Comparative Literature and Society

The Institute for Comparative Literature and Society: 

Department website: https://icls.columbia.edu/

Office location: B101 Heyman Center

Office contact: 212-854-8850, icls@columbia.edu

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Tadas Bugnevicius, tb2333@columbia.edu
 
Director of Medical Humanities: Rishi K. Goyal, rkg6@cumc.columbia.edu 

Undergraduate Administrator: Tomi Haxhi, th2666@columbia.edu

 

Comparative Literature and Society and Medical Humanities majors

The major in Comparative Literature and Society (CLS) allows qualified students to study literature, culture, and society with reference to material from several national traditions, or in combination of literary study with comparative study in other disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. The program is designed for students whose interest and expertise in languages other than English permit them to work comparatively in several national or regional cultures. The course of study differs from that of traditional comparative literature programs, both in its cross-disciplinary nature and in its expanded geographic range, including not just European, but also Asian, Middle Eastern, African, and Latin American cultures. Students will thus explore a variety of methodological and disciplinary approaches to cultural and literary artifacts in the broadest sense. The cross-disciplinary range of the program includes visual and media studies; the law and the humanities; and studies of space, cities, and architecture.

ICLS also offers a major in Medical Humanities (MedHum). At the level of the individual patient, medicine and medical systems diagnose and treat disease to prolong life and to diminish the suffering that accompanies illness. But in many societies, the reach of modern biomedicine far exceeds the intimate zone of patient and caregiver encompassed by this model. From climate change and food activism to city planning and public housing, from family planning and surrogacy to gendered and racial identities, the biomedical model of health now underwrites national and supra-state policies, corporate ventures, targets of social and political activism and modes of individual engagement. Students enrolled in the Medical Humanities major work at the intersection of these different forces and discourses, examining the many factors, from the biological to the social, economic, political and aesthetic, that influence health and shape our perceptions of physical and psychological well-being.
Both majors require an application. Please see the admissions details on our website. 

Student Advising 

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Tadas Bugnevicius, tb2333@columbia.edu
 
Director of Medical Humanities: Rishi K. Goyal, rkg6@cumc.columbia.edu 

Undergraduate Administrator: Tomi Haxhi, th2666@columbia.edu 

Consulting Advisers

Students intending to seek admission to the Comparative Literature and Society major are encouraged to speak as soon as possible to the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS), Tadas Bugnevicius (tb3111@columbia.edu). Students intending to seek admission to the Medical Humanities major are encouraged to speak as soon as possible to the Director of Medical Humanities, Rishi Goyal, (rkg6@cumc.columbia.edu) and the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Tadas Bugnevicius (tb3111@columbia.edu).

Students enroll in either major at the beginning of the spring semester of the sophomore year by completing the admissions form that can be found on our website and submitting the completed form along with a transcript and one-page statement of academic interests.

In the fall semester, students are invited to attend a Meet-n-Greet, an informal discussion with current and prospective majors, our DUS and our Director of Medical Humanities.

Enrolling in Classes 

The ICLS majors require that you take the Intro course (CPLS V3900) in the spring semester of your sophomore year, and the Senior Seminar (CPLS V3991) in the fall semester of your senior year. Enrollment in the Intro course requires that you have already applied to the major or concentration. When it comes time to register, add the course to your waitlist and you will be admitted by a member of the ICLS team.

Preparing for Graduate Study 

CLS majors often apply to PhD programs and occasionally to MA programs in Humanities and Social Sciences. All students should meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Tadas Bugnevicius, to discuss their plans for graduate studies as early as they can.  

Medical Humanities majors often pursue graduate studies. Students apply to medical school, master's programs in public health and PhD programs in the Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences. Premedical students should meet with their pre-medical advisor. All students should meet with the Director of Medical Humanities, Rishi Goyal, to discuss their plans for graduate studies as early as they can.  

Coursework Taken Outside of Columbia 

Coursework in fulfillment of a major or minor must be taken at Columbia University unless explicitly noted here and/or expressly permitted by the Director of Undergraduate Studies of the program. Exceptions or substitutions permitted by the Director of Undergraduate Studies should be confirmed in writing by email to the student.

Advanced Placement 

ICLS does not accept any advanced placement credit toward courses in our curriculum.

Barnard College Courses 

Barnard courses 3000-level and above are considered for this major with the exception of the Barnard Introduction to Comparative Literature. That course cannot be substituted for our required Introduction to Comparative Literature and Society. Students should consult with the DUS on their course schedule to ensure the courses they choose will meet their course requirements. 

