For the years 1966–1986, degree completion data are available only by the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) standardized disciplinary categories. For those years, the Humanities Indicators uses NSF’s “English and Literature” category as the basis of its ELL degree counts. This category includes degrees earned in comparative literature, classics, and classical languages and literatures (but omits degrees in ancient and medieval Greek and Latin—these are included by NSF in its “Foreign Languages” category).
For years 1987 and later, when degree completion data are available by the more detailed Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), the Humanities Indicators treats degrees in classics, classical languages and literatures, Greek, and Latin as LOTE degrees. Comparative literature degrees are excluded from the ELL degree counts for this latter period. A subsequent iteration of the Humanities Indicators will include a separate indicator for comparative literature, which is considered by the Humanities Indicators to be its own discipline.
For an explanation of the difference between the NSF and CIP classification systems as well as an inventory of the various degree programs that are included by the Humanities Indicators under the headings of “English Language and Literature” and “Languages and Literatures Other than English,” see the Note on Data Used to Calculate Discipline-Specific Degree Counts and Shares.
