Ph.D. in English

The doctoral program is intended for the most promising students entering with a B.A. or M.A., who all receive five years of support. This is a research degree, aimed primarily at those expecting to teach on the college level. The department has particular strengths in early modern literature, 18th and 19th-century British studies, American studies, and film, but includes other areas as well. Small proseminars and advanced seminars, designed to develop both breadth and depth of knowledge, offer students intensive intellectual engagement with members of the faculty. The faculty all share a strong interest in literary history and forms, critical theory, and cultural studies. About four students are admitted each year. Applicants should use the intellectual statement on the application for graduate study to describe, as fully and specifically as possible, the intellectual projects they wish to pursue.

Requirements:

The formal requirements are 36 credit hours of coursework in English beyond the M.A. (54 credit hours of coursework for those entering with a B.A.); demonstrated competence in teaching; proficiency in a foreign language; a field exam of two parts: (a) a written test, and (b) a critical essay of 20-30 pages (students entering the program may, at the discretion of the Graduate Committee, have a part of the field examination requirement waived; this will be determined on a case-by-case basis.); a three-hour oral Ph.D. examination on two fields, to be taken after the third year of coursework, typically in the fall of the seventh semester (the first exam area will focus on the literary, critical, and/or cinematic/media texts of a major period, while the second exam area may focus on a particular topic, genre, or mode of inquiry); the prospectus of 10-20 pages and defense of an 18- to 30-credit dissertation.

Courses:

ENG 631 - Critical Theory  is a required part of students’ coursework credit. Other courses are chosen from proseminars (ENG 630 ) and seminars (ENG 730 ). Occasionally, electives at the 800 level are offered. To fulfill the graduate proseminar requirement, students will need to take at least one proseminar in British Studies and one proseminar in American Studies. During the first two years of coursework, students will be required to take at least three graduate proseminars and three graduate seminars, in addition to other electives that will comprise the minimum number of cumulative hours.

A Ph.D. student may take up to two courses outside of the English Department. In special cases, the student may petition the Graduate Committee to have courses from other departments, 500 level courses in English or independent studies in English count as part of the coursework credit required for the degree. The Graduate Committee will grant such petitions if the student demonstrates how these courses form an integral part of his or her study in English.

For a fuller description of course offerings, write to the graduate studies coordinator, or submit your request online at our web site: http://english.syr.edu/

Graduate Awards

Teaching assistantships, include tuition scholarships for nine credits per semester (plus six credits in the summer) as well as stipends from $14,535 to $15,479. New teaching assistants at the M.A. level are assigned to courses offered by the Writing Program. Teaching assistants have full responsibility for three sections a year, are expected to attend regular staff meetings and workshops, and participate in a coordinating group. There is also an ongoing mentorship and review of each teaching assistant’s performance as a teacher. New teaching assistants take a teaching practicum (WRT 670 ) closely related to their classroom duties.

Beginning Ph.D. students serve as teaching assistants in undergraduate lecture courses taught by full-time faculty in the English Department for two to three years. They receive ongoing mentorship and faculty review of their performance.

Advanced Ph.D. students teach independent courses of their own design in the English department for one or two years, and participate in the Future Professoriate Project. This project offers mentored teaching and participation in teaching seminars every semester. Students who fulfill all the requirements receive at graduation a certificate in university teaching.

The department also competes for University Fellowships, awarded annually to outstanding applicants, and it offers 10 one-year creative writing fellowships. All fellowships include tuition scholarships for full-time study as well as stipends from $14,250 to $23,830.