Doctor of Philosophy in English

The English Department graduate program operates by several guiding principles. Above all we stress the importance of teaching and research, two activities we regard as inextricably related. We seek to prepare our students to enter the profession as both teachers and scholars, most students who want a chance to teach are able to do so, as teaching assistants or as tutors in the writing center, before completing their doctoral degrees. Students are expected and encouraged to participate actively in the program, to help plan the freshman curriculum, and to play an important role in the life of the department.

Graduate students should rely on their major professor and advisory committee (and on the English Graduate Office and Graduate Coordinator) for timely advice and suggestions about their programs of study, course schedules, preparation for examinations, theses, and dissertations. But one fundamental principle must be stressed above all others:

Students are responsible for their own academic progress and welfare. They must understand the rules and regulations that govern the graduate program, follow established procedures, take appropriate steps, and meet required deadlines.

To qualify for admission, an applicant must hold at least a B.A., and preferably an M.A., in English, have strong GRE scores with verbal score in the 90th percentile (162 or higher on the new scale, and a total verbal and quantitative score of at least 310 on the new scale), and have a high grade-point average (at least 3.0 in undergraduate studies), especially in English courses (3.65 or better in undergraduate English classes). In addition, applicants should provide supportive letters of recommendation and other evidence of scholastic achievement, including proficiency in writing. While most of the applicants who are admitted in the Ph.D. program already hold a Master's degree in English, applicants with exceptional undergraduate records may be admitted directly into the doctoral program without an M.A.

Unofficial Transcripts
TOEFL scores for non-native English speakers
3 letters of recommendation: These letters should be submitted through the online application process. List the names of recommenders in the fields on the application along with their email addresses. For those applying for a Teaching Assistantship, one letter of recommendation should address the applicant's teaching record. The Graduate School will send referees a link to access a secure page where they can submit your recommendation via the web.
Statement of Intent: Prepare a typed statement of some 500 to 1000 words describing your reasons for applying to a graduate program in English and the kind of study you wish to pursue, including your area(s) of interest. If you wish to be considered for the creative writing program (Ph.D. only), you should make that wish clear in your Statement of Intent.
Resume/CV: 1-2 pages outlining your work and teaching experience, if any.
Critical Writing Sample: A critical look at a literature text. This sample may be an excerpt from a longer work and should run 10-15 typed pages, longer samples are discouraged. All creative writing students MUST submit both a critical and a creative sample.
Teaching Assistantship/ Research Assistantship Application.
Creative Writing Samples (For Creative Writing Applicants Only): While the Program practices and fosters writing between, across, and within multiple genres and media, for purposes of the application we ask that you select a genre concentration and submit a sample consistent with that emphasis: 10 pages of poetry, or 20 pages of fiction or creative non-fiction.

Minimum TOEFL score requirement: overall score of 80 with at least 20 on speaking and writing
Minimum IELTS score requirement: overall band-width of 6.5, with no single band (score) below 6.0