Return to Table of Contents

Go to Course Listings

Go to bottom of document
Go to middle of document

Go to: Program Requirements
Go to: Summary of Requirements
Go to: Faculty

Romance Languages
and Literatures

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Elissa Weaver, Wb 205D, 702-8481

B.A. Advisers: James Lawler (French), Wb 214, 702-8485; Mario Santana (Spanish), Wb 217, 702-8476; Vincenzo Binetti (Italian), Wb 115, 702-8491

Department Administrative Assistant: Aileen Mandel, Wb 205C, 702-8481

The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures offers programs of study leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree in French, Italian, or Spanish literature, or in some combination of the foregoing, which may include Portuguese. Portuguese offerings include a two-year language sequence in addition to selected literature courses. The B.A. programs are designed to give students a knowledge of the literature within their area of concentration and to develop their ability to read, write, and speak one or more of the Romance languages.

Program of Study

Students with advanced standing are encouraged to take special topic courses at the 200- and 300-level. Some of these courses require permission of the instructor.

Program Requirements

Students interested in any of the following degree programs are required to speak with the appropriate B.A. adviser.

B.A. Degree Program in Any Single Literature. The programs in French and Spanish languages and literatures consist of ten courses beyond French or Spanish 203. The introductory sequence in the history of the literature is required (French 207-208-209/210 or Spanish 207-208-209). Also required are the following courses: French 211, French 214, Spanish 211, and Spanish 225, all of which stress different approaches to language and literature and focus on a limited number of representative works. In addition to these requirements, students must take courses in the literature of specialization, five for the French program and five for the Spanish program. These courses are aimed at developing a broad knowledge of the field and, through the close study of major works, a proficiency in the critical techniques appropriate to their interpretation. In the third quarter of the senior year, students elect, in consultation with their adviser, either to take a B.A. examination based on a reading list or to write a B.A. paper.

The program in Italian language and literature, like that in French and Spanish, consists of ten courses beyond Italian 203; however, it differs in certain respects. Of the ten courses, only three are specifically required: Italian 213 (Stilistica, which is an introduction to textual analysis), and Italian 216, 217 (both of which are literature surveys). As in the case of French and Spanish, students elect either to take a B.A. examination based on a reading list or to write a B.A. paper.

Go to top of document
Go to middle of document
Go to bottom of document

Summary of Requirements:

Single Language

Concentration: 2 French 202-203

French 2 French 207 and 208 (literature survey)

1 French 209 or 210 (literature survey)

5 literature courses (French 217 or above)

2 French 211 (advanced French language); 214 (stylistics)

- French 215 (B.A. paper or B.A.

examination)

12 (total)

Concentration: 2 Span 202-203

Spanish 3 Span 207-208-209 (literature survey)

5 literature courses

1 Span 211 (advanced Spanish language)

1 Span 225 (B.A. seminar)

- Span 215 (B.A. paper or B.A. examination)

12 (total)

Concentration: 3 Ital 201-202-203

Italian 7 literature courses

1 Ital 213 (stylistics)

2 Ital 216-217 (literature survey)

- Ital 215 (B.A. paper or B.A. examination)

13 (total)

Go to top of document
Go to middle of document
Go to bottom of document

B.A. Degree Program in More than One Literature. The programs in more than one Romance literature consist of twelve courses. They are designed to accommodate the needs and interests of students who would like either to broaden their literary experience or to specialize in a particular period or genre. Linguistic competence in at least one Romance language is assumed. Students have the option of writing a B.A. paper or preparing for a B.A. examination. The following programs require completion of French, Italian, or Spanish 203, or the placement or accreditation equivalent of the languages selected, with the addition of two or three courses for each language studied.

