Comparative Literature at St Andrews opens up literary study across boundaries of culture and language. It offers students the chance to read texts of any genre, of any period, and written in a multitude of languages, all in English translation. Drawing on expertise from across the School of Modern Languages and beyond, the programme considers the relationships that exist between literatures around the world, allowing students to push at the boundaries of textual analysis and read without borders.

As well as exploring the different cultural, socio-political, and historical forces that have helped form national and transnational canons, the course also focuses on close reading and introduces you to comparative methodologies and literary theories, developing your analytical, descriptive, and evaluative skills. You will have the opportunity to read, discuss, and present reasoned arguments, and work on writing with precision, clarity and creativity.

Comparative Literature is also available to study as a joint degree and, if you study Comparative Literature with a modern language, you will have the opportunity to take an integrated year abroad between second and third year in a country in which the language you study is spoken.

Find out more about joint degree options and study abroad opportunities.

Course details

The Comparative Literature Honours degree course is run by the School of Modern Languages.

In the first two years, you will gain awareness of different genres and themes as they appear in a range of literatures (typically including Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Persian, Russian, Spanish, Latin American, British and North American). You will address the issue of how to study literature comparatively, especially when reading in translation. This will equip you with the range of literary experience and critical skills necessary for a more in-depth study of specialist subject areas at Honours level.

Specialist subject areas include:

adaptation and intermediality

cultural memory

digital media

cultural studies

postcolonial and decolonial literature

influence, reception and the circulation of texts

literary translation

petrocultures

literature and ecology

world literature

Alongside comparative literature, in the first year of your studies, you will be required to study an additional two subjects. In the second year, you will usually carry on at least one of these subjects, sometimes two. Find out more about how academic years are organised.

The University of St Andrews operates on a flexible modular degree system by which degrees are obtained through the accumulation of credits.

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“I love that Comparative Literature has been a window into so many different perspectives. Not only have I had the chance to study literary texts from all over the world, and from numerous time periods and genres, but the international student community in Comparative Literature here at St Andrews means that our classes and lectures always see a wide range of opinions and backgrounds brought to the texts that we study.”

- Renfrewshire, Scotland

How it's taught

Teaching

Comparative literature modules involve traditional lectures supported by small discussion seminars. Lectures provide information, stimulate thought, and suggest directions for further reading and personal study. Small group seminars allow you to work with your peers and your tutors to discuss texts, theories and methodologies in detail.

Sub-honours comparative literature modules are delivered through lectures (100 to 150 students) and small-group tutorials (10 to 15 students). At Honours level, lectures are replaced by seminars of 8 to 15 students.

When not attending lectures and tutorials, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve:

reading set primary and secondary texts

preparing for seminar discussions

undertaking research in the library

preparing coursework assignments and presentations

preparing for examinations

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Assessment

Comparative literature sub-honours modules are assessed entirely through coursework. Assessment at Honours level varies, with most modules also being assessed entirely by coursework. Coursework covers a wide range, from traditional essays and commentaries to more creative modes (for example, writing and commenting on a short story, writing a censor’s report, devising your own syllabus).

Examinations are held at the end of each semester during a dedicated exam diet with revision time provided beforehand.

The Department aims to provide feedback on every assessment within three weeks to help you improve on future assessments.

Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews must achieve at least 7.0 on the St Andrews 20-point grade scale to pass a module. To gain access to Honours-level modules, students must achieve the relevant requisites as specified in the policy on entry to Honours and in the relevant programme requirements.

To find out the classification equivalent of points, please see the common reporting scale.

Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews must achieve at least 7.0 on the St Andrews 20-point grade scale to pass a module. To gain access to Honours-level modules, students must achieve the relevant requisites as specified in the policy on entry to Honours and in the relevant programme requirements. To find out the classification equivalent of points, please see the common reporting scale.

You will be taught by leading researchers in the field with an emphasis on research-led teaching. Postgraduate research students who have undertaken teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of tutorials and seminars under the supervision of the module leader.

You can find contact information for all Comparative Literature staff on the School of Modern Languages website.

In addition to your studies in the School of Modern Languages, optional academic support is available through practical study skills courses and workshops hosted within the University.

The University's services and support teams can help students with additional needs resulting from disabilities, long-term medical conditions or learning disabilities, as well as many other difficulties and challenges students might face while studying.

In the first two years of your degree (known as sub-honours), you will take the required modules in comparative literature along with modules from other subjects.

Typically, you will take one comparative literature module per semester during your first two years, and two modules per semester during your third and fourth years (known as Honours).

Find out more about the modular Scottish degree system.

Course information may change. Module information and course content, teaching and assessment may change each year and after you have accepted your offer to study at the University of St Andrews. We display the most up-to-date information possible, but this could be from a previous academic year. For the latest module information, see the module catalogue.

First year

Students are required to take the following compulsory modules in their first year:

The Nineteenth-Century Novel of Adultery: introduces the study of comparative literature through 19th-century novels, typically from France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain and the UK.

Political Drama in the Twentieth and Twenty-first Centuries: introduces the study of comparative literature through plays written in the 20th and 21st century from a range of literatures, typically China, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Russia, Spain, the UK and the US.

Second year

Good and Evil: examines a broad range of texts from a number of national literatures, periods and genres in which the theme of good and evil is explored in different literary, social, political and historical contexts.

Journeys: explores a broad range of texts from different national literatures, periods and genres offering variants on the theme of journeys, explored in a range of literary, social, political and historical contexts.

