Theory Centered Comp Lit programs

[semicolon2013]

I have been reading these message boards, which have been very helpful, for a while and finally decided to post. I just finished my sophomore year of college and am thinking about graduate school in Comparative Literature. I am interested in literary theory. I don't have very specific research interests yet, but I know I like Foucault, Derrida, and Levinas. I have been looking at schools and noticed some programs like Harvard and Yale require an ancient language to get a PhD and I don't think that is something I am interested in. Does anyone have suggestions for good schools that are very theory oriented and interdisciplinary?

Other information about me that might be important: I'm an English major at a liberal arts college, have a 3.8 GPA, and know some French (can take lit classes) and Russian (can't read very well and have not done coursework, but can speak it).

[truckbasket]

UCI is well known for theory, although the emphasis appears to be slightly more post-colonial than straight continental phil. / linguistics. Plus, there are rumors circulating of funding cuts in comp. lit. due to certain language departments getting slashed. I'm not in comp. lit., but were I you, I'd pay special attention to the stability of language departments as that's a major factor for your studies. U of Albany is a prime example.

Another approach, rather than simply finding an ideal program, might be to research some of the more prominent names in that field and find out where they're working. Keep in mind that many of the BIG name theorists may lecture, but don't necessarily take on advisees. If I were in the business of giving advice, I'd suggest you read up on some of the major secondary texts (ask your profs) to determine where the field is headed and what the current conversations pertain to (MLA panels can be a good indicator, as well as U Penn's infamous Call For Papers link: http://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/), and then e-stalk specific people rather than individual programs. This will also give you a head start on the email schmoozing that's required for the application process.

Lastly, I wouldn't be afraid of ancient languages; learning them isn't any more difficult than the extensive language work that would be required by a comp. lit. degree anyway. Having a background in Latin or Greek is quite useful, especially if you plan to head down some of the labyrinthine roads that Derrida built.

Good luck!

[runonsentence]

(MLA panels can be a good indicator, as well as U Penn's infamous Call For Papers link: http://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/), and then e-stalk specific people rather than individual programs.

Even more specifically, if you're going to look to conference panels as indicators, check out the ACLA (American Comparative Literature Assoc.). Probably the largest Comp. Lit. organization out there (correct me if I'm wrong).

[semicolon2013]

Thank you for the replies. I am not against learning ancient languages, but don't think I will have time for it by the time I am applying to graduate school, and it seems at some schools they want you to know the language at least to some extent by the time you apply (I might be wrong about this, but that was my impression). I would like to learn German first and improve my other languages first.

[blackshirt]

As I will be matriculating there in the fall, I'd like to suggest that you take a look at Northwestern's Comparative Literary Studies program. Sounds like it might be what you're looking for. =)

[ptongirl09]

You might want to check out UCLA and WUSTL.

[ZeeMore21]

Johns Hopkins and Cornell perhaps?

[Grunbein]

Look, any graduate program in Comp Lit is going to include a lot of theory, regardless of your focus. I don't know where you read it, but you don't have to know an "ancient language" to do Comp Lit at Washington University in St. Louis - or any university. You generally have to pass a foreign language exam in two languages other than English, sometimes three. Those should be chosen based on your field of interest. If you are interested in critical theory and contemporary philosophy (as you seem to be) your best choices would probably (not definitely) be German, French, English, and Russian.

Also, you don't need to do Comp Lit to study theory. Any English department at a university worth its salt will offer lots of theory. Same can be said for Slavic and Germanic Language departments. When looking to apply for schools you should be primarily concerned with faculty. Harvard might be a better school than Minnesota, but Minnesota might offer a faculty more aligned with your interests. There are many good schools out there, but you can't just go into a grad program unless you have a very, very specific focus in mind. Regardless, here are a few schools that have very good reputations:

U Penn

Duke

NYU

Berkeley

Johns Hopkins

Minnesota

Michigan

WUSTL

SUNY Buffalo

UC Irvine

CUNY

Stanford

Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown

...the list seriously goes on...

[semicolon2013]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I am just starting to look at graduate programs so I'm not sure how it all works yet. I am definitely not ready for graduate school now, but I probably will not be applying until fall 2013 because I plan to take a year off.

hairlesscat -- Thanks for the suggestions. I am aware that pretty much all graduate programs include a lot of theory. I am just wondering if some are more known for it than others ( I have heard people talking about more and less "traditional" programs, where traditional means not theory focused.) I also am also more interested in post-structuralism, for example,than New Historicism, psychoanalysis etc. (although I know they all overlap at times and my interests will probably shift by the time I am applying). I also might have some interest in post-colonial studies, which I realize is quite different. I am also more interested in comparative literature than English literature alone.

As for the ancient language, Harvard requires either an ancient or cross-cultural language (non-European). None of the languages I know or plan to learn meet this requirement. Yale states that one language is usually an ancient language.