How to Get a PhD in English

A love of the English language and the written word has been sustaining graduate education in English literature for over a century. English doctoral education prepares you to bring new scholarly insights to the study of literature and introduce a new generation of students to English literature. Literary critics and theorists also promote critical engagement with the written word in all its manifestations, from novels to news media.

A PhD in English language and literature prepares you for a life of scholarship and university teaching. To achieve the highest qualification in the discipline, you'll need intense dedication and drive. The humanities doctorate can be a long road, but the reward is a deeper intellectual engagement with literary art and a credential to share this privilege with college students.

WorldWideLearn.com's guide to the PhD in English takes you through the crucial months before applying to an English PhD program. The key to success in graduate English study is a keen sense of your goals, access to the right academic program resources, and a proactive approach to seizing the opportunities available to you.

A Guide to the PhD in English

The PhD program in English is intended to take four to six years to complete, but the actual median completion time is around nine years. This extended study reflects the challenges of independent research and a difficult job market. To make sure you stick to the normative time, it's important to enter the program with a strong sense of purpose, both in terms of your research interests and career objectives. This overview is designed to help you focus your priorities before you enter the halls of the academy.

A History of English as an Academic Discipline

English literary studies as an academic discipline hails from the nineteenth century. England's Oxford and Cambridge Universities established early English departments, followed by U.S. universities with a strong liberal arts tradition, such as Harvard University, Stanford, and UC Berkeley. Harvard was the first U.S. institution to distinguish English composition and literature, in the late 19^th century.

Literary criticism as a discipline gathered steam in the first half of the twentieth century, with such prominent forebearers as T.S. Eliot, C.S. Lewis, and later, William Empson and J.R.R. Tolkien. Doctoral degree programs grew rapidly in the post-World War II period. Between 1945 and 1975, the number of English graduate students increased 900 percent.

To learn more about the discipline of English literature and literary criticism, visit WorldWideLearn.com's Guide to Majors. The guide includes a specific section devoted to English.

Specializations

The PhD in English offers the opportunity to specialize in a particular time period, issue, or geographical origin of English literature. Most doctoral programs define the curriculum by time period, and encourage students to define geographical and theoretical orientations at the oral examination and dissertation stage.

Specializations classified by time period include:

• Old English
• Medieval Literature
• Early Modern Literature, including Shakespeare (16^th and 17^th-century England)
• 18^th-century Literature
• Romantic Studies
• Victorian Literature
• 19^th-century American Literature
• 20^th-century and Contemporary American Literature

Specializations classified by a critical or theoretical issue include:

• Literary Criticism and Theory
• Postcolonial Studies
• Gender Studies
• African-American Studies
• Children's Literature
• Modernist Literature
• Postmodernism

Specializations indicating a specific geography include:

• Anglophone Literature
• Caribbean Literature
• Irish Literature
• Literature of the American South

Career Track

Academic Career Track. The PhD in English is designed to prepare graduates for a life of scholarship and teaching in higher education. Doctoral candidates train for a career as a university professor by publishing original research and teaching undergraduate courses. Most English doctoral job placement services focus on the academic job market rather than professional placement.

Professional Career Alternatives. A shift toward non-academic jobs is underway, however, as the English academy confronts a glut of PhDs and worsening conditions for non-tenured professors. However, an increasing number of doctoral graduates are forging career paths outside the academy. An influential study published in 1995, "PhDs--Ten Years Later", found that about two-fifths of PhD graduates went on to non-academic jobs in business, government, and educational administration. Common professional roles outside the academy include:

• Business consulting
• Writing and editing
• Management
• Marketing communications
• K-12 teaching
• Public or academic administration
• Publishing

These career paths do not require a PhD, but many graduates find that the degree's training in research, analytical, and writing skills serve them well in a professional context.

Resources

Job Lists. To get a specific idea of jobs available to English PhD graduates, search major databases for academics such as The Chronicle of Higher Education's job search tool and the Modern Language Association's Job Information List. The MLA resource is open to members only, but any university library should offer access.

Career Assessment. If you're unsure of your career ambitions, take a step back and reflect on your abilities and interests. WorldWideLearn.com's Career Pathways resource features career planning and assessment tools to help you identify the career path that suits you best.

Plan for a PhD in English

Once you have a sense of your objectives, you're in a solid position to assess academic programs and apply to your top choices. The following step-by-step plan takes you through the logistics of applying to campus or online English PhD programs.

