Apply to the Program

The Statement of Purpose is a 500-word document that lays out your intellectual history and future research interests. The statement should address: a) previous study of languages, cultures, literature, and other fields, as relevant; b) the areas of research you currently hope to pursue through graduate-level work; and c) your particular interest in pursuing a degree in Comparative Literature at UC Berkeley.

Personal Statement of up to 500 words should help us understand what has led you to want to pursue graduate study in Comparative Literature, any particular sources of inspiration you have encountered, difficulties you have overcome, and what you hope to do with your graduate training. This statement will also help the Admissions Committee decide whether to nominate you for a Chancellor’s Fellowship, which is awarded to exceptional applicants who also advance the Regents’ goals for the diversification of the academy.

The writing sample of ten double-spaced pages should demonstrate facility in the detailed analysis of the form and language of a text (commonly referred to as “close reading”), and this demonstration should be in the service of a clear and compelling argument about the aesthetic, political, and/or historical stakes of your interpretation. Although the sample should be written in English, it will strengthen your application if you include close analysis of a text or texts written in a language other than English. If your sample is drawn from a longer paper or thesis, you are welcome to include an explanatory note of up to 100 words to contextualize the extract for the committee. You may submit multiple sections of a longer work, but the total number of pages cannot exceed ten, and we very much prefer a consecutive ten-page sample.  

One of the most important sections of our application is the Statement of Background in Languages and Literatures*. You will see this listed as its own section of the Comparative Literature application.

*When uploading this statement on the application, be very sure to save it as an Adobe Acrobat Reader PDF. This is the only format in which it will be readable when included as part of the application.

You are responsible for soliciting three letters of recommendation to support your application. The graduate application provides detailed instructions on how to invite your recommenders to submit their letters. Please consult the online application for details. We strongly prefer electronic receipt of all letters of recommendation, but we are aware that some recommenders might insist on providing handwritten, hard-copy letters. If your recommenders fall into this category, please ask them to mail their letters directly to us at the following address: Graduate Admissions, Department of Comparative Literature Graduate Office, 4125 Dwinelle Hall #2510, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-2510.

Forms to apply for University fellowships are included in the graduate application. University fellowship support is competitive, and funds are limited, so applicants are encouraged to explore other sources of financial support. Application for need-based financial aid may be made by submitting a Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Support in the form of teaching assistantships in Comparative Literature or related departments on campus may be available on a very limited basis in students’ first year in the program.

Students from countries where the principal language is not English and who have not enrolled for at least a year in a degree program at a university in an English-speaking country are required to take the TOEFL. Please note that, although this page of the application is coded as “optional,” it is required for these students. TOEFL scores must be submitted electronically to UC Berkeley by ETS in order to be considered official. You can find more information about this requirement on the Graduate Division's admissions website.