A Closer Read
Blending creativity with scholarship, we imagine different futures through critical exploration of literature, culture, history and media globally.
Welcome
UC San Diego’s Department of Literature is highly interdisciplinary. Our students explore literary and cultural works from around the world—from films and folktales to memoirs and monologues. They create, critique, and converse about films, poetry, and prose. And they develop foundational language skills for reading, writing and translation.
We invite you to join our vibrant community of scholars.
2026 Binder Lecture
What happens when we acknowledge the limits of human control? How can we live with illness rather than resist it? At the 2026 Binder Lecture Series, Ali Benmakhlouf of Mohammed VI Polytechnique University will explore uncertainty, vulnerability, faith, and knowledge in three public talks.
Meet Our Faculty
Our dynamic program is led by more than 60 faculty members, each holding unique research interests. They advance critical studies on literature related to culture, history, politics and social change. They produce award-winning poetry, fiction, short stories, memoirs and cross-genre writing. And they introduce students to global literary works as language scholars.
Study Literature
Ph.D.
The doctoral program is interdisciplinary and transnational. Our faculty hold diverse specializations that offer myriad pathways for students to pursue novel research on contemporary literature and culture and explore new voices while remaining grounded in a rich historical legacy in the world.
MFA
The MFA is a three-year, full-time, in-person program centered on literary arts practice; modes of production and distribution; and the study of literatures, arts and cultures. The program includes quarterly cross-genre workshops and undergraduate teaching opportunities.
Majors
Do you have journals filled with short story ideas? Are you fascinated by languages? Do you want to talk about literature and film like critics? Cultivate these passions in one of our four majors, including literary arts, world literature and culture, literature in English and literature in Spanish.
Minors
Just seven courses are needed for the minor, with 10 programs available in literature, language and writing, offering a wide range of possibilities. Classes are small and filled with deep conversation inspired by film, music, poetry, graphic novels and other cultural sources.
Course Offerings
Our classes are anything but predictable. You’ll explore Chicanx travel literature and works from Plato in Ancient Greek. You’ll learn how to write speculative fiction stories that captivate readers. You’ll hone your proficiency in French by reading 19th century plays. Each quarter offers new opportunities to develop as a writer, thinker, and linguist.
Learn a Language
Want to read your favorite book in its original version or strengthen your heritage language? The Department of Literature offers courses in Greek, Korean, Latin, and Russian at all levels, as well as intermediate and advanced courses in French, German, Italian and Spanish. Courses include instruction in speaking, listening, reading and writing, as well as cultural understanding.
Support
Help unleash dreams and propel new research. Gifts to the Department of Literature support talented students and fund faculty studies as well as enable us to invite authors and experts to share their inspiring new work with our community. Large or small, your contribution makes a significant impact.