PhD in Comparative Literature in Chicago United States | University of Chicago

Each incoming student receives a faculty mentor who holds quarterly meetings to review and approve course selections while addressing academic objectives. Faculty mentors are matched based on shared academic interests, though they may or may not later serve as the student's dissertation advisor. Students also participate in annual progress reviews with their mentor and the DGS to outline summer and upcoming year plans. During the initial two years, students are encouraged to seek specialized advising from faculty in their chosen fields to prepare for qualifying exams. The department emphasizes close mentorship to align research and teaching within each student's pedagogical development. First-year students collaborate with their mentor to design teaching strategies, which are then finalized with the DGS and Department Chair. Mentors, in coordination with the DGS, inform students about faculty-taught courses (including Core offerings) and facilitate instructor pairings based on academic alignment and research focus.