Step One: Find the Right Graduate English Program

There are hundreds of doctoral programs in English in the United States alone. Finding the right one for you is going to take some homework.

1. List Accredited PhD Programs

Begin by accessing directories of accredited PhD programs in English language and literature. Surveying these lists will give you a sense of your doctoral degree options, including campus locations and online options.

Research doctoral programs to see if they are accredited by a regional or national authority. The U.S. Department of Education maintains a database of approved accreditation agencies. Accreditation involves a regular program evaluation to ensure member institutions meet basic quality standards. The accrediting authority's stamp of approval certifies the value of the degree and ensures your eligibility for federal financial aid programs.

Resources

The Modern Language Association, the national organization representing English as an academic discipline, publishes the MLA Guide to Doctoral Programs in English and Other Modern Languages. This directory of graduate English programs includes over 340 PhD programs in English.

Peterson's publishes Graduate Programs in the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, an annually updated guide to graduate degrees in the U.S. The comprehensive directory offers a section on Communication and Media, with specialized sections for media studies, mass communication, Internet and interactive multimedia, rhetoric, corporate and organizational communication, interpersonal communication, publishing, and technical communication.

WorldWideLearn.com represents a selection of accredited doctoral programs in English. Search Degrees by Subject to find an online or campus PhD program in English, or browse a list of university partners.

2. Choose Campus or Online Format

For some students, program format is a primary consideration. There are two types of students with a stake in program format:

Campus Format. Aspiring academics are best served with a program that emphasizes local campus residency. The campus PhD in English offers access to critical academic research resources such as library collections and faculty mentorship. In addition, campus PhD candidates train for university professor roles by teaching undergraduate classes and serving as research assistants to leading scholars. In this sense, a campus PhD offers an apprenticeship for an academic career.

Online Alternatives. The increasing availability of texts and journal articles online promises a larger role for online media in the humanities PhD curriculum. Some institutions are experimenting with hybrid online and campus programs, allowing students to complete their research and dissertation writing independently. Online communications media support academic community through chat groups, and regular check-ins with faculty advisors.

Most English PhD students choose the traditional full-time campus format. Increasingly, however, doctoral programs feature online resources for students whose life circumstances require them to complete the doctoral degree requirements remotely.

Resources

WorldWideLearn.com represents both campus and online program formats. Visit the Campus Education section and search for Degrees by Location. Or explore your online PhD options using the Online Degree Programs guide.

3. Explore Academic Programs

On the surface, many English PhD programs look the same. Since the discipline is well-established in the academy, you'll find broad consistency in doctoral curriculum, degree requirements, and specializations. Dig a little deeper, however, and significant differences emerge. Each program offers a unique landscape of program resources and opportunities.

Take into account the following features as you compare academic programs. They are lists in order of importance:

• Resident faculty producing top-notch scholarship in your area of interest. The quality of your doctoral education and your academic career prospects depend on your faculty mentor.

• Campus library collections offer an important home base for your dissertation work. You will probably find yourself traveling to other university and private libraries in the course of your doctoral research.
• Special programs such as academic journals, conferences, and research foundations.
• Student funding and research grants.

Resources

WorldWideLearn.com facilitates your program research from the outset by matching you with schools that fit your basic requirements. Fill out an online form indicating your academic program criteria, and the system automatically puts you in touch with representatives from matching schools. Direct phone or email communication with academic counselors saves you time and helps you cover more ground in your research.

School Web sites feature information about faculty and program resources. Look for links to faculty CVs and publications, special library collections, conferences and journals, and course reading lists.

Academic Journals give you insight into which universities and professors are producing influential scholarship in your area of interest. Major publications in the field include:

• PMLA (Publication of the Modern Language Association)
• MLQ (Modern Language Quarterly)
• Studies in English Literature(SEL)
• English Literary History (ELH)

In addition, take a look at university publications and specialized journals such as Representations, Shakespeare Quarterly, etc.

4. Evaluate Program Quality

Finally, zero in on five to ten campus or online hybrid English PhD programs to which you'll apply. Evaluate programs based on quality and selectivity. Since top programs feature competitive admissions, aim for schools that accept applicants with your academic record.

