Bachelor of Arts - Comparative Literature and Languages

Students when you read a work of literature, much of the meaning is derived from the language in which it was written, the historical period during which it was composed, and the culture in which it is situated. When novels are translated into different languages, do the original themes remain intact? This is a major for students who love literature and have an aptitude for languages. By studying comparative literature, you'll come to understand the ways that storytelling and literary themes vary and evolve across cultures, time, and genres. You'll learn why the classics - The Iliad, The Odyssey; Oedipus the King, works by Shakespeare, Milton, and Cervantes, to name a few - have transcended time and place, and continue to speak to and inspire readers.

Hofstra's varied slate of cultural offerings, and our location just a short train ride from New York City means you'll have ample opportunities to enrich your studies with plays, lectures and other events and programs. Our Great Writers, Great Readings series brings world-renowned  novelists, poets, playwrights and essayists to campus each semester. Other recent on campus events have included a performance of Sophocles' Antigone by the Theatrikos Kyklos, an ensemble featuring actors from the National Greek Theater and the Athens and Epidaurus festivals. Competence in multiple languages and literatures will help you develop cross-cultural understanding and communication skills that are critical in today's global society, and prized across many different industries.