Carnegie Mellon University

Literature & Culture - Additional Major

For students wishing to declare an additional major (also sometimes called a double major) in Literature & Culture, curriculum requirements will depend upon the primary major declaration. Because some of the same courses are required for each of the 5 major programs in the department, students who have primary majors in English have an amended set of requirements for additional majors, in order to account for course overlap.

Curriculum for Students with Primary Majors Outside of the Department of English

Curriculum: 13 courses, 117 units minimum

For examples of applicable courses, please see the Undergraduate Catalog.

  • Required Introductory Courses (3 courses, 27 units):

    • One Introductory Genre Writing Course
      • Choose from 76-260 Intro to Writing Fiction, 76261 Intro to Writing Creative Nonfiction, 76-265 Intro to Writing Poetry, or 76-269 Intro to Screenwriting
    • 76-245 Shakespeare's Dark Plays
      or 76-247 Shakespeare: Comedies and Romances
    • 76-275 Intro to Critical Writing
  • 200-Level Courses in Literature and Culture (2 courses, 18 units):

    • These courses are designed to give you experience in interpreting and writing about literature and other media in cultural context.
    • One course must be before 1830.
  • 300-Level Courses in Literature and Culture (2 courses, 18 units):

    • These courses give you a more in-depth experience in studying a period or a special topic.
  • Theory Course (1 course, 9 units):

    • This course will give you an historical overview of theoretical models important to the analytical work done in literary and cultural studies.
  • Rhetoric Course (1 course, 9 units minimum):

    • This course can be taken at any point in your work towards the major.  You will need your advisor’s approval to ensure that the course is appropriate to your level of study. 

  • Capstone Seminar (1 course, 9 units):

    • This course will provide a true seminar experience for seniors in the major: the in-depth study of a topic in literature, culture, and theory. It will include independent research culminating in a 15- to 25-page seminar paper.  You will be given a taste of graduate study in the field, along with masters and Ph.D students.
  • English Electives (3 courses, 27 units minimum):

    • These electives can be any courses offered through the English Department.

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Curriculum for Students with Primary Majors Within the Department of English

Curriculum: 10 courses minimum, 90 units minimum

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