The University of California, Santa Barbara is situated on unceded Chumash land and waters.

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Welcome to Comparative Literature at UC Santa Barbara!

Our Comparative Literature Program provides undergraduates with the opportunity to work closely with faculty in their fields of study, explore the interactions of literary cultures across borders, and take courses in the literatures of the world and on such topics such as "Global Humanities," "World Literature and Cognitive Science," "Children’s Literature," "Fantasy and the Fantastic," and "the Jewish Graphic Novel." We also offer an innovative Minor in Translation Studies.

Our doctoral students carry research at the crossroads of disciplines and practice the methods and theories of Comparative Literature. We offer a graduate Emphasis in Translation Studies and our graduate students can also choose from six additional graduate emphases. Alumni from our graduate program have secured research positions, teaching appointments, and post-doctoral fellowships in humanities departments at Dartmouth, Harvard, Rutgers, CU Boulder, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Vanderbilt, Yale and at other outstanding colleges and universities.

Comparative Literature Officers
Chair
Placement Officer, Vice Chair & Graduate Advisor
Undergraduate Faculty Advisor
Diversity Officer



Diversity Statement

The Comparative Literature program is proud to foster an inclusive and diverse environment for students and faculty alike, where scholars from a broad range of racial, ethnic, socio-economic, gender, disabled and neurodiverse groups can work together in a thriving scholarly community. Scholars from all different backgrounds and with all kinds of interests are encouraged and supported both intellectually and financially in their pursuit of scholarly excellence. Whether you are interested in Native American writers, anti-racist pedagogies, Disability Studies, Hispanic Students Outreach initiatives, Queer Studies or mentoring disadvantaged K-12 students, you will find a welcoming and supportive environment in our program.

This commitment to diversity is reflected in our efforts to recruit students with varied backgrounds and interests. Admission into the program is based on a combination of prior academic achievement, significant research interests, and evidence of the potential for success at the graduate level in spite of economic and social disadvantages.

University awards in support of these values include the multi-year Eugene Cota-Robles Fellowship and the Doctoral Scholars Fellowship, which provide four- to five-year support packages that combine stipends of $24,000 for two years with two to three years of teaching assistantships and payment of fees, tuition and health insurance.

 

Announcements

Graduate Seminar on Artificial Intelligence, Spring 2023 Thurs. 2-5pm

Professor Fabian Offert is offering a graduate seminar on Artificial Intelligence in the Spring of 2023. This lecture offeres perspectives from Critical Therory, Media Studies, Visual Studies, and Art and History on Visual Artificial Intelligence.

UCLA Professor, Efrain Kristal, holds a lecture in Phelps Hall on March 13

Disguished UCLA Professor, Efrain Kistal, will be hosting a lecture, "War and Translation in...

Film screening at Carsey-Wolf, March 14

On March 14th, Carsey-Wold will be holding a screening of the film, Our River...Our Sky, followed by a conversation between Prof.Mona Damluji and the director Maysoon Pachachi.

Arpi Movsesian (PhD, 2022) has accepted a tenure-track position as Assistant Professor of Slavic Studies at Notre-Dame University, after one year as Lecturer at Rutgers University's Program in Russian and East European Languages and Literatures!

Arpi Movsesian (PhD, 2022) has accepted a tenure-track position as Assistant Professor of Slavic...

UCSB Comp Lit. graduate student, Wendy Sun, has accepted a tenure-track position as Assistant Professor of German Studies at Grinnel College!

One of UCSB's Comparative Literature graduate students, Wendy Sun, has accepted a tenure-track...

New Graduate Seminar: "Hannah Arendt: Crises of the Republic: Imperialism, Racism, Fascism"

In the Winter of 2023, a new Graduate Seminar course will be offered to UCSB graduate students, lead by Professor Elisabeth Weber! Click for more information on the course and when it will be offered.