PhD in Comparative Literature

Class Profile

Class Size

25

Average Age

28

Average Work Experience

2 Years

Diversity

Others:

10%

United States:

35%

International:

25%

California:

30%

Career Outcomes

Median Earnings After Graduation

$1,10,000 / year

Top recruiters

Accenture

Deloitte

KPMG

EY

Google

World Health Organization

Amazon

Microsoft

JPMorgan Chase

McKinsey

Tesla

Fees and Funding

Tuition Fees

$25,743.25 / year

Overall Cost

$40,743 / year

FAQs

• What scholarly environment can students expect?
  
  Students benefit from an interdisciplinary scholarly community, frequent workshops, and mentorship from top scholars in literature and theory across departments.
• How is funding handled?
  
  Berkeley aims to support most PhD students through a mix of internal fellowships and GSI (Graduate Student Instructor) positions. Fellowship opportunities include campus-wide awards such as FLAS for language study.
• What coursework and language preparation are required?
  
  Students generally complete 10 graduate courses, covering one main literature in depth and at least two additional literatures. Multi‑language competence is expected. Up to 2 prior graduate courses may be accepted for transfer credit.
• What academic preparation is expected?
  
  You should have strong academic performance, advanced coursework in at least one non‑English language, and the ability to undertake comparative analysis across multiple literatures.
• Can I apply directly to the PhD program?
  
  Yes. Berkeley’s Comparative Literature program admits students directly into the PhD—there is no standalone or terminal master’s pathway. Applicants are expected to meet doctoral-level standards from the start.