PhD in Comparative Literature - Native American Studies in Davis United States | University of California Davis

Our PhD candidates receive guidance from an extensive network of core and affiliated faculty in Comparative Literature. Our professors maintain joint appointments with departments including East Asian Languages and Cultures, English, French and Italian, German and Russian, Middle East/South Asian Languages, and Religious Studies. The program fosters partnerships with interdisciplinary initiatives in critical theory, digital humanities, science and technology studies, film and media, and performance studies. We provide personalized support to help students develop the academic and professional skills essential for career success. The program nurtures graduate students as both educators and developing researchers, boasting an excellent track record of placements both within and beyond academia.

The Designated Emphasis in Native American Studies takes a hemispheric perspective on Indigenous communities across the Americas, examining nations, tribes, and peoples whose ancestors have inhabited North, Central, and South America since ancient times. This distinctive continental approach considers the growing displacement and migration of Indigenous populations throughout the Americas, while centering Native knowledge (through Indigenous voices and texts) in all forms to explore issues affecting Native communities, including their innovative survival strategies developed over centuries.