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Expand your cultural and literary horizons as you study literature from a range of countries and periods.
Ever wondered how stories are formed? Who shapes the narratives, and how different cultures react to them? Drawing from history, sociology, politics, film, philosophy, and gender studies, you’ll think deeply about the different stories around us.
Unpick the aftereffects of colonialism, the importance of children’s literature, and who decides which books we remember. You’ll also consider why we don’t have a world system of literature, and whether such a thing can exist.
Literature without walls
We offer a truly global degree. Not confined by national boundaries, we explore storytelling from across the world, from the cultural diversity of our London East End home to Asian and North African literature. You’ll also benefit from the endless libraries, galleries, concert halls and theatres right on your doorstep, where you can challenge your literary perspectives further.
In the largest department of comparative literature in the UK, you’ll be taught by experts with extraordinary real-world links. They have global charity connections with the Welcome Trust and feature on Stephen Fry’s ‘Edwardian Secrets’ podcast.
Having gained sought after analytical and presentational skills, join our graduates in a range of careers from publishing to teaching and marketing to journalism. Whatever you decide is next for you, you’ll be ready to impress at interviews.
Register your interest
You can complete your Comparative Literature degree in three or four years. If you choose to do a year abroad, this will take place in Year 3, and the Year 3 modules will instead be studied in Year 4.
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
Apply for this degree with any of the following options. Take care to use the correct UCAS code - it may not be possible to change your selection later.
Go global and study abroad as part of your degree – apply for our Comparative Literature BA with a Year Abroad. Queen Mary has links with universities in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia (partnerships vary for each degree programme).
Find out more about study abroad opportunities at Queen Mary and what the progression requirements are.
Studying Comparative Literature at Queen Mary has been amazing. The course is challenging, progressive and engages with real world issues through the study of literature, art, film and history on a global scale. The best thing about Comparative Literature is the ability to study texts from countries including Mexico, China and Nigeria that a more traditional literature degree would not include.
You’ll receive approximately eight hours of weekly contact time, in the form of lectures, seminar groups and workshops.
For every hour spent in class, you’ll complete a further two to three hours of independent study.
Assessment typically includes a combination of exams and coursework, or coursework only. The final year may include completion of a research project.
The School offers excellent on-campus resources to aid your studies, including:
If you’re interested in learning another language, you can sign up for a course at Queen Mary’s Language Centre, where you can choose from Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Japanese, Bengali, Catalan, Italian or Spanish.
Alternative offers may be made to applicants taking the Extended Project Qualification.
For further information please visit: qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry/epq
Our standard contextual offer: BCC at A-Level.
Our enhanced contextual offer: CCC at A-Level.
More information on our contextual offer criteria can be found on our contextualised admissions page.
Please note that General Studies and Critical Thinking are excluded from any A-Level offer and cannot be considered.
We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications in addition to A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and BTEC qualifications. Please visit International Admissions for full details.
If your qualifications are not accepted for direct entry onto this degree, consider applying for a foundation programme.
Find out more about our English language entry requirements, including the types of test we accept and the scores needed for entry to the programme.
You may also be able to meet the English language requirement for your programme by joining a summer pre-sessional programme before starting your degree.
See our general undergraduate entry requirements.
UK students accepted onto this course are eligible to apply for tuition fee and maintenance loans from Student Finance England or other government bodies.
Queen Mary offers a generous package of scholarships and bursaries, which currently benefits around 50 per cent of our undergraduates.
Scholarships are available for home, EU and international students. Specific funding is also available for students from the local area. International students may be eligible for a fee reduction. We offer means-tested funding, as well as subject-specific funding for many degrees.
Find out what scholarships and bursaries are available to you.
We offer specialist support on all financial and welfare issues through our Advice and Counselling Service, which you can access as soon as you have applied for a place at Queen Mary.
Take a look at our Student Advice Guides which cover ways to finance your degree, including:
Comparative Literature graduates have skills such as analytical and critical thinking, and the ability to produce high-quality written work. They also approach the world with a broad cultural understanding. Coupled with multiple opportunities for extra-curricular activities and work experience, they are well prepared for the world of work.
Some apply their degree knowledge directly, entering careers such as education and the arts, whilst others have transferred their skills into areas such as public relations.
Recent graduates have been hired by:
The School of the Arts offers support to students interested in working during their year abroad. Over the years, we have developed relationships with employers around the world and are able to share a number of interesting roles with our students.
Our careers team can also offer:
Learn more about career support and development at Queen Mary.
Comparative Literature - BA (Hons)
Comparative Literature with Year Abroad - BA (Hons)
The Discover Uni dataset (formerly Unistats)
The School of the Arts combines innovation, discovery and excellence in education and research in Drama, Film, Modern Languages, English & Comparative Literature, Creative Writing, Linguistics and Liberal Arts. We rank in the top 100 worldwide for Arts and Humanities (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024)
With our commitment to social justice, inclusivity and social mobility, our collaborations with external organisations, prominent writers and performers, and our facilities that support both academic and practice-based learning, an education in the School of the Arts equips our students with critical thinking and practical skills, unleashes their imagination and enables them to reach the levels of excellence needed in today’s industries.
We regularly host prominent writers and performers and collaborate with leading organisations such as the V&A, the Barbican, the Live Art Development Agency and Shakespeare’s Globe.
We are renowned for the depth and impact of research - which leads our teaching. We rank 1st for drama and in the top 10 for film in the UK for the quality of our research (REF2021). Our multilingual community brings together brilliant minds from across the world to share a wealth of expertise combining research excellence with an unrivalled commitment to social justice and social mobility.