Transfer Courses

When students transfer to Columbia from other institutions, their coursework at their previous institution must first be considered by their school in order to be evaluated for degree credit (e.g., to confirm that the courses will count toward the 124 points of credit that every student is required to complete for the B.A. degree). Only after that degree credit is confirmed, departments may consider whether those courses can also be used to fulfill specific degree requirements toward a major at ICLS.

Study Abroad Courses 

Classes taken abroad through Columbia-led programs (i.e., those administered by Columbia’s Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement and taught by Columbia instructors) are treated as Columbia courses, equivalent to those taken on the Morningside Heights campus. If they are not explicitly listed by ICLS as fulfilling requirements in the major, the DUS will need to confirm that they can be used toward requirements in the major.

Classes taken abroad through other institutions and programs are treated as transfer credit to Columbia and are subject to the same policies as other transfer courses. There will be a limit on the number of courses taken abroad that can be applied to the major, and they must be approved by the DUS.

Summer Courses 

Summer courses at Columbia are offered through the School of Professional Studies. Courses taken in a Summer Term may be used toward requirements for the major only as articulated in department/institute/center guidelines or by permission of the Director(s) of Undergraduate Studies. More general policies about summer coursework can be found in the Academic Regulations section of this Bulletin.

Undergraduate Research and Senior Thesis 

Undergraduate Research in Courses 

The ICLS majors teach students critical theory and interdisciplinary thinking that are applicable to many areas of knowledge. The required Intro course (CPLS V3900) introduces students to theoretical and interdisciplinary methods. The required Senior Seminar (CPLS V3991) introduces students to contemporary theoretical debates and is based on current research interests of ICLS faculty. Students are also given an opportunity to develop an independent research project. The optional Senior Thesis workshop (CPLS 3995) is fully dedicated to advanced independent research. 

Senior Thesis Coursework and Requirements 

The senior thesis is optional. If you want to be considered for departmental honors, it is required. It is a piece of scholarly research, the model for which is an academic journal article. A translation or a piece of creative work, such as a piece of creative writing, can be submitted with the prior approval of the DUS, and must be accompanied by an explanatory introduction or foreword of no less than 5000 words in length.

Students interested in writing a senior thesis will submit a thesis proposal in the spring semester of their junior year. Students who decide to write a thesis will enroll in a year-long course (CPLS3995) starting in the fall of their senior year. Detailed information can be found on our website. 

Department Honors and Prizes 

Department Honors

To be eligible for departmental honors students must have a minimum grade point average of 3.6 for courses in the major. Departmental honors will be conferred only on students who have submitted a superior senior thesis that clearly demonstrates originality and excellent scholarship. Please note that the senior thesis is not required for the major. Please keep in mind that, according to Columbia College rules, no more than 10% of the majors graduating in a department or program in a given year may be awarded Departmental Honors.

Academic Prizes 

Each year, ICLS presents one to two seniors with the Catherine Medalia Johannet Memorial Prize in Comparative Literature and Society. These prizes were created by family and friends in memory of Catherine Medalia Johannet, a Medicine, Literature and Society major, CC’15, consistent with Catherine’s interest in literature and its use in effecting change in society.

One to two prizes will be awarded annually to a Comparative Literature & Society or Medical Humanities major who has written a distinguished senior thesis that demonstrates the highest academic rigor, creativity and engagement with ethical questions. The winner will be chosen by a faculty committee consisting of the Director of Undergraduate Studies, the Director of the Medical Humanities major and two other faculty members associated with ICLS.

CLS majors in the School of General Studies for the John Angus Burrell Memorial Prize for distinction in English and Comparative Literature.

Other Important Information 

CLS Foreign Language Requirement: Since students are expected to be able to conduct basic research in a foreign language they must, by the time they apply, meet the following foreign language requirement: 

Foreign Language #1: you must have taken or be taking in the spring semester of your sophomore year, at least one advanced course in a foreign language. The course should be taken at Columbia, Barnard or a peer institution. ‘Advanced’ signifies a course at the 3000- or 4000- level that is not a conversation course. The course does not have to be conducted in the target language but most of the readings must be in the language. 

Foreign language #2: you must have completed or be completing in the spring semester of your sophomore year, the equivalent of least 4 semesters of a foreign language. This can be satisfied by either 4 semesters in one language or 2 semesters each in 2 different languages. These four semesters may be taken at Columbia or reflected in AP scores, summer program credits, etc. Native and heritage speakers must take a placement test to confirm their level unless they have completed high school in the foreign language.

