Doctor of Philosophy in English

Degree Description:

Students entering the Ph.D. program in English are expected to have completed a master’s degree in English or in a related field of study at an accredited college or university, and to show promise of doing excellent work at the doctoral level. Students who complete a master’s degree at WSU must re-apply for admission to the Ph.D. program. Ph.D. candidates must demonstrate general competence in two foreign languages or advanced competence in one (see Language Proficiency Requirements, below). All doctoral students are expected to take part actively in planning their own literary and language programs and in meeting deadlines set by the department and by the WSU Graduate School.

The objective of the Ph.D. program – including concentrations either in literature or in rhetoric and composition – is to prepare scholars for employment in a wide variety of post-secondary institutions of learning by providing both generalized and specialized training in literary/cultural theory and criticism, as well as opportunities to develop critical and research skills in literary and intellectual history, rhetorical theory, genre studies, composition studies, pedagogical theory, linguistics, and other related fields. The Ph.D. candidate’s course of study is not designed to confront the student with every significant piece of writing in the respective field (i.e., English and American literature or rhetoric and composition). Rather, the coursework aims to produce mature critics and scholars who are widely read in English and American literature, knowledgeable about the methods of systematic scholarship, and competent to function professionally, not only in the modern university, but also in related research institutions such as historical societies, museums, and publishing firms.