The doctoral program in English Language and Literature is designed to lead to the PhD in six years of post-baccalaureate study. Students can specialize in diverse fields of British, American, or Anglophone literatures and explore a wide range of critical, theoretical, and cultural perspectives on those literatures. The program assures that students gain broad literary and cultural knowledge along with the research skills that will allow them to make innovative contributions to the world of ideas. We are committed to the idea that learning is a social process, and that one can learn a great deal from one's peers when lodged in a community that encourages students to share ideas. Such a community is impossible to establish when students are made to compete for funding with one another, however. The department, in conjunction with the Rackham School of Graduate Studies, is also committed to supporting students' professional activities and pays many of the expenses for research travel and for participation in academic conferences. Language Requirement: As an English department, we view the study of English as situated within a global context, and we recognize that research, teaching, and public humanities work stemming from the discipline of English are enriched by knowledge of, and engagement with, varieties of English (which reflect temporal, geographic, and cultural differences) as well as languages other than English. Ph.D. students in our three programs develop metacognitive awareness of language through humanities-based explorations of linguistic structures, patterns of communication, and the complex, context-specific ways in which language intersects with history, politics, culture, nationality, race, class, gender, sexuality, embodiment, and technology. Students fulfill the language requirement in one of three ways: 1) by gaining competency in a language other than standard written English, 2) by applying andor developing their competency in a language other than standard written English, or 3) by engaging in coursework or research focused on language-centered issues such as translation, linguistics, or coding. Each student chooses one option from a menu of possibilities for fulfilling the requirement, thereby developing andor deepening their understanding of a language or language issues in the manner that best suits their research, teaching, andor professional goals. Every Ph.D. student must complete the language requirement while enrolled in their program, prior to defending their dissertation. Specific Course Requirements: Introduction to Graduate Studies; 6 upper level English seminars; 2 cognate courses (graduate level coursework outside of the English Department); 2 additional graduate level courses (English or cognate); 2 Graduate Student Instructor training courses; 2 longform papers in at least two English electives of their choice. Complete language requirement: No other specific coursework is required, but students are expected to devote the first year to a broad, well-balanced coverage of the discipline. Subsequent coursework in the second and third years should be directed primarily toward the student's special areas of interest. Third-Term Review: In the first term of the second year, each student's career will be reviewed to provide direction, counseling, and an early professional orientation. If the review is favorable, the Graduate Committee will recommend that the student continue to work for the PhD.
