Comp Lit offers a major as well as a minor. Students generally begin with "Literature across Borders" (201) before taking other 200- and 300-level courses in Comp Lit and other programs. Since every student has different preparations and interests, no two pathways through the major or minor are identical.

Comparative Literature faculty are accomplished scholars and devoted teachers. Many have won awards from Rutgers and around the world. The major and minor programs offer students the opportunity to work closely with these professors, who come from a wide variety of departments, including African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian Languages and Literatures (AMESALL); Asian Languages and Cultures; English; French; German, Russian, and East European Languages and Literatures (GREELL); Italian; Latino and Caribbean Studies; and Spanish and Portuguese. Core faculty are available to mentor students and serve as advisors of honors theses.

Because of the intensive training they receive in analytical thinking and writing, undergraduates who major or minor in Comparative Literature often go on to study literature or related fields in graduate school, attend law school, or find employment in professional fields such as publishing, the arts, business, and government service.