Summary of Requirements:

More than One Literature

Program with equal emphasis on two literatures

Concentration 6 two introductory sequences in two different literatures

6 literature courses (or five literature courses and French, Span, or Ital 215) divided between the same two literatures

- B.A. paper or B.A. examination

12 (total)

Program with greater emphasis on one literature

3 introductory sequence in one Romance literature

6 courses in same literature

3 courses in a second Romance literature

- B.A. paper or B.A. examination

12 (total)

Program with emphasis on a particular period or genre

3 introductory sequence in one Romance literature

3 courses in same literature as introductory sequence in a certain period or genre

6 courses in the same period or genre, at least three of which should be in a

second Romance literature

- B.A. paper or B.A. examination

12 (total)

Go to top of document
Go to bottom of document

Honors. Students who wish to be candidates for special honors with the B.A. degree are expected to take the B.A. examination and write a B.A. paper on an original research topic. To facilitate writing their papers, candidates for special honors normally enroll in the B.A. paper course (215). To be eligible for special honors, they must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0 overall and at least 3.5 in the concentration.

Joint B.A./M.A. Degree. The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures has a combined B.A./M.A. program for students with exceptional promise who have begun to take advanced literature courses in their second year. The program has been designed to ensure that the traditional breadth of the B.A. degree and the expertise of the M.A. degree are maintained. Since all requirements for both degrees must be fulfilled, an extra quarter is sometimes necessary to complete the program. Students may petition for admission to the B.A./M.A. program at the beginning of their third year. Graduate registration is required during the three quarters prior to receipt of the degree in order to meet the M.A. residence requirement.

In their fourth year, students enrolled in the combined B.A./M.A. program register for an M.A. stylistics course (French 314 or Italian 313). For French, Italian, and Spanish concentrators, the M.A. literature survey (French 358; Italian 316 and 317; or Spanish 325) is required. Students may choose to take French, Italian, or Spanish 215 in order to prepare for the B.A. honors paper, for which they must have approval in advance. In addition, students must take a comprehensive examination consisting of an oral exam and a two-part written exam based on selections from the M.A. reading list.

Requirements for B.A./M.A. Degree in French, Italian, and Spanish

1. Introductory literature sequence (French and Spanish only)

2. Six (nine in Italian) literature courses (all at the 300 level)

3. B.A. paper, required for special honors only (optional enrollment in French, Italian, or Spanish 215)

4. M.A. tutorials and seminars (French 311, 312, 314, and 358; Italian 311, 313, 316, and 317; and Spanish 311 and 325)

5. Comprehensive examination; for students planning to go on to the Ph.D., a reading examination or a graduate course in a second Romance language

Go to top of document
Go to middle of document
Go to bottom of document

Faculty

VINCENZO BINETTI, Assistant Professor, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures and the College

ROSALBA CAMPRA, Edward Larocque Tinker Visiting Professor, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures, Center for Latin American Studies, and the College

PAOLO A. CHERCHI, Professor, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures and the College

RENé DE COSTA, Professor, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures, Center for Latin American Studies, and the College

PETER F. DEMBOWSKI, Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures, Committee on Medieval Studies, and the College

PHILIPPE DESAN, Professor, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures and the College; Associate Dean, Division of the Humanities; Master, Humanities Collegiate Division

NADINE O'CONNOR DIVITO, Senior Lecturer and Coordinator for Romance Languages, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures, and the College

CLAUDINE FRANK, Assistant Professor, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures and the College

GEORGE HALEY, Professor, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures and the College

JAMES R. LAWLER, Edward Carson Waller Distinguished Service Professor, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures and the College

FRANçOISE MELTZER, Professor, Departments of Romance Languages & Literatures and Comparative Literature, and the College

ROBERT J. MORRISSEY, Associate Professor, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures, Committee on General Studies in the Humanities, and the College

LARRY NORMAN, Associate Professor, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures, and the College

MARIO SANTANA, Assistant Professor, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures, Center for Latin American Studies, and the College

ELISSA WEAVER, Professor, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures and the College; Chairman, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures

REBECCA WEST, Professor, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures and the College

Go to top of document