Harvard University has offered courses in Comparative Literature since 1894; the Department of Comparative Literature was established by vote of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences on April 10, 1906. The department was reorganized in 2007 in a merger with the formerly separate undergraduate Literature Concentration. The present program is the result of a thorough review and revision of both the graduate and undergraduate programs undertaken during the academic year 2009-2010 and refined annually.

Please take the time to read through the entire Guide. Please also keep the Guide for consultation. A careful perusal now, even if you are just beginning your graduate studies at Harvard, will help you to think of your program as an organic whole. Your courses, examinations, teaching, and dissertation enable you to pursue your intellectual interests while simultaneously acquiring credentials to obtain appointments in teaching and research as well as other forms of employment.

2024-2025 Guide for Graduate Students in the department of Comparative Literature