James Madison University

Dr. Ramenga Mtaali Osotsi, Coordinator

Phone: (540) 568-6560

The minor in world literature gives students the opportunity to broaden their understanding of and experiences in different cultures of the world by examining the literatures of these cultures. By exploring various literary traditions, students will better understand how literature reflects culture and deepens their appreciation for the diversity of global cultures. The minimum requirement for a minor in world literature is 21 credits with at least nine credit hours drawn from course work from each department.

The program is sponsored jointly by the Department of English and the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures. World literature courses offered by the English department, designated by “WL” in the course schedule, study different non-English language-literatures and non-Western language-literatures. No prior foreign language training is assumed or required.

All texts and instruction for courses from the Department of English and for 200-level and 400-level courses from the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures are in English. All other courses offered by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures are taught in the target language, allowing students to study literature in the original language.

When designing their plan of study, students should note that the gateway course and one 200-level course in foreign languages and literatures can count toward general education or major requirements, but no other courses in the minor program can. Students must take course work from the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures component in two or more language-literatures (e.g., French and Spanish or German and Russian). The program coordinator and the head of each of the sponsoring departments will have a list of world literature courses at the time of registration. Students should consult the program coordinator about new courses and appropriateness of topics of special studies/special topics courses.

Some of these courses may include several sections per term (e.g., GHUM 200. Great Works) and only those sections indicated in the Registration and Student Record Services Handbook as having World Literature content will satisfy the world literature requirement.


Minor Requirements Courses	Credit Hours
Choose the following gateway course:	3
GENG 239. Studies in World Literature
Choose one of the following:	3
ENG 299. Writing About Literature
GHUM 200. Great Works
Choose one of the following:	3
CLAS 265. The Individual and Society in Ancient Greece and Rome
CLAS 266. Greek and Roman Classics in Translation
FL 267. Literature of Opera in Translation
FR 266. French Literature in Translation II
GER 265. German Literature of the 18th and 19^th Centuries in
Translation
GER 266. Contemporary German Literature in Translation
RUS 265. Russian Literature in Translation I
RUS 266. Russian Literature in Translation II
Choose two of the following:	6
ENG 302. Special Topics in Literature and Language
ENG 305. Mythology
ENG 306. The Bible as Literature
ENG 331. Modern Poetry
ENG 332. Contemporary Poetry
ENG 333. Modern Drama
ENG 334. Contemporary Drama
ENG 358. Oral Literature
ENG 361. African American Fiction Writers
ENG 362. African American Poets
ENG 367. Women’s Poetry
ENG 368. Women’s Fiction
ENG 381. Introduction to Film to 1960
ENG 384. Major Film Directors
ENG 412. Special Topic Seminar
ENG 425. Survey of Literary Criticism to 1950
ENG 426. Contemporary Practices in Literary Criticism
ENG 430. Studies in Comparative Literature
ENG 431. Studies in Caribbean Literature
ENG 432. Studies in African Literature
ENG 433. Studies in Arabic Literature
ENG 466. Studies in Women’s Literature
ENG 467. Feminist Literary Theory
ENG 499. Honors in English
Choose two of the following:	6
CLAS 337. Human Values: The Classical Tradition
FL 446. Special Topics in Linguistics, Literature or Civilization
FL 499. Honors in Foreign Literatures
FR 335. Introduction to French Literature
FR 339. Survey of French Literature
FR 405. Nineteenth-Century French Literature
FR 420. Advanced Genre Study
FR 425. Twentieth-Century French Literature
FR 465. French Cinema 1930-1980
FR 490. Special Studies in French Literature
GER 405. Age of German Classicism
GER 415. German Romanticism and Realism
GER 446. Modern German Literature
GER 490. Special Studies in German Literature
ITAL 335. Introduction to Italian Literature
ITAL 425. Modern Italian Literature
ITAL 465. Italian Cinema
ITAL 490. Special Studies in Italian Literature
RUS 405. Russian Literature of the 19th Century
RUS 426. Russian Literature of the 20th Century
RUS 490. Special Studies in Russian Literature
SPAN 385. Latin American Drama and Short Stories
SPAN 405. Spanish Novels of the 19th and 20^th Centuries
SPAN 406. Spanish Drama of the 19th and 20^th Centuries
SPAN 415. Spanish-American Novel
SPAN 425. Prose of the Spanish Golden Age
SPAN 426. Drama of the Spanish Golden Age
SPAN 460. Post War Literature in Spanish
SPAN 490. Special Studies in Spanish Literature
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