Comparative Literature

Types of Degrees Comparative Literature Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many comparative literature graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	594
Doctor’s Degree	161
Master’s Degree	153
Graduate Certificate	37
Basic Certificate	1

What Comparative Literature Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, comparative literature majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Comparative Literature Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
• History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

Skills for Comparative Literature Majors

comparative literature majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Abilities for Comparative Literature Majors

A major in comparative literature will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Can You Do With a Comparative Literature Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with comparative literature:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
English Language and Literature Professors	9.8%	$66,590

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Comparative Literature?

This major is dominated by women with about 70% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of comparative literature majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	63
Black or African American	18
Hispanic or Latino	127
White	252
International Students	70
Other Races/Ethnicities	64

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Comparative Literature, too. About 11.8% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Comparative Literature

Some careers associated with comparative literature require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to comparative literature have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	10.0%
Master’s Degree	31.5%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	1.3%
Doctoral Degree	60.5%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.3%

Online Comparative Literature Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	0	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	1	0
Bachelor’s Degree	3	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	46	0
Post-Master’s	5	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	44	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Comparative Literature

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to comparative literature.

Major	Number of Grads
Linguistics	2,921
Modern Languages	2,515
Language Translation	855
Other Linguistic, Comparative, & Related Language Studies & Services	257
Applied Linguistics	187

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Pandit Rahul Sanskrutayan, Banshidhar Mohanty under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.