Majors & Minors

Together our majors and minors, our graduate students, and our staff and faculty all make up one of the most respected departments of its kind—nationally and internationally. Small in size, we work with one another as we are dedicated to thinking incisively and critically about the world around us. We study the then and now, and often comparatively. We address issues in film and literature, music and philosophy, sounds and images, and more in so many possible variations. For a full sense of the opportunities we offer, discover what it is we do by exploring the exciting careers pursued by our alumni and the research interests of our award-winning faculty.

The Department of Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature offers bachelor of arts degrees and undergraduate minors in two areas: Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature (CSCL) and Studies in Cinema and Media Culture (SCMC). CSCL and SCMC majors have the opportunity to graduate with Latin Honors through the University Honors Program (UHP).

Declare your major
Meet with our advisor to declare your CSCL or SCMC major or minor.

Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature

Students have the opportunity to pursue either a BA or a minor in CSCL. Whether students major or minor with us, we offer highly flexible coursework options. Such flexibility means we can teach a wide array of courses in literature, cinema, media, and sound, from which students are able to choose those topics most important to their academic and intellectual development. What unites the department and our majors and minors is a commitment to critical inquiry and expression without restriction to a set canon of texts, works, or media. Our majors and minors can study European literature and philosophy, contemporary romance novels and film, experimental art cinema, avant-garde poetry, Bollywood and postcolonial literature, punk rock, reggae and salsa, and even gaming (or ludology, if you prefer the Latin nomenclature).

Studies in Cinema and Media Culture

Students may pursue either a BA or a minor in SCMC if they would like to examine cinema and its connection to our culture today and throughout history. If you would like to pursue a BA in SCMC, you will take core courses in cinema and art history, as well as several courses exploring the context, practice, difference, and analysis of cinema and media culture. While completing these core courses, you will also select from a vast expanse of electives within the BA. You may choose electives from any relevant topic of interest, including journalism; gender, women's, & sexuality studies; art; and geography.