ENGL 100, ENGL 105, ENGL 105I, ENGL 110, and ENGL 191.

Concentration in Science, Medicine, and Literature

In addition to the core curriculum (three courses) and additional requirements described above, students must complete the following requirements.

Select four (4) electives from the lists below: 112
Courses in the department:
Literature and Medicine H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Healing in Ethnography and Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Science and Literature H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Medicine, Literature, and Culture H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Disability Studies
Professional Writing and Editing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Race, Health, and Narrative H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Practicum in Health Humanities
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Narrative, Literature, and Medicine: Advanced Interdisciplinary Seminar
Courses outside the department (no more than two): 1
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Cultures of Health and Healing in Africa
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Comparative Healing Systems
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Living Medicine
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Global Health
Health and Gender after Socialism
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Cultures and Politics of Reproduction
Medicine, Politics, and Justice
Medicine and Anthropology
Anthropology of the Body and the Subject
The Anthropology of Disability
Health and Medical Geography
An Introduction to the History of Medicine H
Topics in Medicine and the Humanities (must be taken for 3 credits)
Environmental and Science Journalism H
Health Policy in the United States
Global Health Law & Policy
Health and Human Rights
Body and Suffering in Christian Mysticism
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Sociology of Mental Health and Illness
Aging
Select three (3) additional courses from ENGL and/or CMPL 29
Total Hours21
H

Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply.

1

No more than two (2) courses outside the department.

2

 Excluding ENGL 100, ENGL 105, ENGL 105I, ENGL 110, and ENGL 191.

Concentration in Social Justice and Literature

In addition to the core curriculum (three courses) and additional requirements described above, students must complete the following requirements.

Select four (4) courses from the lists below: 112
Courses in the department:
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Race and Ethnicity in Hollywood Productions and Beyond
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Iranian Prison Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo India through Western Eyes
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Film and Politics
German Culture and the Jewish Question
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Literary Diasporas of the Middle East
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Postcolonial Literature of the Middle East
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Literature and Cultural Diversity H, F
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Gay and Lesbian Culture and Literature
Postcolonial Literature H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Latina/o Studies H
Caribbean Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Intersectionality: Race, Gender, Sexuality, and Social Justice
Literature and Gender H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Literature and Race, Literature and Ethnicity H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Growing Up Latina/o
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Disability Studies
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Studies in Asian American Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Mixed-Race America: Race in Contemporary American Literature and Culture
Studies in African American Authors
Jewish American Literature and Culture of the 20th Century
Latina Feminisms
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Contemporary Asian American Literature and Theory
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Asian American Women's Writing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Feminist Literary Theory H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo African American Literature to 1930 H
African American Literature, 1930-1970 H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo African American Literature, 1970 to the Present H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Race, Health, and Narrative H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo The Place of Asian Americans in Southern Literature H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Literature and Law
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Gender, Sexuality, and the South Asian Diaspora
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Rhetoric and Social Justice H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo African American Literature--Contemporary Issues H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Critical Security Studies
IDEAs in Action General Education logo War in 20th-Century Literature H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Queer Latina/o Literature, Performance, and Visual Art
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Queer Latina/o Photography and Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Literature of the Americas
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Being and Race in African American Literature
Courses outside the department (no more than two): 1
The Lived Experience of Inequality and Public Policy
Select three (3) additional courses in ENGL and/or CMPL 29
Total Hours21
H

Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply.

F

FY-Launch class sections may be available. A FY-Launch section fulfills the same requirements as a standard section of that course, but also fulfills the FY-SEMINAR/FY-LAUNCH First-Year Foundations requirement. Students can search for FY-Launch sections in ConnectCarolina using the FY-LAUNCH attribute.

1

No more than two (2) courses outside the department.

2

 Excluding ENGL 100, ENGL 105, ENGL 105I, ENGL 110, and ENGL 191.

Concentration in Writing, Editing, and Digital Publishing

In addition to the core curriculum (three courses) and additional requirements described above, students must complete the following requirements.

