The Ph.D. program may be completed within five years of the B.A., generally
within three years after the M.A., or within four years for those entering
with an M.A. from another school.
Admission
A Master's degree in the discipline is required. Applicants without a Master's
degree must apply to the M.A. program first and indicate the Ph.D. as their
final degree goal. Because our M.A./Ph.D. program is fully integrated, students
entering at the M.A. level can progress internally and non-competitively to
the Ph.D. program given satisfactory academic progress.
Degree Requirements
- 75 course credits. Includes M.A. credits; up to 30 credits
may be transferable from a recent M.A. taken elsewhere.
- Language Requirement. Evidence of ability
to make scholarly use of at least one language other than modern
English taken no more than five years before Ph.D. examinations,
presented by a grade of 3.0 or better in:
- a third-year or more advanced level course treating literary texts in a foreign language; or
- 10 credits in Old English language and literature.
The Ph.D. Supervisory Committee may set an additional language requirement if this is judged necessary for the particular specialization.
- Ph.D. Examinations. Written examinations,
a course syllabus, and an oral, comprehensive General Examination,
based on reading lists prepared under the guidance of the student's
Ph.D. Supervisory Committee. The student plays an active role
in selecting this Committee and its Chair. There is flexibility
in defining the exam areas to meet individual interests, with
these categories:
- Major Period
- Second Period or Literary Genre or Literary Topic
- Specialized Field of Study (e.g., literary theory or criticism,
rhetoric and composition, English as a second language, bibliography
and textual studies, computer applications to literary study,
cross-disciplinary study)
OR
- Major approach to English language study
- Second approach to language study
- Textual focus (language study applied to literary and
non-literary texts OR a literary period or genre)
- Dissertation prospectus and dissertation.
- Final Examination.
Additional Information
Staff in
the English Graduate Office are available to answer questions concerning
admission and program requirements.
