M.A. and Ph.D. Programs

Program Overview

The M.A. in English fosters intellectual exploration and prepares students for doctoral studies, while the Ph.D. program provides specialized training for teaching and research at the college level. Both programs emphasize close faculty mentorship and offer small seminars for in-depth knowledge and engagement. Graduates have a strong record of success in academia, holding various faculty and postdoctoral positions.

Program Outline

Outline:

• **M.A.
in English**: The M.A. degree encourages intellectual discovery while also preparing students for future doctoral work by training them in recognized fields of study. The degree usually requires 30 credit hours of coursework (typically, ten courses): students take an introduction to critical theory in their first semester; the remainder of their coursework consists of pro-seminars and seminars. To complete the degree, students submit and defend a dossier of three papers, initially written for their courses and revised in light of the dossier’s presentation as a culminating work.
• Ph.D. in English:
The Ph.D. degree offers students specialized professional training in criticism, theory, research, and the teaching of literary and filmic texts, with an eye towards preparing them to instruct and research at the college and university level. Students may apply to the Ph.D. program after completing either a B.A. or an M.A. degree. The coursework requirements for the degree are usually 54 or 36 credit hours (typically, 18 or 12 courses) for students entering with, respectively, a B.A. or an M.A.

Teaching:

• Both M.A.
and Ph.D. programs emphasize close collaboration and mentoring between individual students and faculty.
• Small pro-seminars, covering broad fields of study, and advanced seminars, covering specialized topics or issues, help students develop breadth and depth of knowledge while offering them intensive intellectual engagement with members of the faculty.

Careers:

• Award-Winning Graduate Students section lists 4 recent recipients of various awards and their fields of study: African American Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, Humanities Center Dissertation Fellowship, and English Reformation studies.
• We have an excellent record of placing our students in academic jobs upon graduation.
• Our past graduates hold a variety of tenured, tenure-track, visiting faculty, and postdoctoral fellow appointments around the country.