MA Comparative Literature and French and Italian
About this course
Comparative Literature combined with French and Italian is a degree of exceptional linguistic and intellectual range, bringing together the study of three rich literary traditions and the analytical frameworks needed to understand how they speak to one another. French and Italian are two of the major European languages, each associated with literary traditions of extraordinary depth and international influence, from the medieval poetry of the troubadours and Dante to the modernist experiments of the twentieth century and the diversity of contemporary writing. Comparative Literature places these traditions in a global context, reading texts from across cultures and periods to examine the relationships between world literatures. At the University of St Andrews, this four-year, full-time degree draws on expertise from across the School of Modern Languages and beyond, developing both your French and Italian language skills and your capacity for comparative textual analysis. Comparative Literature at St Andrews opens literary study across boundaries of culture and language, offering the chance to read texts of any genre and period from around the world, allowing you to push at the boundaries of textual analysis and read without borders. The degree includes a year abroad, which for a modern languages degree is essential: spending time in French-speaking and Italian-speaking environments develops fluency and cultural understanding in ways that cannot be achieved from the classroom alone. Graduates with this combination of French, Italian, and comparative literary knowledge are well placed for careers in publishing, translation, journalism, education, the cultural sector, the civil service, and international organisations, as well as in any role where linguistic precision and cultural intelligence are valued. Postgraduate study in comparative literature, French, Italian, translation, or literary theory provides routes to further specialisation and academic research.
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