USC PhD Comparative Studies Literature Culture Guide 2026

USC CSLC PhD Program Overview and Mission

The PhD in Comparative Studies in Literature and Culture (CSLC) at the University of Southern California represents one of the most thoughtfully designed doctoral programs in the humanities. Housed within USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, the program was established in 2011 by uniting longstanding PhD programs in Comparative Literature and French and Francophone Studies with new tracks in Comparative Media and Culture and Spanish and Latin American Studies.

The program’s mission is both ambitious and precise: to challenge the traditional boundaries between its constituent fields while preserving the scholarly rigor that defines each discipline. CSLC trains doctoral students to work at the crossroads of literary analysis, media studies, and critical theory, producing scholars who can navigate multiple languages, cultural traditions, and analytical frameworks with equal confidence. This interdisciplinary orientation reflects a broader shift in humanities scholarship toward approaches that transcend national and disciplinary boundaries.

What makes USC CSLC distinctive is its commitment to fostering an inclusive network of scholars and teachers across language, media, and regional foci. The program draws faculty from three contributing departments — Comparative Literature, French and Italian, and Latin American and Iberian Cultures — creating a scholarly community that is broader and more diverse than what any single department could offer alone. For students exploring doctoral programs in the humanities, our guide to Ohio State’s graduate programs provides a useful perspective on different approaches to graduate education.

Four Specialized Tracks and Their Focus Areas

The CSLC program structures its doctoral training through four specialized tracks, each with distinct course requirements, reading lists, and intellectual orientations. This multi-track architecture allows students to pursue deep specialization within a broader comparative framework, ensuring that graduates possess both disciplinary expertise and interdisciplinary versatility.

Track I: Comparative Media and Culture focuses on media studies and cultural theory, requiring students to complete three courses in a non-Anglophone literary or cultural tradition alongside seven courses in fields related to their research program. This track is ideal for students whose scholarly interests center on visual culture, digital media, film, or the intersections between media and literary production. The non-Anglophone requirement ensures that even media-focused scholars maintain the multilingual competence that defines comparative studies.

Track II: Comparative Literature represents the program’s most linguistically demanding path. Students must demonstrate competence in at least three literary traditions — a primary tradition studied in depth across major historical periods, a secondary tradition in a different language, and a tertiary tradition. This track continues the classical comparative literature emphasis on close reading across languages, making it the strongest choice for students committed to multilingual textual analysis.

Track III encompasses two distinct national literature tracks. French and Francophone Studies requires the proseminar (FREN 500) plus courses covering early modernities and modernities, providing comprehensive coverage of French literary history. Spanish and Latin American Studies follows a modular reading list structure covering literature and cinema across multiple periods and regions. Both Track III options maintain their national literature identity while benefiting from the comparative framework that the CSLC program provides. Students considering other doctoral programs may find our analysis of Boston University’s doctoral programs valuable for understanding different program structures.

Core Curriculum and Course Requirements

All CSLC doctoral students share a common core curriculum that establishes the theoretical and methodological foundations for comparative scholarship. The core consists of three 500-level courses (CSLC 501, 502, and 503) offered annually, plus one 600-level course selected from CSLC 601, 602, or 603. These courses provide the shared intellectual vocabulary that enables productive dialogue across the program’s four tracks.

Beyond the core, the minimum unit requirement for the doctoral degree is 60 units, including at least 4 units of doctoral dissertation work (CSLC 794ab). A minimum of 24 units must be completed at USC, excluding dissertation credits. Track-specific requirements add between 9 and 10 additional courses, meaning the typical student completes approximately 14 to 15 courses before advancing to the dissertation stage.

The program also includes four professional development courses that systematically prepare students for academic careers. CSLC 700 (Writing the Prospectus) is taken during or before the qualifying exam semester. CSLC 600 (Professional Development I: Publication) is normally taken after the qualifying exam and focuses on preparing work for scholarly publication. CSLC 701 (Writing the Doctoral Dissertation) and CSLC 702 (Applying for Academic Positions) provide structured support during the most critical phases of doctoral study.

Foreign language requirements vary by track but are integrated into the course structure rather than treated as separate hurdles. Track I satisfies the requirement through non-Anglophone coursework, Track II through multiple literary tradition courses, and Track III through a course or reading exam in a language other than the track language and English. This approach ensures that language competence develops organically through scholarly engagement rather than through isolated proficiency testing.

Field Exam and Qualifying Examination Process

The CSLC program maintains a rigorous assessment structure that ensures doctoral students are progressing toward scholarly independence at defined milestones. The first formal assessment is the First-Year Review, conducted by the Graduate Studies Committee at the end of the second semester. This review determines whether students are prepared to continue in the doctoral program and provides early feedback on academic development.

The Field Exam (also called the Screening Exam) represents the program’s first high-stakes assessment. It must be taken before a student has completed 24 units, typically at the end of the summer following the fourth semester. The Field Exam is a six-hour written examination based on track-specific reading lists. Students are evaluated as either Pass or Not Passing, and failure results in dismissal from the PhD program without written warning, though an appeal process is available. The French and Francophone Studies track adds an oral defense component and requires submission of a sample undergraduate syllabus.

