The Doctor of Philosophy program in English is designed to prepare students for a lifetime of literary study, as well as for the wide range of professions that require well-developed reading, research, writing, teaching, and administrative skills. The program emphasizes individual initiative, careful choice, and creativity. Students may concentrate in one or more of several areas, including literary history, critical theory, cultural studies, the digital humanities, and pedagogy. The department offers a version of the PhD that incorporates book studies, including a certificate from the UI Center for the Book, as well as a combined program with the Master of Arts in library and information sciences; see Combined Programs in this section of the catalog.
Learning Outcomes
- Writing skills: proficiency in writing publishable academic and creative work of high quality.
- Historical knowledge: comprehensive historical knowledge of literary history, reflected in courses taken across a range of literary periods and national/international traditions.
- Critical theory and approaches: rigorous study of critical methodologies and interpretive strategies.
- Research skills: familiarity with library research into secondary scholarship on primary texts, archival research methods, and field research, where applicable.
- Teaching skills: ideally, students will move from foundations-based grading positions under the supervision of tenure track faculty (introduction to the major) to rhetoric/composition coursework (rhetoric), and then on to literary analysis-focused courses (general education literature). Students learn to build their own syllabi, develop a teaching portfolio, and manage their own courses independently.
- Professional development: preparing conference presentations, curriculum vitae, résumés, and teaching statements, as well as gaining exposure to career tracks, both academic (e.g., tenure track jobs, liberal arts colleges, community colleges, etc.) and alternative professions (e.g., digital humanities, humanities organizations, publishing, etc.).
The Doctor of Philosophy program in English requires a minimum of 72 s.h. of graduate credit. Students may receive credit for up to 18 s.h. of transfer courses. They must maintain a cumulative University of Iowa grade-point average of at least 3.00. Concentrations are offered in areas such as literary history and critical theory, as well as interdisciplinary areas such as cultural studies and transnational studies.
Of the minimum 72 s.h. required for the degree, at least 51 s.h. must be in graded coursework numbered 3000 or above. Of those, at least 30 s.h. must be in English courses numbered 5000 or above, 21 s.h. in courses numbered 3000 or above may be taken in the Department of English or in another unit, and 9 s.h. taken in independent studies related to a comprehensive exam. The remaining 12 s.h. of post-comprehensive courses numbered 3000 or above may be taken as graded or independent study coursework.
The book studies specialization requires 72 s.h. in courses numbered 3000 or above. Of those, at least 24 s.h. must be in English courses numbered 5000 or above, 15 s.h. must be in Center for the Book courses numbered 4000 or above (see Center for the Book in the Graduate College section of the catalog), 12 s.h. in courses numbered 3000 or above may be taken in the Department of English or in another unit, and 9 s.h. taken in independent studies related to a comprehensive exam. The remaining 12 s.h. of post-comprehensive courses numbered 3000 or above may be taken as graded or independent study coursework.
Students must gain formal admission to PhD candidacy by a vote of the Graduate Steering Committee, usually during the third semester of doctoral study.
Students complete coursework in literature and culture of any four of these historical periods, as expressed in texts of the English-speaking and -writing world (usually but not always British or American): pre-1500, 1500–1660, 1660–1800, 1800–1900, 20th and 21st centuries. They also complete three seminars in the Department of English at the University of Iowa.
Students also must fulfill the program's world language requirement, usually by taking a standardized test or completing an advanced undergraduate course numbered 3000 or above in a language other than English.
The comprehensive examination consists of the following: a portfolio of five scholarly questions based on a period of literary history (usually British or American), a review essay and annotated bibliography in a special area of interest, two course syllabi or alternate materials pertaining to an academic-adjacent career, an article to be submitted for publication, and an introduction to the portfolio that synthesizes its parts in preparation for a two-hour oral exam.
A dissertation is required. Students present their prospectus formally to a faculty committee and must undergo a final exam defending the dissertation.
All doctoral candidates are strongly advised to gain teaching experience, preferably in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Department of Rhetoric and in GE CLAS Core literature courses.
For application forms and a complete description of the PhD program, contact the department's graduate program academic coordinator.
