Program Overview

Comparative Literature and Culture Program

The Comparative Literature and Culture program at Brandeis University is a highly interdisciplinary major that emphasizes a way of approaching literature rather than a specific body of knowledge about literature. The program is designed to teach students about crossing boundaries and encountering other ways of thinking and living.

Why Brandeis?

At Brandeis, the comparative literature major emphasizes a way of approaching literature rather than a specific body of knowledge about literature. The program is highly interdisciplinary, which allows students to explore a wide variety of interests. Faculty are constantly shaping their curriculum to fit the interests and needs of the changing student body and encourage student input at all levels of program planning.

Academics and Research

The program's core course, Introduction to Global Literature, introduces students to the diversity of approaches possible within the field. Uniquely, the course focuses on acquiring the research and writing skills specific to the comparative study of literature.

Independent Research

Students have researched and written honors theses on topics as diverse as translation, comparative feminism, the influence of folklore on "high" literature, and literary responses to chaos in the wake of World War II.

Interdisciplinary Study

A great strength of the program is that it is interdepartmental, which means that students can draw on the expertise of world-class faculty from across the humanities curriculum.

Peer Teaching Assistant Opportunities

Students can take advantage of peer teaching assistant opportunities. Teaching assistants work closely with the professor to get an inside view of how courses are created and conducted.

Faculty Excellence

The program boasts a faculty of renowned scholars, including:

• Jonathan Decter, associate professor and Edmond J. Safra Professor of Sephardic Studies and Chair of the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies
• Stephen Dowden, professor of German and chair of the European Cultural Studies Program
• Matthew Fraleigh, associate professor of East Asian Literature and Culture and chair of the Comparative Literature and Culture Program
• Robin Miller, Edytha Macy Gross Professor of Humanities and Professor of Russian and Comparative Literature
• Laura Quinney, professor of English
• Fernando Rosenberg, professor of Hispanic Studies and Comparative Literature and chair of the Department of Romance Studies
• Harleen Singh, associate professor of Literature, and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
• Pu Wang, Helaine and Alvin Allen Chair in Literature

Internships, Clubs, and Study Abroad

The program offers diverse internships, student clubs, and study abroad opportunities.

Diverse Internships

In addition to more traditional internships in journalism or publishing, students have also interned at organizations such as Confluir in San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina.

Student Clubs

Because our students are active in multiple departments, they bring the comparative perspective to a wide variety of student clubs and organizations, with interests ranging from Southeast Asia to Russia, from film to dance, and many more.

Study Abroad

The program has a partnership with Boston University for Brandeis students to go on a study abroad program in Madrid, Spain, and apply the methods they learn in a real setting. Students also have studied with other programs all over the globe.

Careers, Graduate Study, and Alumni

Alumni have gone on to graduate study in comparative literature, linguistics, sociolinguistics, education, and many other fields. Recent Comparative Literature and Culture alumni have gone on to begin careers such as writer and editor, program director, vice president of a financial company, self-employed director and actor, trial attorney, and deputy director for Pakistan and Bangladesh at the U.S. Department of State.

World Literatures

Students interested in Comparative Literature who entered Brandeis in fall 2025 or after should refer to the World Literatures program.

Undergraduate Advising Head

Professor Pu Wang serves as the undergraduate advising head for the Comparative Literature and Culture program.