Teaching Requirements

The pedagogical training of students of Comparative Literature is complicated by the fact that they have to be qualified and prepared not only to teach successfully in comparative literature departments but also in language departments or departments of other disciplines such as religious studies, film studies, area studies, to name a few. Thus, graduates from Comparative Literature must be trained in multiple pedagogical methodologies and have appropriate teaching experience.

All graduates of our program should all be able to:

• Design and teach introductory courses in the discipline
• Design and teach introductory and upper-level courses in their field
• Design effective assignments for a range of courses
• Effectively facilitate discussion
• Design and deliver an effective lecture
• Describe their approach to student learning and give reasons for their pedagogical choices 

Students should graduate well-versed in methods and approaches to undergraduate writing instruction and are encouraged to seek additional training in inclusive pedagogy through the Chicago Center for Teaching (CCT) and Diversity + Inclusion programming.

The Pedagogical Training Plan is established in consultation with the faculty mentor according to the individual student’s needs and professional goals, and may be tailored to include the following pedagogical and teaching experiences:

NB: This plan is a suggested schedule for teaching and will be tailored for individual student training needs at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies, faculty adviser, and student. 

Please note that any teaching assistantship or lectureships outside of the department of Comparative Literature should be reviewed with your advisor and the DGS for their suitability in your pedagogical training plan and are required to be approved before accepting the appointment