MedHum Foreign Language Requirement: Students must have taken at Columbia or be taking during the spring semester of the sophomore year at least one advanced course in a foreign language. ‘Advanced’ signifies a course at the 3000- or 4000- level that is not primarily a language training course. Note that the course does not have to be conducted in the language but most of the readings must be in the language. An additional advanced language course will be required as part of your major course requirements.

Executive Committee of ICLS
Nadia Abu El-Haj (Anthropology, Center for Palestine Studies)
Tadas Bugnevicius (French and ICLS)
Bruno Bosteels (Latin American and Iberian Cultures)
Claudia Breger (Germanic Languages)
Souleymane Bachir Diagne (French and Romance Philology)
Madeleine Dobie (French and Romance Philology)
Brent Hayes Edwards (English and Comparative Literature, Jazz)
Matthew Engelke (Religion)
Kevin A. Fellezs (Music)
Stathis Gourgouris (Classics, English and Comparative Literature)
Rishi Kumar Goyal (Emergency Medicine)
Seth Kimmel (Latin American and Iberian Cultures) 
Adam Leeds (Slavic Languages)
Lydia H. Liu (East Asian Languages and Cultures)
David B. Lurie (East Asian Languages and Cultures)
Anupama P Rao (History, Barnard)
Pamela Smith (History and Center for Science and Society)
Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak (University Professor of the Humanities)
Dennis Tenen (English and Comparative Literature)

Guidance for Undergraduate Students in the Department
 

Program Planning for all Students 

Students who entered Columbia (as first‐year students or as transfer students) in or after Fall 2024 may select from a curriculum of majors and minors. The requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree, and role of majors and minors in those requirements, can be found in the Academic Requirements section of the Bulletin dated the academic year when the student matriculated at Columbia and the Bulletin dated the academic year when the student was a sophomore and declared programs of study.
 

Students who entered Columbia in or before Fall 2023 may select from a curriculum of majors and minors and concentrations. The requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree, and the role of majors and minors in those requirements, can be found in the Academic Requirements section of the Bulletin dated the academic year when the student matriculated at Columbia and the Bulletin dated the academic year when the student was a sophomore and declared programs of study.

Students should consult the Admissions information on the Institute for Comparative Literature and Society website for details on the application requirements. Students are also encouraged to attend the annual Undergraduate Meet-n-Greet held in October. Consult the events page of our website or contact icls@columbia.edu for details on this meeting which is open to all prospective majors. 

Course Numbering Structure 

Courses at the Institute for Comparative Literature and Society have the subject code CPLS - Comparative Literature and Society, or CLPS - Comparative Literature and Psychoanalytic Study. Additionally, the Institute cross-lists courses from our affiliated faculty each semester. These courses can be found on the Directory of Classes under our departmental page. For our majors, all coursework should be 3000-level or above. Lectures at the 2000-level are only accepted within coursework with special permission from the DUS. All coursework in these interdisciplinary majors should be approved by the DUS prior to the end of the change period.  

Guidance for First-Year Students 

Prospective majors should focus their efforts on meeting the language requirements for our major.
For Comparative Literature and Society Majors:

Foreign Language #1: you must have taken or be taking in the spring semester of your sophomore year, at least one advanced course in a foreign language. The course should be taken at Columbia, Barnard or a peer institution. ‘Advanced’ signifies a course at the 3000- or 4000- level that is not a conversation course. The course does not have to be conducted in the target language but most of the readings must be in the language. 

Foreign language #2: you must have completed or be completing in the spring semester of your sophomore year, the equivalent of at least 4 semesters of a foreign language. This can be satisfied by either 4 semesters in one language or 2 semesters each in 2 different languages. These four semesters may be taken at Columbia or reflected in AP scores, summer program credits, etc. Native and heritage speakers must take a placement test to confirm their level unless they have completed high school in the foreign language. 

For Medical Humanities Majors: 

Foreign Language Requirement: Students must have taken at Columbia or be taking during the spring semester of the sophomore year at least one advanced course in a foreign language. ‘Advanced’ signifies a course at the 3000- or 4000- level that is not primarily a language training course. Note that the course does not have to be conducted in the language but most of the readings must be in the language. An additional advanced language course will be required as part of your major course requirements.

