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World Literature and Culture Major

Welcome to the World Literature and Culture undergraduate page.  Here you will find the major requirements, contact information, career planning and study abroad resources and quarterly-updated information like:

  • World Literature and Culture major checklist
  • Student and department event announcements
  • Quarterly course information and highlights

You will also find the Faculty Advisor for the World Literature and Culture major, which changes annually.   Your faculty advisor will be available to assist you with such issues as academic progress, research opportunities and career paths within your field.

Babak Rahimi

2023-2024 (Fall) Faculty Advisor

Babak Rahimi

Todd Kontje

2023-2024 (Winter-Spring) Faculty Advisor

Todd Kontje

Major Requirements

Literatures of the World major checklist
  1. Lower division (three courses).  There are many ways to fulfill this requirement, including:

    1. LTCS 50, 52, and a third course selected from LTEN 25, 26, 27, 28, 29; LTWL 4A-B-C-D-F-M; TWS 21-22-23-24-25-26; or LTWL 19A-B-C.

    2. Or: a three-course sequence in literature chosen from any section in literature. For example, students can take a yearlong sequence of intermediate language courses: LTFR 2A-B-C or 50; LTGM 2A-B-C; LTGK 1, 2, 3; LTIT 2A-B, 50; LTKO 2A-B-C; LTLA 1, 2, 3; LTRU 2A-B; LTSP 2A-B-C and/or LTSP 50A-B-C.

    3. Students can also combine courses in an original national language/literature with courses in translation to satisfy this requirement, such as LTFR 2A-B plus LTWL 4A (Film and Fiction in Twentieth-Century Societies: French).

    4. Students may also use either the Revelle College Humanities sequence (HUM 1–5), Eleanor Roosevelt College’s Making of the Modern World (MMW 11–15), Marshall College’s Dimension of Culture (DOC 1–3), or Sixth College’s Culture, Art, and Technology sequence (CAT 1–3) to satisfy the lower-division sequence for the World Literature and Culture major.

      *Courses not listed in the examples above may be petitioned for credit. Please see an academic adviser.

  2. Upper division (twelve courses):

    1. Upper-Division Concentration: Students may choose one concentration from the options below. Double concentrations are not permitted. (Choose a minimum of six courses, maximum of nine courses):

      1. Language: Focus on literary and cultural production in a single non-Anglophone language.
        Course Options:
        Chinese: LTCH 100–190
        French: LTFR 100–190
        German: LTGM 100–190
        Greek: LTGK 100–190
        Italian: LTIT 100–190
        Korean: LTKO 100–190
        Latin: LTLA 100–190
        Russian: LTRU 100–190
        Spanish: LTSP 100–190
        Any languages or courses not listed above must be petitioned through the department.

      2. History: This concentration focuses on literature written prior to 1800.
        Course Options: LTEN 107, 110, 112, 113, 117, 120, 138; LTFR 121, 122; LTGK 100–190; LTIT 115; LTLA 100–190; LTEA 110A; LTEU 105; LTWL 100, 106, 110B, 111, 158A

      3. Media: Includes courses on film and television, digital media, and music as well as courses on the history of the book and translation.
        Course Options: LTCS 108, 119, 132, 170, 172, 173; LTEN 155, LTGM 134; LTAF 120; LTEA 120A-B-C, 138, 142; LTWL 134, 144, 157, 159, 180, 181, 183, 184

