Doctor of Philosophy in English
The Ph.D. degree offers the opportunity for advanced and concentrated research to students who hold an M.A. degree in English or a related field, from KU or elsewhere.
Our program has special strengths in ecocriticism and posthuman studies, U.S. ethnic literature, nineteenth-century U.S. literature, science and technology studies, and Victorian literature.
Our Rhetoric & Composition program has special strengths in genre and language theory, public and professional discourses, multimodality and digital rhetorics, translingualism, writing pedagogy, and global writing research.
Our Creative Writing program has special strengths in the novel, environmental writing, drama, mixed-genre work, and short story collections.
All of our programs boast distinguished and award-winning faculty with notable research publications and a deep foundation in their areas of specialization.
Admission to Graduate Studies
Admission Requirements
- All applicants must meet the requirements outlined in the Admission to Graduate Study policy.
- Bachelor’s degree: A copy of official transcripts showing proof of a bachelor's degree (and any post-bachelor’s coursework or degrees) from a regionally accredited institution, or a foreign university with equivalent bachelor's degree requirements is required.
- English proficiency: Proof of English proficiency for non-native or non-native-like English speakers is required. There are two bands of English proficiency, including Admission and Full proficiency. For applicants to online programs, Full proficiency is required.
Graduate Admission
To be admitted to any of the department’s graduate degree tracks, a student must have a strong undergraduate record, particularly in the humanities. Applicants are expected to have some familiarity with British and American literary history and the work of the major writers in English. Most importantly, applicants for graduate work in literary studies and rhetoric-composition studies should be able to demonstrate, with writing samples, their ability to produce advanced analytical and interpretive scholarly writing. Similarly, creative writing applicants need to submit writing samples that demonstrate an advanced level of writing skills in their respective genres. For complete admission information, see below.
In addition to the application itself, please submit the following supplemental materials:
- A resumé or curriculum vitae.
- A statement of approximately 500 words describing your interests, training, experience (including teaching experience), academic ability, and goals.
- Letters of recommendation from three professors. Recommenders are strongly encouraged to submit their letters electronically. Paper letters must be submitted on the institution's letterhead, in a sealed envelope, addressed directly to the Graduate Director. Letters should, if possible, speak to potential as a teacher, although they should primarily be focused on academic and scholarly ability.
- One transcript or student-generated grade/advising report from each university previously attended. Scanned or electronic copies are acceptable for the application. If you are uncertain what constitutes an appropriate transcript or grade report, please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator.
- Ph.D. applicants interested in Rhetoric & Composition or Literature must provide two examples of academic writing. Ph.D. applicants interested in Creative Writing must submit one example of creative writing (prose, poetry, or a one-act play), and one example of academic writing. Academic sample length can vary--between 8 and 20 pages is generally recommended.
All applicants must submit their graduate application online. All supplemental materials (transcripts, writing samples, letters of recommendation, etc.) may be attached electronically and submitted with the online application. Those who cannot submit supplemental materials electronically may mail them to the department:
The University of Kansas
Department of English
Graduate Applications
1445 Jayhawk Blvd., Room 3001
Lawrence, KS 66045
Ph.D. in English Degree Requirements
The students and their graduate advisors together design and monitor a coherent program of study, individualized to serve each student’s goals within current expectations for a Ph.D. in English. If the M.A. or M.F.A. was completed in KU’s Department of English, a doctoral student may petition the director of graduate studies to have up to 12 hours of the course work taken in the English Department reduced toward the Ph.D.
The following courses are required for all students in the English Ph.D. These courses must be completed by the end of the semester of the oral comprehensive exam. Note that these are minimum requirements to be approved to move forward to the oral comprehensive exam.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 800 | Methods, Theory, and Professionalism | 3 |
| ENGL 801 | Study and Teaching of Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 997 | Preparation for the Doctoral Examination | 3 |
| Concentration Coursework | ||
| Students should work with their advisors to choose coursework appropriate to their concentration. | ||
| 2 ENGL seminars at the 900+ level | 6 | |
| 6 credit hours of ENGL electives at 700+ level | 6 | |
| 6 credit hours of electives | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 27 | |
Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship
The University requires that every doctoral student receive training in responsible scholarship pertinent to the field of research and obtain research skills pertinent to the doctoral level of research in their field(s). These requirements must be completed by the end of the semester that the student takes the oral comprehensive exam. For students in the English Ph.D., this requirement is satisfied by completion of ENGL 800.
Literature and Creative Writing Concentration
Students are expected to work with their advisor and the director of graduate studies to select electives and seminars that fit within their area of study.
