Ph.D. / MA - Comparative Literature

Application Quarter(s) and Deadline(s)

Program Contact Information

Requirements

Quick Overview

*See English Language Exam Scores for more information

Requirements - Detailed Information

Transcripts from all Post-Secondary Institutions

You are required to upload a transcript for each institution attended. All schools at which you completed one or more full academic terms (or equivalent) should be reported on your application. This includes community colleges, summer sessions, extension programs, and any other postsecondary education for which you received credit. Do not include high schools or college preparatory schools.

The transcript legend or key for each institution (usually found on the backside of the official transcript or in the school’s general catalog or website) must be included in your uploaded document. Additional instructions can be found in the Education History section of the How to Complete the Application webpage and within the application itself.

Note: DO NOT send your transcripts or any other documents directly to UCSB unless you have been admitted and chosen to attend UCSB or you have been specifically instructed to do so. You must upload a PDF of your transcript to your application.

Letters of Recommendation

Applicants to the Ph.D. / MA - Comparative Literature program are required to provide 3 letters of recommendation. General instructions can be found in the Letters of Recommendation section of the How to Complete the Application webpage and within the application itself.

Additional Program Instructions: Please note that your recommenders need to submit their letters electronically. You will be prompted to enter information about your recommenders when you fill out the online application. Letters should be signed and printed on departmental/institutional letterhead. There is no exception to this rule.

Program Note on Reference Type: Academic letters preferred if available

Résumé or Curriculum Vitae

List your positions of employment or volunteer work/community service since high school, either full or part-time, including the hours per week worked and the nature and dates of employment or service.

Note: Do not include GRE scores on your Résumé or Curriculum Vitae (CV) if your program does not accept them.

Additional Program Instructions: This document should begin with your name and contact information and list your education, experience, skills, and significant accomplishments. It should highlight any research experience, publications, conference presentations, grants and scholarships, honors, and awards you may have received.

Statement of Purpose

Give a brief statement outlining your reasons for undertaking a graduate program, your particular area of specialization within the major field, your past academic work, and your plans for future occupation or profession. Also include any additional information that may assist the selection committee in evaluating your preparation and aptitude for graduate study at UC Santa Barbara.

Your Statement of Purpose must be written in narrative (essay) form without duplicating content from your Personal History Statement.

Additional Program Instructions: This document is about 2 pages long and contains the following information: Why do you want to study Comparative literature? What potential fields do you propose to study? Describe a tentative research project leading to the PhD. Explain why our program in Comparative Literature is a good fit for your doctoral goal. Identify optional emphases, if applicable. Indicate faculty who can support your research interests (please browse faculty websites, which will inform you about the range of expertise of our affiliated and/or cognate faculty members and their possible fit with your interests). Discuss your career goals, both traditional-academic and alternative-academic.

Personal History Statement

UC Santa Barbara is interested in a diverse and inclusive graduate student population. Please describe any aspects of your personal background, accomplishments, or achievements that you feel are important in evaluating your application for graduate study. For example, please describe if you have experienced economic challenges in achieving higher education, such as being financially responsible for family members or dependents, having to work significant hours during undergraduate schooling or coming from a family background of limited income. Please describe if you have any unusual or varied life experiences that might contribute to the diversity of the graduate group, such as fluency in other languages, experience living in bi-cultural communities, academic research interests focusing on cultural, societal, or educational problems as they affect under-served segments of society, or evidence of an intention to use the graduate degree toward serving disadvantaged individuals or populations.

A minimum word count of 250 words is required for your Personal History Statement. There is no maximum length requirement. Most statements are typically 1–2 pages. Your Personal History Statement must be written in narrative (essay) form without duplicating content from your Statement of Purpose.

Additional Program Instructions: Provide a 1-2 page essay that highlights your personal journey, motivations, and cultural background. It should explore how your unique experiences, challenges, or obstacles inspired you to pursue graduate studies in literature and theory, and should be distinct from your academic Statement of Purpose.

Department Form: Foreign Language Form

Foreign Language Form

Students complete our Foreign Language form, which asks about the languages already studied by the student and the languages they plan to emphasize during their graduate studies.

Writing Sample

Include a recent essay that presents evidence of your ability to engage in close literary interpretation and discussion of theory. You may choose to include a second sample written in one of the languages other than English in which you will conduct doctoral work.

Writing Sample 2

The second Writing Sample for this program is optional.

English Language Exam Scores (if applicable)

An excellent command of written and spoken English is required prior to enrollment at UC Santa Barbara. Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Duolingo English Test (DET).

Exemptions from the English language admissions requirements are permitted for applicants who have completed an undergraduate or graduate degree at an institution where the verified sole official language of instruction is English. More information can be found in the Exam Scores section of the How to Complete the Application webpage.

The minimum score requirements for accepted exams are listed below:

• TOEFL Minimum Total iBT Score: 4.0 (post-January 2026) or 80 (pre-January 2026)
• IELTS Minimum Overall Band Score: 7
• DET Minimum Total Score: 120