Studies & Degrees in Comparative Literature
Comparative Literature Study Programs
Comparative literature studies literature across the borders of language, country and period. Where a degree in English or Spanish literature follows one tradition, comparative literature reads several side by side and asks how texts, genres and ideas travel between them. Dartmouth College describes it as an interdisciplinary programme that promotes the comparative study of literatures in different languages and of the relationship between literature and other fields, such as the visual and performing arts, philosophy, history, the social sciences and religion.
Students read widely, learn literary theory and work in more than one language. The Department of Comparative Literature at Stanford University says its curriculum prepares students for reading and research in the languages and histories of different societies and periods, with an emphasis on cultural and critical analysis, literary theory and interdisciplinarity. Translation is a frequent companion subject: Dartmouth College, for example, also has a minor in Translation Studies.
Qualifications and levels
- Bachelor's degree in the United States. Comparative literature is a major within a Bachelor of Arts, taught by a department or an interdepartmental programme. Students combine literature courses with advanced study of at least one foreign language; the exact language requirement differs from one university to another.
- Bachelor's degree in Spain. Official bachelor's degrees (grados) have 240 ECTS credits. The Grado en Literaturas Comparadas of the Universidad de Granada, taught at its Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, has 240 credits. In the first year students take an introduction to literary studies and choose a modern language from a long list that includes Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Italian and Portuguese.
- Master's degree. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The Máster Universitario en Literatura Comparada Europea of the Universidad de Murcia lasts one year, has 60 ECTS credits, is taught on campus in Spanish and is designed as an introduction to research. At Utrecht University the research master's in Comparative Literary Studies lasts two years, is taught full-time in English and offers a study abroad option of 30 EC in the second year. Dartmouth College runs an MA programme with an application deadline of 15 January.
- Doctorate. An academic career requires a PhD. Utrecht University reports that roughly one in three graduates of its research master's go on to a PhD.
Where to study
SpainExchange lists 46 active schools for comparative literature. The United States has 33 of them and Spain eight; the United Kingdom has two, and Denmark, the Netherlands and Mexico one each. The US schools include Harvard University, Yale University, Stanford University, The University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Dartmouth College, the University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In Spain the list includes the Universidad de Granada, the Universidad de Murcia and the Universidad de Extremadura. Utrecht University is the Dutch school.
The language of instruction follows the country: English in the United States and in the Utrecht master's, Spanish in the Spanish programmes named above. In every case students are expected to read in other languages as well, so language skills matter as much as the language of the classroom.
Costs vary widely. At Utrecht University the statutory fee for Dutch and other EU/EEA students is €2,694 for 2026-27, and the institutional fee for non-EU/EEA students is €21,342. Check the fees of other programmes on each school's own pages.
Careers
Comparative literature is not a professional qualification. It trains reading, writing, research and language skills that graduates use in publishing, translation, teaching, journalism, cultural management and research. Utrecht University names publishing, cultural and educational policy, heritage institutions and NGOs as career paths besides the PhD, and Dartmouth College notes that some of its MA alumni continue to advanced graduate degrees while others find jobs outside the academy.
Two related occupations give an idea of the job market in the United States. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, interpreters and translators typically need at least a bachelor's degree, and employment is projected to grow 2 percent from 2025 to 2035. Writers and authors typically need a bachelor's degree in English or a related field, and employment is projected to show little or no change over the same period.
Frequently asked questions
How is comparative literature different from a degree in English or Spanish literature?
A single-language degree follows one literary tradition. Comparative literature reads several traditions together, in more than one language, and links literature to other arts and disciplines.
Do I need to speak several languages?
You need at least one language besides your own at a good reading level, and programmes help you build more. In the Grado en Literaturas Comparadas of the Universidad de Granada, first-year students choose a modern language to start or continue.
How long does a degree in comparative literature take?
In Spain a bachelor's degree has 240 ECTS credits and the master's degree in Murcia takes one year (60 ECTS credits). The research master's at Utrecht University takes two years.
Can I study comparative literature in Spain in Spanish?
Yes. The Universidad de Murcia states that its Máster Universitario en Literatura Comparada Europea is taught in Spanish, and the Universidad de Granada offers a bachelor's degree in the subject.