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

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CSA 504: Rsh & Asmnt/Stu Africa 10
GEOG 436: Ecology, Economy and Society (high Africa content) 15 12
GEOG 454: African Resources and Development 26
*GEOG 454 has an enrollment of 36 in Fall 2011
The information on Table 1 shows that Comparative Literature is among a number of
departments which offer Africa-related courses. In spring CMLIT 523 had an enrollment of ten,
which is a very healthy enrollment for a graduate seminar. This indicates that there already
exists a significant body of Comparative Literature graduates who have an interest in Africa.
The dual-title degree program is likely to appeal to such students and might even increase their
ranks in Comparative Literature. These students will provide the constituency for the dual-title
degree program.
Outcomes
The Dual-Title Doctoral Degree Program in Comparative Literature and African Studies is
expected to have several beneficial outcomes for graduate education at Penn State in general, and
for Comparative Literature doctoral students, in particular. The program will have the following
specific outcomes.
i. Provide an institutional framework within which Comparative Literature doctoral
students can streamline their interest in African Studies by taking a suite of courses,
which integrates a regional and/or thematic concentration.
ii. Provide Comparative Literature students with a multidisciplinary approach (beyond the
primary discipline) towards addressing problems of African development.
iii. Provide Comparative Literature students with regional expertise that will be attractive to
prospective employers in academia, the US government, bilateral and multilateral
agencies and NGOs.
iv. Enhance the appeal of the Comparative Literature doctoral degree to prospective national
and international students.
v. Enhance the international, multicultural vision of the College of Liberal Arts and Penn
State.
vi. Expand research linkages between Comparative Literature doctoral students and African
universities and agencies with which African Studies graduate faculty have
established research networks (examples include, the University of South Africa, the
University of Limpopo in South Africa, the University of Zimbabwe, Kenya Institute
for Public Policy Research Analysis, South Africa’s Human Science Research
Council, and the Organization for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern
Africa) (see Table 2, below).
vii. Expand the employment potential for Comparative Literature doctoral graduates by
providing them with a degree that will make them more competitive for academic
positions and for positions in international governmental and non-governmental
agencies and organizations. Table 3 lists agencies, just within the United Nations,
that may be highly interested in hiring an applicant with a Ph.D. in Comparative
Literature and African Studies.