Comparative Literature

Introduction

Comparative Literature & Culture at Aberdeen offers an exciting opportunity to study literature and culture from across the globe. You will study with experts from various disciplines, gaining both breadth and depth of knowledge. You will read world-class literary texts in translation and have opportunities to develop language skills and understanding of other cultures and societies. You also have the option to specialise and tailor your degree to suit your interests.

Our Degrees

We offer a range of Comparative Literature degrees which you can read more about below.

View available degree programmes

Studying literature from around the world opens our minds to different perspectives and experiences, allowing us to understand our lives and the world around us. By combining the study of literature and culture, you can gain in-depth insights into specific places and societies and focus on the regions of the world that interest you.

We offer flexibility to tailor the degree to your study interests. You can take courses on literature written in English or translated from other languages and explore topics in language, society, culture, and other creative cultural outputs, including music, visual art and film.

As part of the programme, you can study one or more languages, with the opportunity to work or study abroad. The five-year programme allows you to spend a year abroad, with a wide range of destinations available, while the four-year programme involves an optional semester abroad.

If you decide to study a language, you can incorporate it into your degree as a minor (e.g. Comparative Literature & Culture with Gaelic) or as a joint honours degree (e.g. Comparative Literature & Culture and Gaelic), depending on how much you want to engage in the specific language and culture. You can find the available language combinations in our list of programmes.

You will develop a global perspective that is highly attractive to employers. Your skills and experience in understanding and communicating complex ideas and different perspectives also open a wide range of career routes.

You will join a friendly international community studying at our beautiful ancient campus, with excellent facilities for learning, sports and leisure. The campus is close to a vibrant city centre, beach and parks, offering easy access to areas of outstanding natural beauty. Student societies provide the ideal platform to meet like-minded people and participate in exciting events. You will also have opportunities to broaden your horizons and develop additional skills throughout your journey with us.

Available Programmes of Study

Single Honours Degrees

MA Comparative Literature & Culture

Joint Honours Degrees

Major-Minor Honours Degrees

Why Study Comparative Literature at Aberdeen?

A unique programme combining the study of literature and culture, allowing you to develop a global outlook as you explore diverse literatures and cultures.
Breadth to explore across disciplines and the opportunity to develop and pursue your study interests.
A vibrant international community on campus and across the region, with many students and staff who speak the languages you choose to study, and opportunities to get involved in and practice your language skills.
A packed campus programme of student and public events, exhibitions, talks, and the annual WayWORD Festival, welcoming internationally acclaimed authors to discuss literature, often from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Language societies, drama groups and film screenings offer opportunities to engage in and be part of a community while expanding your cultural knowledge and linguistic skills.
We have partnerships with a wide range of universities across Europe and worldwide, giving you many options for studying abroad or undertaking work placements including the option to work as a language assistant.
The award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library is home to literary treasures collected over 500 years, charting the power of the written word from ancient papyri and medieval manuscripts to contemporary e-books and other media.
Research centres include the Centre for Modern Languages Research, the Centre for the Novel, the Centre for Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies, and the WORD Centre for Creative Writing.
You learn from internationally recognised experts in areas across literature, languages and cultures.

Aberdeen Global Scholarship

The University of Aberdeen is delighted to offer eligible self-funded international on-campus undergraduate students a £6,000 scholarship for every year of their programme.

View the Aberdeen Global Scholarship

Get in Touch

Contact Details

Address: Student Recruitment & Admissions
University of Aberdeen
University Office
Regent Walk
Aberdeen
AB24 3FX