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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, film studies, and the production of literary translations and 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 International Writing Program and the Institute for Cinema and Culture.

The department and its affiliated faculty offer expertise in the languages and cultural study of the Americas, China, Croatia, England, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Russia, Spain, and sub-Saharan Africa. Specific expertise and direction are available in translation and in film and audiovisual history, production, and theory.

Undergraduate Programs

• Major in cinema (Bachelor of Arts)
• Major in comparative literature (Bachelor of Arts)
• Minor in cinema
• Minor in comparative literature

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 about films and literature.

Bachelor of Arts: Cinema

The Bachelor of Arts with a major in cinema requires a minimum of 120 s.h., including 33 s.h. of work for the major. Students must complete 21 s.h. in University of Iowa course work and may count a maximum of 6 s.h. of course work from another major, minor, or certificate toward the major in cinema. Students with a double major in cinema and in comparative literature may count a maximum of 12 s.h. toward both majors. All students must complete the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences General Education Program.

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 major in cinema requires the following course work.

All of these:

One of these:

Bachelor of Arts: Comparative Literature

The Bachelor of Arts with a major in comparative literature requires a minimum of 120 s.h., including 33 s.h. of work for the major. Students must complete 21 s.h. in University of Iowa course work and may count a maximum of 6 s.h. of course work from another major, minor, or certificate toward the major in comparative literature. Students with a double major in cinema and in comparative literature may count a maximum of 12 s.h. toward both majors. All students must complete the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences General Education Program.

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 major in comparative literature requires the following course work.

COMMON COURSES

All students take these, for a total of 18 s.h.

Tracks

Students take a total of 15 s.h. of work in one track.

LITERATURE AND ARTS TRACK

To complete this track, students take 12 s.h. of advanced work (100-level or above) in a single fine arts area. They may count one course in advanced performance, practice, or production toward the major, with consent of the director of undergraduate studies.

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

WORLD LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE TRACK

To complete this track, students take 9 s.h. of courses in one foreign literature, read in the original language. One course in composition and conversation may count toward the major. (Language courses taken to complete the General Education Program do not count toward the major.)

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.

Four-Year Graduation Plan

The following checkpoints list the minimum requirements students must complete by certain semesters in order to stay on the University's Four-Year Graduation Plan. (Courses in the major are those required to complete the major; they may be offered by departments other than the major department.)

B.A.: Cinema

Note: The major in cinema requires only one course in film, video, and digital production: 048:034 (CCL:1834) Modes of Film and Video Production. This is the only production course included in the assurances of the Four-Year Graduation Plan. More advanced courses in production may be used to complete the major, but admission to these courses is limited and depends on student achievement in prerequisite production courses.

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 (CCL:1601) Introduction to Film Analysis, and 048:025 (CCL:1025) Introduction to Critical Reading and Viewing or 048:034 (CCL:1834) Modes of Film and Video Production, 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 (CCL:1601) Introduction to Film Analysis, 048:025 (CCL:1025) Introduction to Critical Reading and Viewing, and 048:034 (CCL:1834) Modes of Film and Video Production, 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.: Comparative Literature

Note: Because the major in comparative literature may require competency in a language in which the student will take advanced work, the student may need to acquire this language competency through course work early in the plan. Such course work is not reflected in these checkpoints.

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

To graduate with honors in cinema or comparative literature, students must complete an honors thesis. They also must be members of the University of Iowa Honors Program, which requires that students maintain a cumulative University of Iowa g.p.a. of at least 3.33 (contact the University of Iowa Honors Program for more information). Once an honors student has completed 75 s.h., he or she submits a written proposal for the honors thesis. The proposal must be approved by the supervising faculty member who heads the student's honors thesis committee, which must be composed of at least two faculty members from the Department of Cinema and Comparative Literature. The student must complete the honors thesis over the next two consecutive semesters. For specific honors thesis requirements in film and video production, film studies, or comparative literature, contact the Department of Cinema and Comparative Literature.

Minor in Cinema

The minor in cinema requires 15 s.h. of University of Iowa cinema courses, including at least 12 s.h. in courses numbered 048:051 and above. Students must maintain a g.p.a. of at least 2.00 in the minor. Course work in the minor may not be taken pass/nonpass. Students must choose courses with a primary emphasis in cinema. Contact the Department of Cinema and Comparative Literature for a list of approved courses.

