ECLS at Occidental – Students in English and Comparative Literary Studies courses read works from British, American, and world literary traditions, including those of classical Greece and Rome. We ask our students to become knowledgeable both about well-known writers and about voices traditionally excluded from literary canons. We strive to present literature in a rich historical context of human social, political, and psychological behavior. All ECLS courses involve extensive work in close reading, critical thinking, and analytical writing.

ECLS classes are typically small, emphasizing discussion and the interactive construction of literary knowledge.

The Major and Minor – The ECLS major requires 11 courses: three historical surveys, three intensive methods seminars, and five courses drawn from the Department’s mid- and upper-level elective offerings. Literature courses taken in other departments (American Studies, Critical Theory and Social Justice, Occidental’s language departments) or taken in study abroad may be counted toward the major with the permission of the Chair.

Students may minor in ECLS by taking five ECLS courses, two of which must be drawn from the historical surveys, and two of which must be at the 300-level.

See the Catalog for further details of the major and minor.

The Creative Writing Emphasis – Qualified students may graduate with an ECLS major and Creative Writing Emphasis by devising a program of 13 total courses, including the basic ECLS major requirements and at least five classes in writing offered in ECLS and other Occidental departments. See Professor Ronk, Program Adviser.

The Comprehensive Project – Each ECLS major undertakes a significant, individually designed project in literary research and analysis in the senior year, beginning in the fall research seminar and culminating in the presentation and submission to the departmental faculty of a scholarly paper of professional quality at the annual public ECLS Senior Symposium in February.

Undergraduate Research – In addition to the comprehensive project, the ECLS Department encourages majors to propose research projects as independent studies, through Occidental’s Summer Research Program, or in other contexts. Department faculty are all engaged in their own research programs, and many are particularly interested in identifying students wishing to do research in areas close to their own.

Journalism and Editing – Occidental does not have a program or emphasis in Journalism. Basic coursework in the field is offered in the English Writing Department, a non-major program. ECLS majors interested in journalism or editing are encouraged to take these courses and to involve themselves in the various opportunities for student journalism on campus: the Occidental Weekly newspaper, the ECLS Department’s student-edited literary magazine Feast, or the alternative publication Steez. A number of internships for course credit are available with Los Angeles publications.

Careers for ECLS Majors – Recent ECLS graduates have been admitted to Ph.D. programs in literature at schools like NYU, UC Berkeley, and Claremont Graduate University. They have also gone on to law school and into Master’s programs in teaching at the secondary and primary levels. (ECLS has a joint program with Occidental’s Education Department leading to a Master of Arts in Teaching Literature degree.) Other graduates go into journalism and editing in various capacities, into public relations, into work with non-profits, libraries, and museums, and into business management training positions. The major is a versatile preparation for all kinds of careers involving communication and conceptualizing skills.