Doctor of Philosophy in English

Our doctoral program provides rigorous and interdisciplinary professional preparation for teacher-scholars in a collegial environment. In consultation with their advisors, students design individualized courses of training, with the opportunity to supplement the Department's seminars in English, American and Anglophone literatures and literary and cultural theory with independent studies and courses in other departments and other regional universities. Students may earn advanced certificates in Cultural Studies, Art and Philosophy, Disability Studies, Women's and Gender Studies and Writing & Rhetoric. After completing coursework, students must pass qualifying examinations requiring expertise in two literary historical periods and a special topic, preliminary to the dissertation. Our students typically graduate with teaching experience within and beyond their fields of specialization and professional records of presentations and publications. They work at institutions throughout the United States and the world.

The following, in addition to the minimum Graduate School requirements, are required for admission to the Ph.D. program:

A. A bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution;

B. An average of at least B in the last two years of undergraduate work;

C. An official transcript of all undergraduate work and of any graduate work that may have been done;

D. Letters of recommendation from three instructors;

E. A writing sample (15-20 double-spaced pages; page count does not include bibliography);

F. Proficiency in a language other than English, equivalent to two years of college work;

G. Acceptance by both the Department of English and the Graduate School.

Semi-finalists for admission to the PhD program will be invited to a video-conference interview with a member of the Graduate Admissions Committee.

English Proficiency

IELTS: Overall score of 6.5, with no subsection recommended to be below 6; and TOEFL iBT: Overall score of 90 for doctoral applicants and 80 for master’s applicants.