About the Program
Founded in 1917, just after Harvard and Columbia's programs, UNC's Comparative Literature Program is the third oldest in the country. In its initial decades, the program helped shape a distinctly American form of Comparative Literature distinct from its European prototypes.
While accomodating a variety of approaches to the discipline, UNC's Comparative Literature Program now offers students flexibility to develop creative approaches to international literature and film, while retaining a commitment to foreign language learning and training in theory. The CMPL program encourages students to develop rigorous analytic skills, pursue original research, and develop excellent communication skills. In addition, the program's faculty is becoming increasingly diverse in the geographical areas, languages, and historical periods that it represents.
The undergraduate majors who have graduated from our program go on to excel in a variety of areas, pursuing successful careers in law, medicine, education, or international business, as well as going on to distinguished programs for graduate degrees in Comparative Literature, such as the University of Michigan and Cornell.
Recipients of PhDs from our graduate program have received teaching positions in Comparative Literature, as wellas in Foreign Language Departments and English departments world wide.
As of 2007, we have changed our undergraduate curriculum to offer two separate tracks in the major: students may choose to pursue either the International Studies in Literature track or the Literature and Film track for their major in CMPL. The program also hopes to add an Interdisciplinary Approaches to Literature track soon.
We have a vibrant intellectual community, with an annual international film series, various lecture series (Furst Forum and Cult Lit Classics), discussion groups, workshops, and independent research opportunities. We have a commitment to study abroad programs, and have been chosen as a partner program by King's College of London. We hope you will come and discover the world of Comparative Literature.
For questions regarding the Undergraduate Program, contact Professor Inger Brodey, Director of Undergraduate Studies: brodey@email.unc.edu.
For questions regarding the Graduate Program, contact Professor Diane Leonard, Director of Graduate Studies: sesame@email.unc.edu.