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PhD Program

The following specific degree requirements are in addition to the general degree requirements that apply to all graduate programs in the Department of English & Comparative Literature.

Specific Requirements:

Residency

 

Prior to admission to candidacy, all doctoral students must fulfill the residency requirement with full-time enrollment in three quarters within a span of five consecutive quarters.

 

Required Course Work:

• Introduction to Graduate Studies (2 hours)
• Contexts for 20th Century Literary Study (4 hours)
• Teaching College Writing (4 hours)
• Teaching Practicum I (2 hours)
• Teaching Practicum II (2 hours)
• Two graduate level courses in each of three exam areas
• Theory (8 hours)

Students need to have taken at least two graduate level courses in each exam area. In the dissertation area, at least one of these courses should be an 800 level seminar.

To complete the two-course requirement in the Theory area, students must have taken at least one graduate level Theory course iindependent of the required Contexts for 20th Century Literary Study course. The second theory course may be a literature course with a substantial component supporting the student’s particular area of emphasis in Theory.

PhD Qualifying Exams

Within a year of completion of doctoral course work, students must take the PhD qualifying exams. Generally, students will take their exams before the end of their third year in the program.

Dissertation

 

Doctoral students in this program may complete either a scholarly dissertation or a creative dissertation accompanied by a critical essay suitable for publication. Students wishing to complete the creative dissertation must have prior approval from the Graduate Director.