For less commonly taught languages, students should consult with the DUS to determine how to meet the advanced language course requirement. 

Guidance for Transfer Students

 
Transfer students should consult with the DUS upon arrival at Columbia University to prepare their application for the major. They should not wait until the usual application period. The Introduction to Comparative Literature and Society course (CPLS UN3900) should be taken during their first spring term at Columbia University.
 

Undergraduate Programs of Study
 

Required Coursework for all Programs 

The ICLS majors require that you take the Intro course (CPLS UN3900) in the spring semester of your sophomore year, and the Senior Seminar (CPLS UN3991) in the fall semester of your senior year. Enrollment in the Intro course requires that you have already applied to the major or concentration. When it comes time to register, add the course to your waitlist and you will be admitted by a member of the ICLS team.

Major in Comparative Literature and Society

The major in Comparative Literature and Society consists of a minimum of 33 points or 11 courses, distributed as follows. Courses taken to fulfill the application requirements do not count toward the major. Courses fulfilling major requirements must be advanced, discussion-based seminars. Language courses in the Beginner I to Intermediate II stream cannot be counted to fulfill any major requirement. With the exception of courses taken to satisfy the global core requirement, double counting of courses to the CPLS major and another program or university requirement must be pre-approved by the DUS.

1. Introduction to ICLS (CPLS UN3900), taken in the spring of the sophomore year (3 points)

2. Two courses with a CPLS designator. CLXX courses, i.e. courses cross-listed between ICLS and other departments, may also be counted toward this requirement (6-8 points)

3. Two seminars in a humanities or social science discipline other than literature (e.g. Architecture, Anthropology, Art History, Economics, Gender & Sexuality Studies, History, Law, Linguistics, Music, Political Science, Race & Ethnicity Studies, Sociology…). The two courses must be grounded in the same disciplinary approach but don’t have to be offered by the same department or program (6-8 points)

4. Two courses requiring readings in a language other than English. (The two courses cannot be taken in the same foreign language) (6-8 points)

5. Two courses focusing on a specific national or regional literature or culture, chosen from any discipline (The two courses may focus on the same nation/region) (6-8 points)

6. One elective course reflecting the student’s intellectual interests. Additional foreign language study may also be counted with DUS approval (3-4 points)

7. Senior Seminar in Comparative Literature and Society (CPLS UN3991).

The senior seminar is taken in the fall semester of the senior year. Students explore three areas of contemporary reflection in the field of comparative literature and society. Topics change yearly and are aligned with current ICLS research projects.  Recent examples include Global Racisms, Literary Cultures, Digital Humanities, and Medical Humanities.

1. (Optional) Senior Thesis (CPLS 3995) (3 points)

Students who decide to write a thesis will submit a proposal in the spring term of their junior year and enroll in a year-long course (CPLS UN3995) starting in the fall of their senior year. This year-long, 3-credit course (1 credit in Fall, 2 credits in Spring) will allow students to receive academic credits for their thesis, and to count the thesis towards completion of their major requirement when necessary (Requirement #10 of the CLS Course Chart).

Students should consult frequently with the DUS to ensure that their program of study develops in consonance with the intellectual project described in the focus statement that was presented as part of the admissions process. The faculty understands that this statement is itself a work in progress, but also that it serves as a useful guide to the student’s academic pursuits and course selection.

Comparative Literature and Society majors should also consider the Barnard College course offerings in Comparative Literature. They are also strongly encouraged to avail themselves of the opportunity to study abroad.

Major in Medical Humanities  

The major in Medical Humanities consists of a minimum of 33 points or 11 courses, distributed as follows.

1. Introduction to Comparative Literature & Society (CPLS UN3900): 3 points

This course introduces important methodologies and areas of disciplinary reflection in contemporary comparative literature. It is taken jointly with comparative literature and society majors taken in the spring semester of a student’s sophomore year. In addition to units on narrative, authorship and the history and practice of comparative and world literature it includes units relating to science, health and medicine, race, gender and sexuality that are directly relevant to MedHum majors.

1. 1 course with a CPLS or CL- course identifier: 3-4 points

Students choose from among the wide range of courses sponsored by the Institute for Comparative Literature and Society or cross-listed between ICLS and other departments. These offerings change every semester and are listed on the ICLS website.

     2. 1 course with readings in a language other than English: 3-4 points

Students may either take a course that is taught wholly or partially in a foreign language, or a course taught in English for which they have received approval to do most of the reading in a foreign language.

