Career prospects
Graduates of the programme are fully equipped to pursue a PhD in the international field of literary studies. Your training also prepares you for alternative career paths requiring advanced research skills and skills in analysing and managing textual information or specific knowledge of literature and culture in an international context (publishing, cultural and educational policy, heritage institutions, NGOs).
Academic careers
After successfully completing the research Master鈥檚 programme in Comparative Literary Studies, you will be able to formulate a research proposal for a PhD project in your specialism within the field of literary studies. Furthermore, you will have an overview of the place that your own research plan occupies in the context of international research in literary studies.
Roughly one in three graduates go on to pursue PhDs, often in:
- Comparative Literature
- Cultural Analysis
- Gender and Postcolonial Studies
- Memory Studies
- Environmental Humanities
Recent placements include:
- 木瓜福利影视 of Toronto (Canada)
- NYU (USA)
- 木瓜福利影视 of St. Andrews (UK)
- Stockholm Univeristy (Sweden)
- 木瓜福利影视 of Amsterdam (NL)
- Utrecht 木瓜福利影视 (NL)
PhD at 木瓜福利影视 of Toronto
Alumna and Best Master's Thesis Award winner Laureanne Willems is pursuing a PhD in English at the 木瓜福利影视 of Toronto. In this video she talks about her experiences with the rMA Comparative Literary Studies programme.
Beyond Academia
Graduates of Comparative Literary Studies have gone on to senior-level careers in publishing, text editing, higher and middle education, governmental consultancy, and management. During the programme, students may opt to do a research internship, which in many cases has led to employment post-graduation. CLS graduates work in both established and emerging roles across sectors:
Sector | Examples |
Publishing and editing | Desk editor, Literary agent, Associate editor |
Cultural sector | Events manager, Copywriter |
Education | Secondary school teacher, Policy advisor, |
Media and Journalism | Copywriter, Freelance journalist, Content coordinator |
Government and NGOs | Press officer, Policy advisor, Media analyst, Information manager |
- Journalism (e.g. at the Volkskrant; the Groene Amsterdammer)
- Publishing (e.g. Prometheus, Mondadori, Oxford 木瓜福利影视 Press)
- Teaching (e.g. English, French, German in secondary schools)
- Public administration (e.g. Press officer, Policy advisor at Ministry of Finance; Policy advisor, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport)
- Events management (e.g. at CPNB, Studium Generale, De Balie)
- Copywriting (e.g. De Munt / La Monnaie)
- 木瓜福利影视 administration (e.g. UU, Tilburg, ArtEZ)
Working life after the rMA
Based on our latest alumni survey (2025):
- 33% pursued further academic research (PhD)
- 27% works in education (secondary and higher) and university administration
- 14% works in publishing, communications, and media.
- 14% works for NGOs, in government, or in the cultural sector.
- 12% works in other sectors such as marketing, data analysis, or customer service.
Career development
Research schools
Research Schools organise seminars, courses, and conferences across various disciplines and provide an extra opportunity for students develop a specialisation. They are an excellent opportunity to connect with research Master and PhD students from other universities and to develop your research network. Each student is obliged to take at least 5 EC at one of the Research Schools in the Netherlands.
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The Research School that is closest to the central focus and aims of Comparative Literary Studies is (OSL). Other Research Schools that may be of interest to CLS students are , , , , and .
Is there life after the rMA?
'Is There Life After the rMA?' is a series of career orientation events organised by the rMA Comparative Literary Studies that takes place in the second semester every year.
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During the first two events, students can meet alumni who have successfully applied for PhD positions and are employed in academia as well as alumni who have transitioned to non-academic professions in publishing, PR, at cultural institutions, and in teaching. The third event is a workshop in cooperation with the career services on topics such as professional self-analysis and writing a good CV. Attendance is highly recommended, as the events help with setting up a professional network and teach skills that are not part of the standard curriculum, which will make life after the rMA at least as good as life during the rMA.
Administrative work in the department
There are various opportunities available to students of Comparative Literary Studies to be involved 'behind the scenes' in an administrative capacity. Each year there are a number of student assistantships available in the department.
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Student assistants gain experience in organising events and meetings, assisting with the introduction days as well as the open days, taking care of communication tasks and small research assignments.
Another opportunity is being the student representative on the Curriculum Committee (Opleidingscommissie, OC). The committee meets four times per year to review course evaluations, discuss the quality of the departmental rMA programmes, and to make recommendations concerning the improvement of courses and curricula.
Extra training
Students can obtain additional training in academic skills from the Graduate School, including extra training in written English for those who need it.
Modern and Contemporary Literature seminar series
During these seminars, faculty members and guests present their research-in-progress. Students get introduced to cutting-edge research in the field, are invited to interact and network with visiting scholars, and gain experience in asking questions about and engaging with current research in a professional setting.
Peer review
In the core seminars, emphasis is placed on peer review, which is an important part of your professional training in editing and giving constructive criticism.
Career Services
Career Services offers events, tests, coaching and training in and outside your Master's programme, related to professional self-analysis, career orientation and job application skills. You can find more information about career services on or .
Other career events
- is a monthly career orientation meeting for students and alumni of the Faculty of Humanities at Utrecht 木瓜福利影视.
- The Faculty of Humanities organises a with interesting partners who will illustrate the diversity in career opportunities for humanities graduates.
- Once a year Utrecht 木瓜福利影视 organises a . This Careers Day offers the opportunity to sign up for workshops and trainings, and to meet recruiters at the careers fair.