Masters in Comparative Literature

MA Admission Standards and Application

An Honors B.A. with a minimum average of B+ (78%) for the last two years of study is the normal requirement for admission to the program with financial support. In addition to proficiency in English, the Program requires for admission proficiency - at a level sufficient to read original texts and pursue graduate-level work - in a language in which research can be supported by the Program's core faculty. If the applicant's transcript does not reflect adequate study in a second language, he or she may be required to demonstrate it through a language test. Applicants whose first language is not English must provide TOEFL scores as part of their applications.

MA Applications

No application will be considered until it is complete. The responsibility rests with the applicant to ensure that all documents (i.e. transcripts, letters of reference, test results) are submitted by the program’s deadline for application.

Completed applications will be evaluated by the program, which makes the admission decision.? The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies sends out offers of admission and handles all administrative aspects of registration.

For admission to the Master’s program, applicants must possess a four-year degree from an accredited university.? The program requires at least a 78% overall average in the last two full-time years of the undergraduate degree.? Equivalent qualifications may be considered based on the standards of the discipline or profession.

Although applications are processed centrally, applicants are encouraged to contact individual faculty members to discuss their research interests and possible research projects where applicable. However, individual faculty members do not directly admit students.

If you are interested in visiting the department after submitting your application, please contact us to make arrangements. In many cases, some or all of your travel expenses will be paid for by the program.

The graduate application will provide Western with the following:

Biographical information
Contact information
Statement of academic intent (if applicable)
Academic background
Electronic transcripts from Ontario universities/colleges (see below for information on transcripts)
Professional background (if applicable)
Referee information (references collected electronically upon receipt of application)
Proficiency in English Scores (if applicable) (applicant must have testing service send score electronically to Western, Western's ID number is 0984)
- The Test of English as a Foreign Language www.toefl.org (TOEFL). Western's TOEFL ID is 0984.
- The International English Language Testing Service www.ielts.org (IELTS) of the British Council.
Application fee of $90.

One official academic transcript* from each post-secondary institution attended

Past or current students of The University of Western do not need to provide transcripts for their academic history at Western. This information will be obtained internally.
If you have attended or are currently enrolled at any Ontario university or college other than The University of Western Ontario you MUST use the electronic application process in order to request transcripts. These transcripts will be delivered electronically to each of the programs to which you are applying.
All other transcripts must be forwarded in hard copy to Western to complete your application.

*Western considers a transcript official only if it is received in a university envelope that is sealed and signed on the flap by the official person in the office issuing the transcript. If the transcript and degree certificate are not in English, a certified translation?must also be included. (Non-English transcripts from institutions within Canada do not require a translation.)

A complete application package consists of the following:
A completed Application through OUAC
1. One copy of official transcripts for all previous undergraduate and graduate studies
2. Two letters of recommendation from referees familiar with the applicant's recent academic work (Letter of Recommendation Form)
3. Official proof of proficiency in English (TOEFL), for all students whose first language is not English
4. A sample of written work in English, such as a recent undergraduate essay (20 page maximum)
5. A one-page statement about scholarly interests and intended areas of specialization during the M.A.
6. A non-refundable application fee of CDN $90.

Application package should be addressed to:

The Graduate Chair, Comparative Literature
Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
The University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario, Canada N6A 3K7
The deadline for first consideration applications is January 15, 2013.
All applications submitted after this date may be reviewed but cannot be guaranteed admission for the specified term regardless of your admissibility. Early applications are strongly recommended.

Program Requirements

The Comparative Literature M.A. is a two year program requiring students to complete 4.0 course credits and write an M.A. thesis. Students are expected to do most of their course work in the first year and write the thesis in the second year. Courses are selected in consultation with the Graduate Chair. At least two different literatures must be represented in the student's choice of courses. The course requirements are as follows:

1.5 required course credits (0.5 credit each): CL 9501 (Fundamentals of Comparative Literature I), CL 9502 (Fundamentals of Comparative Literature II), and CL 9503 (Thesis Project and Professional Writing).
1.5 graduate course credits in Comparative Literature.
1.0 course credits from among the following: additional graduate courses in Comparative Literature, graduate courses in other programs, and an undergraduate language course. (Note: a 1.0-credit undergraduate language course at any level counts as 0.5 credit toward the requirements of the graduate program.)
In addition to these course requirements, students must participate in the M.A. Thesis Seminar (CL 9510) during the second year of their program.

Language Requirements

Knowledge of English and at least one language, as described above, is required for admission to the program. Reading knowledge of a second non-English language must be demonstrated in order to graduate successfully from the program. Students who need to acquire reading knowledge of a second foreign language while in the program may do so by taking or auditing an undergraduate language course. Successful completion of the course will fulfill the language requirement. Otherwise, the student must pass a test of reading knowledge in the language before graduating from the program. The aim of the language requirements is threefold: to maintain rigour in comparative work by requiring sufficient knowledge of at least one foreign language to allow for advanced study of literary and critical works in the original; to qualify students for admission to a Ph.D. program in comparative literature or their major literature; and to develop facility in other languages to the extent that they can be used in research.

Theses and Thesis Supervision

In the second year of the program, students write a Master's-length (circa 100 pp.) thesis on a subject that involves comparative work in at least two languages. A Supervisor and Second Reader for the thesis are chosen from the Comparative Literature faculty in consultation with the Graduate Chair. ?

Visit the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Graduate Calendar

For further information about any aspect of the program, please contact:
The Graduate Chair, Comparative Literature
Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
Phone: (519) 661-2111, ext. 85857/Fax: (519) 661-4093
E-Mail: Prof. David Darby, ddarby@uwo.ca