Brown University campus

Arts & Humanities

PhD Comparative Literature at Brown University

Brown University, United States

Programme overview

PhD covering Western literatures ancient and modern plus Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Arabic, with courses in literature, literary theory and cultural studies. More than twenty-five faculty hold appointments in the department; students receive job-search preparation guidance. An A.M. is earned en route; no terminal master's is admitted.

Faculty: The Graduate School  |  Department: Comparative Literature  |  Intake: Fall  |  Study mode: full-time  |  Location: Providence, RI, United States

What you will study

Fifteen courses, three languages (one may be the native language), professional competence in a major literature and two others, a major literature examination, a comparative project in the third year, four semesters of teaching and a dissertation with defense.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

PhD in Comparative Literature (programme-specific): GRE General and Subject not required. Writing sample (maximum 10 double-spaced pages) and personal statement (recommended 2-3 pages single-spaced) required.

USD 74,568 a year (2026-27). Doctoral tuition rate for all PhD students, 2026-27 (Fall $37,284 + Spring $37,284). Tuition only; excludes required fees and health insurance. Incoming doctoral students receive guaranteed funding that includes tuition remission. Source

Applications to MFA and doctoral programmes are submitted online through the Graduate School application; the non-refundable application fee is $75. Many programmes have a January 1 deadline, with decisions four to eight weeks after the deadline; deadlines are set by each programme.

Apply through the official page: https://graduateprograms.brown.edu/

Explore more study programmes

Arts & Humanities

AB German Studies

Brown University, United States

Degree
Bachelor's
Next intake
First-year entry is in the fall; transfer students may enter in Fall or Spring.

Arts & Humanities

AB Linguistics

Brown University, United States

Degree
Bachelor's
Next intake
First-year entry is in the fall; transfer students may enter in Fall or Spring.

Arts & Humanities

AB Medieval Cultures

Brown University, United States

Degree
Bachelor's
Next intake
First-year entry is in the fall; transfer students may enter in Fall or Spring.

Arts & Humanities

AB Music

Brown University, United States

Degree
Bachelor's
Next intake
First-year entry is in the fall; transfer students may enter in Fall or Spring.

Arts & Humanities

AB Sociology

Brown University, United States

Degree
Bachelor's
Next intake
First-year entry is in the fall; transfer students may enter in Fall or Spring.

View all study programmes →

Ready to start your study abroad journey?

Book a free consultation with our expert counsellors and take the first step towards your dream university.

Copyrights © 2026 StudyMapped. All rights reserved.