Comparative Literature and Modern History

Comparative literature and modern history is a degree that brings together two of the humanities' most ambitious and intellectually demanding pursuits. Comparative literature reads across languages, periods, and cultural boundaries, asking what the relationships between different literary traditions reveal about the human imagination and about the societies that produce them. Modern history engages with the evidence of the recent past, from the early modern period through to the present, developing the archival and analytical skills needed to understand how the world we inhabit came to be as it is.

At the University of St Andrews, this four-year full-time programme is taught by scholars who push at the boundaries of textual analysis and historical interpretation. Comparative literature modules allow you to read texts from a very wide range of traditions in English translation, developing cross-cultural analytical skills, while the modern history component takes you through the major developments of the past five centuries with the rigour of primary source engagement and careful argument that St Andrews demands. The degree includes a year abroad, broadening your engagement with different national traditions of scholarship and culture.

The typical entry tariff of 200 points reflects the competitive nature of entry at one of Scotland's most distinguished universities.

You will develop comparative analytical skills, historical research capabilities, critical writing of a high standard, and the cultural literacy to engage seriously with literary and historical material across very different contexts.

Graduates pursue careers in academia, publishing, journalism, the cultural sector, education, heritage management, the civil service, international organisations, and any profession that values close reading, historical awareness, and the ability to communicate complex ideas with precision. Postgraduate study in comparative literature, modern history, or cultural studies is a natural continuation.