Doctorate in Literary Studies
Course Requirements for Literary Studies
- 90 graduate-level quarter hours
- 60 hours of course work must be in formal classes, excluding ENGL 5995, non-ENGL courses and tutorials.
- 10 max for tutorial courses
- Five courses distributed over three periods: before 1700; 1700-1900; after 1900. Students must take at least one course in one period and at least two courses in the other two periods.
Before 1700:
- ENGL 4125 Old English
- ENGL 4130 Advanced Studies in Medieval Lit
- ENGL 4150 Special Topics in Medieval Lit
- ENGL 4200 Special Topics in Early Modern Lit
- ENGL 4212 Genesis of the Novel
- ENGL 4213 Advanced Studies in Early Modern Lit
- ENGL 4220 Seminar: Studies in Shakespeare
- ENGL 4240 Shakespeare Festival Seminar
1700–1900:
- ENGL 4300 Advanced Studies 18th Century Lit
- ENGL 4321 Special Topics 18th Century Lit
- ENGL 4424 Special Topics 19th Century Lit
- ENGL 4522 Advanced Studies 19th Century Lit
- ENGL 4700 Antebellum American Lit
- ENGL 4720 Advanced Studies: Post-Bellum Lit
- ENGL 4730 American Romanticism
- ENGL 4731 Seminar: Genesis American Self
- ENGL 4732 Special Topic Antebellum American Lit
- ENGL 4735 Seminar: James and Wharton
- After 1900:ENGL 4600 Advanced Studies 20th Century Lit
- ENGL 4621 Advanced Studies 20th Century Lit
- ENGL 4650 Special Topics 20th Century Lit
- ENGL 4736 African-American Literature and Criticism
- Graduate Colloquium (winter quarter of second year)
- Graduate teaching seminars for teaching assistants
Non-Course Requirements:
- Preliminary advancement to candidacy
- Advancement to candidacy
- A dissertation of publishable quality that is a significant contribution to its field. This will take the form of an extended scholarly and critical work (usually between 150 and 250 pages) OR a creative work (fiction or poetry). The creative dissertation must include a critical preface that situates the dissertation in its literary context.
- Oral examination. When the dissertation is completed, it must be defendedby the candidate. The defense must take place no later than three weeks before graduation. No dissertation defenses will be held during the summer quarter. The candidate is therefore advised to set the defense date as far in advance as possible. The defense takes the form of a discussion with the committee concerning the content, context and implications of the work.
- Language requirement (tool). The department requires all doctoral students to complete the language requirement by passing a reading test administered by the Department of Languages and Literatures or by passing a 3000-level literature course in the Department of Languages and Literatures with a grade of B or better. Competency established at another college or university may be transferred at the discretion of the graduate director. Note: The language requirement must be completed by the quarter before graduation.
- Prospectus exam. By the end of the fall quarter of the third year, students must submit a Dissertation Area Proposal to the director of graduate studies. This proposal is a brief description of the proposed area of the dissertation; it must be signed by at least two dissertation committee members. Before the end of the second quarter of the third year of study, all students must take the prospectus exam. This is an oral examination based on the written dissertation prospectus and conducted by the director of graduate studies and an exam committee consisting of the first two readers of the dissertation. The prospectus should be approximately 2,500-3,000 words and should be presented to the exam committee well in advance of the exam. For literature and rhetoric/theory students, the prospectus should outline the relevant scholarship and describe an original thesis for the proposed work. It should also include a working bibliography for the project.
- Written comprehensive exam. At the beginning of the third year of study, and after 60 hours of completed course work, all students will take a written comprehensive exam covering four areas of study: 1) an author or major figure; 2) a genre; 3) a period; 4) a second period or special topic. All choices must be approved by examiners and the graduate director. Students will prepare a reading list for each area in consultation with examiners. All lists must be signed by both examinersand on file with the graduate director by May 15 or the student will not be allowed to take the exam the following fall.