The Ph.D. Program in Comparative Literature trains students in interdisciplinary and multilingual literary scholarship. Students receive strong training in the history of literary comparison and literary theory, while also developing their expertise within the sub-fields in which they intend to work. Our program contains approximately 15 students at any one time. from Students usually receive a 5-year funding package as part of which they will teach literature and/or language courses for the department. One of the strengths of our program is the significant pedagogical training that our grads receive, and this has made them competitive on the job market in recent years. Although our Ph.D. students tend to have MAs when they join the program, we also consider highly qualified students with undergraduate degrees. The Ph.D. program provides students with a broad yet focused period of coursework, during which they will take classes in the department itself and across other units at UGA. After their qualifying exams, they work with their advisor and doctoral committee to develop innovative dissertation projects. Our primary aim is to train scholars who retain a strong commitment to literary and cultural comparison, while also becoming accomplished scholars in their particular field of study. Our department has a broad range of expertise and we are particularly seeking students who plan to work in the following areas: African literatures, languages, and cultures Black Atlantic/African diaspora literary studies Chinese literature and culture Comparative race studies Early Modern/renaissance literature European comparatism Irish literature from a transnational perspective Korean literature and culture Japanese literature and culture Latin American literatures and film Literary theory Postcolonial Studies/Theory Our program places a strong emphasis in professionalization. Students receive significant training in research practices and journal article writing, which culminates in the job market preparation workshop in their final year of the program. For information on how to apply to the Ph.D. program, click here. Applications for this cycle are due January 15, 2025. Our Graduate Handbook contains information about our program's requirements. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to our graduate coordinator.
