FIGS

Subject

FIGS

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

4 Approaches to Francophone, Italian, and 4.00 Germanic Studies Choose 2 of the Following Language Groups: Students must choose 2 of the 3 languages to fulfill the major 16 requirements

Subject

FIGS

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

1

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2026 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.

Subject

FIGS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

This course will provide a forum for collective preparation for the Master's exam across the three section in FIGS. Faculty will guide students in their work with their M.A. reading list(s)

Subject

FIGS

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

In this course, we will be guided by the principle that translation is a practice that requires both carefulness and care, by the belief that it is an art form unto its own, and by the understanding that it is a practice steeped in ideological and political power. We will study several trends, theories and philosophical approaches in the field, and we will also attend to more technical concerns, such as copyright, machine translation, etc. We will compare different translations of same works (such as the ones of Frantz Fanon’s Black Skin White Masks) to think through the complex relationship between author, translator and their publishing contexts. We will welcome several accomplished translators who will share their process and explain the importance of building a translation community. Students will also work on their own translations (into English), which we will workshop together. This course is open to graduate students and to advanced undergraduate students, with permission from the instructor. Not Offered Every Year Also Offered As: COML 5251, FREN 5250 Mutually Exclusive: FREN 3020 1 Course Unit

Subject

FIGS

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

This graduate seminar will explore the intertwined histories of queer European cinemas, focusing on French, German, and Italian films. From the inherent queerness of early cinema's attractions (e.g., Meliès, the Lumière brothers, the Skladanowsky brothers) to the gender-bending comedies of the Weimar Republic; from the queer auteurism of new wave cinema (Visconti, Fassbinder, Pasolini, Démy) to the fluid, boundary- pushing sensibilities of more recent works by filmmakers like Akerman, Ozon, Guadagnino and Rohrwacher, this course will examine how representations of gender and sexuality emerge and evolve across different national contexts. In doing so, we will also take a transnational perspective, tracing connections and influences those cross borders and complicate traditional cinematic narratives. The seminar provides an introduction to both film history and queer studies, open to graduate students and qualified undergraduates by permission of the instructors. No prior knowledge of film or queer theory is required. Not Offered Every Year Also Offered As: CIMS 5555, GSWS 5555 1 Course Unit

Subject

FIGS

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Literary Theory course 1 FIGS/CIMS/ FIGS Theory Proseminar: Special Topics COML 6060

Subject

FIGS

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

1

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

“FIGS Theory Proseminar: Special Topics” is a graduate seminar taught by a member of the FIGS faculty or affiliated faculty and dedicated to a specific theoretical approach in years when the more general FIGS Theory Proseminar (“Introduction to Modern Literary Theory and Criticism”) is not being offered. Course content will vary, depending upon the instructor’s area of expertise. Please see the semester-specific description for details.

Subject

FIGS

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

This seminar will focus on the thought of Baruch Spinoza and Karl Marx and trace the traditions of their encounter—traditions that extend not only to philosophy and critical theory, but also to fields ranging from literary studies to environmental humanities. Countering the dominant narrative of Hegelianism in Marxist theory, we will look at how Spinoza’s philosophy shaped the dissident currents in the Social Democratic Party in Germany and gave birth to the so-called Russian Marxism in the early twentieth century. Subsequently, we will investigate how the second half of the twentieth century witnessed a revival of interest in Spinoza across humanities and social sciences as a means of rethinking the very terms of philosophical and political debates of modernity. The seminar will follow this persistent strain of Spinozan thought in modernity to the most recent publications and investigate the contradictory and conflictual Spinoza-interpretations on the political and philosophical left. The currents addressed in this seminar will include, but are not limited to: the vicissitudes of Spinozism among Soviet Marxists (Georgi Plekhanov, Lyubov Axelrod, Abram Deborin, Evald Ilyenkov); the deployment of Spinoza against Hegel to rejuvenate Marxism in France (Louis Althusser, Etienne Balibar, Gilles Deleuze, Chantal Jaquet, Alexandre Matheron); the development of theories of the multitude in the tradition of Autonomism in Italy (Antonio Negri, Paolo Virno); and, most recently, we will look at the Spinozan thought in contemporary Lacanian psychoanalysis (A. Kiarina Kordela), theories of finance capitalism (Frédéric Lordon, Jason Read), feminist theory (Moira Gatens), intellectual history (Tracie Matysik, Franck Fishbach, Katja Diefenbach), literary studies (Pierre Macherey, Anthony Uhlmann), and environmental humanities (Hasana Sharp, Beth Lord). Also Offered As: COML 6176, REES 6176 1 Course Unit