Factors to consider when assessing program quality include:

• Reputation
• Admissions statistics (average admissions GPA, test scores, etc.)
• Job placement and tenure statistics
• Graduate student demographics
• Graduation rate
• Career support resources

Resources

Rankings offer an easy way to compare the reputation and selectivity of different PhD programs in engineering. The major rankings include:

• U.S. News & World Report, Best Graduate Schools--English.
• The National Research Council, Assessment of Research Doctorate Programs. See English Language and Literature, with geographically-defined sub-fields such as Literature in English, British Isles; Anglophone; North America; North America, ethnic and minority. Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
• The Center for Measuring University Performance, The Top American Research Universities, 2008 Annual Report

Admissions Departments maintain detailed data sheets indicating placement history data of recent doctoral graduates; tenure information; percentage of academic and non-academic job placements; graduate student demographics; and admissions statistics.

Step Two: Apply to PhD Programs in English

Once you've arrived at a shortlist of PhD programs in English, the application process becomes a matter of connecting the dots. Application requirements are broadly similar, though some minor variations may apply. Prepare for the following steps in the application process:

1. Complete Prerequisites

Doctoral programs generally require you to:

• Earn a bachelor's or master's degree in English literature, comparative literature, rhetoric, or a related field. If your most advanced degree is in another field, you may need to take some basic courses in the field before applying to the doctoral program.
• Prepare for and take the Graduate Record Examination. Some schools also require the GRE Subject Test in English. International students must take the TOEFL to demonstrate proficiency in spoken English.
• Publications and teaching experience can be a plus, but are not required.

For help completing these requirements, WorldWideLearn.com's Education Resources Guide offers test preparation resources, online prerequisite courses, and more information on preparing for doctoral study.

2. Prepare Application Materials

Complete the basic information form and submit the following supporting materials well in advance of the application deadline:

• Two or three faculty or professional letters of recommendation
• Academic transcripts
• Test scores
• Personal statement of research interests

3. Secure Financial Aid

Finally, apply for financial aid from university, federal, and private sources. Most likely you'll need to draw on a range of funding resources to cover your educational expenses. Options include:

• University or private scholarships
• University or government research grants (NEH, etc.)
• Tuition waivers
• Teaching and research assistantships
• Federal and private student loans

For more information, visit the WorldWideLearn.com resource page on graduate education funding.

Step Three: Join the Academic Community

Once your applications are in the hands of the admissions committees, you'll have the better part of a year to prepare for graduate study. Deadlines are typically in December, admissions decision come out in March and April, and the program starts in August or September. That leaves plenty of time to connect with your new peers and get acquainted with the academic discourse.

Take these steps to join the English academic community:

1. Subscribe to journals

The academic journals listed above give you an inside look into the trends and issues animation literary criticism today. You'll also get a sense of who the thought leaders are in your field.

2. Attend conferences and university lectures

Start building relationships and participating in the intellectual discourse by attending conferences. For best results, forgo the huge annual MLA conference in December and focus on conferences in your field of interest. The International Congress on Medieval Studies, for example, meets every year in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Also check out your local university's English department for more intimate colloquia, faculty lectures, and other literary events open to the public.

3. Join academic associations

You know you're an English academic when you become a card-carrying member of the MLA. Also check out organizations in your field of interest, such as the Shakespeare Association of America.

By the time you set foot in the (virtual or campus) PhD classroom, you'll be immersed in a collegial fellowship of English academics who share your passion for literature and literary theory. The year you spend preparing for the PhD will pay off once you're caught up in the intense experience of doctoral education. A clear sense of your objectives positions you to seize the unique opportunities that come your way, and emerge from the doctoral program as a leading literary scholar and educator.

Sources

• Assessment of Research Doctorate Programs, National Research Council.
• Best Education Schools, U.S. News & World Report (2009).
• Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs, U.S. Department of Education.
• Graduate Study in English: the PhD Program, UC Berkeley.
• Greenblatt, Stephen and Giles Gunn. Redrawing the Boundaries: The Transformation of English and American Studies. Modern Language Association of America (1992).
• Menand, Louis. "The PhD Problem." Harvard Magazine (Nov-Dec 2009).
• Modern Language Association.
• "MLA Guide to Doctoral Programs in English and Other Modern Languages," Modern Language Association.
• Nerad, Maresi and Joseph Cerny. "From Rumors to Facts: Career Outcomes of English PhDs." Council of Graduate Schools Communicator (1999).
• Peterson's Graduate Programs in the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. Peterson's: A Nelnet Company (2009).
• The Center for Measuring University Performance.
• The Chronicle of Higher Education.
• Winterowd, W. Ross. The English department: a personal and institutional history. Southern Illinois University Press (1998).