Doctor of Philosophy in Comparative Literature

Every new student will be assigned a faculty mentor who meets with them at least once a quarter to discuss and approve course registration, and ongoing academic goals. Since the faculty mentors are assigned based on joint interests, the faculty mentor may but does not have to become the student's dissertation adviser. In addition, students meet with their faculty mentor and DGS at the end of each academic year to review progress and plan for summer and the following year. In the first two years of the program, students should also begin to approach specific faculty members for ongoing advising in their respective fields of interest so that they can elicit specialist guidance as they begin preparing for the qualifying examination. The department relies on intensive mentoring to balance research and teaching priorities as part of each student's pedagogical training plan. In the first year, students will consult with their faculty member about appropriate teaching plans, and these discussions will then be formalized in consultation with the DGS and Chair. In consultation with the DGS, mentors will make students aware of what courses faculty are teaching, including in the Core, and implement a procedure for matching students to instructors according to intellectual fit and research program.

To gain admission to the Department of Comparative Literature, a student must have a B.A. or its equivalent, strong preparation in one foreign language and adequate preparation in at least one other foreign language, a strong background in literature or a relevant humanistic discipline, and an overall record of marked distinction. In view of our M.A. language requirements, applicants from Asia and other non-English-speaking nations who have had less than a year of study at an English-medium university are required to submit their TOEFL and/or IELTS scores, as well as demonstrate proficiency in one European language in addition to English

English language requirements:

The minimum required score for the TOEFL is 104 overall, with 4 sub scores of 26 each. Minimum required scores in the IELTS are an overall score of 7, with sub scores of 7 each.