Summer 2025
World Literature Course Offerings
- WL 103W - Early World Literatures (3)
Introduces ways of comparing early world literatures across time and space. May explore fundamental themes such as love, heroism, or the underworld. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.
- WL 320 - Interdisciplinary Approaches to World Literature: Narrative Medicine (4)
Intermediate seminar on the intersections between World Literature and other modes of cultural expression, or other academic disciplines. May focus on different methodological approaches to World Literature, for instance gender, cultural, or performance studies. Alternatively, may explore literature in relation to music, theatre, film, the visual arts, or digital humanities. This course may be repeated for credit when different topics are offered. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities.
- WL 360 - National Literature as World Literature (4)
Maps out national literatures鈥� contributions to the world鈥檚 cultural heritage, whether in the form of one of the great authorial voices of a national tradition, a particular period or movement, or a defining theme. This exploration will tease out the ways in which these contributions are inscribed in a dynamic global matrix wherein cultures are negotiated and transformed through on-going dialogue. This course may be repeated once for credit when different topics are offered. Prerequisite: 45 units or permission of the department.
Fall 2025
World Literature Course Offerings
- WL 100 - What is World Literature? (3)
Explores how texts travel beyond their cultures of origin, influence other cultural contexts and ideas, and become works of world literature. Introduces the concepts of cross-cultural literary criticism and translation. Breadth-Humanities.
- WL 101W - Writing in World Literature (3)
Explores literary texts from diverse linguistic and cultural origins while introducing students to the fundamentals of comparative literary analysis and critical writing. May examine cross-cultural interactions, or compare texts thematically. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.
- WL 104W - Modern World Literatures (3)
Introduces ways of comparing modern world literatures across time and space. May explore topics such as revolution, technology, or existentialism. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.
- WL 200 - How to Do Things with World Literature (3)
Introduces major theoretical approaches to literature and fundamental techniques of literary analysis. Develops students' critical skills for analytical writing about literature in comparative, cross-cultural contexts. Prerequisite: six units in World Literature, including one W course.
- WL 202 - North/South Intersections (3)
Investigates cross-cultural interactions between European or North American traditions and those of the "global South." May explore themes such as empire, globalization, and modernity, or examine how the artistic achievements of Africa, Oceania, Latin-America, or South Asia influence other traditions. This course may be repeated once for credit when different tonics are offered. Breadth-Humanities.
- WL 306 - Transnational Literary Rebellions (4)
Investigates cross-cultural literary movements that challenge the status quo. Focal points might include romanticism, modernism, existentialism, or other cultural and political tendencies, with attention to how such styles or movements gain impetus in new national/regional settings. This course may be repeated for credit when different topics are offered. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities.
- WL 309 - Empire and Resistance (4)
Juxtaposes the narratives of imperial conquest and colonial resistance. May focus on one particular imperial history or compare several. May feature narratives of rebellion and independence, national and/or postcolonial identity, or imperial nostalgia. This course may be repeated for credit when different topics are offered. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities.
- WL 410 - Selected Topic in World Literature I (4)
Advanced seminar on a topic in World Literature. This course may be repeated for credit when different topics are offered. Prerequisite: 60 units including two 300-level courses in world literature, English, and/or humanities.
Spring 2026
World Literature Course Offerings
- WL 100 - What is World Literature? (3)
Explores how texts travel beyond their cultures of origin, influence other cultural contexts and ideas, and become works of world literature. Introduces the concepts of cross-cultural literary criticism and translation. Breadth-Humanities.
- WL 101W - Writing in World Literature (3)
Explores literary texts from diverse linguistic and cultural origins while introducing students to the fundamentals of comparative literary analysis and critical writing. May examine cross-cultural interactions, or compare texts thematically. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.
- WL 103W - Early World Literatures (3)
Introduces ways of comparing early world literatures across time and space. May explore fundamental themes such as love, heroism, or the underworld. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.
- WL 104W - Modern World Literatures (3)
Introduces ways of comparing modern world literatures across time and space. May explore topics such as revolution, technology, or existentialism. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.
- WL 203 - Subversive Genres (3)
Explores the destabilizing potential of literary and artistic genres as they move across cultural lines. Focuses on genres that have traveled widely, such as Gothic horror, utopian fantasy, science fiction or ecocriticism and environmental literature. This course may be repeated once for credit when different topics are offered. Breadth-Humanities.
- WL 300 - How Ideas Travel (4)
Explores the counterpoint of Western and non-Western approaches to world literature. May draw from disciplines including comparative literature, history, anthropology, and semiotics to focus on how concepts of world literature are imported and transformed in new cultural contexts. Builds on the skills and knowledge acquired in WL 200. Prerequisite: 45 units, including WL 200.
- WL 305W - Sages and Poets (4)
Showcases the insights, visions, and struggles of sages and poets across the ages in world literature. Focuses on how these figures push the limits of language, embark on mystical quests, explore ideas of faith, or create supernatural worlds. Prerequisite: 45 units. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.
- WL 320 - Interdisciplinary Approaches to World Literature (4)
Intermediate seminar on the intersections between World Literature and other modes of cultural expression, or other academic disciplines. May focus on different methodological approaches to World Literature, for instance gender, cultural, or performance studies. Alternatively, may explore literature in relation to music, theatre, film, the visual arts, or digital humanities. This course may be repeated for credit when different topics are offered. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities.
- WL 400 - Early Literary Cultures (4)
Explores ancient literatures and text networks. May focus on the themes of heroism, war, the rise of ethical systems, love and sexuality from pre-history to the 7th century CE. Prerequisite: 60 units including two 300-level courses in World Literature, English, and/or Humanities.
Summer 2026
World Literature Course Offerings
- WL 103W - Early World Literatures (3)
Introduces ways of comparing early world literatures across time and space. May explore fundamental themes such as love, heroism, or the underworld. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.
- WL 320 - Interdisciplinary Approaches to World Literature (4)
Intermediate seminar on the intersections between World Literature and other modes of cultural expression, or other academic disciplines. May focus on different methodological approaches to World Literature, for instance gender, cultural, or performance studies. Alternatively, may explore literature in relation to music, theatre, film, the visual arts, or digital humanities. This course may be repeated for credit when different topics are offered. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities.
- WL 360 - National Literature as World Literature (4)
Maps out national literatures鈥� contributions to the world鈥檚 cultural heritage, whether in the form of one of the great authorial voices of a national tradition, a particular period or movement, or a defining theme. This exploration will tease out the ways in which these contributions are inscribed in a dynamic global matrix wherein cultures are negotiated and transformed through on-going dialogue. This course may be repeated once for credit when different topics are offered. Prerequisite: 45 units or permission of the department.