If you decide to take comparative literature in your third and fourth years, as well as advancing your theoretical engagement with the discipline, you will choose from a wide variety of advanced options, each based on at least three national literatures and taught by a team of experts from Modern Languages.

Here is a sample of Honours modules which have been offered in previous years:

Autobiography and the visual arts

Bad books

Crossing the Mediterranean

Cultural memory and literature

Experiences of exile

Folk and fairy tales

Great works and their adaptations

Issues in cultural studies

Literature and the Bible

The Literary Canon

The Short Story

In fourth year, students may also choose to undertake a 5,000 or 10,000-word dissertation on a topic of their choice, with individual supervision. This independent project enables you to develop key research skills which are desired by both prospective employers and by graduate schools offering postgraduate degrees.

Fees and funding

Scotland: Tuition fees are yet to be confirmed by the Scottish Government.

England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands, Isle of Man: £10,050 (yet to be confirmed by the UK Government)

EU and overseas: £34,910

More information on tuition fees can be found on the undergraduate fees and funding page.

Accommodation fees

Find out about accommodation fees for University accommodation.

Funding and scholarships

The University of St Andrews offers a number of scholarships and support packages to undergraduate students each year.

Entry requirements

The University offers different entry requirements, depending on your background. Find out more about

Standard, Minimum and Gateway entry requirements using academic entry explained and see which entry requirements you need to look at using the entry requirements indicator.

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry on to our programmes, please see our entry requirements for more information.

For degrees combining more than one subject, the subject with the higher entry requirements determines the grades you need. You will also need to meet any further subject-specific entry requirements as outlined on their pages.

SQA Highers

Standard entry grades:

Minimum entry grades:

Gateway entry grades:

Applicants who have narrowly missed the minimum entry grades, but meet the University's contextual criteria, may be interested in one of the University’s Gateway programmes.

GCE A-Levels

IB points

36 (HL 6,6,5)

36 (HL 6,5,5)

General entry requirements

All applicants must have attained the following qualifications, or equivalent, in addition to the specific entry requirements for individual programmes.

SQA qualifications

SQA National 5 (B) in English and one SQA National 5 (B) from the following:

Chemistry

Computing science

Geography

Applications of Mathematics

Mathematics

Psychology.

GCSE qualifications

GCSE (5) in English language or English literature, and one GCSE (5) from the following:

Computing Science

Other qualifications

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry on to our programmes. Please see our entry requirements for more information.

More information on how to apply via other entry routes or accreditation of prior learning and experience can be found on the University's entry requirements web page.

Do I need to have studied this subject before?

No previous knowledge of comparative literature is required.

Alternative study options

Study abroad

Comparative literature students can apply to participate in the University-wide St Andrews Abroad programme. You may also have the opportunity to participate in the School Abroad exchange programme. For information about study abroad options, please see the study abroad site.

International applicants

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide an English language test score to evidence your English language ability.

Joint Honours degrees

You can also take Comparative Literature as part of a joint Honours degree in which you will take core modules of your chosen subjects.

Course name

Arabic and Comparative Literature (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Chinese Studies and Comparative Literature (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Comparative Literature and French (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Comparative Literature and German (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Comparative Literature and Italian (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Comparative Literature and Russian (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Comparative Literature and Spanish (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Master of Arts (Honours) Ancient History and Comparative Literature

Master of Arts (Honours) Arabic and Comparative Literature

Master of Arts (Honours) Art History and Comparative Literature

Master of Arts (Honours) Biblical Studies and Comparative Literature

Master of Arts (Honours) Chinese Studies and Comparative Literature

Master of Arts (Honours) Classical Studies and Comparative Literature

Master of Arts (Honours) Classics and Comparative Literature

Master of Arts (Honours) Comparative Literature and English

Master of Arts (Honours) Comparative Literature and Film Studies

Master of Arts (Honours) Comparative Literature and French

Master of Arts (Honours) Comparative Literature and Geography

Master of Arts (Honours) Comparative Literature and German

Master of Arts (Honours) Comparative Literature and Greek

Master of Arts (Honours) Comparative Literature and Hebrew

Master of Arts (Honours) Comparative Literature and International Relations

Master of Arts (Honours) Comparative Literature and Italian

Master of Arts (Honours) Comparative Literature and Latin

Master of Arts (Honours) Comparative Literature and Management

Master of Arts (Honours) Comparative Literature and Medieval History

Master of Arts (Honours) Comparative Literature and Modern History

Master of Arts (Honours) Comparative Literature and Persian

Master of Arts (Honours) Comparative Literature and Philosophy

Master of Arts (Honours) Comparative Literature and Psychology

Master of Arts (Honours) Comparative Literature and Russian

Master of Arts (Honours) Comparative Literature and Social Anthropology

Master of Arts (Honours) Comparative Literature and Spanish

The skills you gain through studying comparative literature are marketable in many career areas, and your capacity to process and assimilate complex material from a range of cultures will make you highly employable.

Recent graduate career paths include:

business and commerce

civil service

IT development

journalism

marketing

media and the arts

publishing

Graduates may also go into postgraduate study, either at St Andrews or to other universities.

The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students to build their employability skills.

What to do next

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Contact us

+44 (0)1334 46 2961Email

modlangs@st-andrews.ac.uk Address

Buchanan Building

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St Andrews

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School of Modern Languages website

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Information about all programmes from previous years of entry can be found in the archive.

Curriculum development

As a research intensive institution, the University ensures that its teaching references the research interests of its staff, which may change from time to time. As a result, programmes are regularly reviewed with the aim of enhancing students' learning experience. Our approach to course revision is described online.

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Page last updated: 8 April 2026

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