The Qualifying Examination is the program’s comprehensive assessment, consisting of both written and oral components. To be eligible, students must have completed all coursework except the dissertation and maintained a minimum 3.0 GPA. The examination committee comprises five members — a chair plus four additional USC faculty, with at least three from CSLC-associated departments and one outside member required by Dornsife.

The written qualifying exam is a six-hour test based on a submitted reading list, requiring three essays. The oral portion follows within 60 days, lasting approximately 90 minutes and focusing on the dissertation prospectus — a 15 to 20 page document describing the dissertation topic, literature review, and research goals. Three outcomes are possible: Pass (proceeding to candidacy), Fail with retake option (within one to six months), or Fail with dismissal. A maximum of two attempts is allowed, making thorough preparation essential.

Dissertation Requirements and Defense

The dissertation represents the culmination of the CSLC doctoral program — an original contribution to knowledge in the student’s field of study. Once students pass the qualifying examination and fulfill all residency requirements, they advance to candidacy and begin the dissertation phase. The expectation is that students complete and defend their dissertation in fewer than five semesters of enrollment in the CSLC 794 sequence.

The dissertation committee consists of three to five members. The chair must be from the student’s program, and a majority of members must come from the home program. Dornsife requires at least one outside member, ensuring external scholarly perspective on the research. Students and advisors may include non-USC faculty as additional committee members, providing flexibility to incorporate specialized expertise from other institutions.

The dissertation itself must be written in English, though exceptions require approval from the Vice Provost. This requirement reflects the program’s American institutional context while not precluding research that engages extensively with non-English literary traditions. Students enroll in the CSLC 794 sequence each fall and spring semester until the dissertation is filed, with a maximum of 8 units of 794 counting toward the 60-unit minimum.

The defense is an oral examination open to the university community. The committee’s recommendation must be unanimous for the dissertation to be approved. Both the committee chair and the student must be present in person unless express written permission for remote participation has been granted. Following a successful defense, students have three months to complete any formatting corrections before submitting the final version through the USC Thesis Center.

Funding Package and Fellowship Opportunities

One of the most compelling aspects of the USC CSLC program is its comprehensive five-year funding package. All admitted students receive full tuition remission, a competitive stipend, and health insurance coverage for five years, provided they remain enrolled full-time, maintain good academic standing, and make timely progress toward degree completion. This guaranteed funding eliminates the financial uncertainty that plagues many doctoral students in the humanities.

Financial support comes in several forms. Fellowships are equivalent to a 50 percent graduate assistant appointment and require 20 hours per week devoted to research, with no other employment permitted during the academic year. Teaching Assistantships (TAs) place students in large lecture courses, while Graduate Assistant Lectureships (ALs) involve teaching beginning language courses, Freshman Writing, or the Thematic Option honors program. Research Assistantships (RAs) support faculty research projects. Each appointment type includes tuition, health and dental insurance, and access to the student health center.

Beyond the core funding package, CSLC students can access additional resources. The program itself offers small grants for conferences, workshops, language study, and archival research, with calls for proposals issued each fall and spring. The Albert and Elaine Borchard Foundation Dissertation Travel Fellowship supports research in Europe, while the USC-Huntington Early Modern Studies Institute PhD Fellowship provides access to one of the country’s premier research libraries.

Students are encouraged to pursue external fellowships from organizations such as the Josephine de Kármán Fellowship Trust, the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), and the Mellon Foundation. USC’s Graduate School provides information sessions, boot camps, and proposal review workshops to strengthen external fellowship applications. Stipend top-offs may be available for students who receive designated national awards, further incentivizing pursuit of prestigious external funding. Additional support includes a child care fund (up to $1,800 per semester per child under six), short-term hardship grants, and parking and transit benefits.

Faculty Expertise and Research Strengths

The CSLC program’s faculty represents the combined scholarly strength of three USC Dornsife departments. The program is directed by Sherry Velasco, with Olivia C. Harrison chairing the Department of Comparative Literature, Lydie Moudileno chairing the Department of French and Italian, and Samuel Steinberg chairing the Department of Latin American and Iberian Cultures. This distributed leadership structure ensures that each track receives focused administrative attention.

Faculty track advisors guide students within each specialization. Jennifer Wild serves as advisor for Comparative Media and Culture, Sherry Velasco for Comparative Literature, Edwin Hill for French and Francophone Studies, and Roberto Ignacío Díaz for Spanish and Latin American Studies. These advisors work alongside the broader Graduate Studies Committee to monitor student progress and provide mentorship throughout the doctoral journey.

Research strengths across the program encompass media studies, literary analysis, critical theory, and interdisciplinary scholarship that bridges these fields. The multi-departmental faculty base means that students can construct dissertation committees drawing on expertise in film and visual culture, postcolonial theory, translation studies, early modern literature, contemporary Latin American fiction, Francophone African writing, and numerous other subfields. Students may also take courses in related USC departments including Classics, East Asian Languages and Cultures, and Slavic Languages and Literatures.

