Doctor of Philosophy
Ph.D. students may specialize in any period of English or American literature, in Literary Theory, or in Rhetoric and Composition. Students choose one primary and two secondary areas of study in consultation with their faculty advisory committee. They develop an individual course of study in preparation for examinations. For details, see Doctoral Specializations: Exam Procedures & Reading Lists.
M.A./Ph.D. Track:
Students who enter the doctoral program with a B.A. are required to complete the M.A. with a two-paper thesis within five years of their initial enrollment. These students do not need to reapply for doctoral study after finishing the Master's program.
Ph.D. Track:
Students who enter with an M.A. in English are required to earn a minimum of 36 hours of course credit, pass the preliminary comprehensive examination, complete an additional 15 hours of dissertation, and defend successfully their dissertations. Students entering with other advanced degrees will have their transcripts individually evaluated by the Director of Graduate Study to establish the minimum course work required. No more than three courses at the 500-level may be submitted for the degree. All other work must be at the 600-level and above.
Interdisciplinary Study:
As students develop their own intellectual interests and plans of study, they may invite faculty from outside the department to serve on Ph.D. advisory committees. In courses or independent study, students often work with faculty in our nationally known graduate programs in education, psychology, and history. Students specializing in Rhetoric and Composition often study with faculty in the Department of Leadership and Educational Studies or in the Department of Teacher Education and Higher Education; others may work with faculty in cognitive psychology. Students may also elect to take specially designed minors in selected fields.
UNCG has a strong graduate faculty in history, particularly in American and European history. A number of outstanding faculty specialize in southern history or American social history. Departments such as Religious Studies and Political Science also have graduate faculty specializing in American social and intellectual history. In both the History and Religious Studies departments, as well as in other areas of the university, many faculty are interested in African-American studies and have published widely on race, class, and American social movements.
UNCG also has an excellent graduate faculty in Women's Studies both within and outside of the English Department. The Women's Studies Program sponsors an annual conference in which English graduate students have an important part, and it presents numerous lectures and colloquia.
For more information, contact:
Ms. Alyson Everhart
Administrative Assistant to Graduate Studies in English
3137 MHRA
(336) 334-5311
