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

Department of History Coffee Hour
Jan6
Department of History Coffee Hour Jan 6 McKenzie Hall
Irish Ecomedia: Empire and Environmental Justice in the Modernization of Postcolonial Ireland
Jan8
Irish Ecomedia: Empire and Environmental Justice in the Modernization of Postcolonial Ireland Jan 8 Knight Library
Considerations for Composing Poetry in Indigenous Languages—Native American and Indigenous Studies Research Colloquium
Jan12
Considerations for Composing Poetry in Indigenous Languages—Native American and Indigenous Studies Research Colloquium Jan 12 Many Nations Longhouse
Eugene History Pub Lecture Series: "Blacks against Brown: The Intra-racial Struggle over Segregated Schools in Topeka, Kansas"
Jan12
Eugene History Pub Lecture Series: "Blacks against Brown: The Intra-racial Struggle over Segregated Schools in Topeka, Kansas" Jan 12 Whirled Pies
Department of History Coffee Hour
Jan13
Department of History Coffee Hour Jan 13 McKenzie Hall
Part-Time Job & Work-Study Fair
Jan14
Part-Time Job & Work-Study Fair Jan 14 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
Portland Internship Experience (PIE) 2026 Virtual Info-Session
Jan14
Portland Internship Experience (PIE) 2026 Virtual Info-Session Jan 14
Filmlandia Screening Series: "The Shining"
Jan14
Filmlandia Screening Series: "The Shining" Jan 14 Lawrence Hall
Department of History Coffee Hour
Jan20
Department of History Coffee Hour Jan 20 McKenzie Hall
Dept. of History Seminar Series: "What is the History of Information? A Case Study of the United States in 1920"
Jan20
Dept. of History Seminar Series: "What is the History of Information? A Case Study of the United States in 1920" Jan 20 McKenzie Hall