The Comparative Literature program prepares students for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Comparative Literature.   

Through the completion of advanced coursework and rigorous training in language, literary research, methodologies and pedagogy, the doctoral program in comparative literature prepares students to acquire skills and knowledge necessary to excel as teachers and scholars of national language and culture departments as well as comparatists in comparative literature, world literature and/or English departments. In addition, we also offer support for our students who are interested in exploring careers outside of the academia. The Comparative Literature program, the Graduate Division and the IHC all offer opportunities for our students to apply their skills to alternative academic careers.

In addition to the main degree the program offers two specializations or tracks:

Optional French Specialization

FRENCH IN COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

French in Comparative Literature offers students a flexible structure combining a strong disciplinary expertise with an interdisciplinary program of study. A rigorous professional training in French and Francophone studies prepares the students for the national job market, while they also tap into the rich variety of graduate humanities seminars offered at UCSB.

Guided by an advisor from the French and Francophone faculty (see www.frit.ucsb.edu), Students in the “French in Comparative Literature” program divide their coursework between three fields, two of which are primarily focused on French & Francophone language and culture, while the third is concerned with comparative and interdisciplinary issues (see below). Students graduate with a doctorate in Comparative Literature, with a specialization in French & Francophone studies.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS FOR FRENCH IN COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

For a list of the overall requirements for the doctoral degree in Comparative Literature, please refer to the section on Degree Requirements.

Students in the French in Comparative Literature program devote two of their doctoral fields to French and Francophone studies; the third field is devoted to a second national literature or to a comparative topic with a complementary focus. The selection of fields must be approved by the graduate advisor and at least one additional French faculty member.

For students entering the program with an MA in French, coursework should include at least 24 units of graduate-level courses, to be distributed in consultation with the graduate advisor.

For students entering the program with a BA in French, coursework should include at least 60 units of graduate-level courses, to be distributed in consultation with the graduate advisor. The thesis written at the MA level counts as the first field exam for the PhD.

For more information on UCSB’s French in Comparative Literature Program, contact Eric Prieto, Chair, Comparative Literature Program (eprieto@ucsb.edu), and Stephanie Malia Hom, Chair, French and Italian Department (smh@ucsb.edu).

Visit the website of the French and Italian Department: www.frit.ucsb.edu.

Optional German Specialization

GERMAN IN COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

Designed to recognize the importance of comparative and interdisciplinary training for scholars of German culture, the MA/ PhD in Comparative Literature with a specialization in German Literary Studies (CLG) reflects the intellectual diversity of UCSB’s German faculty, who work in media history, German philosophy, trauma studies, psychoanalysis, science and literature, Holocaust studies, contemporary art, or visual culture.

The CLG’s flexible structure enables students to link their study of German culture with other national literary traditions and related disciplines. Guided by a graduate advisor from the German faculty, students devote two of the three fields required for the Comparative Literature PhD to interdisciplinary and transnational German literary studies. The third field is devoted to a second national literature or to a comparative topic with a complementary focus. This allows CLG students to situate their study of the German literary tradition within a broader intellectual and cultural context, thereby optimally qualifying them for a professional world in which interdisciplinary and transnational training is essential.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS FOR GERMAN IN COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

For a list of the overall requirements for the doctoral degree in Comparative Literature, please refer to the section on Graduate Degree Requirements.

Students in the German in Comparative Literature program devote two of their doctoral fields to German transnational studies; the third field is devoted to a second national literature or to a comparative topic with a complementary focus. The selection of fields must be approved by the graduate advisor in consultation with a GSS faculty member.

For students entering the program with an MA in German, coursework should include at least 24 units of graduate-level courses, to be distributed in consultation with the graduate advisor.

For students entering the program with a BA in German, coursework should include at least 60 units of graduate-level courses, to be distributed in consultation with the graduate advisor. The thesis written at the MA level counts as the first field exam for the PhD.

For more information on UCSB’s German Specialization in Comparative Literature Program, please contact: Professor Eric Prieto, Chair, Comparative Literature Program (eprieto@ucsb.edu) or Professor Sven Spieker, Chair, Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies (spieker@ucsb.edu).

Visit the web site of the Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies: www.gss.ucsb.edu