Minor in Comparative Literature

The minor in comparative literature requires 15 s.h. of University of Iowa comparative literature courses, including at least 12 s.h. in courses numbered 048:040 and above. Students must maintain a g.p.a. of at least 2.00 in the minor. Course work in the minor may not be taken pass/nonpass. Students must choose courses with a primary emphasis in comparative literature. Contact the Department of Cinema and Comparative Literature for a list of approved courses.

Graduate Programs

• Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in film studies
• Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in comparative literature
• Master of Fine Arts in film and video production
• Master of Fine Arts in translation

Admission to the Master of Arts degree in comparative literature is suspended; for degree requirements, see the 2010-11 General Catalog.

Master of Arts: Film Studies

The Master of Arts degree in film studies requires 36 s.h. of graduate credit. The focus is on film in an international context, with required distributions of course work in U.S. cinema, European cinema, world cinemas, and film production, documentary film, animation, or experimental film.

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: Comparative Literature

Admission to the Master of Arts degree in comparative literature is suspended; for degree requirements, see the 2010-11 General Catalog.

Master of Fine Arts: Film and Video Production

The Master of Fine Arts degree in film and video production requires 54 s.h. of graduate credit earned in creative and scholarly course work aimed at producing a body of artistic work in film, digital media, multimedia installation, and/or animation. Degree requirements include a comprehensive exam on an aspect of film and/or media theory in January of the second year, an oral portfolio review, a thesis paper, and a creative thesis project.

Master of Fine Arts: Translation

The Master of Fine Arts degree in translation requires 48 s.h. of graduate credit, which must include 24 s.h. earned at The University of Iowa. The program promotes a specialized form of writing, the study of languages and cultures, and the dissemination of international literatures through a curriculum that combines the creative, linguistic, and critical aspects of 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 offered by foreign language departments and the creative writing programs as well as comparative literature courses.

M.F.A. students must complete a thesis—usually a book-length collection of poems, literary essays, 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: Film Studies

The Doctor of Philosophy degree in film studies requires a minimum of 72 s.h. of graduate credit earned in course work concentrated in film history and film theory. With the consultation and guidance of a faculty committee, students prepare for a qualifying examination in the first or second year, formulate and pursue a plan of study proposing areas to be mastered before the dissertation, present a predissertation exam on these areas, and write a dissertation in the area of advanced research.

Doctor of Philosophy: Comparative Literature

The Doctor of Philosophy degree in comparative literature requires a minimum of 72 s.h. of graduate credit. Students study at least three literatures, one in historical depth and two others in limited areas of specialization, and are encouraged to include an interdisciplinary area of concentration. All students devote a portion of their programs to comparative study, bringing the several areas into focus. Specific areas and interrelations of areas are determined by the student in consultation with appropriate faculty members.

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

The study of literature across linguistic and geographical borders calls for training in languages. A thorough knowledge of at least one foreign language is required for admission to the M.A. program; knowledge of at least two foreign languages is a prerequisite for Ph.D. study.

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

Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate College; see the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College or the Graduate College section of the Catalog.

Resources

Institute for Cinema and Culture

The Institute for Cinema and Culture promotes international film culture on the University of Iowa campus by supplementing the curriculum of the Department of Cinema and Comparative Literature with regular film screenings and public events, often in collaboration with other departments and programs. The institute helps departments, faculty members, and student groups present films and relevant speakers to an interdisciplinary audience. It is especially dedicated to providing Iowa students and faculty members the opportunity to view and study important films from nations and cultures otherwise underrepresented in course offerings and at local theaters.

Each semester the institute offers 048:112 (CCL:2627) 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

The Iowa Translation Workshop [048:260 (CCL:7460)] is offered every semester as a required course for M.F.A. students in translation. The workshop is closely coordinated with the International Writing Program, which brings 30 or more writers from other countries to Iowa City each fall semester for 10 weeks of activities on the University of Iowa campus. Students in the fall Iowa Translation Workshop may work closely with one or more writers in translating their works into English. Translators from outside the M.F.A. in translation program also may join the workshop, with the instructor's consent.

Courses