The Department of English offers advanced programs and guided research leading to the Ph.D. degree in English and American literature in the following major literary fields: the Renaissance, the 18th century, the Romantic period, the Victorian period, American literature, and 20th-century literature.
The department accepts only full-time students working toward the Ph.D.; there is no autonomous M.A. program. Because of its small size and the close association between faculty and students, the department is able to offer an intensive program leading to the Ph.D. in five to six years.
Program Requirements
Students are required to enroll in three graduate courses in each of the semesters of their first and second years of study. By the end of the third year, students will have completed 12 graduate seminars (including the Proseminar), an oral examination in two fields, and examinations in one or two foreign languages. Fourth-year students will receive dissertation fellowships.
Teaching experience is regarded as an important part of the graduate program, and graduate students are required to teach during their program. More details are available in the handbook.
For further information about graduate study, contact the academic coordinator or Director of Graduate Studies at the Department of English or go to http://english.jhu.edu/graduate/.