English, PhD

Location(s): Main Campus

The graduate program offers the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in English. For the program, candidates specify a literature or creative writing focus at the time of application. The PhD program encourages students to pursue specialized interests in their chosen field of scholarly interest before writing a dissertation. After admission and while completing their eight PhD courses, candidates develop specializations in three distinct fields of scholarly interest in preparation for field examinations in specific areas of expertise leading to the dissertation.

Admission Requirements

Students entering the PhD program in English are expected to have an MA in English literature. This does not preclude the admission of students whose education has been in other fields, but the department does expect that a student will have had substantial coursework in literature at the graduate level in order to be considered for the PhD program. Often, students with an MFA degree do not have this amount of literature coursework and will be expected to get the MA in English before applying to the PhD program.

The English graduate admissions committee admits qualified students to the PhD program on the basis of their total records, including the personal statement, transcripts, recommendations and a sample of their critical writing (10 to 20 pages). Scores from the GRE general test are accepted, but not required.

Applicants to the creative writing option for the dissertation should so indicate on the front page of the application and should submit a portfolio of their creative work (not more than 40 pages of fiction or 25 pages of verse) in addition to the critical writing sample.

The application deadline for fall admission to the PhD program, whether or not the student wishes to be considered for financial aid, is Jan. 27. The application deadline for spring admission to the PhD program, whether or not the student wishes to be considered for financial aid, is Nov. 15. All applicants for the PhD should go to the Graduate Admissions webpage in order to enter an online application.

Program Requirements

Course Requirements

All entering students take a one-credit proseminar course in their initial two semesters with the director of graduate studies, who serves as PhD student’s initial advisor.

In consultation with the advisor, the student plans a program of study comprising at least eight courses and begins to determine three areas of special interest (see Field Examination Requirements below).

All courses must be graduate level courses (500-level or above). Students may take up to two courses in departments other than English. Students may also take up two independent studies. Up to three graded courses, including independent study courses, may be from the same faculty member. Creative writing students also must take one course in literature before 1900. Funded PhD students are also required to take pedagogy courses in the spring semester of their first year (ENG 589 Teaching College English). Beyond the eight-course minimum, these limits do not apply.

Foreign Language Requirements

All PhD candidates must demonstrate, during the time of their program, a reading knowledge of at least one foreign language at a level of competence sufficient for the understanding of scholarly and critical materials. Such competence may be demonstrated in any one of five ways:

Evidence of the student having passed a certified translation exam in a graduate program at an accredited institution similar to Binghamton University.
Presenting transcript evidence of at least three years (six semesters) of college-level study of a single foreign language (fourth- and fifth-year high school study in the same language count as two semesters each) with a grade average of B or better, completed no more than five years before admission to the PhD program at Binghamton University.
Successful completion of a graduate course in a foreign language or of a graduate course in comparative literature in which a significant portion of the work is done in a foreign language.
Successful completion of a graduate proficiency workshop and examination.
Successful completion of a translation examination.

Field Examination Requirement

Students normally start taking their exams in their fields of study after completing two semesters of coursework; they are expected to complete their examinations by the end of the fifth semester. While areas acceptable as fields of study are not predefined, they must be approved by the graduate director.

Field exams in PhD with a creative dissertation: Students take three field exams, which will be the foundation for their creative dissertations. A field of study may be defined in various ways: e.g., by nationality and chronology, genre, topic or critical theory. Each student works with a chosen professor to define each field examination, draw up a reading list and pursue the topic chosen.

Field exams in PhD with a research dissertation: Students are expected to complete two written examinations and an oral examination, which will demarcate their fields of study. The oral exam reading list is an aggregate of the two earlier exam lists. Each student works with a faculty member to define each of the two written field exams and draw up a reading list of at least 35 texts. For the oral exam, the student should choose a third faculty member to join the other two principal faculty members and circulate to the committee a five-page dissertation proposal in advance of the exam. The oral exam is scheduled in the same semester as the second written field exam.

Students are expected to coordinate their field exams so that the time spent preparing for their examinations will provide a foundation for their dissertations, as well as preparation for their professional identities.

Detailed guidelines for PhD students working on field exams are available in the English Department Graduate Office and on the department website.

Dissertation Requirement

In the course of doctoral study, the student establishes a dissertation committee consisting of a director and two readers. The dissertation is a substantial study of some significant topic in the area of the student’s professional interest or a creative writing dissertation for those students who are admitted to the creative writing dissertation option.

Dissertations are substantive, book-length manuscripts developed in concert with a faculty advisor. Students will be able to speak analytically about their dissertation during their defense. The student’s dissertation director must formally approve, and submit to the graduate director, a written prospectus of the dissertation, or for those submitting a creative dissertation, a sample of work in progress at least one semester prior to completing the dissertation. Students pursuing a research dissertation must submit the prospectus to their committee within five weeks of completing the oral examination. The prospectus or the sample of creative work in progress will be shared with all members of the dissertation committee, including an outside examiner approved by the Graduate School. On completion of all other requirements, the student submits a finished dissertation for approval and defends the dissertation in an oral examination. The submitted dissertation must conform to the Graduate School requirements for a dissertation, as outlined in the Graduate School Manual.

After successful completion, defense and submission of the dissertation, the student is awarded the PhD in English.

Additional Information About the Program

Students must maintain at least a B+ average to remain in the program; more than one C grade normally requires dismissal. Students not in residence must register each semester to remain in good standing.

For more information on the English PhD program, please refer to the English, General Literature, and Rhetoric website for more information. To apply to the English PhD program, please visit the University Admissions website.