A source of guidance and information about your journey pursuing an Ph.D. in English
The doctoral degree is awarded for excellence in research scholarship. It signifies the attainment of independently acquired and comprehensive learning attesting to general professional competence. The doctoral degree requires at least 90 post-baccalaureate hours, including both formal coursework and hours of research.
All Ph.D. students are expected to choose two research areas, one primary and one secondary, in which to focus their coursework and writing. Students will design these areas of study in close consultation with the chair of their committee. These areas of study may be selected from well-established fields of national literature and/or historical periods (e.g., British, American, Native American, post-colonial Anglophone, medieval, early modern, Eighteenth, Nineteenth or Twentieth century), Rhetoric and Writing Studies, theoretical approaches (feminism/gender studies, critical race/ethnicity studies, Marxism, poststructuralism), media studies (film, graphic novel), more recent areas of scholarly interest (transnational literatures, new kinds of interdisciplinary studies, digital humanities). The committee must consist of a committee chair, an outside member, and at least two other members of the English graduate faculty.
The faculty are committed to preparing graduate students through preparation in coursework, mentoring, and professional development. Students have published their work in prominent journals and presented at national and local conferences. Teaching assistantships are competitive with peer institutions, and financial assistance for dissertation completion and conference travel is available through the department, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Graduate College. The department has been successful in helping students find tenure-track positions and other employment in the field. Faculty are committed to preparing graduate students through preparation in coursework, mentoring, and professional development. Students have published their work in prominent journals and presented at national and local conferences. Teaching assistantships are competitive with those of peer institutions, and financial assistance for dissertation completion and conference travel is available through the department and Graduate College. The department has been successful in helping students find employment in academia and beyond.
Initial advisement should occur just prior to the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. In your admission letter you are informed of the name of the assigned faculty member from the Graduate Committee who will be your adviser for the first semester or year. As soon as possible, students should seek an advisor from among the faculty in their area of study. Until the student has found a permanent adviser, he or she should seek advisement from the assigned adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies.
During the first several weeks of the first semester in the program, new graduate students will meet collectively with the faculty and advanced students for an Orientation session and Q&A.
After the student has chosen a faculty member to serve as adviser, the adviser will thereafter help the student construct a coherent plan of study according to the regulations of the Graduate College and the structure of the Ph.D. program.
A plan of study will be prepared by the student and the Adviser, and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies, before enrollment for the second semester.
LCS Ph.D. Program Requirements
Total Credits = 60 Hours + 30 Hours at the MA level = 90 Hours
*If a student has gone through our MA program and remained in our program to pursue a PhD, that student would not be required to retake either the ENGL 5113 Teaching Proseminar (3 Credits) or the ENGL 5313 Literary Criticism Proseminar (3 Credits). Instead, that student can take an additional 2 seminars as Proseminars in the first year by completing a Proseminar contract with the instructor. Contact the Graduate Director, Dr. Sandra Tarabochia (sltarabochia@ou.edu) for that form.
For the most up-to-date sense of requirements, refer to the OU Ph.D. in English: Literary Studies program details.
RWS Ph.D. Program Requirements
Total Credits = 60 Hours + 30 Hours at the MA level = 90 Hours
*If a student has gone through our MA program in RWS and remained in our program to pursue a PhD in that area, that student would not be expected to retake the required courses again. Instead, the student can take any other seminars to replace the required courses. In the first year at the PhD level, the student may take two of those seminars as Proseminars. The student would complete a Proseminar contract with the instructor. Contact the Graduate Director, Dr. Sandra Tarabochia (sltarabochia@ou.edu) for that form.
For the most up-to-date sense of requirements, refer to the OU Ph.D. in English: Rhetoric & Writing Studies program details.
Overview
The portfolio exam structure is designed to provide materials for doctoral students to draw from for the dissertation, job market, and future publications. It guides students in developing their identity as a scholar.
