The doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degree program is open to students with outstanding academic
records and other evidence of critical and scholarly talents. It does
not admit students whose goal is a master of arts (M.A.) degree, but only those intending to
pursue a Ph.D. However, the program will award an M.A. on request to
students who have either passed their qualifying exam or completed requirements
noted in the program policy handbook (the Redbook). Applications for
September admission to the New Brunswick program should be completed by
December 15.
The Ph.D. requires 42 credits of coursework,
or at least 14 courses plus 6 credits of supervised reading and study
carried out in preparation for the qualifying examination. The normal
full-time course load is three courses per semester. Students are also
required to complete a minimum of 24 research credits. Please refer to
the program policy handbook (the Redbook) for details.
Graduate courses in the 500 series typically require several
short written assignments and are taught in larger sections than 600-level
courses, which require a long
seminar paper and have smaller enrollment caps. Introductory and advanced courses are distributed across
both series.
Before students may
take their exam, they must demonstrate proficiency in one foreign
language. This requirement can be fulfilled in several ways and
applicants should consult the program policy handbook (the Redbook) for
details.
The Ph.D. qualifying examination consists of a written examination and two
hours of oral questioning. Please consult the program policy handbook
(the Redbook) for a description of the current organization of
this examination.
For further information, applicants are encouraged to consult the Department of English website or call 848-932-7674.
