About

The faculty of the Department of International Literary and Cultural Studies are dedicated to teaching and researching world literatures, cinemas and cultures. Students may also study the following languages, from beginning to advanced levels: Arabic, Chinese, German, Hebrew, Japanese, and Russian.

As of Fall 2024, the Department will offer one ILCS major with two options: 

1. a single language/culture option with six possible language tracks (Arabic, Chinese, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Russian) 
2. a comparative option

In addition to the ILCS major and its various tracks, the Department offers two interdisciplinary majors: German Studies and Russian and Eastern European Studies.

Students who matriculated in Fall 2023 or earlier may still pursue the following majors: Arabic Language and Cultural Studies, Chinese Language and Cultural Studies, German Language and Cultural Studies, Japanese Language and Cultural Studies, Russian Language and Cultural Studies.

All of the majors within the department develop not only strong language skills but also those of critical analysis, research, interpretation, and writing. These skills are applied to an understanding of global cultures within their historical and social contexts that equip students to engage with a wide variety of international and transnational issues in a critical and informed manner.

Graduates of the department go on to a wide range of careers, working in the cultural and arts fields, in journalism and think-tanks, in NGOs, in diplomacy and foreign service, and in education, to name a few examples.

Additionally, our department works closely with three related programs: Middle Eastern Studies, Judaic Studies, and International Literary & Visual Studies.