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Comparative Literature broadens the study of literature to transcend national boundaries to consider works from other countries and cultures. Taking Comparative Literature alongside French, you are able to make use of language skills and insights into French culture to study European literature in close detail.
Overview
In Comparative Literature, you have the opportunity to study texts ranging from Classical Antiquity to the present day in English translation, including works by authors such as Homer, Ovid, Dante, Shakespeare, Goethe, Dostoevsky, Dickens, Joyce, Woolf and Kafka, as well as French classics such as Balzac, Flaubert, Camus and Proust.
French is one of the most beautiful romance languages. Outside of France it is spoken as far afield as Canada, the Seychelles, Madagascar and Mali. It is one of the official languages of the United Nations, and an important language in the EU. Studying at our Canterbury campus gives you a good opportunity to immerse yourself in the language. There are many French-speaking students on campus, and our proximity to airports, the Channel ports and the Eurostar terminals at Ashford and Ebbsfleet make it quick and easy to get to Paris, Brussels and Lille.
During your year abroad, as part of an Erasmus programme, you could begin to study for a French qualification (Licence), or alternatively you can gain work experience by becoming a language assistant in a French school or by following other career paths.
Studying on this joint honours, you gain expertise in a specific national tradition, making you able to compare the works of French authors to other European ones, and so benefitting from an international perspective on literary history, movements and genres. You also gain the language skills to prepare you for the global job market.
Independent rankings
In the National Student Survey 2015, Comparative Literature at Kent was ranked 4th in the UK for student satisfaction and 96% of our students were satisfied with the quality of teaching on their course.
Modern languages and linguistics were ranked 15th in the UK overall and 3rd in the UK for course satisfaction in The Guardian University Guide 2016. In the National Student Survey 2015, 91% of French students were satisfied with the quality of teaching on their course.
Course structure
The course structure below gives a flavour of the modules that will be available to you and provides details of the content of this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes offered by the University in order that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas of interest to you or that may further enhance your employability.
Year abroad
The University of Kent has Erasmus agreements with several universities in France, Belgium, Canada and Switzerland. See the Go Abroad website for an up to date list.
Teaching and assessment
Comparative Literature
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 from 100% coursework to a combination of examination and coursework.
Comparative Literature students can also choose to take a module that is linked to our SWIPE (Student Work in Progress Exposition) conference. SWIPE is an annual one-day conference organised by Comparative Literature students: it is a platform for our third-year students who give 15-minute presentations on their final-year dissertation projects. SWIPE is a fantastic experience for students, as they learn everything about planning, organising and running a conference, as well as about the art of preparing and giving professional conference presentations. For more information on SWIPE, please consult our website: www.kent.ac.uk/secl/complit/swipe.html
We also offer a module designed specifically for students who are planning to embark on a career in teaching - Comparative Literature and English Language & Linguistics in the Classroom.
French
Compulsory language modules typically involve three to four hours of classes per week, including one hour of small group work with a native speaker. We also make extensive use of computer-assisted language learning packages and audio and video materials. Culture and literature modules typically involve a weekly two-hour seminar plus essay supervision. We employ seven French language lectors to help students improve their fluency.
Assessment at all stages varies from 100% coursework to a combination of examination and coursework.
Programme aims
The programme aims to:
- promote the study of literature within a strongly multidisciplinary and modular context
- widen participation in higher education by offering a wide variety of study routes
- produce graduates with a good knowledge of a comprehensive range of important and seminal literary works from across Europe and beyond, from the Classics to the present day
- introduce students to the comparatist approach to literary studies
- instil in students the knowledge to approach any text in a critical and analytical manner
- produce intellectually independent and self-motivated graduates
- equip students with skills and abilities generic to study in the humanities
- provide a basis for the study of literature and related disciplines at a higher level
- offer students the opportunity to develop more general skills and competences so that 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
- 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 difference
- well-developed language use and awareness, including a grasp of standard critical terminology
- articulate responsiveness to literary language
- appropriate scholarly practice in the presentation of formal written work, in particular bibliographic and annotational practices
- understand 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:
- the ability to produce focused and cogent written presentations, summarise information and assess arguments, give oral presentations using visual aids where appropriate
- problem solving: identify problems, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of different solutions, and defend the preferred solutions with cogent arguments
- identify your strengths and weaknesses, assess the quality of your own work, manage your time and meet deadlines and work independently
- the ability to work with others, participate in seminar discussions, respond to the views of others and to criticisms of your own views without giving or taking offence
- use IT effectively, including word-processing, using online information sources and email to receive and respond to communications.
Careers
Studying Comparative Literature and French, you learn to think critically, develop the skills of close reading and effective communication, and gain confidence and experience in expressing your ideas. These key transferable skills are essential for graduates as they move into the job market.
The ability to speak a European language other than English is a key asset in the global employment market, and many employers view a graduate with overseas experience as more employable. Through your studies, you also acquire many of the transferable skills considered essential by graduate employers. These include the ability to work independently and as part of a team, the confidence to offer creative solutions when faced with challenges and the ability to express your ideas with clarity and passion. In addition, 74% of employers say that they are actively seeking a graduate with language skills which makes French students among the most employable of all graduates.
Our graduates have found jobs in diverse areas including journalism, broadcasting and media, publishing, writing and teaching, as well as in banking, marketing analysis and project management. A significant percentage of our students pursue further study for postgraduate qualifications.
Entry requirements
Home/EU students
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications, typical requirements are listed below, students offering alternative qualifications should contact the Admissions Office for further advice. It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.
| Qualification | Typical offer/minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| A level | ABB
|
| GCSE | French grade B or aptitude for modern European languages |
| Access to HE Diploma | The University of Kent will not necessarily make conditional offers to all access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If an offer is made candidates will be required to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above. |
| BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma) | The university will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF;OCR) on a case by case basis please contact us via the enquiries tab for further advice on your individual circumstances. |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 points overall or 16 points at HL including IB 4 at HL or 5 at SL in a modern European language other than English
|
International students
The University receives applications from over 140 different nationalities and consequently will consider applications from prospective students offering a wide range of international qualifications. Our International Development Office will be happy to advise prospective students on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about our country-specific requirements.
Please note that if you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes through Kent International Pathways.
English Language Requirements
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
General entry requirements
Please also see our general entry requirements.
Fees
The 2016/17 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
| UK/EU | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time |
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.
The University of Kent is currently considering whether to increase its regulated full-time tuition fees for all returning Home and EU undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250 in September 2017. This would be subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses might also rise by 2.8%.
For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk
UK/EU/International students on an approved Year Abroad for the full 2016/17 academic year pay an annual fee of £1,350 to Kent for that year. Those on an approved Year in Industry pay an annual fee of £865 to Kent for that year. Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. Details of our proposed funding opportunities for 2016 entry can be found on our funding page.
General scholarships
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. For 2016 entry, the scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications as specified on our scholarships pages. Please review the eligibility criteria on that page.