For LCS, the portfolio, around 60 pages in length, will consist of five sections:
After the portfolio is approved by the student’s committee, the student will complete a Qualifying Exam/Oral Interview based on the entire portfolio. The goal of this interview is to have a conversation about the breadth and focus lists the student constructs. Students should be prepared to explain how they see their scholarship and teaching fit into larger conversations in the discipline.
Be sure to review the complete guidelines provided below for detailed breakdowns of the different components of the portfolio.
Overview
The portfolio exam structure is designed to provide materials for doctoral students to draw from for the dissertation, job market, and future publications. It guides students in developing their identity as a scholar.
For RWS, the portfolio, around 60 pages in length, will consist of five sections:
After the portfolio is approved by their committee, the student will complete a qualifying oral interview on the entire portfolio. The goal of this interview is to have a conversation about the field and focus lists the student constructs, and how they see their scholarship and teaching fitting into larger conversations in the discipline.
Be sure to review the complete guidelines provided below for detailed breakdowns of the different components of the portfolio.
After successfully passing their PhD exams, students will sign up for dissertation credits and tuition waivers (usually five credits/semester- sometimes they will need to take more or fewer credits depending on how long they are in the program to make a full 30 Credits. Details can be discussed with Brenda Mackey, Graduate Coordinator).
Typically students will complete and defend their dissertation two or three years after passing their exams.
Written Requirement
Students will write a dissertation in consultation with their Dissertation Committee, particularly their Dissertation Chair.
Oral Requirement (Oral Defense of the Dissertation)
It is important that students successfully defend their dissertation before running out of tuition waivers. Contact Brenda Mackey (bmackey@ou.edu) for details.
The forms needed to complete this dissertation can be found at the Graduate College website.
Language Requirements: one language at reading proficiency level.
Options:
*Before the department informs the Graduate College that a graduate student has met the requirement for language proficiency, the student’s chair must determine whether the student has met the necessary proficiency level for the student’s particular area and research project. Some fields require greater language proficiency than the first three options above may allow for.
**The graduate level reading course does not count for the degree credits nor do any other language courses taken during degree time count for credits toward the degree. Students can petition the graduate college for extra waivers to take language classes.
With permission, students may avail themselves of all three options. However, these options will only be approved in exceptional circumstances:
Each graduate student will be evaluated formally and collectively at the end of each academic year during a meeting of the faculty. The annual evaluation of each current graduate student will be an occasion for a careful (re)assessment of his or her scholastic progress, accomplishments, and prospects of continuation in the program. Students are evaluated upon their timely progress in the program and the quality of their work.
In the spring semester, students will submit a self-assessment to their Adviser on the Annual Student Progress Report (ASPR), sent through email by Sara Knight, with the required information for that academic year. The Adviser will submit the ASPR with his or her written evaluation of the student’s work based on a review of the student's grades, performance in courses, and timely progress toward degree. At the end of the Spring semester, the full graduate faculty meet to discuss each student’s performance and consider whether or not the student’s progress is satisfactory or unsatisfactory.
If a student's annual evaluation indicates that he or she is not making satisfactory progress in the program, the Graduate Committee will review the case and make an official recommendation to the Graduate College. If a student receives an “Unsatisfactory” on an annual review, thereafter, he or she will be evaluated every semester. The Graduate College automatically disenrolls students who receive two “Unsatisfactory” reports. Unless there are extenuating circumstances approved by the advisor, students are automatically disenrolled by the Department if their cumulative GPA falls below 3.0.
4 weeks prior to the last day of finals (and at least 10 working days prior to the defense): Deadline to submit a reading copy of the dissertation to the committee and to submit the Report of Reading Copy Submission and Request for Authority to Defend to the Graduate College.
3 weeks prior to the last day of finals (and at least 5 working days prior to the defense): Deadline for committee members to sign the Report of Reading Copy Submission and Request for Authority to Defend.
2 weeks (10 working days) prior to the last day of finals: Deadline to defend the thesis or dissertation.
1 week (5 working days) prior to the last day of finals: Deadline to submit the thesis or dissertation to SHAREOK in order to graduate during the current academic term.
Two additional changes in policy and practice will accompany these timelines.
