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English 2012-2013

Degree Requirements

MA General Degree Requirements

Course Requirements:
• 45 hours of course credit, up to nine hours of which may be taken in graduate tutorials and/or cognate courses outside the department.
• A minimum of 36 classroom hours (nine courses) is required.
• All course work for the MA should be taken at the University of Denver, but, in rare exceptions, a maximum of 10 credit hours taken elsewhere may count for the requirements if approved by the director of graduate studies.

While students have no specific course requirements beyond the 36-hour minimum within the department of English and the nine hours of tutorials or cognate courses, they are advised to work closely with an adviser to determine a balance between coverage and focus. They may take both 3000- and 4000-level courses in literary studies.

Non-Course Requirements:
• Advancement to candidacy
• A thesis of at least 18,000 words. The thesis for an MA in literary studies is a critical or scholarly essay. The thesis adviser must approve a prospectus for the thesis.
• Oral examination. The defense takes the form of a discussion on the content, context and implications of the work.
• Tool (reading knowledge of one language) proficiency may be established by completing one of the following:
- Passing a standard reading examination accredited by the department
- Passing, with a grade of B or better, a 3000-level literature course in the language
- Successful completion of the Bibliography and Research Methods class in the English department
- Selection and successful completion of a cognate course in another department that will augment specific skills. This course must be approved by the Graduate Committee.
- Successful completion of Old English, followed by a two-hour "Beowulf" tutorial, followed by an intermediate Old English tutorial. (This option will no longer require a petition to the Graduate Committee.)
- Successful completion of a graduate translation class (students must secure approval of instructor).
• The language requirements must be completed one quarter before graduation.
• Courses must be completed within three years of enrollment (excluding ENGL 4995).

PhD in English — Creative Writing

Course Requirements:
• 90 graduate-level quarter hours
• 60 hours of course work must be in formal classes, excluding ENGL 5995 and 5991, non-ENGL courses and tutorials
• Five courses distributed over three periods. Students must take at least one course in one period and at least two courses in the other two periods.
• Over the course of each academic year the English department offers courses in each of the major literary periods: Old English/Medieval; Renaissance; 18th, 19th and 20th centuries and contemporary; rhetoric and theory. All students must satisfy the distribution requirement by selecting courses from the following groups: Old English, Medieval, Renaissance; 18th–19th centuries; modern and contemporary.

Graduate Tutorials:
ENGL 4100
ENGL 4000 Graduate Colloquium

Graduate Teaching Seminars:
ENGL 4830 Seminar in Teaching
ENGL 4831 Seminar in Teaching
ENGL 4832 Seminar in Teaching

Four writing workshops (three in the genre of specialization, one in another):
ENGL 3017 Travel Writing — Fiction and Fact
ENGL 3025 The Art of Reviewing
ENGL 3037 Literary Translation
ENGL 4001, ENGL 4002, ENGL 4003 Seminar Creative Writing — Poetry
ENGL 4011, ENGL 4012, ENGL 4013 Seminar Creative Writing — Fiction
ENGL 4000 Seminar Creative Writing — Nonfiction
ENGL 4000 Seminar Creative Writing — Mixed Genres
ENGL 4017 Travel Writing
ENGL 4025 The Art of Reviewing
ENGL 4650 Literary Translation

Non-Course Requirements:
• Preliminary advancement to candidacy
• Advancement to candidacy
• A dissertation of publishable quality that makes 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 defended by the candidate. The defense must take place by April 30. 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. The dissertation committee consists of the director, two other readers from the English department and an outside chair.
• Tool (reading knowledge of one language) proficiency may be established by completing one of the following:
- Passing a standard reading examination accredited by the department
- Passing, with a grade of B or better, a 3000-level literature course in the language.
- Successful completion of the Bibliography and Research Methods class in the English department.
- Selection and successful completion of a cognate course in another department that will augment specific skills. This course must be approved by the Graduate Committee.
- Successful completion of Old English, followed by a two-hour "Beowulf" tutorial, followed by an intermediate Old English tutorial. (This option will no longer require a petition to the Graduate Committee.)
- Successful completion of a graduate translation class (students must secure approval of instructor)

The language requirements must be completed one quarter before graduation.

