English, Ph.D.
Admissions Requirements
Applicants for admission to the M.A., M.F.A., or Ph.D. degree programs in the Department of English must have completed a minimum of 24 semester hours of upper-division undergraduate courses in English or an appropriate related discipline, with grades indicating ability for successful graduate work in the department. Applicants for all degrees must submit all application forms required by The Graduate School, a sample of academic writing, a statement of purpose, and at least two satisfactory letters of recommendation from persons familiar with their academic achievement.
To particularly well-qualified candidates, the Department offers the chance to apply for Direct Admission to the Ph.D. Program. All those applying for direct admission will also be considered for regular admission to the M.A. program.
An applicant who lacks adequate undergraduate course work may have to take up to 12 credit hours of 400-level literature or communication courses (depending on the degree emphasis sought) before the application will be considered.
The application deadline is January 1 for those wishing to be considered for graduate assistantships and fellowships. For all others the deadline is April 15.
Degree Requirements (36 Post-Masters Hours)
Doctor of Philosophy in English with an Emphasis in English and American Literature (36 Hours1)
For admission, the applicant must have a master’s degree or its equivalent. Each candidate must have a major and minor field. The major field may be chosen from the following: Medieval, Renaissance, Restoration and 18th-century English literature, 19th-century English literature, 20th-century English literature, colonial and 19th-century American literature, 20th-century American literature. The following may be used for the minor field only: linguistics, comparative literature, criticism theory, women’s studies, history of the book and authorship, composition and rhetoric, and Southern literature. Students may choose to design an ad hoc minor, subject to approval by the Graduate Program Committee. Examples of ad hoc minors approved in the past include religion and literature, children’s literature, and computers and literature.
Admission by the Department of English for graduate study does not mean admission as a candidate in the English and American literature Ph.D. program. Students are admitted to such candidacy on the basis of their record and a meeting with the Director of Graduate Studies and the major adviser, to be held at the beginning of the student’s third term. Prior to this meeting, the Graduate Director will review the student’s class grades with the expectation of at least a 3.0 GPA over the course of the first year of the study. The student will come to the meeting with a completed Program of Study form and an accompanying statement detailing progress thus far and plans for future study. In the event of an unsuccessful review, the student will be put on probation, not be admitted to candidacy, and be required to maintain a 3.5 GPA for each of the following two semesters. Additionally, field faculty will meet at the end of the student’s second year in order to make a recommendation to the Graduate Director about the student’s future in the program. The Graduate Director will factor this recommendation and the student’s GPA into a decision about whether the probationary student should be admitted to candidacy at the end of the second year and allowed to continue the program.
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Students who have taken equivalent graduate courses prior to admission to the PhD program may petition the Graduate Program Committee to transfer up to six hours credit in lieu of courses required for the Ph.D. However, these courses cannot be more than eight years old by the time they receive their degree.
Requirements include the following:
Program of Study
Each student develops a program of study in consultation with the doctoral advisory committee (in place by the end of the first semester of course work) that includes the following. ENGL 691 and ENGL 692 may not be used to fulfill this requirement.
Recommended Course (3 Hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 700 | Introduction to Graduate Study of English | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 3 | |
800-Level Seminars (6 Hours)
Critical Theory (3 Hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Modern Literary Theory | ||
Equivalent Course | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 3 | |
Written Comprehensive Exam
A 72-hour take-home exam that consists of responses to one question in the primary field and one question in the secondary field. The completed exam should not exceed 7,500 words in length.
Oral Exam
On the Student’s Major Field.
Dissertation Preparation (12 Hours)
Foreign Languages
Reading proficiency in at least one language other than English, demonstrated in one of the following ways:
- by passing a reading exam in a language other than English;
- by passing a graduate-level course in a literature other than English, not in translation, with a grade of B or better;
- by passing ENGL 701 with a grade of B or better.
Reading proficiency in two languages other than English may be required by the student’s doctoral advisory committee if, in its judgment, such proficiency is necessitated by the student’s research plans or by professional standards then current in the student’s field.
Doctor of Philosophy in English with an Emphasis in Composition and Rhetoric (42 Hours1)
For admission, the applicant must have a master’s degree, or its equivalent, in English, composition and rhetoric, or a related field.
Admission by the Department of English for graduate study does not mean admission as a candidate in the composition and rhetoric Ph.D. program. Students are admitted to such candidacy on the basis of their record and a meeting with the Director of Graduate Studies and the major adviser, to be held at the beginning of the student’s third term. Prior to this meeting, the Graduate Director will review the student’s class grades with the expectation of at least 3.0 GPA over the course of the first year of study. The student will come to the meeting with a completed Program of Study form and an accompanying statement detailing progress thus far and plans for future study. In the event of an unsuccessful review, the student will be put on probation, not be admitted to candidacy, and be required to maintain a 3.5 GPA for each of the following two semesters. Additionally, field faculty will meet at the end of the student’s second year in order to make a recommendation to the Graduate Director about the student’s future in the program. The Graduate Director will factor this recommendation and the student’s GPA into a decision about whether the probationary students should be admitted to candidacy at the end of the second year and allowed to continue in the program.
- 1
Students who have taken equivalent graduate courses prior to admission to the PhD program may petition the Graduate Program Committee to transfer up to six hours credit in lieu of courses required for the Ph.D. However, these courses cannot be more than eight years old by the time they receive their degree.
