Program Overview

English, Ph.D.

The Ph.D. program in English at UCI is the #1 department for literary and critical theory nationally (US News and World Report). The research and teaching of department faculty represents and cuts across a range of fields, historical periods, and methodological approaches. Our graduates have gone on to faculty positions at a range of nationally ranked colleges and universities.

Overview

Many of our Ph.D. faculty and students participate jointly in collaborative, interdisciplinary research clusters and reading groups. Some groups currently active include The Center for Early Cultures, the Culture and Capital Center, Medieval Devysings, Poetics | History | Theory, the Queer Theory Reading Group, and the Rhetoric Reading Group. Our Ph.D. program allows students to customize their study and research around their own intellectual interests. Students can also take seminars in other programs and departments, and can receive interdisciplinary certificates in Asian American studies, Chicano/Latino Studies, Critical Theory, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Latin American Studies, Medical Humanities, Rhetoric and Composition, and Visual Studies.

Admission

Admission to the Ph.D. program in English is determined by careful review of the applicants' prior academic performance, writing sample, letters of recommendation, and personal statement. Admission is for the following fall quarter only. The application and supporting documents (transcripts, writing sample, and three letters of recommendation) are required by the deadline.

• One of the most important components of an application is the writing sample. This should be a critically-oriented piece that illustrates an applicant's ability to do scholarly research and interpret literary or cultural texts.
• The statement of purpose is generally 1-2 pages and should tell the admissions committee who you are as a scholar, what your research interests are, and why you are applying to the UCI English Ph.D. program in particular.
• A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.50 in the last two years of undergraduate study is recommended to be competitive.

Requirements

• Students must take a minimum of 15 graduate seminars, of which a maximum of three can be taken outside the English Department.
• Courses should expose students to a variety of topics, approaches, genres, and theoretical issues in literary history as well as prepare students for an area of specialization.
• Adequate historical coverage generally entails at least one course on literatures in English in each of the following periods: medieval; Renaissance; the long 18th century; Romanticism; Victorian or late 19th century; the 20th century.

M.A. Examination

As the coursework for the M.A. nears completion, students meet with their advisor to plan for the M.A. examination. The advisor and the student will select a seminar essay the student has already written and which will be revised for the M.A. examination. The purpose of the revision is to demonstrate that a student has the skills needed to pursue a Ph.D. in English.

Foreign Language Requirement

The student must demonstrate a highly proficient reading knowledge of one foreign language by passing a translation test. The test must be passed before the M.A. examination.

Teaching

The Department expects its graduates to obtain considerable teaching experience before completing the Ph.D. The amount of teaching any candidate may do will depend upon the availability of teaching assistantships and the maximum limit of 12 quarters of appointments before advancement to candidacy and 18 quarters of total teaching support.

Qualifying Examination

After students have completed the coursework (and any other requirements), they prepare for the qualifying examination. Working closely with the chair of the committee, the student should select three other members of the examination committee. The primary function of the qualifying examination is to test the student's knowledge of two or three fields of specialization.

Dissertation

After completing the qualifying examination, the candidate will form a suitable dissertation committee of three members, chaired by a member of the Department. The candidate and the committee will discuss expectations for a substantial piece of writing - a prospectus, introduction, or chapter draft to be completed in the quarter immediately following the qualifying exam.

Emphases

The following interdisciplinary emphasis programs are available for English Ph.D. students as an optional supplement to their coursework and study:

• Emphasis in Asian American Studies
• Emphasis in Chicano/Latino Studies
• Emphasis in Critical Theory
• Emphasis in Feminist Studies
• Emphasis in Latin American Studies

Program Details

• All admitted students receive a multi-year funding package, including a range of teaching opportunities.
• Students may enter the graduate program in English with either a B.A. or an M.A.
• The normative time for completion of the Ph.D. is seven years, and the maximum time permitted is nine years.