The Department of Comparative Literature at the University of Oregon holds a historically significant and nationally recognized place in the field of comparative literary studies and interdisciplinary humanities research. Established in 1962, the department is home to the oldest doctoral program in Comparative Literature on the West Coast, and represents more than six decades of sustained leadership in graduate and undergraduate education, theoretical scholarship, and interdisciplinary research across literature, film, performance, and media.
What You Can Do with a Degree in Comparative Literature
Comparative literature adds a level of intellectual rigor and creativity to any career pursuit. Majors in comparative literature pursue careers that emphasize storytelling, research, and analysis, film and visual culture, or political or business-related careers. Professions include:
- Journalist
- Lawyer
- Activist
- Filmmaker
- Writer
- Business executive
- Teacher
- Multimedia designer
- Arts administrator
- Film production
- Non-profit work
- Political advocate
- Environmental planner
Our Degree Programs
The department serves as a site of intellectual innovation within the humanities through its longstanding commitment to theoretical inquiry and interdisciplinary collaboration. Faculty and graduate researchers associated with the department contribute actively to national and international scholarly conversations spanning comparative literature, cinema and media studies, translation studies, critical theory, philosophy, postcolonial studies, digital humanities, and transnational cultural studies. This breadth of scholarly engagement reflects the department’s enduring role as a hub for research that crosses disciplinary boundaries while remaining deeply attentive to the methodological traditions that define comparative literary scholarship.
The comparative literature major is an individualized program of study with a high degree of flexibility and a supportive community of faculty and students with shared interests and values. Undergraduate students can earn a bachelor of arts (BA), bachelor of science (BS), which have the same requirements, or minor in comparative literature.
The Department of Comparative Literature is administered by a core of permanently appointed faculty members as well as faculty drawn from related departments serving fixed-term appointments. Additional affiliated faculty work with students as teachers and mentors. They are a close collective whose diverse interests, in their aggregate, define a core of inquiry both open and coherent.
Our students extend their learning beyond the classroom through numerous experiential learning opportunities. Become part of the Nomad Mentorship Program, participate in a research-based internship administered by faculty, deepen your study of language and cultures while studying abroad, and complete your degree with an honors thesis.
The University of Oregon is also home to the journal Comparative Literature, founded in 1949 and the oldest journal of its kind in the United States. For over seventy-five years, the journal has been one of the field’s most influential venues, publishing foundational work in literary theory, comparative methodology, translation, and interdisciplinary humanities research. Together, the journal and the department position the University of Oregon as a vital center for scholarly exchange and intellectual leadership in the humanities.
Scholarships and Funding
Undergraduate students can seek funding through the College of Arts and Sciences, which awards various scholarships to both incoming students and those who are already attending the UO. Select doctoral students receive funding through graduate employment.
Academic Support
Academic advisors in Tykeson Hall help students understand their major or minor requirements, plan their course of study, explore study abroad opportunities, and more.