MA in Library and Information Science/PhD in English
The combined MA in library and information science/PhD in English program prepares students for careers in academic libraries as humanities subject specialists, reference and instruction librarians, first-year experience librarians, special collections librarians and curators, and archivists. It also enhances the research profiles and methodological toolboxes of digital humanists as well as archival historicists, in addition to improving pedagogical skills. Offered by the Graduate College and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; see the MA in library and information science in the catalog.
Applications and all supporting documents for graduate admission must be submitted electronically by Dec. 14. Applicants should submit their applications and supporting materials to the University of Iowa Office of Admissions website.
Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate College; see the Manual of Rules and Regulations on the Graduate College website.
Graduate scholarships, fellowships, and teaching and research assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis. The department strives to provide five years of support for students who enter with an MA and six years of support for students who enter with a BA. Students must be in good standing, which requires a University of Iowa grade-point average of at least 3.00, full-time enrollment, and satisfactory progress through the program.
Financial aid applications are considered only from students who have applied or been admitted to a degree program in the Graduate College. Applications and all necessary supporting material must be submitted by the end of January for the following academic year. Forms are available from the Department of English Graduate Studies Office.
Most PhD graduates seek employment at colleges and universities. Although the Department of English cannot guarantee such employment, it does supply vigorous assistance. Because there is no certainty that all doctoral graduates in English will find continuing academic employment, it is valuable to remain open to the opportunity of jobs outside the profession of teaching. A number of graduates are finding employment in academic administration, the digital humanities, business, and government.
Sample Plan of Study
Sample plans represent one way to complete a program of study. Actual course selection and sequence will vary and should be discussed with an academic advisor. For additional sample plans, see MyUI.
English, PhD
Plan of Study Grid (Manual)
| Academic Career |
|---|
| Any Semester |
|---|
| a, b, c |
|
|
|
| | Hours | 0 |
| First Year |
|---|
| Fall |
|---|
| ENGL:5000 |
Introduction to Graduate Study d |
3 |
| ENGL:6000 |
Introduction to Contemporary Theory |
3 |
| e |
3 |
| f |
3 |
| ENGL:6950 |
Colloquium: Teaching Foundations of the English Major |
1 |
| | Hours | 13 |
| Spring |
|---|
| e |
3 |
| g |
3 |
| f |
3 |
| ENGL:6950 |
Colloquium: Teaching Foundations of the English Major |
1 |
| h |
|
| | Hours | 10 |
| Second Year |
|---|
| Fall |
|---|
| f |
3 |
| g |
3 |
| e |
3 |
| RHET:5350 |
Colloquium: Teaching Rhetoric |
3 |
| | Hours | 12 |
| Spring |
|---|
| f |
3 |
| g |
3 |
| g |
3 |
| | Hours | 9 |
| Third Year |
|---|
| Fall |
|---|
| g |
3 |
| g |
3 |
|
3 |
| | Hours | 9 |
| Spring |
|---|
| g |
3 |
| | Hours | 3 |
| Fourth Year |
|---|
| Fall |
|---|
| ENGL:7910 |
Advanced Studies in a Literary Period i |
3 |
| ENGL:7960 |
Advanced Studies in a Literary Theme j |
3 |
| ENGL:7970 |
Advanced Studies in Literary Criticism k |
3 |
| ENGL:6960 |
Colloquium: Teaching Literature l |
2 |
| m |
|
| | Hours | 11 |
| Spring |
|---|
| ENGL:7999 |
PhD Thesis n |
1 |
| | Hours | 1 |
| Fifth Year |
|---|
| Fall |
|---|
| ENGL:7999 |
PhD Thesis n |
1 |
| | Hours | 1 |
| Spring |
|---|
| ENGL:7999 |
PhD Thesis n |
1 |
| | Hours | 1 |
| Sixth Year |
|---|
| Fall |
|---|
| ENGL:7999 |
PhD Thesis n |
1 |
| | Hours | 1 |
| Spring |
|---|
| ENGL:7999 |
PhD Thesis n |
1 |
| o |
|
| | Hours | 1 |
| | Total Hours | 72 |
