Department of Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies College of Arts and Sciences Stony Brook University, State University of New York

Graduate Program in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies at Stony Brook

Founded in 1957 and formerly the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook, Stony Brook University (SBU) is the flagship campus of the SUNY system. This public research university is located on the North Shore of Long Island, New York.

The Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies (CLCS) Department at Stony Brook University offers 2 graduate programs. Students may earn a master's or doctoral degree in either comparative literature or cultural studies. A graduate certificate in cultural studies also is offered.

The 2 programs are distinct with different areas of study and academic requirements. Students seeking admission to the Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies graduate program at Stony Brook must specify which program they are applying for but may include elements of the other program in final course selections.

M.A. Program in Comparative Literature at Stony Brook University

The master's program in comparative literature is designed both for students who seek only an M.A. degree and for those who are pursuing a Ph.D. In addition to knowledge of major texts of world literature, the program requires courses in comparative literature methodology and literary theory.

For example, the course titled "Comparative Views of Literary and Cultural Studies" examines recent critical debates surrounding the cross-disciplinary interaction of literary and cultural studies. The course titled "History and Literature" examines a consequential model of the interrelations between history and literature.

Ph.D. Program in Comparative Literature at Stony Brook University

The doctoral degree program in comparative literature extends master's degree coursework to the comparative study and the crossing of national, linguistic, gender, genre, and class boundaries.

The program has a reputation of cutting edge study and education in the lettered humanities at Stony Brook University. In recent years, Ph.D. graduates from this program have landed tenure-track positions at major universities throughout the nation.

M.A. Program in Cultural Studies at Stony Brook University

The master's degree program in cultural studies at Stony Brook University focuses on modern and contemporary cultures in coursework that cuts across traditional modes of study in the humanities and social sciences.

Fields of study include popular and mass culture, minority and diasporic cultures, subcultures, transnational and global cultural formations, and also the study of elite, dominant, and national cultures.

Master's level coursework includes comparatist and cross cultural studies, critical theory, and cinema and media studies. For example, the course titled "Theorizing World Cinemas: Social Issues, and Cross-Cultural Contexts" examines the way films from around the world engage issues with both global and local repercussions.

Ph.D. Program in Cultural Studies at Stony Brook University

The doctoral degree program in cultural studies extends master's degree coursework to allow students to develop disciplinary fluency in a particular subfield. Doctoral students pursue a wide range of disciplines including Africana studies; art history and studio art; Asian and Asian American studies; English, European, and Hispanic languages; history; music; philosophy; and women's studies.

Students in the Ph.D. program are encouraged to seek out a faculty cohort within or outside CLCS to secure the best possible doctoral degree support in a chosen subfield.

The overall goal of graduate cultural studies at Stony Brook University is to investigate new cultural, pop-cultural, and cross-cultural phenomena from multiple points of view.

Graduate Certificate in Cultural Studies at Stony Brook University

The Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies Department at Stony Brook University offers a graduate certificate in cultural studies. Requirements include 2 mandatory courses -- "History of Cultural Studies" and "Topics in Cultural Theory" -- and 3 elective courses from the core curriculum of the graduate cultural studies program.

Elective course topics for this certificate include American visual and commercial culture, digital arts and electronic media, race and ethnic studies, and cultural migration.

Students may request that other relevant courses be approved as electives by contacting the Director of Cultural Studies at CLCS.

CLCS Faculty and Faculty Research

Almost a dozen CLCS core faculty and more than 30 CLCS affiliated faculty comprise the academic leadership within the department. CLCS faculty members, all of whom have achieved doctoral level degrees, make up a culturally and ethnically diverse body.

CLCS faculty member research is equally diverse and ranges from socio-cultural analysis of literature to the history of technology. Active research sub-fields include literature and folklore, sexuality and literature, African literature, Holocaust studies, multicultural film, Italian cinema, and interrelations of literature, art, music, and film.

CLCS Student-Faculty Colloquiums and the Stony Brook Humanities Institute

The Graduate Program in Comparative Literature collaborates with the Stony Brook Humanities Institute (HISB), an internationally recognized center for interdisciplinary humanities and social science research.

Graduate students from the CLCS department collaborate with CLCS faculty and are supported through the HISB to present colloquiums each year that cover topics of interest to CLCS students. Examples of recent colloquium titles include: "Fetishism, or Facing the Other"; "Researching and Writing the Historical Novel"; and "Unfashionable Age: Clothing the Older Woman's Body on Screen."

Tuition and Financial Aid

Tuition and fees at Stony Brook, set by the State University of New York, are considerably below those of comparable programs on Long Island and the greater New York metropolitan area. "Fiske College Guide" has named the school a "best buy." Students should contact the graduate school at Stony Brook University for current tuition and fee schedules.

To apply for need-based aid including student loans, students should complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

SBU Campus and Surroundings

Stony Brook University is situated on 1,362 suburban acres in Stony Brook, New York, on Long Island's North Shore -- about 60 miles east of Manhattan and 60 miles west of Montauk. The university's Research and Development Park is located on 246 acres adjacent to the main campus.

Stony Brook also has branch campuses in Manhattan and Southampton, on Long Island's east coast.

• Degrees Offered
• Major Degree Levels Offered
• Cultural Studies Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Comparative Literature Master of Arts (MA)
  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

• Degrees Awarded
• Master's Degrees 5
• Doctoral Degrees 3
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees 6
• * Shows the number of degrees awarded for the last academic year that data was reported.

• Earning Your Degree
• Part-time study available? Not reported
• Evening/weekend programs available? Yes
• Distance learning programs available? Not reported
• Terminal master's degree available? Yes

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degrees 2 and exam
• Doctoral Degrees 3, Required and Required
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied98
• Accepted30
• Acceptance Rate30%
• Enrolled7
• Applying
• Application Fee - Domestic $100
• Application Fee - International $100
• Electronic applications accepted? Not Reported
• Applications processed on a rolling basis? Not Reported
• Application Deadlines
• Type Domestic International Priority Date
• Fall deadline January 15th Not Reported Not Reported
• Winter deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Spring deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Entrance Requirements
• Master's DegreesGRE General Test, minimum GPA of 3.5 in major, 3.0 overall
• Doctoral's DegreesGRE General Test, minimum GPA of 3.5 in major, 3.0 overall
• First-Professional's DegreesNot Reported
• Other Advanced DegreesNot Reported
• International DegreesTOEFL required

• Tuition & Fees
• In-state tuition *$4,685
• Out-of-state tuition *$8,340
• International student tuitionNot Reported
• * Tuition for full-time graduate student per academic year
• Fees
• Per-academic year fees$994.00
• Per-term feesNot Reported
• One-time feeNot Reported
• * Fees for full-time graduate students
• Financial Support
• Financial award applicants must submitNot Reported
• Application deadlines for financial awardsNot Reported
• Types of financial support availableTeaching Assistantships

• Gender
• Total Graduate Students32
• Female Percentage66%
• Male Percentage34%
• Participation
• Total Graduate Students32
• Part-time Percentage9%
• Full-time Percentage91%
• Ethnicity
• Hispanic / Latino0%
• Black / African American0%
• White / Caucasian79%
• American Indian / Alaskan Native0%
• Asian11%
• Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander0%
• Two or more races0%
• Unknown10%

• Faculty Breakout
• Total Faculty8
• Full-time Percentage88%
• Part-time Percentage12%
• Female Percentage12%
• Male Percentage88%

• Existing Research
• Focus of faculty researchLiterary theory, interdisciplinary studies, literary history
• Externally sponsored research expenditures last yearNot Reported