Overview

As a program that builds on the strengths and dedication of faculty teaching in various departments across the campus, Comparative Literature is distinct in its conviction that literary and cultural manifestations are best studied in an international context.

The program gives students and faculty a unique opportunity to study literature in world contexts and establish intellectually stimulating relations among languages, cultures, and literary traditions, in order to understand the methodical comparison of texts as a fruitful dialogue.

Due to our close affiliation with Columbia University, undergraduate students in Comparative Literature can acquire proficiency in a great variety of foreign languages, including some which are presently not taught at Barnard College Columbia University .

Student Learning Outcomes

The ability to discern and analyze how formal and rhetorical features of language (diction, metaphor, imagery, hyperbole, litotes, rhyme, parallelism, structures of repetition, etc.) enhance, inflect, and complicate seemingly straightforward processes of communication in literary texts but also in non-literary discourse, e.g., psychoanalytic case studies, historical narratives, philosophical writing.
The ability to analyze literary texts and uses of language in historical periods, cultural contexts, and social systems that are different from one’s own and that can thus help one see and re-evaluate one’s own customary and contemporary context in productive ways.
Knowledge about the dynamics of the global circulation of literary genres, aesthetic practices, and ideas through processes of translation and adaptation and by means of various media and technologies
Knowledge about histories of writing practices, genres, relations between script and orality, logics of periodization, and ethical systems in traditions and lifeworlds beyond the West.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Revolutionary Techniques of Interwar Dramas in the US and Spain
Love, Betrayal and Death: Reading East-West Crossings in Men's Cross-dressing Performances of Tragic Heroines
Judgements in the Dark: Identifying and Advocating for the Inherent Nonrationalities in Law
Gaslighter, Denier: Nineteenth-Century Narratives of Self-Reconciliation by a Male Pen
La villa and O Cortiço: Representations of Peripheral Communities in Latin American Literature

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-09-02 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-01-01 00:00:00

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

135

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

105

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

7.5

Prepare for Your English Test

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4.9/5 student rating

Credits

120 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

New York City, United States

Disciplines

Literature View 1013 other Bachelors in Literature in United States

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

135

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

105

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

7.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Common Application: Each application will include personal information such as the school you attend, your extracurricular activities, and your senior year class schedule
Barnard Writing Supplement
$75 non-refundable application fee or fee waiver request
SAT or ACT scores
High school counselor letter of recommendation
Two teacher letters of recommendation
Students must request that their high school and/or college send an official transcript or exam results via e-docs or mail.
Barnard requires students to display English proficiency. Students may be required to submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Duolingo English Test.
The most competitive candidates for admission generally receive a score of 7.5 or higher on the IELTS, a TOEFL score of 105 or higher, or a 135 or higher on the Duolingo English Test.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

70644 USD / year

≈ 70644 USD / year
Out-of-State

70644 USD / year

≈ 70644 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

70644 USD / year

≈ 70644 USD / year

Living costs

New York City

United States

1819 - 3968 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Bachelor's scholarship opportunities for Comparative Literature.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Student Learning Outcomes

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

New York City

Funding

Need help with your student visa?

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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