Programme details | |
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Degree: | Bachelor of Arts (Honours) (BA (Hons)) |
Discipline: |
Literature
|
Duration: | 36 months |
Study modes: | full-time, part-time |
University website: | Comparative Literature |
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What makes a tragedy by Sophocles so different from one written by Shakespeare? How has the genre of science fiction developed across Europe? What can a book say that a film cannot? Comparative Literature develops your understanding of historical and cross-cultural literary traditions while broadening your critical knowledge of literature.
Comparative Literature is the study of literature, time periods, languages and genres, and crosses the boundaries between literature and other forms of human expression, including film, visual arts and popular culture.
The Department of Comparative Literature at Kent was one of the first of its kind in the country. Our research feeds into our teaching, and creates an inclusive and stimulating environment.
You will engage with the study of literature through lectures which introduce you to new perspectives, and seminars where you will be able to contribute your own ideas. You will also have the opportunity to gain practical skills designed to enhance your career prospects. You could choose to add a Year in Journalism to your degree, and may also have the opportunity to contribute to conference organisation, creative writing and review writing, all of which will enhance your CV and develop your understanding of world literature.
Discover works from Europe and the Americas, Asia and Africa, looking at genres including the novel, the short story, poetry, autobiography, drama, and the epic, with a particular emphasis on how literary forms have evolved in different cultures and linguistic traditions.
Explore questions such as: How have writers such as James Joyce engaged with Greek mythology? What is the evolution of the fairy tale from Charles Perrault to Walt Disney? In what ways might an English nineteenth-century novel of female adultery relate to a French, German, or Russian one?
Comparative Literature covers works from the ancient classics of Greece and Rome to the modern age, offering you the opportunity to develop an understanding of historical and cross-cultural literary traditions and the ways in which they interact, while broadening your critical knowledge of literature and culture.
Themes and areas you will explore include fiction and power; sex and gender; childhood and adolescence; crime fiction; literature and testimony; literature and seduction and creative writing.
You do not need to be able to read a foreign language to take a degree in Comparative Literature. While we encourage you to engage with foreign languages, you study translated works alongside literature originally written in English.
Michael talks about his Comparative Literature course at Kent.
You have the opportunity to broaden your education by spending a year studying abroad at one of our many partner institutions in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. This chance to immerse yourself in another culture not only enriches your literary studies but is also a wonderful opportunity for personal and career development. Alternatively, you can spend a year on a work placement, gaining valuable experience and enhancing your employability.
You can get involved with student societies such as the Film, Creative Writing and Modern Languages societies. The Gulbenkian has a theatre hosting work by theatre companies and a cinema showing contemporary, classic and independent films.
Find more information on the website of the University of Kent: