M.Phil. Comparative Literature

Course Description

This course is designed to provide an understanding of Comparative Literature as a subject of study and a critical practice. The core modules provide the theoretical and methodological basis for comparing texts of various genres and artefacts of different media at an advanced level. Optional modules enable the further development of these competencies and offer opportunities to develop and apply this knowledge and these skills to a range of primary texts from a wide range of languages, cultures, epochs and other contexts.

Applicants would normally be required to have a good honors degree (at least upper second class honors standard), or an equivalent qualification, in a cognate area. Applicants should normally have an advanced reading knowledge of at least one language other than English among those offered by the School of Languages, Literature and Cultural Studies at Trinity College Dublin.

The course consists of two core modules taken by all students (Theory and Methodology and Moving between Cultures), two options from the range offered in a given year, and a dissertation of 15,000-20,000 words whose theme and approach should be comparable.

In order to be awarded the degree of M.Phil. in Comparative Literature candidates must satisfy the Court of Examiners by obtaining an overall pass in both the following components:

1. the assessment work for core course 1, core course 2, options 1 and 2 (combined)
2. the dissertation

The two core modules each contribute 20% of the overall assessment, the options each contribute 10% and the dissertation 40%.