Subject

FIGS

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Subject

FIGS

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

This seminar will be a broad survey of Marx and Freud, with attention to each thinker as well as to how their theories supplement one another. Different instructors may emphasize different aspects of marxism and psychoanalysis, as well as the historical contexts of the two theorists. See English.upenn.edu for full course offerings. Not Offered Every Year Also Offered As: COML 7640, ENGL 7640 1 Course Unit

Subject

FIGS

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

This seminar investigates topics unfolding across different historical periods. This iteration covers the period from 1500 to today. The specific topics can be found on the course-related webpages of the Department of Music and that of Francophone, Italian, and Germanic Studies, in addition to the Graduate Catalogue. The seminar is open to all graduate students, including those in Music Studies and Composition; Francophone, Italian, and Germanic Studies; Comparative Literature & Literary Theory; Global Medieval and Renaissance Studies; Africana Studies; History of Art; Spanish and Portuguese; English; Russian and East European Studies; Jewish Studies; Cinema & Media Studies; Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies; Anthropology; Philosophy; Classical Studies; History; and Digital Humanities. Not Offered Every Year Also Offered As: MUSC 7361 1 Course Unit University of Pennsylvania Catalog 1909

Subject

FIGS

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

In 1925, Alain Locke published The New Negro: an Interpretation, an anthology of literary and artistic works by leading figures associated with a movement in Black culture that would become known as the Harlem Renaissance. This year’s 100-year anniversary of the event has prompted new scholarship and numerous commemorations. This seminar will focus on the Harlem Renaissance and its resonances across time and space by engaging material from the end of the US Reconstruction (1880s) to the present to explore what, when, where, whose, and why the Harlem Renaissance. The syllabus will include poetry, essays, long and short fiction and criticism. Students will work with archival materials, newspapers and periodicals, as well as film, music,artwork, and photography in exhibition catalogues and local collections. Required coursework will include the presentation of a chapter from a scholarly monograph or article associated with the theme of the course for discussion and a seminar paper, along with weekly assignments. For more information, please visit: https://www.english.upenn.edu/courses/ graduate. Not Offered Every Year Also Offered As: AFRC 7705, COML 7705, ENGL 7705 1 Course Unit

Subject

FIGS

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

This proseminar will introduce first-year FIGS graduate students to doctoral studies in the humanities. It is organized into four parts. Part I, “Scholarly Habits and Resources,” introduces students to a variety of resources at Penn, discusses the scholarly habits that graduate students should develop, and covers strategies for promoting mental and physical well-being as a graduate student. Part II, “Intervening in the Field,” introduces students to the processes of conference participation and article publication. Part III, “The Dissertation,” covers the ins-and- outs of writing the dissertation. Part IV, “Awards, Networking, and Jobs,” addresses the importance of awards and networking as well as the academic and non-academic job markets. While DEI issues are constantly addresses throughout the course, also in the form of assignments, there are also bridge sessions to other courses, especially on pedagogy and recent research trends. In addition to weekly discussions and activities, this course will include a number of guest speakers who will share their expertise and give guidance on the how-tos of the field. Students will be given pre- as well as post-class activities to reflect on each week’s topic and begin to prepare a dossier for later use in their graduate studies. Much of the information in this proseminar becomes particularly relevant during the final years of coursework and your dissertation writing years, but it is important to be introduced to these topics and to begin to think about them now. This course is designed for PhD students in Francophone, Italian, and Germanic Studies. Many of the topics apply to all three fields; however, students will also have the opportunity to work on areas that are specific to their language for certain topics. They will also be able to add to the course materials for future graduate students in FIGS.

Subject

FIGS

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu

Designed to allow students to pursue a particular research topic under the close supervision of an instructor. 1 Course Unit 2026-27 Catalog | Generated 08/03/26

Subject

FIGS

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

catalog.upenn.edu