1 GRADUATE COUNCIL MEETING 9 May 2012 102 Kern Graduate ...

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PROGRAM PROPOSAL
The graduate program in Comparative Literature proposes to adopt the new Dual-Title Ph.D.
Degree program in African Studies.
The program will not duplicate any other degree program at University Park or at Penn State’s
commonwealth campuses. The program will also not impact directly on any other department or
program, except for the two proposing units (graduate program in Comparative Literature and
the African Studies Program).
This proposal contains the following information, consistent with the review and approval
process of the Graduate Council.
• A listing of courses that are appropriate for African Studies.
• Requirements for the candidacy and comprehensive exams.
• Composition of comprehensive examination committee.
• Composition of doctoral committee.
• The administrative process by which students will be admitted to the Dual-Title Doctoral
Degree Program in Comparative Literature and African Studies.
OBJECTIVES
The main objectives of the proposed Comparative Literature and African Studies Dual-Title
Doctoral Degree Program are to:
• offer a systematic and integrated cluster of courses to enrich the curriculum and training
of Comparative Literature doctoral students, who wish to complement their African
literature specialization with a more thorough understanding of the dynamics of African
political, socioeconomic and environmental change;
• use the research projects and institutional networks of core and affiliate African Studies
faculty to provide research opportunities and linkages in Africa for Comparative
Literature doctoral students; and
• produce Comparative Literature doctoral graduates, who have an additional qualification
for African Studies-related employment in academia, bilateral and multilateral agencies
and international think-tanks.
JUSTIFICATION STATEMENT
The African continent is an increasingly important actor in the global geopolitics of the twentyfirst
century. Many countries on the continent are major energy centers and leading producers of
mineral resources, which are critical to the stability of the current international economic system.
In addition to its historical role as a source of raw materials, Africa has become a growing