Doctor of Philosophy in English

The graduate program of the UCLA English Department is one of the strongest, most diverse, and most intellectually exciting in the country. Consistently highly ranked across fields, it receives over 200 applications of admission each year and enrolls an entering class of 8-12 students, all of whom receive full funding. The course of study toward the Ph.D. balances critical rigor and historical breadth with flexibility and individual focus. Seminars include both the traditional values of the discipline and the exciting innovations that are reshaping its future. We offer courses that incorporate the literary canon, investigate various modes of inquiry, and teach a range of critical methodologies.

A variety of field-specific research centers, colloquia, lecture series, and informal reading groups provide important adjunct experiences to the formal classroom. Graduate students are welcome at the lectures and conferences conducted by the Medieval and Renaissance Center and the Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century Studies Center. The Department also sponsors a monthly lecture series by distinguished theorists and scholars on the future of the discipline. Our proximity to several important research centers the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, the Huntington Library, and the Getty Research Instituteoffers distinct advantages to many of our graduate students. With the generous help of the Mellon Foundation, UCLA has been at the forefront of rethinking the humanities. As a result, we have expanded our department offerings in new and emerging interdisciplinary areas. Graduate students are encouraged to work closely with their advisors throughout their studies in shaping a program responsive to their particular interests.The English Department heavily values training and supervised experience in teaching as an integral part of the preparation we offer for the profession.

Applicants are expected to meet the following requirements: an undergraduate major or program that prepares one for advanced study of literature; a grade-point average in English courses and in the junior and senior years of at least 3.5.

Applicants who hold a master's degree are expected to have a grade-point average of at least 3.7 in all graduate courses and a correspondingly higher score on the Subject Test.

Students admitted into the graduate program enter the first phase of the doctoral program, successful completion of which results in the award of the MA degree.

IELTS Academic overall band score should be at least 7.0 is the minimum required.

TOEFL score on the paper and pencil test must be at least 560 or at least 87 on the internet-based test.