The comparative literature department encourages students to dissolve boundaries and cross cultures in a quest to chart new intellectual territory. Delve deep into the cultural output of two different languages. Do you want to study film, psychology, art history, or philosophy? Choosing to major in comparative literature lets you plan an academic excursion of your own design. Consider the question of whether Borges and Batman share a point of view. Connect the dots between Kurosawa, karaoke, and queer theory. If you love literature and learning about other cultures, comparative literature will take you places you never dreamed. You’ll make exciting discoveries in the two tracks available in the comparative literature department. In the Language and Culture track, you will choose two languages such as Spanish and German, or English and Japanese, and compare their literary traditions. (The language chosen to fulfill your foreign language requirement should coincide with one of these choices.) If you want to study abroad, gain an in-depth understanding of one or more foreign cultures, or attend graduate school in comparative literature, this is the emphasis for you. The Disciplines in Dialogue track allows you to integrate literary study with work in a nonliterary tradition such as philosophy, film studies, psychology, or art history. If you want to combine literary study with creative writing, performance, or visual arts, choose this emphasis. In comparative literature, you will gain critical skills within a flexible and intellectually challenging curriculum designed to engage you in the study of language, literature, and culture.

As a graduate of the UO’s comparative literature department, you’ll have advanced research experience as well as analytical, linguistic, and writing skills that will open the doors of many professional positions. You might launch a career in the academic arena or find that your interests are satisfied by work in the business world. You can choose from fields such as journalism, publishing, and any profession in which critical thinking and writing skills are assets. You will also be well prepared to pursue graduate education at the UO or at another institution.