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Admissions Information

Please see the Comparative Literature Graduate Manual.

Application for admission is made by 1) submitting an electronic application and a $60 (domestic)/$75 (international) application fee via a secured server and 2) by submitting the following by mail to the Graduate Secretary of the Comparative Literature Program.

  • You must upload to the online application transcripts and/or academic documents for every institution of higher education you attended.  If a transcript is not in English, you must upload an English translation certified by the college or university which it was issued.  This includes both the transcript and diploma. The uploaded transcripts and/or academic document must be from the official version of the document.  An official transcript bears the original signature of the registrar and/or the original seal of the issuing institution.  All transcripts and/or academic documents uploaded to the online application system are considered unofficial.  You will need to provide official transcripts and/or academic records at the request of the graduate program or if you are admitted and choose to enroll.  These materials must be sent to: Graduate Studies Office, Purdue University, Stanley Coulter Hall, 640 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907. 

  • Three confidential letters of recommendation. There is a form on the electronic application to submit reviewer names.  An email request will be sent to them directly.  Electronic copies should be attached to your on-line application.
  • A writing sample in English (2500 words, 4-5 pages, no binding).  This can be uploaded with your ApplyYourself application.

  • A 2-page personal statement of purpose.  This is uploaded with your ApplyYourself application.

  • If you are interested in an assistantship in Comp lit / School of Languages and Cultures: Send an essay in English and in the target language of the TAship.  Also send a taped recording introducing yourself, your research plan, and reason for your interest in cmpl .  The audio file, no longer than 5 minutes total, can be uploaded directly to the "Portfolio" section of your SLATE application.  Click on "Edit Portfolio" takes you to the Upload instructions.  There is a list of what audio files will be accepted.  

  • Eligibility for a teaching assistantship in the Department of English is determined by the Director of Freshman Composition. The results of either TOEFL, Duolingo, or IELTS must be submitted to the Purdue University Graduate School. International students applying for a teaching assistantship must have a minimum TOEFL score of 620 or higher (or 260, computer based) and a TOEFL iBt score of 27. All test scores must be official from the testing center. If you wish to be considered for a teaching assistantship, we encourage you to include, either in your statement of purpose or among your letters of recommendation (or in both), an indication of your experience and/or interest in teaching. Comparative Literature also accepts the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores. An overall band score of 6.5 is required for admission. A score of 7.0 in the speaking section is required if you wish to be considered for a teaching assistantship in the English Department. The required minimum Duolingo score is 115 (with a minimum score of 115 in each area). The Graduate School will routinely waive the TOEFL/IELTS for applicants who have received a baccalaureate degree or graduate or professional degree, within the last 36 months, from a school where English is the primary language of instruction in a country/location where English is the native language.

    Graduate Studies Coordinator, Tatiana Elistratova
    Comparative Literature Program 
    Purdue University 
    Stanley Coulter Hall
    640 Oval Drive 
    West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2039 USA


Admission Requirements

Domestic Applicants

We are pleased with your interest in our graduate program. Before you continue with the electronic application for admission, we wish to ensure that you are familiar with the minimum requirements for admission to graduate degree study in Comparative Literature. It is important to recognize that although satisfaction of these basic requirements does not guarantee graduate admission, failure to satisfy these requirements may lead to automatic denial of admission.

Those applying for a teaching position: If English is not your native language, send a cassette tape demonstrating your spoken English and a copy of a discursive essay written in English, graded and marked, from a previous course. If you intend to apply for a teaching assistantship in a language other than English, please use the other side of the tape to give an autobiographical sketch in that language (without notes, please) and a reading passage of your choice. Also include a literary essay written in that language with comments and markings from the professor for whom it was written.

Master's Degree Program

  • Undergraduate cumulative grade point average: 3.0 or equivalent required

Doctoral Degree Program

  • Undergraduate cumulative grade point average: 3.0 or equivalent required

  • Master's Degree Completion: Required, with a grade point average of 3.0 or equivalent

Deadline for all applications: 
Fall entry - December 12

If you do not meet the basic requirements described above, please do not submit an electronic application until you have contacted our graduate program staff.

International Applicants

Master's Degree Program

  • Undergraduate Cumulative Grade Point Average: 3.0 or equivalent required

  • TOEFL for Non-Native English Speakers: Minimum Score Required: 620 or 260 computer if seeking a teaching assistantship in the Department of English

  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS): Comparative Literature also accepts IELTS scores. An overall band score of 6.5 is required for admission. A score of 7.0 in the speaking section is required if you wish to be considered for a teaching assistantship in the English Department.

  • Duolingo: The required minimum Duolingo score is 115 (with a minimum score of 115 in each area)

Doctoral Degree Program

  • Undergraduate Cumulative Grade Point Average: 3.0 or equivalent required

  • Master's Degree Completion: Required, with a grade point average of 3.0 or equivalent

  • TOEFL for Non-Native English Speakers: Minimum Score Required: 620 or 260 computer if seeking a teaching assistantship in the Department of English

  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS): Comparative Literature also accepts IELTS scores. An overall band score of 6.5 is required for admission. A score of 7.0 in the speaking section is required if you wish to be considered for a teaching assistantship in the English Department.

  • Duolingo: The required minimum Duolingo score is 115 (with a minimum score of 115 in each area)

Deadline for all applications: 
Fall entry: December 12

If you do not meet the basic requirements described above, please do not submit an electronic application until you have contacted our graduate program staff.

Application questions may be directed to:

Graduate Studies Office 
telistra@purdue.edu