The PhD program in English prepares students to become leading scholars, excellent teachers, and active members of the academic community by fostering critical engagement with the discipline of English Studies and its interdisciplinary practices. Our students develop a knowledge base in a range of literatures and theories in their coursework, and go on to specialize by taking an oral field examination and a written take-home examination that prepares them to write a dissertation. Students gain expertise in articulating a research plan and carrying it out; developing original arguments that contribute to ongoing debates within the field; mastering research techniques and the ability to evaluate resources, including digital resources; and communicating their ideas to varied audiences, both orally and in writing.
Students are encouraged to enter the profession by presenting their work at conferences and by publishing in scholarly venues, and are supported in their efforts to do so; they also participate in the governance of the department and, thus, learn the importance of departmental citizenship. Our students are trained to be teachers of writing, rhetoric, and literature; they receive sustained pedagogical training and enjoy the opportunity to teach courses in their areas of expertise.
PhD graduates are qualified for teaching positions at the college and university level; but the program also aids students who plan to pursue careers outside of academia, where they can put the research, writing, and teaching skills they have developed to good use.