     3. 3 courses that form the disciplinary/methodological nexus of the student’s interests: 9-12 points

Students will develop an individualized course of study at the nexus of health, society and the humanities in discussion with the DUS (Some example of prior constellations include but are not limited to:  Literature and Medicine; Narrative Medicine; Medical Anthropology; History of Medicine; Comparative Public Health; Disability studies; Neuroscience; Biopolitics; Bioethics.)

     4. 2 required core courses in Medical Humanities: 6 points

The core courses in medical humanities are designated as any course taught by faculty on the medical humanities advisory board that emphasizes the content, methods, theories, and approaches of the medical humanities. Please confirm with the Director of Medical Humanities if you have any questions

     5. 2 classes in the biological or biochemical sciences: 6-8 points

Students in the MedHum major should be versed in contemporary and classical debates and knowledge in the biological sciences.  Students may take any two biology or biochemistry classes that relate to fundamental concepts in human biology.

     6. Senior Seminar at ICLS: 3 points

The senior seminar is taken in the fall semester of the senior year. Students explore three areas of contemporary reflection in the field of comparative literature and society. Topics change yearly and are aligned with current ICLS research projects. Recent examples include Global Racisms, Literary Cultures, Digital Humanities, and Medical Humanities. 

     7. Senior Thesis (optional): 3 pts

Students who decide to write a thesis will submit a proposal in the spring semester of their junior year and enroll in a year-long course (CPLS UN3995) starting in the fall of their senior year. This year-long, 3-credit course (1 credit in Fall, 2 credits in Spring) will allow students to receive academic credits for their thesis, and to count the thesis towards completion of their major requirement when necessary.

The specific course of study must be approved by the DUS.

For students who entered Columbia in or before the 2023-24 academic year
 

Concentration in Comparative Literature and Society 

PLEASE NOTE: this information is for students already in the program. The concentration is no longer accepting new students as of Fall 2024.

The concentration in Comparative Literature and Society consists of a minimum of 27 points or 9 courses, distributed as follows. Please note that courses taken to fulfill the application requirements do not count toward the major. Courses fulfilling concentration requirements must be advanced, discussion-based seminars. Language courses in the Beginner I to Intermediate II stream cannot be counted to fulfill any concentration requirement. With the exception of courses taken to satisfy the global core requirement, any double counting of courses to the CPLS concentration and another program or university requirement must be approved by the DUS.

1. Introduction to ICLS (CPLS UN3900), taken in the spring of the sophomore year (3 points).

2. Two courses with a CPLS designator. CL– courses, i.e. courses cross-listed between ICLS and other departments, may also be counted toward this requirement (6-8 points)

3. Two seminars in a humanities or social science discipline other than literature (e.g. Architecture, Anthropology, Art History, Economics, Gender & Sexuality Studies, History, Law, Linguistics, Music, Political Science, Race & Ethnicity Studies, Sociology…). The two courses must be grounded in the same disciplinary approach but don’t have to be offered by the same department or program (6-8 points)

4. Two courses requiring readings in a language other than English (the two courses cannot be taken in the same foreign language) (6-8 points)

5. One course focusing on a specific national or regional literature or culture, chosen from any discipline (3-4 points)

6. Senior Seminar in Comparative Literature and Society (CPLS UN3991)

The senior seminar is taken in the fall semester of the senior year. Students explore three areas of contemporary reflection in the field of comparative literature and society. Topics change yearly and are aligned with current ICLS research projects. Recent examples include Global Racisms, Literary Cultures, Digital Humanities, and Medical Humanities.

     7. (Optional) Senior Thesis (CPLS UN3995) (3 points)

Students who decide to write a thesis must submit a proposal spring semester of their junior year and enroll in a year-long course (CPLS3995) starting in the fall semester of their senior year. This year-long, 3-credit course (1 credit in Fall, 2 credits in Spring) will allow students to receive academic credits for their thesis, and to count the thesis towards completion of their requirements when necessary.

Students should consult frequently with the DUS to ensure that their program of study develops in consonance with the intellectual project described in the focus statement that was presented as part of the admissions process. The faculty understands that this statement is itself a work in progress, but also that it serves as a useful guide to the student’s academic pursuits and course selection.

Comparative Literature and Society concentration students should also consider the Barnard College course offerings in Comparative Literature. They are also strongly encouraged to avail themselves of the opportunity to study abroad.

Fall 2025 Courses 

Spring 2025 Courses