Select one (1) course from the following list: 13
Professional Writing and Editing
Professional Writing in Health and Medicine (Interdisciplinary)
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Professional Writing in the Arts
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Professional Communication for Social Movements
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Scientific and Technical Communication
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Advanced Business Communication
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Advanced Legal Communication
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Multimedia Composition H
Select four (4) courses from the following lists: 212
Courses in the department (as many as four):
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Approaches to Comparative Literature H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Literary Theory
IDEAs in Action General Education logo History of the English Language
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Arguing on the Internet: Rhetoric in the Age of Social Media
Picture This: Principles of Visual Rhetoric
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Writing about Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Fiction Writing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Poetry Writing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo First-Year Honors: Introduction to Fiction Writing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo First-Year Honors: Introduction to Poetry Writing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo The Publishing Industry: Editing, Design, and Production
Digital Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Creative Nonfiction
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Digital Composition
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introductory Seminar in Literary Studies
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Intermediate Fiction Writing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Intermediate Poetry Writing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Reading and Writing Creative Nonfiction
Grammar of Current English
English in the U.S.A. H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Life Writing H
Professional Writing and Editing
Professional Writing in Health and Medicine (Interdisciplinary)
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Professional Writing in the Arts
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Professional Communication for Social Movements
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Scientific and Technical Communication
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Advanced Business Communication
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Advanced Legal Communication
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Playwriting
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Studies in Fiction and Poetry: Stylistics
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Gram-O-Rama: Grammar in Performance
ENGL 309
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Writing and Social Networks
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Multimedia Composition H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Creating the Video Essay
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Podcasting
Professional Writing Portfolio Development and Publication
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Advanced Composition for Teachers
Investigations in Academic Writing and Writing Centers
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Rhetoric and Social Justice H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Advanced Fiction Writing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Advanced Poetry Writing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Collaboration: Composers and Lyricists
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Lyrics and Lyricists: A Collaborative Exploration of the Processes of Popular-Song Lyric Writing
Digital Humanities History and Methods
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Metadata, Mark-up, and Mapping: Understanding the Rhetoric of Digital Humanities
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Everyday Stories: Personal Narrative and Legend
Digital Literature
Teaching Online
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Digital Editing and Curation
Courses outside the department (no more than two):
Documenting Communities H
Management and Corporate Communication
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Public Speaking
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Practices of Cultural Studies
Visual Culture
Writing for the Screen and Stage
Environmental Advocacy
Introduction to Gender and Communication H
Playwriting I
Introduction to Oral History
Writing and Reporting
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Senior Seminar: Principles of Feminist Inquiry H
Select two (2) additional courses in ENGL and/or CMPL 36
Total Hours21
H

Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply.

1

Students may substitute a course from this list for the depth requirement from the core. Students would then need to select a second course from this list to fulfill the requirement for the concentration.

2

No more than two (2) courses may be taken outside the department.

3

 Excluding ENGL 100, ENGL 105, ENGL 105I, ENGL 110, and ENGL 191.

Concentration in Creative Writing

In addition to the core curriculum (three courses) described above, students must complete the following requirements. No concentration courses may be taken online.

Select five (5) courses from one of the following options:15
Combination of Genres 1
Any course from any track below and/or from the following list of courses:
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Studies in Fiction and Poetry: Stylistics
IDEAs in Action General Education logo From Manuscript to Press: Writer as Publisher
Creative Writing: Special Topics
Introduction to Writing for Film and Television
Intermediate Screenwriting
Feature Writing
Fiction Track
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Fiction Writing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo First-Year Honors: Introduction to Fiction Writing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Studies in Fiction and Poetry: Stylistics (with approval based on topic)
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Intermediate Fiction Writing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Advanced Fiction Writing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Creative Writing Senior Honors Thesis, Part I
and IDEAs in Action General Education logo Creative Writing Senior Honors Thesis, Part II
Poetry Track
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Poetry Writing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo First-Year Honors: Introduction to Poetry Writing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Studies in Fiction and Poetry: Stylistics (with approval based on topic)
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Intermediate Poetry Writing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Advanced Poetry Writing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Creative Writing Senior Honors Thesis, Part I
and IDEAs in Action General Education logo Creative Writing Senior Honors Thesis, Part II
Musical/Musical Theater Writing Track 1
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Playwriting
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Gram-O-Rama: Grammar in Performance
ENGL 309
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Collaboration: Composers and Lyricists
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Lyrics and Lyricists: A Collaborative Exploration of the Processes of Popular-Song Lyric Writing
Creative Writing: Special Topics (with approval based on topic)
Introduction to Composition
Inside the Song: Analysis of Songcraft
Playwriting I
IDEAs in Action General Education logo "Corner of the Sky": The American Musical
Creative Nonfiction Writing Track
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Creative Nonfiction
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Reading and Writing Creative Nonfiction
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Life Writing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Advanced Creative Nonfiction
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Creative Writing Senior Honors Thesis, Part I
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Creative Writing Senior Honors Thesis, Part II
Select two (2) additional courses in ENGL and/or CMPL 26
Total Hours21
1

No more than two (2) courses can be taken outside the Department of English and Comparative Literature.

