Skip to main content

Master's Degree in World Cultures and Literatures

*The degree is no longer accepting new students*

Areas of Concentration

The M.A. in World Cultures and Literatures is an innovative, interdisciplinary graduate program with a strong cultural studies focus and in-depth study in one of the target languages and/or cultures. With an emphasis on languages, literatures and cultures, the WCL M.A. program involves a wide range of possible directions as it seeks to meet an individual student’s academic and career interests and needs. The program addresses issues such as modernity, postmodernity, globalization, colonialism and postcolonialism, transnational and transcultural concerns, urban and diasporic studies, and the formation of cultural identities. It incorporates literary, film, visual, media and gender studies. Students in language core areas acquire high proficiency in the target language, translation skills, and, in some areas of concentration, training in applied linguistics and second language teaching.

Our faculty, dedicated scholars and teachers drawn from the Chinese, Classical Studies, French, German, Italian, and World Cultures and Literatures programs of the department of modern and classical languages as well as from other disciplines and departments, provide students with diverse perspectives and approaches relevant to the study of cultures and languages in multiple contexts. Instruction is student-centered, engaging and encourages faculty-mentored individual and collaborative research. We are committed to excellence in scholarship, student success and cultural diversity.

The M.A. in World Cultures and Literatures prepares and qualifies students for a wide range of career areas or for doctoral studies in given languages. In a rapidly changing job market, there is a growing demand for people with an understanding of historical and global contexts who can think across cultures and disciplines, imaginatively frame questions and consider multiple perspectives, combine various approaches and find innovative solutions. The WCL M.A. contributes to the University of Houston’s mission of preparing students for an increasingly diverse and interdependent world and accommodates the educational needs of:

  1. B.A. recipients who want to go on to a more advanced language training in a terminal M.A. program
  2. B.A. recipients who wish to complete an M.A. as a bridge program to prepare them for doctoral study at other universities
  3. Working professionals, including foreign language teachers, who wish to continue their education in foreign languages and cultures

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 30 hours is required for the WCL M.A., all at the 6000 level or above. Students may elect to write a thesis, complete a translation project in literary/cultural studies or develop an editing project. If they do so, a maximum of 6 hours of thesis credit may be added on to their requirement. Before entering the M.A. Program, students should decide on a concentration they wish to pursue. Careful advising of individual students will ensure that students build a curriculum that supports their academic and career goals. However, the program is so designed that students may change directions with little or no need for extra courses. The course choices currently include 6000 level courses in MCL and other departments. Courses at the 8000 level require the permission of the instructor.

At least 18 of the hours must be in residence either at UH or at UH/MCL affiliated Study Abroad programs.

A minimum 3.0 grade point average for all courses in the M.A. Program is required.

Required Coursework (Total of 30 hours without thesis):

  • WCL 6351 Frames of Modernity I*
  • WCL 6352 Frames of Modernity II or WCL 6353 Frames of Modernity III*
  • 3 hours in 6000 level history course related to target culture/area of concentration
  • 15 hours in 6000-level language, linguistics or literature courses related to area of concentration
  • 6 hours electives in courses related to area of concentration in literary theory, philosophy, cultural studies, pedagogy, etc. offered by MCL or another program and approved by director, including practice teaching, internship, study abroad and publications skills preparation as WCL’s special elective
    • *Note: Students with credit for WCL 4351, WCL 4352 or WCL 4353 may not take the corresponding graduate level Frames course

Language Requirements

English; proficiency in core concentration/target language, demonstrated by either 1) completion of B.A. or equivalent 2) completion of four semesters of undergraduate coursework in that language followed by approval of the MCL program director of core concentration/target language 3) native or acquired fluency, followed by approval of the MCL program director of core concentration/target language. Reading knowledge of a language other than English and the core concentration/target language desirable. Reading knowledge in the third language can be satisfied while enrolled in the graduate program through completion of two semesters of graduate reading courses in the language with a grade of B- (2.67) or higher.

