PhD in Comparative Literature in College Park United States | University of Maryland, College Park

The Comparative Literature Program is a selective PhD program within the English Department, focusing on cross-cultural analysis of literature and media. By leveraging its own strengths alongside those of the English Department and other Arts and Humanities units, the Program fosters diverse scholarly pursuits such as Transatlantic Studies, Film Analysis, Early Modern Scholarship, Classical Reception, and Diasporic/Postcolonial Research. Candidates must engage with at least two languages and literary traditions, including English. This program serves as an alternative to the English PhD, enabling genuine comparative scholarship. Applicants must show advanced language skills upon entry and dedicate themselves to mastering multiple linguistic and literary traditions. Graduates pursue academic careers equally in foreign language and English departments. A Comparative Literature doctorate provides distinctive preparation for examining literatures and cultures through a global, transnational lens.