Comparative Approaches to the Literatures of Africa, the Middle East, and the Global South (Advanced Certificate)

Department Website

Program Description

The Advanced Certificate in Comparative Approaches to the Literatures of Africa, the Middle East, and the Global South (CALAMEGS) offers a unique avenue for students wishing to study, in a systematic comparative way, the literatures of Africa, the Middle East, and Global South. Drawing on multiple courses offered by full-time faculty in literature and area studies departments at NYU, it gives theoretical and methodological direction through a mandatory introductory seminar.

This program has been approved both as a free-standing certificate for students not currently matriculated in a graduate program at NYU, and as a dual-degree with the Ph.D. programs in NYU Comparative Literature, English and American Literature, Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, French Literature, Thought and Culture, and Italian Studies. Students funded through the MacCracken program will pay no additional tuition or fees.

Admissions

All applicants to the Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS) are required to submit the general application requirements, which include:

• Academic Transcripts
• Test Scores (if required)
• Applicant Statements
• Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
• Letters of Recommendation, and
• A non-refundable application fee.

See Comparative Literature for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.

Program Requirements

The required introductory seminar is Comparative Approaches to the Literatures of Africa, the Middle East, and the Global South, COLIT-GA 2511 (4 credits). Students must also complete two courses (8 credits) of Comparative Literature electives and two courses (8 credits) of general electives, for a total of 20 credits, to complete the Advanced Certificate. The Comparative Literature electives and general electives must be approved by the directors of the program.

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
Required Course
COLIT-GA 2511	Comparative Approaches to the Literatures of Africa, the Middle East, Global South	4
Electives
Comparative Literature Electives		8
General Electives 1		8
Total Credits		20

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Please see a list of pre-approved courses here. In addition to selecting courses from this list, students may also request the review of other courses for approval, at the discretion of the directors, to fulfill these requirements.

All courses for the certificate can also count towards the 72 credits needed for the PhD in Comparative Literature; thus, students can complete both programs with 72 credits total.

Sample Plan of Study

Plan of Study Grid

1st Semester/Term		Credits
COLIT-GA 2511	Comparative Approaches to the Literatures of Africa, the Middle East, Global South	4
Comparative Literature Elective		4
	Credits	8
2nd Semester/Term
Comparative Literature Elective		4
General Elective		4
	Credits	8
3rd Semester/Term
General Elective		4
	Credits	4
	Total Credits	20

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:

1. Reinforce the broader disciplinary parameters and methodology of the Department of Comparative Literature which houses it. The Advanced Certificate in Comparative Approaches to the Literatures of Africa, the Middle East, and the Global South provides a specific purview. It aims to the study, in a systematic, theoretically-informed comparative way, of the literatures of Africa, the Middle East, and Global South. The CALAMEGS Certificate—which has partner departments that offer the joint CALAMEGS-Ph.D. degree, namely English, Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Italian and French—enhances interdisciplinarity.
2. One of the goals of CALAMEGS is to provide accreditation that qualifies certificate-holders—whether graduates of the Department of Comparative Literature or of partner departments—to apply for university faculty positions in a broader range of fields and disciplines.
3. To support the production of knowledge on the Global South—an emerging field within the discipline of Comparative Literature, as well as in other disciplines—through Certificate-holders’ scholarship in dissertations, as well as peer-reviewed publications drawn from their dissertations.

Policies

NYU Policies

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.

Graduate School of Arts and Science Policies

Academic Policies for the Graduate School of Arts and Science can be found on the Academic Policies page.