Capstone Experience

Annual Arts & Sciences deadlines vary by semester and year: see Director of Undergraduate Studies for more information.

Comparative Literature Capstone

All seniors in Comparative Literature or Comparative Arts must complete a Capstone for the major.  Four options are possible:

1. Two-Course Capstone Cluster, at least one course of which is to be taken at the 400-level.  Students electing a capstone cluster should settle the selection of courses for the cluster by the time of registration for courses in the Spring of Senior Year. Additional Enrollment: L16 Comp Lit 300 "Undergraduate Independent Study"

  • The student will submit a substantial paper from each course (two papers from courses in which there are no long assignments), a total of at least twenty pages of critical work and a third comprehensive essay.  
    • The first paper should be submitted to the Undergraduate Committee in December of Senior Year,
    • The second paper due at the end of the student’s last semester AND a 3-5 page comprehensive essay that should engage the following questions:
      1. How did the two courses inform each other?
      2. What were some of the most productive ideas that grew out of placing the two courses side by side?
      3. How does the paper submitted from the second course build on themes and/or approaches in the paper from the first, and what ideas for revision or extension of themes and/or approaches in the first paper were seeded by writing the second?
      4. What insight did the student gain into the practice of Comparative Literature as a discipline by way of the capstone process.

2. Project requiring mentored creative work in the arts to be completed by the beginning of April in the Spring of the student’s Senior Year. The option of pursuing a creative capstone will usually be limited to students in Comparative Arts. Students wishing to pursue this option are cautioned to plan ahead, since faculty time is limited and it is sometimes difficult to find a faculty member prepared to supervise a creative capstone. Enrollment: L16 Comp Lit 300 "Undergraduate Independent Study"

  • Proposals for the project, approved by the project mentor, will be submitted at the time of registration for the Second Semester of Senior Year. 
  • Creation of Presentation Committee, consiting of 2 members:
  1. Presentation Mentor
  2. Additional Comp Lit faculty member: consulted and agreed by start of Spring Semester of Senior Year
  • Project Presentation Date scheduled before Spring Break of Senior Year
    • Work with DUS and Administrative Coordinator of Comp Lit to coordinate any gallery or performance needs before Spring Break of Senior Year
  • Project completed and submitted to Presentation Committee by the end of March of Senior Year (at least two weeks before Presentation Date)
    • If project is a live performance or gallery showing, all members of Presentation Committee must be present
  • Project Presentation Date first week in April of Senior Year including:
    • 45min/1hr presentation,
    • Presentation Committee must be present,
    • Open to friends, classmates, and family and other faculty members who have played a key role in your development at Wash U
    • Copy of final project to file in Comp Lit archive (NOT available for additional viewing without your permission).

3. Internship in a field related to the student's studies that has been chosen in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS).  

  • The student should consult regularly with the DUS as the internship progresses
  • Upon completion, the student should submit a report on the internship indicating how the work was informed by the student’s studies in Comparative Literature or Comparative Arts.
    • Internship report due by first week in April of Senior Year

4) Completion of an Honors Program (Honors by Thesis, Honors by Coursework, Honors by Project).  For Honors Programs, see here.