The concentration in Literature contains a combination of core, genre, culture and identity, seminar, and elective courses that combine breadth and depth, historical overview and close attention to one author or genre to give students the experiences, abilities, and tools for a lifelong engagement with literature and ideas. The capstone experience in which students research, write and edit a comprehensive thesis, allows students to demonstrate their skills as readers and writers. All classes develop skills in speaking, listening, imagining and reasoning.