Comparative Literature - BA (Hons)

Course structure

Duration: 3 years full-time, 6 years part-time

Modules

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.  

On most programmes, you study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also be able to take ‘elective’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.

Teaching and assessment

For most modules, you have one two-hour seminar per week. The Final-Year Dissertation is based entirely on your private research but is supervised by a tutor and includes workshops and the chance to participate in an undergraduate conference. 

Assessment varies by module, from 100% coursework to a combination of examination and coursework, usually in the ratio 50:50 or 40:60.

Contact hours

For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours.  The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules.  Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.

Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules.  Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.

Programme aims

The programme aims to:

• offer an opportunity to study literature within a strongly multidisciplinary and modular context
• widen participation in higher education by offering a variety of study routes
• produce graduates with a good knowledge of a comprehensive range of literary works from across Europe and beyond, from the Classics to the present day
• teach the comparatist approach to literary studies
• give students the ability to approach any text in a critical and analytical manner
• produce intellectually independent and self-motivating graduates
• give students the skills and abilities generic to study in the humanities
• offer students the opportunity to develop more general skills and competences so they can respond positively to the challenges of the workplace or postgraduate education.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

You gain knowledge and understanding of:

• a wide range of authors and texts from different periods and cultures, from Ancient Greece to the present day
• the cultural and historical contexts in which literature is written, transmitted and read
• concepts such as genre, theme or literary movement
• the problems inherent in interpreting 'the translated text'
• traditions in literary criticism
• critical theory and its applications, understood within its historical contexts
• the study of literature in its relation to other disciplines.

Intellectual skills

You gain the following intellectual abilities:

• listen to and absorb the oral transmission of complicated data
• careful reading of literary works and theoretical material
• reflect clearly and critically on oral and written sources, using power of analysis and imagination
• to marshal a complex body of information
• remember relevant material and recall it when needed
• construct cogent arguments
• formulate independent ideas and defend them in a plausible manner
• present arguments in written form in a time-limited context, such as examinations.

Subject-specific skills

You gain subject-specific skills in the following:

• the close critical analysis of literary texts
• informed understanding of the variety of critical and theoretical approaches to the study of literature
• the ability to articulate knowledge and understanding of texts, concepts and theories relating to literary studies
• sensitivity to generic conventions in the study of literature and the problems of translation and cultural differences
• well-developed language use and awareness, including a grasp of standard critical terminology
• the ability to articulate responsiveness to literary language
• scholarly practice in the presentation of formal written work, in particular bibliographic and annotational
• understanding of how cultural norms, assumptions and practices influence questions of judgement
• appreciation of the value of collaborative intellectual work in developing critical judgement.

Transferable skills

You gain transferable skills in the following:

• communication: produce focused, cogent written presentations, summarise information and assess arguments, give presentations with visual aids where appropriate
• problem-solving: identifying problems, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of different solutions, defending the preferred solutions with cogent arguments
• improve your learning, identify your strengths and weaknesses, assess the quality of your own work; manage your time and meet deadlines, and learn to work independently
• work with others, participating in seminar discussions, responding to the views of others and to criticisms of your own views without giving or taking offence
• use information technology effectively, such as word-processing essays, using online information sources and responding to communications by email.

Careers

Graduate destinations

Our graduates have gone on to work in areas including:

• advertising
• the Civil Service
• copywriting
• graphic design
• journalism
• marketing
• publishing
• teaching
• television and film.

Help finding a job

The University has a friendly Careers and Employability Service, which offers advice on how to:

• apply for jobs
• write a good CV
• perform well in interviews.

Work experience

We offer a number of modules with direct relevance to the world of work, including options that focus on teaching.

Career-enhancing skills

Alongside specialist skills, you also develop the transferable skills graduate employers look for, including the ability to:

• think critically
• communicate your ideas and opinions
• work independently and as part of a team.

You can also gain extra skills by signing up for one of our Kent Extra activities, such as learning a language or volunteering.