PhD in Comparative Literature at Harvard University

Harvard University

United States of America, Cambridge

University Rank:#5

Harvard University offers the PhD of Comparative Literature as a full-time degree delivered on campus at its HARVARD UNIVERSITY campus in Cambridge , United States of America. Taught in English and completed over 4 years, the program equips students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required for comparative literature and related professional fields. The next available intake begins on September 5, 2027.

About PhD in Comparative Literature

Harvard's Department of Comparative Literature is one of the most dynamic and diverse in the country. Its impressive faculty has included such scholars as Harry Levine, Claudio Guillأ©n, and Barbara Johnson. You will study literatures from a wide range of historical periods and cultures, while learning to conduct cutting-edge research through an exhilarating scope of methods and approaches.

Your dissertation research is well supported by Harvard's unparalleled library system, the largest university collection in the world, comprising 70 libraries with combined holdings of over 16 million items.

Recent student dissertations include "Imagined Mothers: The Construction of Italy, Ancient Greece, and Anglo-American Hegemony,"‌ "The Untimely Avant-Garde: Literature, Politics and Transculturation in the Sinosphere (1909-2020),"‌ and "Artificial Humanities: A Literary Perspective on Creating and Enhancing Humans from Pygmalion to Cyborgs."‌

In addition to securing faculty positions at academic institutions such as Princeton University, Emory University, and Tufts University, graduates have gone on to careers in contiguous fields including the visual arts, music, anthropology, philosophy, and medicine while others have chosen alternative careers in film production, administration, journalism, and law.

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Department of Comparative Literature and requirements for the degree are detailed in GSAS Policies.

Disciplines

School of Arts & Sciences

Requirements and Admission Criteria for PhD in Comparative Literature at Harvard University

Entry Requirements

Your degree program will note one of three options regarding submission of scores for the GRE General Test (GSAS also accepts scores from the GRE General Test at Home).

Required: You must submit GRE General Test results.
Optional: You may submit GRE General Test results if you wish.
Not Accepted: Do not submit GRE General Test results. GRE General Test scores will not be considered when applications are reviewed.

Sending GRE Scores

When taking the GRE, you will have an opportunity to request that your scores be sent to your academic institutions of choice. Be sure to select Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, as each Harvard admissions office has its own ETS school code. To ensure that your scores are matched to your applicant record, the First Name, Last Name, and Date of Birth on your test score report must match the information you enter in the GSAS Applicant Portal. GRE score reports must be sent to GSAS by the application deadline.

Use ETS code 3451 to send GRE scores to Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (department code is not required).
GRE tests must be taken within five years of your expected date of matriculation. If you are applying for fall 2023 admission, you must submit scores from tests taken no earlier than September 1, 2018.
An official score report from Educational Testing Service (ETS) to Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is required. If you have personal score reports from tests taken within the valid period (as described above), you can upload them to your application in addition to requesting that your scores be sent.

Some degree programs also require GRE Subject Tests. Visit your degree program page of interest for more information.

English Requirements

IELTSMin 6.5
TOEFLMin 80

Tuition and Fee Information for PhD in Comparative Literature at Harvard University

Application Fee 105

How to Apply for PhD in Comparative Literature at Harvard University

STEP 1: CHOOSE A PROGRAM

GSAS offers master’s and PhD degrees in programs based in the arts and humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering and applied sciences. Many programs also allow a student to conduct more focused research by choosing an area of study. Review the programs on offer to decide which best meets your academic goals.

STEP 2: MAKE A NOTE OF THE APPLICATION DEADLINE

Application deadlines vary by program and are noted on the program page.

STEP 3: Review the STANDARDIZED TESTS requirements

Programs may require Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test or subject test scores. Applicants who are non-native English speakers may be required to demonstrate English proficiency by submitting scores from an English Language test (TOEFL or IELTS). Review the admissions policy on English Proficiency for more information. Be sure to register early for required tests.

STEP 4: COMPLETE YOUR APPLICATION BY THE DEADLINE

The online application becomes available in September. The application and all components are due by 5:00 p.m., eastern time, on the deadline date.

PhD in Comparative Literature at Harvard University

Harvard University

United States of America, Cambridge