PhD in Comparative Literature in Ithaca United States | Cornell University

Cornell's Comparative Literature program provides a Ph.D. covering all key literary disciplines and cultural theory. With approximately twenty students, this intimate program allows for customized, cross-disciplinary study plans. New students collaborate with the Field Committee, led by the Director of Graduate Studies, to develop their curriculum. By the end of their first year, students should identify their focus areas and choose primary advisors (the Special Committee). Since coursework concludes in three years, proficiency in two foreign languages is required. Those focusing on foreign literature should achieve fluency in the relevant language. The standard curriculum includes fourteen courses, with all candidates completing at least one year of teaching. The Second-Year Review occurs in the third semester, helping students narrow their research focus for their A exams. Typically taken in the third year, the Admission to Candidacy (A) examination includes both written and oral components.