Reed - English Department: Related Majors

The General Literature major is intended for the student having special interests, orientations, or competencies that are not readily accommodated by one of the other programs in the Division of Literature and Languages. The student majoring in General Literature will follow an individual program of study that may include courses taken from the various Departments within the Division. Through the General Literature major, the student may pursue an interest in a particular combination of literatures: a genre, period, or "ism," such as, autobiography, the Baroque or Classicism, or the nineteenth-century novel. The student interested in Romanticism, for example, might take French 371 (French Romantic and Symbolist Poetry), German 376 (The German Romantic Movement), and Russian 414 (Russian Romanticism), as core courses, and two to four semesters of other literature. A committee consisting of representatives from the Division’s constituent departments oversees the General Literature program.

Unlike ordinary departmental majors who are automatically accepted by the Registrar, General Literature majors must formally apply to and be approved by the General Literature Committee. We encourage students to meet with members of the General Literature Committee to discuss their program of study before they submit an application.

To be considered for admission into the General Literature program, you must submit a written statement in duplicate to Karen Bondaruk (Vollum 320) no later than the end of the first semester of the junior year in which you justify your desire to do a General Literature major rather than an English major or foreign language departmental major. The statement is to include an outline of the proposed course of study, a specific list of relevant courses, and a rationale designed to persuade the committee that the program makes sense in terms of coherent intellectual objectives, and that these objectives could not be attained through one of the other division programs. The rationale which you offer for your program must make the case for the coherence of your intellectual objectives by showing how these objectives would be furthered by the four units of Literature (English, Foreign, or General) that you are required to elect for the major. The four courses that you choose must reflect your interest in a single period, genre, or literary topic. These four courses and a literary problem that arises out of them become the heart and reason for your being a General Literature major. We urge you to be as specific as possible in stipulating the kind of literary problem you see as the focus of your special program in General Literature.

In the second semester of your Junior year you will have a Qualifying Examination. All students taking this Qual will have one essay question tailored to their specific program focus. There will be a brief (30-45 minutes) meeting on your Qual with a member of the committee, at which time both the Qual and also a possible thesis topic will be discussed.

The General Literature thesis is focused on a problem related to a genre, period, or theory (e.g., autobiography, the Baroque, or structuralism), and the topic usually grows out of the cluster of four courses the student presents to the General Literature Committee when applying to be accepted for the major. One or more members from the Division of Literature and Languages may advise a General Literature thesis. The Divisional thesis due dates also apply to the General Literature thesis.

Information about the application procedure to declare a General Literature major is available from the Division office (Vollum 320).

1. Standard Divisional requirements in Literature and Languages, and standard College requirements (check the current College catalog).
2. At least six units of literature courses at the 300 or 400 level, of which four shall be within the student’s area of special interest.
3. General Literature 470 (thesis).

Interdisciplinary Majors

The Reed student has the advantage of other academic choices. A double major is possible, and there are four interdisciplinary majors which combine the field of English with a compatible field of study:

If you chose to pursue an established interdisciplinary major, your program of study is guided by a Standing Committee drawn from the departmental staff concerned.

To supplement these established interdisciplinary majors, special ad hoc programs that link two disciplines can be arranged if they meet with faculty approval. The student's academic record, the validity of the program, and the student's potential to complete the proposed program successfully are the essential factors considered by the advisors and departments. The English Department will consider proposals for special ad hoc programs that specifically address the question of why the proposed course of study cannot be done under departmental auspices. In addition, the Department requires (1) that such proposals identify two advisers, one from each of the departments involved, each of whom has explicitly committed to supervising the thesis for the proposed interdisciplinary program and (2) that both departments approve the thesis proposal (including a thesis topic and a general approach to combining disciplines).

Interdisciplinary programs generally require taking a Qual from each participating discipline or a single special qualifying examination prepared by the two departments. Your thesis work will be supervised by the Interdisciplinary Committee. Your committee will specify guidelines and due dates, and schedule your oral examination. A Committee may ask the student to follow the Division of Literature and Languages guidelines or may develop independent guidelines.