Head of the Department: Richard Wheeler
Director of Graduate Studies: Leon Waldoff
Correspondence and Information: Director of Graduate Studies, Department of English, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 210 English Building , 608 South Wright Street, Urbana, IL 61801; (217) 333-3646
GRADUATE FACULTY
Professors: G. Adelman, D. Baron, N. Baym, E. Brandabur, R. Carringer,
L. Chai, H. Cole, M. Costello, G. Douglas, J. Dundas, J. Dussinger, J. Frayne,
J. Friedman, P. Friedman, P. Garrett, A. Guibbory, G. Hendrick, J. Hurt, D.
Kramer, L. Lieberman, C. Neely, C. Nelson, R. Parker, M. Shapiro, J.
Stillinger, J. Thompson, M. VanWalleghen, L. Waldoff, E. Watts, R. Wheeler
Associate Professors: M. Berube, G. Colomb, A. Deck, C. Fontenot, P. Graham, G. Hawisher, J. Hinely, A. Kaufman, D. Kay, B. Kelly, J. Klein, C. Kyle, D. Majdiak, B. Michelson, M. Mullin, B. Smalley, J. Stottlar, Z. Sullivan, C. Wright
Assistant Professors: A. Anderson, A. Blakeslee, E. Bohls, D. Cruickshank, R. Curry, S. Foote, D. Jacobson, J. Lyon, M. Madonick, W. Maxwell, M. Pemberton, P. Prior, N. Roberts
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
The Department of English offers programs of study leading to the master of
arts and the doctor of philosophy degrees. The Ph.D. program is, in general,
designed to educate and train teacher-scholars who will take positions in
colleges and universities throughout the country. The master of arts program
may be either a first step toward the Ph.D. degree or a final educational stage
for qualified students who wish to pursue their knowledge of English and
American language and literature beyond the undergraduate level. Both the A.M.
and Ph.D. degrees may be earned with a specialization in writing studies. There
is no graduate creative writing program.
ADMISSION
A student who wishes to be considered for admission to graduate work in English
must present the equivalent of at least 20 semester hours of undergraduate
college work in English and American literature, excluding required college
work in rhetoric or composition. Applicants are required to submit Graduate
Record Examination scores for the verbal and advanced tests. Because
applications for admission usually far exceed capacity, in recent years
undergraduate grade-point averages of students admitted have been significantly
higher than the 4.0 (A = 5.0) required by the Graduate College. The committee
on admissions tends to select those applicants who have a solid array of
undergraduate courses, knowledge of a foreign language, an academic record that
shows promise of doing outstanding work in the field, and real promise of
earning degrees within a reasonable time. Preference is given to applicants who
will be full-time students and active degree candidates.
MASTER OF ARTS
A candidate for the A.M. in English must spend at least two semesters or the
equivalent in residence and complete at least 8 units of course work. At least
4 units must be at the 400 level, and 3 of the 4 must be in English. The
student must show a knowledge of one foreign language equivalent to that
acquired by three years of undergraduate course work. The student must pass, on
formal examination, the master's area examination. A full-time student can
complete this program in an academic year.
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
A student wishing to continue beyond the master's degree must apply formally
and is considered in competition with applicants who are taking the master's
degree elsewhere. Seldom are applicants accepted with graduate averages below
4.5. A student who has taken the master of arts degree elsewhere must give
evidence of knowledge of one foreign language on a level equivalent to that
required of A.M. candidates in the English department's program. The student
takes 8 units of course work, planned in consultation with an adviser. There
are no general requirements for further foreign language work,
philology-linguistics, or outside minors, although certain fields of
specialization do require further work along these lines. There is one formal
examination, the special field examination, which is usually taken as the
student completes course work and prepares to write the thesis. The student
then goes on to write a thesis under the direction of a committee composed of
three professors. A total of 16 units beyond the master's degree, including
thesis credits, are required. A full-time student can complete this program in
three years beyond the master's degree.
FINANCIAL AID
Financial aid is available to students in the form of fellowships, teaching
assistantships, and waivers of tuition and service fees. Applicants are
considered at only one time of the year, and the deadline for submitting
applications is January 15. For complete information about the program,
prospective applicants should write to the above address for the department's
handbook on graduate studies in English.
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