Graduate Programs

English: Ph.D.

The graduate program in English is a five-year, straight-to-PhD program. The doctor of philosophy in English prepares students to be scholars and professors of English, as well as public intellectuals who are prepared to succeed in a range of careers outside academia. Through extensive pedagogical training and apprenticeships in the teaching of writing and literature, students graduate prepared to teach in a variety of settings. Our students receive rigorous training in methods of literary research and are encouraged to publish work in scholarly and professional journals, attend and present at academic conferences across the globe, and conduct archival research at the University of Delaware and beyond. In the classroom, students are challenged to analyze English literature through innovative courses in theory, film studies, material culture studies, composition and rhetoric, environmental humanities, Black cultural studies, digital humanities, and more. Our department has strengths in African American literature, print and material culture studies, global and postcolonial literature, gender and sexuality studies, film studies, speculative fiction, post45 American literature, early modern literature, the environmental humanities and writing studies. Outside of the classroom, graduate students and faculty work together on public and digital humanities projects and on reading/working groups focused on areas of research interest. Groups may also bring in guest speakers, host workshops, and participate in excursions to significant cultural institutions, museums, and libraries.

Application Deadlines

Ph.D. Fall: January 1 admission deadline to be considered for departmental funding. January 31 admission deadline without department funding. Applicants applying after January 1 (no funding) must contact the director of graduate studies for consideration.