Composition and Rhetoric Concentration
At least one of the 900+ seminars must be in Rhetoric and Composition. Students are expected to work with their advisor and the director of graduate studies to select electives and seminars that fit within their area of study. Students admitted with an M.A. follow the course requirements outlined above. Students admitted following completion of a B.A., in addition to the core requirements, must also complete the courses listed below. These required courses do not fulfill the core requirements of the Ph.D.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A 900+ ENGL seminar on Composition and Rhetoric | 3 | |
| 9 credit hours of 700+ ENGL electives | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Other Requirements
In addition to coursework requirements, the following requirements apply to all students in the English Ph.D.
Comprehensive Examination
Completed within 3 semesters after satisfaction of formal course requirements. Students are expected to enroll in at least 3 hours of ENGL 997 while preparing for the exam. The exam consists of 3 reading lists, a written review of literature, and a 2-hour oral examination over those materials. The student will work with their committee to create the 3 reading lists covering 3 areas of study relevant to the student's field of interest. The faculty committee for the exam must comply with the Office of Graduate Studies' Doctoral Student Oral Exam Committee Composition policy.
Post Comprehensive Exam Requirements
Upon passing the comprehensive examination, the student becomes a candidate for the Ph.D. degree and is approved to proceed with their dissertation research and project. Starting the semester following successful completion of the oral comprehensive exam, students must enroll in accordance with the Office of Graduate Studies’ Doctoral Candidacy Policy. This enrollment includes, but is not limited to, at least 1 dissertation hour every semester until graduation. See the Doctoral Candidacy policy for more information about this University level requirement.
Review of the Dissertation Proposal
Completed in the semester following the comprehensive examination, it provides formal direction for the dissertation. This includes a written narrative of approximately 10-15 pages, not including bibliography, of the dissertation proposal and a 90-minute defense with the student's committee.
Doctoral Dissertation and Defense
The dissertation must be an original work of research that advances the field of English and complies with the Office of Graduate Studies’ Doctoral Dissertation policy.
Upon approval by the students committee that the student’s dissertation research and written document is complete, the student must defend the dissertation before all committee members in the “final oral examination,” or dissertation defense. The final dissertation defense includes a public presentation of the dissertation research by the candidate and concludes with a period of questioning by the committee. After posing questions to the student about the dissertation work, committee members deliberate and vote on a grade of Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. A grade of Satisfactory requires a majority vote, and may be contingent on the completion of specific revisions by a designated due date.
English Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 709 | Critical Theory: Problems and Principles: _____ | 3 |
| ENGL 725 | Shakespeare: _____ | 3 |
| ENGL 730 | Topics in Early Modern Literature: _____ | 3 |
| ENGL 750 | British Literature of the19th Century: _____ | 3 |
| ENGL 751 | Fiction Writing III | 3 |
| ENGL 752 | Poetry Writing III | 3 |
| ENGL 753 | Writers Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 756 | Forms: _____ | 3 |
| ENGL 757 | Speculative Fiction Writing Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 760 | British Literature of the 20th Century: _____ | 3 |
| ENGL 770 | Studies in Life Writing: _____ | 3 |
| ENGL 774 | Topics in Literatures of Africa and the African Diaspora: _____ | 3 |
| ENGL 776 | American Literature to 1900: _____ | 3 |
| ENGL 777 | American Literature after 1900: _____ | 3 |
| ENGL 780 | Composition Studies | 3 |
| ENGL 790 | Studies in: _____ | 3 |
| ENGL 880 | Topics in Composition Studies and Rhetoric: _____ | 3 |
| ENGL 904 | Seminar in Composition Theory: _____ | 3 |
| ENGL 905 | Seminar in the English Language: _____ | 3 |
| ENGL 908 | Seminar in Literary Criticism: _____ | 3 |
| ENGL 950 | Seminar in 19th Century British Literature: _____ | 3 |
| ENGL 970 | Seminar in American Literature: _____ | 3 |
| ENGL 974 | Seminar in Literatures of Africa and the African Diaspora: _____ | 3 |
| ENGL 980 | Seminar In: _______ | 3 |
At the completion of this program, students will be able to:
- demonstrate knowledge of several major fields of literary, cultural, and/or rhetorical expression.
- write clearly and effectively in various scholarly modes and contexts.
- apply relevant theories, methodologies, and analytical practices that address fundamental questions in their primary area of study.
- understand and appreciate the development, culture, and diversity of societies, past and present, through the study of primary and secondary texts.