2

 Excluding ENGL 100, ENGL 105, ENGL 105I, ENGL 110, and ENGL 191.

Concentration in Comparative and World Literatures

In addition to the core curriculum (three courses) and additional requirements described above, students must complete the following requirements.

It is recommended to choose a CMPL course from the Survey I list in the core curriculum.
CMPL 250IDEAs in Action General Education logo Approaches to Comparative Literature H3
or CMPL 251 IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Literary Theory
CMPL 495IDEAs in Action General Education logo Advanced Seminar3
Select one (1) to three (3) international literature courses taught in any foreign language department (200-level or higher) 1,23-9
Select two (2) to four (4) CMPL or ENGL courses (excluding ENGL 100, ENGL 105, ENGL 105I, ENGL 110, and ENGL 191). No more than two (2) from ENGL.6-12
Total Hours21
H

Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply.

1

Foreign language departments include Asian Studies, Classics, Germanic and Slavic Languages, Romance Studies.

2

At least one course should be focused on literature written in the original language.

Concentration in Film Studies

The film studies concentration focuses on the history, theory, analysis, and politics of cinema in a global context. Students become conversant with the evolution of film genres, styles, and traditions, while exploring relationships between film and other artistic forms, including literature, painting, photography, television, and digital video. This concentration enables students to gain skills of audiovisual literacy that are necessary for navigating the many screens of our modern world.

Students pursuing the film studies concentration do not follow the core requirements described above. Instead, students must complete the following requirements (10 courses):

Core Requirements
Survey I course (select one):3
IDEAs in Action General Education logo History of Global Cinema
Survey II course (select one):3
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Visual Culture II
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Critical Theory: Fear, Love, Laughter, and Loss - Film Genres and Spectatorship
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Global Authors: The Middle Ages in World Cinema
IDEAs in Action General Education logo The Feast in Film, Fiction, and Philosophy H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Contemporary German and Austrian Cinema
Queer Cinema
National and Transnational Cinemas
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Media Studies
IDEAs in Action General Education logo American Cinema of the 1970s: New Hollywood and Beyond
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Film Criticism
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Topics In Film History H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Literature and Cinema
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Topics in Contemporary Film and Media H
Depth course (select one):3
IDEAs in Action General Education logo The Cinematic City
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Global Authors: The Worlds of Shakespeare
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Horror and the Global Gothic: Film, Literature, Theory
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Film and Politics
Women in German Cinema
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Film Genres
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Cowboys, Samurai, and Rebels in Film and Fiction H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Film, Photography, and the Digital Image
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Cinema and Surrealism
The Essay Film: Adventures in Modern Cinema since 1945
Film Performance and Stardom
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Major Film Directors
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Documentary Film H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Research Methods in Film Studies
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Topics in Contemporary Film and Media H
Methods/Critical Approach course (select one): 3
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Film Theory
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Film Theory
Foundational course (select one):3
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Film Analysis H
Select two (2) additional ENGL and/or CMPL courses 16
Film elective courses (select three):9
IDEAs in Action General Education logo The African American in Motion Pictures: 1900 to the Present
IDEAs in Action General Education logo American Cinema and American Culture
Native Americans in Film
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Women and Detective Fiction: From Miss Violet Strange to Veronica Mars
IDEAs in Action General Education logo LGTBQ Film and Fiction from 1950 to the Present
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Seeing the USA: The Film Director as Public Intellectual
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Film, Nation, and Identity in the Arab World
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Iranian Post-1979 Cinema
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Bollywood Cinema
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Israeli Cinema: Gender, Nation, and Ethnicity H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Nation, Film, and Novel in Modern India
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Beyond Hostilities: Israeli-Palestinian Exchanges and Partnerships in Film, Literature, and Music
IDEAs in Action General Education logo The Cinemas of the Middle East and North Africa
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Cowboys, Samurai, and Rebels in Film and Fiction H
Introduction to Modern Chinese Culture through Cinema
IDEAs in Action General Education logo History as Fiction or Fiction as History? Early Chinese History in Film and Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo The City in Modern Chinese Literature and Film
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Engaging Film and Media
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Race and Ethnicity in Hollywood Productions and Beyond
IDEAs in Action General Education logo The Cinematic City
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Global Authors: Jane Austen H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Global Authors: Cervantes
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Global Authors: The Worlds of Shakespeare
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Global Authors: The Middle Ages in World Cinema
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Horror and the Global Gothic: Film, Literature, Theory
IDEAs in Action General Education logo The Feast in Film, Fiction, and Philosophy H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Film and Politics
Weimar Cinema
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Contemporary German and Austrian Cinema
Women in German Cinema
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Film Genres
Holocaust Cinema in Eastern Europe
Russian Literature in World Cinema
IDEAs in Action General Education logo New Wave Cinema: Its Sources and Its Legacies
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Film and Nature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Film, Photography, and the Digital Image
The Middle Ages
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Cinema and Surrealism
The Essay Film: Adventures in Modern Cinema since 1945
The Middle Ages
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Media Production
Writing for the Screen and Stage
Audio/Video/Film Production and Writing
Introduction to Writing for Film and Television
Writing the Short Film
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Film Story Analysis
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Visual Storytelling for Screenwriters
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Gender and Film
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Critical Theory
IDEAs in Action General Education logo History of American Screenwriting
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Advanced Audio Production
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Aesthetic and Technical Considerations in Making Short Videos
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Documentary Production
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Experimental Video
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Motion Graphics, Special Effects, and Compositing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Contemporary Film Theory
History of the Moving Image: Pasts, Presents, Futures
COMM 683
Film Performance and Stardom
National and Transnational Cinemas
Crafting the Dramatic Film: Theory Meets Practice H
Video Games and Narrative Cinema
IDEAs in Action General Education logo American Cinema of the 1970s: New Hollywood and Beyond
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Creating the Video Essay
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Film Criticism
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Topics In Film History H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Literature and Media H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Cinema and the Museum
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Documentary Film H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Research Methods in Film Studies
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Topics in Contemporary Film and Media H
French New Wave Cinema
History of French Cinema I: 1895-1950
History of French Cinema II: 1950 to the Present
African Francophone Cinema
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Hitler in Hollywood: Cinematic Representations of Nazi Germany
Auteur Cinema
Women in German Cinema
IDEAs in Action General Education logo History of German Cinema
The German Idea of War: Philosophical Dialogues with the Literary and Visual Arts in WWI
Representations of Violence and Terrorism in Contemporary German Literature and Film
Hungarian Cinema since World War II
What is a Medium? German Media Theory from Aesthetics to Cultural Techniques
IDEAs in Action General Education logo United States History through Film
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Movies Make History: Films as Primary Sources in Europe and America H
Cinema, Culture, and Society
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Italian Film and Culture
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Themes in Italian Film
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Italian America
Topics in Japanese Language and Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Portuguese, Brazilian, and African Identity in Film
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Hispanic Film
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Gender and Film
Additional Requirements
At least six (6) courses (out of 10) must be at or above the 200 level.
At least two (2) courses (out of 10) must be at the 300-level (Writing Intensive).
At least one (1) course (out of 10) must be at the 400-level (Research Intensive).
Total Hours30
H

Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply.

1

Excluding ENGL 100, ENGL 105, ENGL 105I, ENGL 110, and ENGL 191.

Special Opportunities in English and Comparative Literature

Honors in English and Comparative Literature

The department offers at least two honors seminars each semester. In addition, students seeking a degree with honors in English and Comparative Literature (a 3.3 cumulative grade point average and a 3.6 grade point average in major courses required) undertake a year-long independent project during their senior year (ENGL 691H  and ENGL 692H or CMPL 691H  and CMPL 692H) and usually produce a 40- to 70-page thesis under the direction of a faculty member. Students pursuing a degree with honors normally meet every week with the professors supervising their projects. This opportunity for individually directed research and writing often proves to be a high point of the student’s academic career. 

Honors in Creative Writing

See “Creative Writing Minor."

Study Abroad

Some of the best programs offered at the University for study overseas are especially appropriate and useful to majors in the Department of English and Comparative Literature. These include semester or year-long programs at Bristol, Manchester, Sussex, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and certain Australian universities. Students who have a minimum grade point average of 3.3 at the end of their sophomore year can participate in the King’s College Exchange Program at King’s College, London (representing either English or comparative literature). Special opportunities are also available at Oxford University and through the Joint Degree Program with the National University of Singapore. Comparative literature students most frequently travel to non-English-speaking destinations. For information on all overseas programs, see the Study Abroad Office.

Internship Program

Internships are a great way to explore career options before graduation. A major in English and comparative literature, with its focus on writing, oral communication, and research, opens the door to a wide variety of career paths. The Department of English and Comparative Literature provides the opportunity for students to receive credit for an internship that relates to the major.

Department of English and Comparative Literature

Visit Program Website

Greenlaw Hall, CB# 3520

(919) 962-5481

Chair

Marsha Collins

ECL Undergraduate Advisor

Hilary Lithgow

lithgow@email.unc.edu

Director of Undergraduate Studies

Martin L. Johnson

mlj@email.unc.edu