Master's Program in Comparative Literature
Since the winter semester 2018/19 Comparative Literature can be studied as a master's program at the University of Cologne. The program is provided in cooperation with ten fields of study within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. This interconnection of different philologies and their neighboring subjects shapes the understanding of Comparative Literature as a discipline that relates literature, media, and cultures across linguistic, national, and disciplinary boundaries. Rather than rigid, hierarchical models of comparison, the program focuses on diverse connections, shifts in perspective, and transnational exchange processes. The program encourages students to explore different scholarly approaches, critically examine established viewpoints, and develop new perspectives on literature, culture, and society. To this end, the program also incorporates the diverse range of university and non-university events offered by Cologne, a city rich in culture.
The exceptional diversity of disciplines and languages within the Faculty of Arts enables you to combine different philological traditions and choose from a broad spectrum of languages, literatures, and cultures. The program combines this disciplinary diversity with a theory-driven reflection on literary texts and their transnational networking processes.
In its specialized modules, the master’s program combines studies of central comparative concepts—such as literary theory, world literature, and mediality—with a deliberate focus on philology.
Participating Departments and Disciplines
