Comparative Literature and German and Italian

Comparative Literature and German and Italian is a rich combination degree that allows you to pursue literary study across the widest possible range of cultures and languages while developing deep competence in two of Europe's most significant literary and linguistic traditions. Comparative literature, at its broadest, is the study of literary texts across languages, cultures, periods and genres, examining the relationships between different traditions, the ways that ideas and forms travel across borders and the broader questions of what literature is for and how it makes meaning. German literature encompasses one of the richest intellectual and artistic traditions in the world, from the classical period through Romanticism, modernism and contemporary writing.

Italian literature stretches back to Dante and Petrarch and extends through centuries of extraordinarily influential writing in poetry, fiction and philosophical prose.

At the University of St Andrews, this four-year full-time programme includes a year abroad, a feature that is central to the linguistic depth the degree requires. You will have the opportunity to read texts of any genre, period and language in both the original and in English translation, drawing on expertise from across the School of Modern Languages and pushing at the boundaries of textual analysis in a genuinely comparative spirit. Studying German and Italian alongside comparative literature allows you to read in the original languages of two of the world's most important literary traditions while also situating those traditions within a wider global framework.

Graduates from programmes combining comparative literature with modern languages go on to careers in academia, publishing, translation, journalism, international cultural organisations, broadcasting, diplomacy and law. The analytical, linguistic and communication skills the degree develops are valued across an exceptionally wide range of professional contexts. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in comparative literature, translation studies, German or Italian studies, or related fields in the humanities.