What Is literature.duke.edu?

literature.duke.edu is the official website of Duke University's Program in Literature, an interdisciplinary humanities program whose stated aim is to rethink what comparison means in a world shaped by economic and technological integration. The site is for prospective and current students, faculty, and researchers who want program descriptions, degree requirements, faculty listings, and event information. It is an academic program site, not a journal, database, or course platform.

What the Program Covers

The program's own description says it grounds its work in language, literature, and aesthetics while drawing on history, political economy, the sociology of culture, anthropology, visual culture, and cinema studies. It frames this as using philosophical critique to mediate the relationship between the humanities and social sciences, and as modeling a form of global studies from a humanities perspective.

In practice, that translates into an interdisciplinary curriculum spanning:

• Critical theory and literary studies
• Race and gender studies, and queer theory
• Philosophy and political theory
• Visual culture, film, new media, and sound studies

Degrees and Academic Paths

The site's navigation points to several distinct tracks:

The undergraduate major and minor in Global Culture & Theory are described as drawing broadly on humanities resources to address ethical, cultural, social, and political complexities, with courses focused on film and media, literature, and the arts. The stated goal is a broad knowledge base plus analytical skills.

Notable Site Content

The homepage also carries program news and events. Two examples visible on the page:

• Fredric Jameson, In Memoriam, 1934–2024 — the cultural theorist and literary critic, described as having helped raise the international profile of Duke's Literature program, died on September 22, 2024. The site links to a memorial tribute.
• Toril Moi elected to the American Philosophical Society — noted alongside a Critical Theory lecture, "Fury: What Feminists Do with Anger and Rage," dated November 13th.
• Student work — a senior project by Billy Cao examining the historical construction of Borderline Personality Disorder.

When This Site Is Useful to You

• You are considering applying to or transferring into Duke's Global Culture & Theory major or minor and want requirements and course focus.
• You are researching Ph.D. programs in literature, critical theory, or film and media with an interdisciplinary orientation.
• You want to identify faculty working in theory, film, gender and sexuality, or visual culture.
• You are looking for talks and lectures hosted by the program.

If you need course catalogs, registration, tuition figures, or application deadlines, those typically live on Duke's central university systems rather than on this program site — the program pages here describe the program itself, its requirements, and its people.