PhD in English — 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; and 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 first-year teaching assistants

Non-Course Requirements:
• Preliminary advancement to candidacy
• Advancement to candidacy
• A dissertation of publishable quality that makes 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 defended by the candidate. The defense must take place no later than April 30. 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. The dissertation committee consists of the director, two other readers from the English department and an outside chair.
• Tool (reading knowledge of one language) proficiency may be established by completing one of the following:
- Passing a standard reading examination accredited by the department
- Passing, with a grade of B or better, a 3000-level literature course in the language
- Successful completion of the Bibliography and Research Methods class in the English department
- Selection and successful completion of a cognate course in another department that will augment specific skills. This course must be approved by the Graduate Committee.
- Successful completion of Old English, followed by a two-hour "Beowulf" tutorial, followed by an intermediate Old English tutorial. (This option will no longer require a petition to the Graduate Committee.)
- Successful completion of a graduate translation class (students must secure approval of instructor)

The language requirements must be completed one quarter before graduation.

Five courses distributed over three 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

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

*Students must take at least one course in one period and at least two courses in the other two periods.

Four rhetoric and theory courses:
ENGL 3815 Studies in Rhetoric
ENGL 3817 History of Rhetoric
ENGL 3818 Composition Theory
ENGL 3820 Lit Criticism: Plato-19th Century
ENGL 3821 Lit Criticism: 19th Century-Present
ENGL 3822 Lit Criticism: 20th Century
ENGL 3823 Interpretation Theory
ENGL 3825 Cultural Criticism
ENGL 4600 Adv Studies 20th Century
ENGL 4621 Adv Studies 20th Century
ENGL 4650 Special Topics 20th Century

Other Requirements:
ENGL 4000 Graduate Colloquium
ENGL 4100 Graduate Tutorial
Graduate Teaching Seminars
ENGL 4830 Seminar in Teaching
ENGL 4831 Seminar in Teaching
ENGL 4832 Seminar in Teaching

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 defended by 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. The dissertation committee consists of the director, two other readers from the English department and an outside chair.
• Tool (reading knowledge of one language) proficiency may be established by completing one of the following:
- Passing a standard reading examination accredited by the department
- Passing, with a grade of B or better, a 3000-level literature course in the language
- Successful completion of the Bibliography and Research Methods class in the English department
- Selection and successful completion of a cognate course in another department that will augment specific skills. This course must be approved by the Graduate Committee.
- Successful completion of Old English, followed by a two-hour "Beowulf" tutorial, followed by an intermediate Old English tutorial. (This option will no longer require a petition to the Graduate Committee.)
- Successful completion of a graduate translation class (students must secure approval of instructor)

The language requirements must be completed one quarter before graduation.

• Prospectus review. By the end of the winter 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 should schedule the prospectus review. This is an oral discussion based on the written dissertation prospectus and conducted by the director of graduate studies and a 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 review 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: an author or major figure; a genre; a period; and 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 examiners and on file with the graduate director by March 30 or the student will not be allowed to take the exam the following fall.
* Because the university currently has no available means of supporting graduate students who wish to use their tuition waiver to improve this their language skills at the beginning or intermediate level, the English department has voted temporarily to broaden the definition of the mandatory university tool requirement.* Students will still be able to fulfill the requirement by taking a 3000-level course in the department of language and literatures or by taking an intermediate reading test in that department. (Please note that 3000-level language courses cannot count toward the degree.) However, students will also be able to fulfill their tool requirement in the following ways:
• Successful completion of the Bibliography and Research Methods class in the English department
• Selection and successful completion of a cognate course in another department that will augment specific skills. This course must be approved by the Graduate Committee.
• Successful completion of Old English, followed by a two-hour "Beowulf" tutorial, followed by an intermediate Old English tutorial. (This option will no longer require a petition to the Graduate Committee.)
• Successful completion of a graduate translation class (students must secure approval of instructor)
* The University of Denver is currently in the initial planning stages for the construction of a language center that would provide support to undergraduates, graduate students and faculty. When the center is fully operative, the English department faculty may vote to revisit the tool requirement. Consequently, the broadened options are designed to assist students in the interim.

* Please note the wording of the Graduate Studies Manual pertaining to the tool requirement:
Each candidate must demonstrate proficiency in the required tools for research and advanced study. Tool requirements are determined by the candidate's adviser and committee, and may included one or more languages, statistical methods, laboratory or other research skills. Consult the college, school or department for required details.