Career Outcomes in Comparative Literature & English

Comparative Literature and English is an interdisciplinary program that studies the power of the written word across national and cultural boundaries. With its emphasis on rigorous research, thoughtful analysis, critical thinking, and clear and articulate writing, it is a versatile degree that provides an excellent foundation for a variety of fields. The flexible, student-centered design of both majors is ideal for students who wish to combine their degree in literature with other majors or minors to develop their special focus of interest.

Students who take a degree in this department move on to a wide array of professions. It is simply impossible to predict what they will do, but our alumni research shows a rich variety of success stories in all parts of the world: Paris, New York, London, Tokyo, Beijing, Florence, Stockholm, Cairo, Bogota... you name it.

Going on to postgraduate studies

Recent graduates of the Department of Comparative Literature and English were accepted for postgraduate studies at a wide range of institutions, for example:

• UCLA (MFA in Screenwriting at the School of Theater, Film and
• Television)
• UCLA (fully funded PhD, directly after BA)
• The Graduate Institute, Geneva
• Cambridge University, UK
• Harvard (fully funded PhD)
• University of Chicago
• The Pre-Medical program of Columbia University in the City of New York
• New York University
• San Francisco Law School
• London School of Economics
• Northeastern School of Law
• Trinity College Dublin
• Université Paris IV – La Sorbonne
• Sorbonne Nouvelle
• Emory University (fully funded PhD)
• New School for Social Research
• Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance
• The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
• École Supérieure d’Interprètes et de Traducteurs (Paris)
• Penn State University
• Johns Hopkins University (fully funded PhD)
• University of Michigan Ann Arbor
• Cornell University (fully funded PhD)
• The Lee Strasberg Theater Institute, New York
• Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London
• University College London
• The Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham

 number of them made it into competitive creative writing programs, such as:

• Emerson College Boston
• Columbia University of New York
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro (fully funded)
• University of London Goldsmiths College
• Royal Holloway, University of London

Careers in academia or education

Many of our alums have sought a career in academia or education and are now teaching and researching, holding positions at the following institutions:

• UCLA University of California Los Angeles
• UC Berkeley
• Johns Hopkins University
• Brown University
• SOAS School of Oriental and African Studies
• University of London
• Monterey Institute of International Studies
• Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (NY)
• University of Texas at Austin
• McGill University
• Washington University in St. Louis
• The American School of Paris
• University College Cork
• CUNY Hunter College
• The University of San Francisco
• The International School of Brooklyn (Director of Admissions)
• Village Arts Montessori Peace School
• ISCOM (École superieure de communication et publicité, Paris)
• TEAM Schools
• Paideia One-Year Program
• Florida International University
• Paris Program of Trinity College
• Universidad EAN Bogota
• Norwich University

So many possibilities

Publishing is a natural choice for literature graduates, a career path that for our alums often began already during their undergraduate studies through participation in publication projects and professional writing as part of their coursework or internships. Several have found jobs with prestigious publishers or founded their own publishing house.

Others are writers, critics, literary translators, artists, musicians, actors, owners of a theatre company, playwrights, artisans, museum curators, or creatives with their own flourishing business. Pascal Jeanjean, for example, maître-papetier in Belgium, has turned his love for books into a craft.

There are successful screenwriters and directors, producers, journalists, and media specialists of all kinds.

Some alumni have leading positions in NGOs and international organizations such as the United Nations or the International Red Cross.

A larger group went into business and other more conventional professions, for example:

• PR or communications specialists
• Lawyers and partners of international law firms
• Senior actuarial analyst for an insurance company
• Human resources manager
• Commercial real estate agent
• Trilingual marketing director in Tokyo
• Owner of a thriving company trading quality tea in Singapore
• Financial analyst
• Counsellors and psychologists
• Brand marking and licensing professional
• Fundraising consultant
• Owner of a hotel on Barbados
• Internet car sales manager for Toyota
• Chef and food writer
• Registered nurse
• Owner of an online fashion business
• Energy analyst
• Account and data manager
• Team leader at Hospital Corporation of America
• Industry Analyst
• Communications Manager for Europe for a large jeweller's company
   

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have further questions.