PhD Overview
Our PhD is a 60 hour-minimum degree. The 60 hours break down as such:
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18 hours in your area of emphasis, Written Discourse (Composition Studies, Rhetoric,
Linguistics) or Critical Literacy (Literature, Film)
6 hours in your secondary area (e.g. if you’re specializing in Written Discourse, you would
need 6 hours from the area of Critical Literacy)
21 hours of what we call Professional Internship, courses that focus on teaching at the college
level
6 hours of electives
9 hours (minimum) of dissertation work (ENG 718)
Note: ENG 615, Professing English, is required of all doctoral students
Note: ENG 781, Major Figures in World Literature, is required of all doctoral students with a
concentration in Critical Literacy
Note: ENG 675, Teaching College Reading and Writing (Colloquium), is required of all
Graduate Teaching Assistants
“Professional Internship” Hours (examples of courses that would count)
ENG 520
ENG 599
ENG 613
ENG 615
ENG 677
ENG 775
ENG 776
Approaches to Critical Theory
Bibliography and Methods of Research
Digital Humanities
Professing English
Argumentative Discourse
Teaching Literature in College
Approaches to the Teaching of Writing
Research Tool Requirement
For completion of the Ph.D. in the Department of Literature and Languages, students must meet the
Research Tool requirement, which may be satisfied by completing one of the following two options:
Option 1:
Completion of 12 undergraduate hours or more of a foreign language
Option 2:
Completion of 4 of the following courses:
ENG 501
Structure of the English Language
ENG 520
Approaches to Critical Theory
ENG 599
Bibliography and Methods of Research
ENG 613
Digital Humanities
ENG 686
Quantitative Methods for Linguists
ENG 710
Film Theory and Criticism
ENG 780
Texts and Genders
PSY 612
Psy Ed Statistics
These courses will count toward the total required hours for the degree.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Option 2 courses are pending final approval of departmental curriculum
change, to be submitted for approval Fall 2016, and to take effect Fall 2017
Revised 1/16