Graduate Programs

Explore Our Doctoral Program

Comparative literature at Oregon boasts the oldest doctoral program on the West Coast. Since its founding in 1962, our graduate program has retained a sense of its traditional grounding while also adapting to a constantly evolving field.

Every student in comparative literature is unique, and our doctoral program emphasizes robust and personalized advising to put you in dialogue with our faculty at each stage of your graduate career—from your coursework to your exams, dissertation and eventual employment.



Ancient writing on a tablet

Doctorate Degree in Comparative Literature

As a department, we are committed to working closely and individually with each of our students, and our multi-year advising structure is in place to guide you through coursework and to prepare you for an academic career. Once admitted, you already begin to tailor your program of study to your research interest and to your mastery of at least two national literary traditions. Four foundation courses taken during the first and second years help to establish a cohort among our students and a common critical reflexivity. And as you go on to pursue courses in national languages and literatures, we remain in conversation to help you generate connections between your three fields.

Oregon’s Department of Comparative Literature is known for the humane environment it cultivates—a community conducive to interdisciplinarity, cooperation, and experimentation.


Funding your Graduate Studies

Want to learn more about funding options for graduate students in the Department of Comparative Literature? Explore opportunities for funding your graduate studies.

Funding and Research Support


Prepare for the Professional World

A graduate degree from the Department of Comparative Literature opens the door to exciting job possibilities. Discover resources to help you prepare for your chosen career path.


Events

2025 Shakeout Walk and Talk
Oct16
2025 Shakeout Walk and Talk Oct 16 Museum of Natural and Cultural History
The Department of Geography Presents: “Authoritarian Developmentalism and Urban Techno-Futures in the Gulf” Lecture by Natalie Koch
Oct16
The Department of Geography Presents: “Authoritarian Developmentalism and Urban Techno-Futures in the Gulf” Lecture by Natalie Koch Oct 16 Knight Library
Career Tour-Tech Edition
Oct17
Career Tour-Tech Edition Oct 17 Ford Alumni Center
2025 Oregon Postdoc Symposium
Oct17
2025 Oregon Postdoc Symposium Oct 17
National Day on Writing
Oct20
National Day on Writing Oct 20 Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall
Film Screening: "Cracking the Code: Phil Sharp and the Biotech Revolution"
Oct20
Film Screening: "Cracking the Code: Phil Sharp and the Biotech Revolution" Oct 20 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
The BIG10 Academia Postdoc Hiring Fair
Oct21
The BIG10 Academia Postdoc Hiring Fair Oct 21
How to: Interviewing (Workshop)
Oct21
How to: Interviewing (Workshop) Oct 21 Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall
Your Future in Food & Beverage (Panel + Networking Night)
Oct21
Your Future in Food & Beverage (Panel + Networking Night) Oct 21 Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall
The BIG10 Academia Faculty Hiring Fair
Oct22
The BIG10 Academia Faculty Hiring Fair Oct 22