Areas of Concentration & Specific Requirements

Chinese:

  • WCL 6351 Frames of Modernity I
  • WCL 6352 Frames of Modernity II or WCL 6353 Frames of Modernity II
  • 3 hours in 6000-level history course related to target culture
  • 15 hours selected from CHNS 6000-level courses
  • 6 hours in theory, linguistics, literature, psychology, pedagogy, translation studies or other relevant courses taught in MCL or other departments

French:

  • WCL 6351 Frames of Modernity I
  • WCL 6352 Frames of Modernity II or WCL 6353 Frames of Modernity III
  • 3 hours in 6000-level history course related to target culture
  • 6 hours selected from FREN 6313, 6315, 6316
  • 9 hours selected from any of the 6000-level literature courses taught in French
  • 6 hours in theory, cultural studies, film/visual studies, translation studies, architectural or art history, philosophy, pedagogy or other courses relevant to the core, taught in MCL or other departments

German:

  • WCL 6351 Frames of Modernity I
  • WCL 6352 Frames of Modernity II or WCL 6353 Frames of Modernity III
  • 3 hours in 6000-level history course related to target culture
  • 15 hours selected from 6000-level courses taught in German
  • 6 hours in theory, cultural studies, film/visual studies, translation studies, architectural or art history, philosophy, pedagogy, or other courses relevant to the core, taught in MCL or other departments

Italian:

  • WCL 6351 Frames of Modernity I
  • WCL 6352 Frames of Modernity II or WCL 6353 Frames of Modernity III
  • 3 hours in 6000-level history course related to target culture
  • 15 hours selected from ITAL 6303, 6304, 6305, 6306, 6307, 6308, 6367, 6397, 6398
  • 6 hours in theory, cultural studies, film/visual studies, translation studies, architectural or art history, philosophy, pedagogy or other courses relevant to the core, taught in MCL or other departments

European Cultural Studies with French, German or Italian Core:

  • 6 hours from WCL 6351, 6352, 6353 (Frames of Modernity I, II and III)
  • 3 hours in European history
  • 15 hours in French, German or Italian cultural and literary studies including at least 6 hours in one target language (primary area of concentration)
  • 6 hours in theory, cultural studies, film/visual studies, translation studies, architectural or art history, philosophy, pedagogy, publishing skills or other courses outside of but related to the student’s core emphasis

Latin American and Latino Cultural Studies:

  • 6 hours from WCL 6351, 6352, 6353 (Frames of Modernity I, II and III)
  • 3 hours in Latin American history
  • 15 hours in Latin American cultural and literary studies courses
  • 6 hours in theory, cultural studies, film/visual studies, translation studies, architectural or art history, philosophy, pedagogy, publishing skills or other courses outside of but related to the student’s core emphasis

Comparative Literary and/or Cultural Studies:

  • 6 hours from WCL 6351, 6352, 6353 (Frames of Modernity I, II and III)
  • 3 hours in history related to student’s primary area of concentration
  • 9 hours of literature/culture courses in language related to student’s primary area of concentration
  • 6 hours of literature/culture courses in secondary area of concentration
  • 6 hours in WCL 6356, 6379, or another WCL graduate course

    Possible Core Areas: a specific national or regional literature, gender and cultural/literary studies, race and cultural/literary studies, visual arts and literary studies, performance (music, film, theater studies), post-colonial studies or other concentration approved by program director

Global Cinema Studies

  • 6 hours from WCL 6351, 6352, 6353 (Frames of Modernity I, II and III)
  • 3 hours in WCL 6379 (Critical Theory and Globalization). Upon prior approval of the director of WCL, courses allowed as substitutes may be chosen among ANTH 6340 (Anthropology and Literature), ARTH 6301 (Critical Theory), COMM 6360 (Critical Theory in Media and Culture), ECL 6368 (International Economics), ENG 6315 (Critical Cultural Theory), HIST 6391 (World History Theory & Teaching), PHIL 6355 (Political Philosophy), PHIL 6356 (Feminist Philosophy), SPAN 7304 (Critical Theory) and POLS 6345 (History of Political Theory).
  • 6 hours in WCL Culture/Literature courses offered by other departments upon prior approval of the director of WCL. Courses allowed as substitutes may be chosen among 6000-level courses in English, Philosophy and Spanish.
  • 15 hours of film/culture courses chosen among CHNS 6350 (Studies in Chinese Cinema), CLAS 6381 (Classical Antiquity in Cinema), FREN 6318 (French Cinema), FREN 6321 (Francophone African Cinema), GERM 6361 (History and Memory in German Cinema), ITAL 6306 (Advanced Italian Cinema), WCL 6355 (Utopias and Dystopias), WCL 6356 (Studies in World Film and Film Theory), WCL 6357 (Studies in National and Transnational Cinema), WCL 6358 (Studies in Asian Cinema), WCL 6359 (World Film, Gender, and Sexuality), WCL 6364 (Holocaust Representations), WCL 6365 (World Documentary Film) and WCL 6366 (Latin American & Latino Film)