School of Arts and Humanities
Literature (BA)
Students who complete the major in Literature receive a thorough grounding in literary ideas and methods, competence in particular national literatures, as well as the ability to work across literatures and languages. By engaging literary texts appropriate to one of the country's most diverse campuses, this major teaches both specialized knowledge and the skills to deepen and broaden knowledge of literature that is new or unfamiliar. The ideal graduate would be able to approach an English-language text from anywhere in the world with a set of intelligent questions and the capacity to produce equally intelligent answers to interpretative problems. By selecting a variety of courses from a variety of headings, students are able to combine courses in criticism and interpretation, in writing and translation, and in English and foreign languages. Students may also be certified to teach.
Since the following catalog course descriptions are very general, students are urged to consult the detailed course descriptions available on the web site for the School of Arts and Humanities. At least one-half of the semester credit hours for a major must be taken at UT Dallas.
Unless otherwise noted, courses in Literature are open to all students in the University.
Bachelor of Arts in Literature
Degree Requirements (120 semester credit hours)1
View an Example of Degree Requirements by Semester
Faculty
Professors: Sean J. Cotter, Pamela Gossin, Ming Dong Gu, Dennis M. Kratz, Manuel (Manny) Martinez, David A. Patterson, Rene Prieto, Rainer Schulte, Theresa M. Towner
Associate Professors: John C. Gooch, Charles Hatfield, Jessica C. Murphy
Assistant Professors: Ashley Barnes, Erin Greer, Davis Smith-Brecheisen, Nomi Stone
Chair Emerita: Zsuzsanna Ozsváth
Professors Emeriti: Milton A. Cohen, Timothy (Tim) Redman, Michael S. Simpson, Frederick Turner
Associate Professor Emerita: Patricia H. Michaelson
Professor of Instruction: Lorena Camacho-Guardardo
Associate Professors of Instruction: Zafar Anjum, Kenneth Brewer, Bei Chen, Peter (Jay) Ingrao, Thomas M. Lambert, Christopher (Chris) Ryan, Sabrina Starnaman
I. Core Curriculum Requirements: 42 semester credit hours2
Communication: 6 semester credit hours
RHET 1302 Rhetoric
And choose one course from the following:
COMM 1311 Survey of Oral and Technology-based Communication
COMM 1315 Public Speaking
Or select any 6 semester credit hours from Communication Core courses (see advisor)
Mathematics: 3 semester credit hours
Select any 3 semester credit hours from Mathematics Core courses
Life and Physical Sciences: 6 semester credit hours
Select any 6 semester credit hours from Life and Physical Sciences Core courses
Language, Philosophy and Culture: 3 semester credit hours
LIT 2331 Introduction to World Literature3
Or select any 3 semester credit hours from Language, Philosophy and Culture Core courses (see advisor)
Creative Arts: 3 semester credit hours
Select any 3 semester credit hours from Creative Arts Core courses
American History: 6 semester credit hours
Select any 6 semester credit hours from American History Core courses
Government/Political Science: 6 semester credit hours
Select any 6 semester credit hours from Government/Political Science Core courses
Social and Behavioral Sciences: 3 semester credit hours
Select any 3 semester credit hours from Social and Behavioral Sciences Core courses
Component Area Option: 6 semester credit hours
Select any 6 semester credit hours from Component Area Option Core courses
II. Major Requirements: 45-48 semester credit hours beyond Core Curriculum
Major Preparatory Courses: 6-9 semester credit hours beyond Core Curriculum
LIT 2350 Close Reading
Select 6 semester credit hours from the following four:
LIT 2320 Survey A: Literature in English
LIT 2321 Survey B: Literature in Translation
LIT 2322 Survey of African-American and African Diaspora Literatures
LIT 2331 Introduction to World Literature3
Major Core Courses: 12 semester credit hours
LIT 3300 Western Literary Tradition
LIT 3339 Writing Literary Studies
LIT 4329 Single Author
LIT 4390 Capstone
Major Distribution and Elective Courses: 27 semester credit hours
3 semester credit hours from the following "Research and Writing" courses:
ARHM 3342 Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies in the Arts and Humanities
LIT 3338 Literary Theory and Aesthetic Philosophy
Any upper-division creative writing workshop (prefix CRWT)
6 semester credit hours from the following "Contexts" course:
3 semester credit hours from the following "Comparisons" courses:
CRWT 3330 Translation Workshop
LIT 3337 Comparisons
15 semester credit hours from any foreign language electives or upper-division LIT, or CRWT electives.
IV. Elective Requirements: 30-33 semester credit hours
Free Electives: 30-33 semester credit hours
Both upper-division and lower-division courses may be used as electives, but students must complete at least 51 semester credit hours of upper-division courses to qualify for graduation.
Incoming freshmen must enroll and complete requirements of ARHM 1100.1
1. Incoming freshmen must enroll and complete requirements of UNIV 1010 and the corresponding school-related freshman seminar course. Students, including transfer students, who complete their core curriculum at UT Dallas must take UNIV 2020.
2. Curriculum Requirements can be fulfilled by other approved courses from institutions of higher education. The courses listed are recommended as the most efficient way to satisfy both Core Curriculum and Major Requirements at UT Dallas.
3. A required Preparatory course that also fulfills a Core Curriculum requirement. Semester credit hours may be counted in Core Curriculum.
4. LIT 3319 may be repeat for credit as topics vary