      4. Region: Focus on non-Anglophone literature and cultural production of a single region: Africa, the Americas, Asia, the Mediterranean, or Europe. Other regional concentrations can be petitioned.
        Course Options:
        Africa: LTAF 100–190
        The Americas: LTAM 100–190; LTEN 152, 154, 155, 156, 158, 159, 169, 171, 172, 174, 175A-B, 176, 180, 181, 183, 185, 186, 188; LTSP 116, 130B, 133, 134, 135A, 135B, 136, 137, 138, 140, 141, 142, 150A-B, 151, 154, 159, 160, 162, 166, 170, 171, 172
        Asia: LTEA 100–190; LTCH 100–190; LTKO 100–190
        The Mediterranean: LTEU 105, 140, 145, 146; LTGK 100–190; LTLA 100–190; LTIT 100–190; LTFR 100–190; LTSP 100, 119C, 122, 123, 129, 130A; LTWL 106, 158A-B-C
        Europe: LTEU 100–190; LTFR 100–190; LTGM 100–190; LTGK 100–190; LTIT 100–190; LTLA 100–190; LTRU 100–190; LTSP 100, 119C, 122, 123, 129, 130A; LTWL 106, 111, 166
        Any region or courses not listed above must be petitioned through the department.

    2. Three upper-division courses in comparative breadth, comprised of the following:

      1. One course in Literatures of the Americas (LTAM)

      2. One course in Literatures of Europe (LTEU)

      3. One elective course from Literatures of Africa (LTAF), Literatures of the Americas (LTAM), Literatures of East Asia (LTEA), Literatures in English (LTEN), Literatures of Europe (LTEU), or Literatures of the World (LTWL)

    3. The remaining upper-division electives, to total twelve upper-division courses can be from any literature subject. 

  3. At least one course in a secondary language or literature; that is, a course taught in a language different from that of the primary literature. See “Secondary Language and Literature” above.

Course Information

  • Course Offerings, where you will find
    • Annual course offerings
    • Detailed course descriptions for each quarter
    • A quarterly summary of specific course that meet World Literature and Culture major requirements
      • Courses that may be applied to each of the four possible concentrations:
        • Language
        • History
        • Media
        • Region

Tips for Transfer Students

Before you transfer...

  • Check Assist, the official source for articulation and student transfer information. You will see how your lower division courses will transfer to UCSD. 
  • This major does have a foreign language requirement, so students are highly recommended to start taking courses in their chosen language as early as possible.
  • We are happy to assist any students who are planning to transfer to UCSD.  If you would like guidance prior to transferring, please email us at litprospective@ucsd.edu or call us at 858-534-3210.

After you transfer...

  • Please check your transfer record on TritonLink . Are all the courses you took listed? Are the UC San Diego equivalent courses listed beside the courses you took? If you took a course and it does not appear on your TritonLink record, please contact the Admission's Office for corrections. 
  • If you took a course that does not appear on Assist and you think it is equivalent to one of our courses, you can file an undergraduate student petition with the Literature Department for review. We will be happy to go over that process with you if you have any questions.
  • Once you've received all possible UCSD credit for your transferred coursework, you are ready to make an academic plan.  Our Academic Advisors are happy to help you with this during our walk-in advising hours.
    • YOU SHOULD BE ENROLLED IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE COURSE IN YOUR FIRST QUARTER AT UCSD.  If you need assistance determining which course is appropriate, please call us at 858-534-3210.
    • After transferring coursework and filing undergraduate petitions, many transfer students find that they still have lower division requirements to fulfill.  It is highly recommended that you substitute upper division courses for these requirements, and our Academic Advisors have lists of pre-approved courses for this purpose (this is only applicable to lower division LTEN and LTWL courses).

Study Abroad for Your Major

World Literature and Culture majors are highly recommended to study abroad!  Aside from being an amazing experience, study abroad coursework can be applied to your major requirements (and actually decrease your time to graduation, if planned right)!  World Literature and Culture majors may apply up to 5 upper division courses from study abroad to their major requirements.  Learn more about study abroad opportunities:

Careers in Literature

Students who major in Literature pursue a wide array of career paths.  UCSD and the Department of Literature have many resources to aid you in your career exploration and development:

Undergrad Advising

Current students must use the VAC (valid student PID required) or in-person advising. We cannot advise students via email or over the phone (to preserve student privacy standards).

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In-Person Advising

Walk-in advising is currently unavailable, but we will post updated hours/locations here (once available again). Please use the VAC.

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