Requirements include the following:
Coursework (9 Hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 790 | Survey of Composition Studies | 3 |
| ENGL 791 | Introduction to Research on Written Composition | 3 |
| ENGL 890 | Studies in Rhetoric and Composition | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 9 | |
Two Courses (6 Hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Classical Rhetoric | ||
| Rhetorical Theory and Practice, Medieval to Modern | ||
| Modern Rhetorical Theory | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 6 | |
Two Courses (6 Hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| The Teaching of Business and Technical Writing | ||
| Special Topics in the Teaching of English | ||
| Current Scholarship in Rhetoric and Composition | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 6 | |
Note: Courses from speech communication, linguistics, English or American literature, or another composition and rhetoric course may be substituted with the approval of the student’s academic advisor.
Specialization (12 Hours)
To be approved by the department’s Committee on Composition and Rhetoric and the graduate director.
Written Comprehensive Exam
A 72-hour take-home exam that consists of responses to two questions in the primary field (rhetoric and composition) and one question in the specialization field. The completed exam should not exceed 11,250 words in length.
Oral Comprehensive Exam
This exam may be taken no more than twice.
Foreign Languages
Reading proficiency in at least one language other than English, demonstrated in one of the following ways:
- by passing a reading exam in a language other than English;
- by passing a graduate-level course in a literature other than English, not in translation, with a grade of B or better;
- by passing ENGL 701 with a grade of B or better.
Reading proficiency in two languages other than English may be required by the student’s doctoral advisory committee if, in its judgment, such proficiency is necessitated by the student’s research plans or by professional standards then current in the student’s field.
Teaching Experience
At least one year’s experience teaching English composition at the school or college level.
Dissertation and Defense
Dissertation and defense, including 12 hours of ENGL 899, dissertation writing.
Direct-Admission Doctor of Philosophy in English with an Emphasis in English and American Literature (60 Hours)
Direct admission to the Ph.D. program may be offered to highly-qualified applicants who are completing or have completed their baccalaureate studies. Each candidate must have a major and minor field. The major field may be chosen from the following: Medieval, Renaissance, Restoration and 18th-century English literature, 19th-century English literature, 20th-century English literature, colonial and 19th-century American literature, 20th century American literature. The following may be used for the minor field only: linguistics, comparative literature, criticism theory, women’s studies, history of the book and authorship, composition and rhetoric, and Southern literature. Students may choose to design an ad hoc minor, subject to approval by the Graduate Program Committee. Examples of ad hoc minors approved in the past include religion and literature, children’s and young-adult literature, and computers and literature.
Direct admission by the Department of English for graduate study does not mean immediate admission as a candidate in the English and American literature Ph.D. program. Students are admitted to such candidacy on the basis of their record and a written qualifying exam (satisfied by successful completion of the Master’s Comprehensive Examination and the readers’ recommendation of candidacy). Students should take this qualifying exam no later than the spring term of their second year in the program. A student is allowed only two attempts to pass the admission-to-candidacy exam.
Requirements include the following:
Program of Study
By the end of the second year of study students, in consultation with their advisors, will submit a PhD Program of Study form that maps out their intentions for the completion of coursework, and submit it to the Director of Graduate Studies. The Program of Study also serves as a statement of intent; this is the moment at which students may either recommit themselves to completing the PhD, or opt out and finish the MA, securing the degree by passage of the MA Comprehensive Exam and the completion of a thesis.
Years 1-2
12 Hours
- One Course in English Literature, pre-1660
- One Course in English Literature, post-1660
- One Course in American Literature
- One Additional Course in Exam Field
6 Hours
Recommended Course
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 700 | Introduction to Graduate Study of English | 3 |
Critical Theory
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following Critical Theory Courses: | 3 | |
| Classics of Western Literary Theory | ||
| Modern Literary Theory | ||
An equivalent course | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 3 | |
Years 3-6
18 Hours
- Electives (must include two 800-level seminars)
12 Hours
- Dissertation Preparation
M.A. Comprehensive Examination
Serves as the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination.
Comprehensive Exam
A comprehensive exam that consists of two written exams, one in the major field and one in the minor field.
Oral Comprehensive Exam
Focusing on the student’s major field, this exam may be taken no more than twice. Successful completion of the written and oral comprehensive exams will signal the conferral of the MA degree.
Dissertation and Defense
Foreign Languages
Reading proficiency in at least one language other than English, demonstrated in one of the following ways:
- by passing a reading exam in a language other than English;
- by passing a graduate-level course in a literature other than English, not in translation, with a grade of B or better;
- by passing ENGL 701 with a grade of B or better.
Reading proficiency in two languages other than English may be required by the student’s doctoral advisory committee if, in its judgment, such proficiency is necessitated by the student’s research plans or by professional standards then current in the student’s field.
Admission to Candidacy
Admission by the Department of English for graduate study does not mean admission as a candidate in the composition and rhetoric Ph.D. program. Students are admitted to candidacy by The Graduate School on the basis of their academic record, an approved program of study, and successful completion of a written qualifying exam—the M.A. three-hour comprehensive exam in composition and rhetoric. Students should take this exam no later than the semester in which they are taking their 15th hour of course work. A student is allowed only two attempts to pass the exam. Students in the M.A. program who apply to and are accepted into the Ph.D. program may request that their M.A. exams be reread as a Ph.D. qualifying exam. In such a case, the rereading will count as one attempt. M.A. exams will not be read for Ph.D. qualifying purposes unless or until the student has been accepted into the Ph.D. program.