College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Courses

Cinema and Comparative Literature

The Department of Cinema and Comparative Literature presents film, literature, translation, and relations with the other arts as subjects of international and interdisciplinary study. It provides a basis for intensive work in literature, literary theory, critical methods, translation, film studies, and the production of film, video, and digital arts.

The department encourages study in comparative arts, with particular emphasis on cinema, where the program's resources are especially strong. Students and faculty members have easy access to the resources of the Translation Workshop and the Institute for Cinema and Culture.

The cinema and comparative literature faculty offers expertise in the languages and cultural study of the Americas, China, England, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Spain, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Specific expertise and direction are available in translation and in film and audiovisual history, production, and theory.

In addition to its own faculty, the department calls on faculty members in other departments and programs, including American studies, women's studies, classics, Asian and Slavic languages and literatures, communication studies, English, French and Italian, German, history, Spanish and Portuguese, Russian, and theatre arts.

Undergraduate Program

The majors in cinema and in comparative literature provide individualized programs in the interdisciplinary study of literature and the study and production of film and audiovisual arts. The program is designed to promote cultural awareness, to increase speaking and writing skills, and to develop capacities for systematic reasoning.

Bachelor of Arts in Cinema

The major in cinema is an individualized, interdisciplinary study of film and the production of creative work in film, video, and interactive multimedia. It is designed to promote cultural and artistic awareness, to increase speaking and writing skills, and to develop capacities for systematic reasoning and effective production in cinema arts.

All students are expected to gain a perspective on both the study and the production of film, video, or digital media while becoming acquainted with the historical, critical, and theoretical issues of the area. In conjunction with an appropriate overall curriculum, the major in cinema can offer effective preparation for continuing study or creative work in the humanities, arts, and cinema; provide a solid foundation for careers in film, video, television, and digital production; and lead to careers in arts administration, advertising, and business.

The B.A. in cinema requires the following course work.

048:001 Introduction to Film Analysis

3 s.h.

048:025 Introduction to Critical Reading and Viewing

3 s.h.

048:034 Modes of Film and Video Production

4 s.h.

048:095 Undergraduate Seminar

3 s.h.

One of these:

048:030 Introduction to Film Theory

3 s.h.

048:100 Introduction to Criticism and Theory

3 s.h.

048:120 Issues in Film Theory

3 s.h.

At least one film studies or film production course at the 100 level

3 s.h.

Additional cinema and comparative literature course work,

including at least 9 s.h. of advanced film studies or film and

video production courses numbered 048:050 or above

14 s.h.

Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature

The major offers two tracks: language and literature, and literature and arts. Students work with faculty advisors close to their track to develop coherent, individualized programs of study that reflect their interests and developing skills.

Students share a common set of basic courses in the literatures of widely divergent cultures and historical periods, in translation, and in interaction among the arts. All students are expected to gain an international perspective on literature and the arts, and to become acquainted with interdisciplinary approaches to cultural study.

The successful pursuit of comparative literature requires study of at least one foreign cultural tradition, with appropriate emphasis on language, literature, and the arts in historical context. Familiarity with the literatures and cultures of other nations goes hand-in-hand with theoretical inquiry and reflection on basic issues, such as the nature and value of storytelling in literature and other arts--for instance, film, song, and painting. Translation between languages and among different arts represents another basic center of theory and practice. Individual courses of study may extend into other disciplines, including history, philosophy, linguistics, anthropology, law, and psychology.

In conjunction with an appropriate overall curriculum, the major in comparative literature can offer effective preparation for professional studies in fields such as law and business, or for employment in fields that value critical thinking and international understanding. It also offers excellent preparation for graduate work in the humanities.

The B.A. in comparative literature requires the following course work.

COMMON COURSES

048:025 Introduction to Critical Reading and Viewing

3 s.h.

048:040-048:041 Major Texts in World Literature I-II

6 s.h.

048:095 Undergraduate Seminar

3 s.h.

048:100 Introduction to Criticism and Theory

3 s.h.

Comparative literature elective(s) numbered above 048:050

3 s.h.

Tracks

FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE TRACK

Students take an additional 6 s.h. of course work in cinema and comparative literature or a related area (e.g., English and American literature, film, linguistics, anthropology, philosophy, history) or in a second foreign literature.

LITERATURE AND ARTS TRACK

One additional 3 s.h. course must focus explicitly on arts and literature in comparative perspective.

Four-Year Graduation Plan

B.A. in Cinema

Before the third semester begins: at least one-quarter of the semester hours required for graduation

Before the fifth semester begins: at least two courses in the major (including 048:001, and 048:025 or 048:034) and at least half of the semester hours required for graduation

Before the seventh semester begins: at least six courses in the major (including 048:001, 048:025, and 048:034), and at least three-quarters of the semester hours required for graduation

Before the eighth semester begins: at least nine courses in the major

During the eighth semester: enrollment in all remaining course work in the major, all remaining General Education courses, and a sufficient number of semester hours to graduate

B.A. in Comparative Literature

Before the third semester begins: at least one-quarter of the semester hours required for graduation

Before the fifth semester begins: at least two courses in the major and at least one-half of the semester hours required for graduation

Before the seventh semester begins: at least six courses in the major and at least three-quarters of the semester hours required for graduation

Before the eighth semester begins: at least nine courses in the major

During the eighth semester: enrollment in all remaining course work in the major, all remaining General Education courses, and a sufficient number of semester hours to graduate

Honors

Minor in Cinema

Minor in Comparative Literature

Graduate Programs

Master of Arts in Film Studies

Students meet formal degree requirements with course work and a written examination on two areas, which the student selects from one list focusing on film theory and another list focusing on film history. Exams are offered annually in January.

Master of Arts in Comparative Literature

Students satisfy formal degree requirements with a written examination on reading lists that they and their advisors agree upon, or with a written thesis and an oral examination on the thesis and its relation to problems and issues in comparative literature. The M.A. also may be awarded upon successful completion of the comprehensive examination for the Ph.D.

Master of Fine Arts in Film and Video Production

Master of Fine Arts in Translation

Students develop their skills, knowledge, and critical ability with courses in original-language literary texts, critical theory, and creative writing. Required participation in the Iowa Translation Workshop provides hands-on practice in translation every semester. Students also have opportunities to work closely on translation projects with visiting writers in the International Writing Program.

Course work includes study of foreign literature(s), creative writing, translation studies, and criticism. M.F.A. students may expect to take courses in foreign language departments, the creative writing program, and the English department, as well as in comparative literature.

M.F.A. students must complete a thesis--usually a book-length collection of poems or stories, or a short novel--translated from the original language into English and accompanied by a critical introduction.

Admission to the program is granted on the basis of a submitted portfolio, including translations into English and original writing in English, or a paper on a literary topic, as well as supporting evidence of competence.

Doctor of Philosophy in Film Studies

Doctor of Philosophy in Comparative Literature

The Ph.D. dissertation should demonstrate the candidate's ability to write a substantial piece of scholarship or criticism. Translation of a work of sufficient significance and linguistic complexity, preceded by a critical introduction, may serve as an acceptable dissertation. The final oral exam centers on the dissertation and its background.

Admission

For more information, see the procedural guide for graduate students in comparative literature, available from the department.

Institute for Cinema and Culture

Each semester the institute offers 048:112 Proseminar in Cinema and Culture, a course with public screenings devoted to a single national cinema or a focused topic in world film. It also regularly sponsors a range of campus film festivals and hosts the Cinematheque series, which showcases rare and unusual films each semester.

Iowa Translation Workshop

Courses