English, Ph.D.

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Admission Requirements. A completed M.A. degree is a prerequisite for admission to the 72-unit Ph.D. program. All 40 units of coursework from a CGU M.A., or a maximum of 24 units transferred from an M.A. granted by another institution, may be counted toward the Ph.D.

Degree Requirements

Degree requirements include the following: 64 units of coursework; 8 units of Independent Research/Dissertation Research; two foreign languages; Ph.D. qualifying exams; a dissertation proposal and formal advancement to candidacy; and an oral exam on the completed dissertation. For students who earned an M.A. degree at CGU, the 64 units of coursework will include six seminars of 4 units each. For students who transfer in 24 units, the coursework requirement will include ten seminars of 4 units each, usually taken over a two-year period. The 8 units of Independent Research/Dissertation Research are usually taken in the semesters immediately following coursework. Thereafter, students must register for Doctoral Study to maintain continuous registration until all degree requirements have been met. See “Residence Requirements ” and other institutional regulations in the “Degree Regulations ” section of this Bulletin.

Distribution Requirement. The 64 units of coursework required for the degree must fulfill the distribution requirement as outlined above for the M.A. degree with one exception: the Ph.D. student must take one course in British literature before 1700 (not 1800).

Language and Research Tools. The Ph.D. student must demonstrate a reading knowledge of two foreign languages and is expected to take at least one language exam in classical Greek, Latin, French, or German. Any student wishing to test in other languages on both exams must receive the prior approval of the chair, or of the faculty member in charge of the language exam. With prior approval, successful completion of a foreign language course (with a grade of B+ or better) while enrolled at CGU may substitute for the language exam. Course work and exams taken prior to admission to the CGU English Department cannot fulfill this language requirement. Both language exams must be passed at least six months prior to taking the Ph.D. qualifying exams.

With the approval of the supervisory committee, a Ph.D. student may substitute the second language requirement with Digital Humanities (HUM 340), (research tool). No degree units will be given for this research tool. This workshop is normally offered during the summer session.

Transdisciplinary Course Requirement. All students who enter the doctoral program after the fall 2004 semester are required to complete the transdisciplinary course requirement within the first two years of their program. For details on the requirement, see the “Doctor of Philosophy Degree” section in this Bulletin.

Evaluation. Ph.D. students will be reviewed every year until coursework has been completed. All students who are enrolled in Ph.D. coursework must provide the review committee in timely fashion with a copy of a graded seminar paper, an explanation for any low or incomplete grades, and any other relevant data or documents requested by the review committee. Students who do not receive the review committee’s permission to advance in the Ph.D. program will not be allowed to continue and may elect to pursue the M.Phil. degree.

Qualifying Examinations. Normally, the Ph.D. qualifying exams are offered twice each year. The opportunity to take the qualifying exams is not automatic. Formal permission must be obtained from the CGU core faculty in English per the “Evaluation” section above. To be eligible to take the exams, the student must have a) successfully completed 64 units of coursework, satisfied the distribution requirements, and rectified all outstanding Incompletes; b) passed the two foreign language exams at least six months prior to the qualifying exam date; c) taken a minimum of one year to complete a preparatory course of readings in the major and minor fields; and d) satisfied all other institutional requirements. See the “Degree Regulations ” section in this Bulletin.

In preparation for the qualifying exams, the student must have selected one major field and two minor fields from among the following: 1) Renaissance; 2) early modern through seventeenth- century British; 3) eighteenth-century British; 4) nineteenth-century British; 5) twentieth-century British; 6) American before 1800; 7) nineteenth-century American; 8) twentieth-century American; and 9) film studies (minor only). The major field must include a demonstrated understanding of relevant critical theory, and one of the fields must include a transdisciplinary component, established in consultation with the professor responsible for that field.

Dissertation Requirements. The student must prepare an acceptable dissertation under the guidance of an appointed dissertation committee and must pass an oral examination on it. See the “Degree Regulations ” section of this Bulletin.

Teaching Opportunities. For those who have completed an M.A. degree, part-time teaching is available at many of the private and state colleges in the area. In addition, a number of writing centers and private learning centers employ graduate students as tutors and writing consultants. Occasionally, advanced Ph.D. students have the opportunity to teach undergraduate courses at The Claremont Colleges.

Concentration

American Studies Program

Ph.D. students in English may choose a concentration in American studies, involving a transdisciplinary approach. Students will work closely with a faculty advisor in the Department of English to pursue an intellectually unified course of study that will include seminars offered in the Department of English as well as seminars cross-listed with participating CGU departments and The Claremont Colleges. A minimum of four seminars should be taken in English, and a minimum of two seminars in other disciplines. Some possible courses for the American studies concentration include the following: Puritanism and American Literature and Culture; 19th-Century American Literature and Culture; Representations of the Frontier in American Literature and Culture; The Jazz Aesthetic in American Literature and Culture; the Harlem Renaissance; American Migrations; American Women Writers and Feminism; Multi-culturalism and American Literature; American Popular Culture; American Literature and Film; Autobiography and American Literature and Culture. Interested students should discuss this concentration with Professor Wendy Martin.

Early Modern Studies Program

Ph.D. students in English may choose a concentration in early modern studies, involving a transdisciplinary approach. Students will work closely with an advisor in the Early Modern Studies Program to pursue an intellectually unified course of study that will include seminars cross-listed with participating CGU Humanities departments and The Claremont Colleges. See full description in the section titled “Program in Early Modern Studies.” Interested students should discuss this possibility with Professor Lori Anne Ferrell.

Literary Theory Program

Ph.D. students in English may choose a concentration in literary theory, involving a transdisciplinary approach. Students will work closely with an English faculty advisor to pursue an intellectually unified course of study that will include seminars cross-listed with participating CGU humanities departments and The Claremont Colleges. Interested students should discuss this possibility with Professor Marc Redfield.