The Literatures of the World major offers students an opportunity to design a more flexible and individualized program, allowing them to combine their interests in regional literatures (for example, Europe, the Americas, East Asia, Africa, Near East) or national literatures (for example, Chinese, French, Russian, Filipino, German, Italian) with more topical studies (for example, genre, period, gender, ethnic literature, literature and the visual arts, cultural studies, writing, Third World studies). The World Literature major provides students with solid expertise in a single regional or national culture, while allowing them to explore beyond it comparatively and critically.