Skip to main content
Skip to main menu

Slideshow

  • Bologna

    Intercultural Studies

    Intercultural Studies for a Global Age: Principles, Methodology, Practice

  • Halong Bay in Vietnam

    Study Abroad

    Use your new language and cultural abilities to take advantage of programs and internships in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Tanzania.

  • Temple

    Study Asian Languages and Literatures

    Major in Asian Languages and Literatures: Chinese, Japanese or Korean.

    Where do you want to go in the world?

Welcome to Comparative Literature

The Comparative Literature Department involves the integrated, comparative study of several literatures, languages and other cultural expressions in their interrelation, from a humanistic, interdisciplinary and global perspective. We see our mission as helping prepare our students for the basic cognitive and ethical challenges of our age of globalization, so as to be able to operate effectively in a diverse, multinational, multi-racial and multiethnic environment, both at home and abroad. To this end, we provide them with the tools to analyze and compare several literatures of the world both in their specific cultural and linguistic contexts and in their intercultural, regional and global reference frames. We provide instruction in intercultural and interdisciplinary methodology, literary theory and criticism, translation studies, the African, Asian and Western traditions and their relevance to the contemporary American and global scene. Thereby, we develop our students’ multicultural interpretive and communicative skills, their ability to feel at home in other cultures, effectively engaging in intercultural dialog and mutually beneficial cooperation, as well as their know-how, creativity, and flexibility in meeting the challenges of the new global economy and the super-diversity of our global society.

Our current course offerings include: 

-Introductory and advanced courses in several literatures of the world from a comparative, intercultural perspective, and a variety of theoretical models for interpreting literary and other cultural expressions such as film, music, plastic arts, and digital media in a global, multicultural environment.

-Elementary, intermediate and advanced courses in Asian and African languages from a global and intercultural perspective. We are currently offering Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Swahili, Vietnamese and Yoruba. At the advanced level, we introduce students to the most influential artistic productions of those cultural traditions and their relevance to the contemporary American, multicultural society. 

-Interdisciplinary courses, involving various fields in the humanities, arts, and social sciences and various geographical areas that are particularly fertile from an intercultural perspective, because they are situated at points of intersection between diverse cultures and systems of values and beliefs. They are global nodes linking East and West, and North and South, including the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Sub-Saharan and Pacific regions, as well as the Eurasian cultural expanse covering Russia and the other post-Soviet countries. 

In offering our interdisciplinary programs, our department cooperates on a regular basis with other academic and research units across the university, such as history, philosophy, religion, sociology, fine arts, political science and international affairs, geography, ecology, anthropology, linguistics, English, Romance, Germanic and Slavic studies, journalism and international business, as well as Latin American and Caribbean Studies, African Studies, and Asian Studies. 

We also house university-wide study abroad programs that include the Korean and Tanzanian programs.

Featured Content

Latest News

The Center for Teaching and Learning administers the Outstanding Teaching Assistant (OTA) award, sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Instruction. This award recognizes teaching assistants who demonstrate superior instructional skills while serving in the classroom or laboratory.
Placement tests for Asian languages will be held during office hours the first week of classes. If you are interested in taking a Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Vietnamese language class in the fall and need a placement test, you can contact the following instructors to set up an appointment.
The Comparative Literature and Intercultural Studies Department is proud to announce three recipients of the Outstanding Teacher Assistant Award for 2022.

Upcoming Events



Miller Learning Center, MLC, Room 0248


MLC Head Terrace - Outside

Support us

We appreciate your financial support. Your gift is important to us and helps support critical opportunities for students and faculty alike, including lectures, travel support, and any number of educational events that augment the classroom experience. 

Click here to learn more about giving.

Every dollar given has a direct impact upon our students and faculty.

Students at Tanzania

Our Study Abroad Program

Comparative Literature strongly encourages students to take advantage of the several opportunities the department offers to explore new cultures and international experiences. Students can choose from several different programs, including a couple of Japanese Exchange Programs, UGA South Korea Internship, Service Learning in Tanzania, and others.

View more about study abroad programs!