The program’s Los Angeles location provides unique advantages for faculty research and student training. Proximity to the entertainment industry enriches the Comparative Media and Culture track, while access to large Spanish-speaking and French-speaking communities supports fieldwork and community engagement for Track III students. The Huntington Library, one of the world’s premier research institutions for humanities scholarship, is located just minutes from campus, offering collections and fellowship opportunities that complement the program’s scholarly mission.

Professional Development and Career Preparation

The CSLC program takes a structured approach to professional development that goes beyond the informal mentorship typical of many humanities doctoral programs. Four dedicated courses address specific career preparation needs at different stages of the doctoral journey. CSLC 700 (Writing the Prospectus) guides students through the process of conceptualizing and articulating their dissertation research. CSLC 600 (Publication) helps students transform seminar papers or dissertation chapters into articles suitable for peer-reviewed journals.

CSLC 701 (Writing the Doctoral Dissertation) provides sustained support during the writing phase, when many doctoral students experience isolation and loss of momentum. CSLC 702 (Applying for Academic Positions) addresses the practical dimensions of the academic job market — a critical concern for humanities PhD students navigating an increasingly competitive employment landscape. This course is typically offered in spring, timed to align with the academic hiring cycle.

Beyond the CSLC-specific curriculum, students benefit from institutional resources including the Dornsife PhD Academy, which offers workshops on time management, leadership skills, networking, and navigating both academic and alternative academic (alt-academic) career paths. The Center for Excellence in Teaching provides seminars and training for teaching assistants, supporting the development of pedagogical skills that are essential for academic careers.

Teaching experience is integrated throughout the funding structure. Through TA and AL appointments, students gain direct classroom experience ranging from assisting in large lectures to independently teaching language courses and honors seminars. This teaching portfolio, combined with the professional development coursework, ensures that CSLC graduates are prepared for the full range of responsibilities expected of new faculty members. Students exploring similar doctoral preparation models can also review our guide to Penn State’s graduate programs for comparison.

Student Life and Support Resources at USC

USC provides a comprehensive network of support services for doctoral students. The CSLC program’s administrative home is in Taper Hall of Humanities (THH 161), where the Department of Comparative Literature houses the program coordinator and staff graduate advisor. Students also interact with staff in the Departments of French and Italian (THH 155) and Latin American and Iberian Cultures (THH 156), reflecting the program’s multi-departmental structure.

Health and wellness resources include the Engemann Student Health Center on the University Park Campus and comprehensive health and dental insurance coverage included with the funding package. Counseling and Mental Health services are available 24/7 at (213) 740-9355, providing essential support for the psychological challenges that doctoral study can present. Lactation support rooms are available on campus, and the Office of Student Accessibility Services (OSAS) coordinates accommodations for students with disabilities.

The program’s leave policies are notably generous for a doctoral program. Parental leave provides one semester of paid support (tuition, fees, and stipend) for eligible students who have completed at least one semester. Health leave, administered through Campus Support and Intervention, offers one semester of paid tuition, fees, and minimum stipend, with a possible second semester of tuition and fee coverage. Regular sick days (five per academic year) and bereavement leave (five days per academic year) round out the support structure.

Additional resources include the Office of International Services for immigration and employment guidance, the Kortschak Center for Learning and Creativity, and the Office of the Ombuds for conflict resolution. The Graduate Student Government represents doctoral and professional students, offering travel and professional development grants. THH 160 serves as a reservable library space for CSLC students, providing a dedicated study environment within the program’s administrative building.

How USC CSLC Compares to Other Comparative Literature Programs

The USC CSLC program occupies a distinctive position within the landscape of comparative literature doctoral education. While programs at institutions like Yale, Harvard, Columbia, and NYU maintain strong traditional comparative literature programs, USC’s multi-track structure is relatively unusual. The ability to pursue Comparative Media and Culture, national literature tracks, or classical comparative literature within a single program provides flexibility that most peer institutions do not offer.

The five-year guaranteed funding package places USC among the more generous programs in the humanities, where funding uncertainty is a persistent concern. Not all peer programs offer guaranteed multi-year support with health insurance, and USC’s additional funding mechanisms (conference grants, dissertation travel fellowships, child care subsidies) create a financial support ecosystem that extends well beyond the basic package.

The program’s 2011 founding date means it benefits from having been designed rather than having evolved incrementally from a single-department model. The deliberate integration of media studies, multiple national literatures, and classical comparative approaches reflects current thinking about how literary and cultural scholarship should be organized in the twenty-first century. This architectural intentionality gives the program a coherence that some older programs, built by accretion over decades, may lack.

Los Angeles itself functions as a unique scholarly resource. The concentration of cultural production — film, television, digital media, visual art — combined with the city’s multilingual demographics and proximity to Latin America makes USC an especially compelling location for comparative research that engages with contemporary cultural production and transnational communities. For students whose research interests lie at the intersection of literature, media, and cultural theory, the USC CSLC program offers a combination of intellectual structure, financial support, and geographic advantage that merits serious consideration.