BA in Comparative Literature and Society (Columbia College) in New York United States | Columbia University

ICLS offers principal programs that enable eligible students to examine literature, culture, and society by drawing from multiple national traditions or by integrating literary studies with other humanities and social sciences disciplines. With advice from the undergraduate studies director, participants choose courses from collaborating departments.

This curriculum caters to students whose multilingual abilities allow comparative analysis across diverse cultural regions. Unlike conventional comparative literature programs, it features interdisciplinary collaboration and broader geographical scope—encompassing not only European but also Asian, Middle Eastern, African, and Latin American cultures.

The program incorporates social science coursework, with core classes co-taught by professors from various fields. This structure encourages students to examine cultural and literary works through multiple methodological lenses. Its interdisciplinary reach extends to visual/media studies, legal humanities, medical humanities, and spatial/urban/architectural studies. As a major or concentration, this program organically extends Columbia's Core Curriculum—which blends literature, art, philosophy, and social theory—and consistently draws some of the university's most globally-minded and driven students.