Scholarships

The Salz Pollak Fellowship for Undergraduates in Comparative Literature

Established by USC Almuna June Pollak (B.A. ’49, M.A. ’51, Ph.D. ’61), the Salz Pollak Fellowship for Undergraduates in Comparative Literature will provide research and travel grants for undergraduate students who are majoring or minoring in Comparative Literature.

Research and travel grants will be awarded to undergraduate students majoring or minoring in a Comparative Literature course of study who seek funds for scholarly research, travel, or other departmentally-approved programs, including courses of language study related to the Comparative Literature degree and Maymester or other summer programs with a comparatist emphasis. Students may apply for funding to assist in travel to archives or libraries, as part of the preparation of an honors thesis or other substantial research project, to acquire language skills for scholarly work, to complete a summer program essential to their Comparative Literature course or study, or to facilitate conference presentations. Awards will be made in the form of summer stipends.

The Salz Pollak Fellowship for Undergraduates in Comparative Literature is administered consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Recipients are chosen without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited characteristic.

The George F. Davis Endowed Scholarship in Comparative Literature

Established by George F. Davis, a USC alumnus, to provide annual merit-based scholarships to students majoring in Comparative Literature whose area of study is French or Russian literature.

GPA of 3.0 or higher
Comparative Literature major studying French or Russian literature

The George F. Davis Endowed Scholarship in Comparative Literature is administered consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Recipients are chosen without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited characteristic.

Click this link for more information about the Salz Pollak Fellowship

Click this link for more information about the Davis Endowed Scholarship

Awards

In the spring semester of each academic year, the Department of Comparative Literature awards one graduating senior each the following prizes.

Laurence C. Welch Essay Prize

This cash prize is awarded to the best essay written for an upper-division COLT course (300-level or higher) as judged by a committee of faculty from those submitted. The deadline for submissions is typically announced in April. For more information, email complit@dornsife.usc.edu.

The Laurence C. Welch Essay Prize is administered consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Recipients are chosen without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited characteristic.

Past Welch Prize Awardees

2024

Meghana Maddali

2023

Rex Xiao
Honorable mention: Mandie Zamora

2022

Kathleen Loftus

2021

Bindhu Swaminathan
Honorable mentions: Reese Armstrong and Sydney Rivera-Prince

Comparative Literature Prize

This annual cash prize is awarded to an outstanding graduating major as determined by GPA and judgment of a faculty committee. No application is necessary.

The Comparative Literature Prize is administered consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Recipients are chosen without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited characteristic.

Past Comparative Literature Prize Awardees