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Programs of Study, 1997-1999
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
ENGLISH
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. E-mail: grad@English.uiuc.edu
URL: http://www.english.uiuc.edu
GRADUATE FACULTY
Professors: G. Adelman, D. Baron, N. Baym, M. Berube R. Carringer, L. Chai, H. Cole, M. Costello, G. Douglas, J. Dundas, J. Dussinger, J. Frayne, P. Friedman, P. Garrett, A. Guibbory, G. Hawisher, G. Hendrick, J. Hurt, B. Kelly, D. Kramer, L. Lieberman, B. Michelson, M. Mullin, C. Neely, C. Nelson, R. Parker, R. Powers, M. Shapiro, J. Stillinger, J. Thompson, M. VanWalleghen, L. Waldoff, E. Watts, R. Wheeler
Associate Professors: A. Anderson, E. Bohls, G. Colomb, R. Curry, A. Deck, C. Fontenot, P. Graham, J. Hinely, A. Kaufman, D. Kay, J. Klein, D. Majdiak, Z. Sullivan, C. Wright
Assistant Professors: D. Cruickshank, S. Foote, D. Hirsch, L. Lampert, J. Lyon, M. Madonick, W. Maxwell, L. Newcomb, M. Pemberton, P. Prior, J. Valente
GRADUATE DEGREE 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 M.A. 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. Graduate Record Examination scores for the verbal and advanced tests are required for those applying for the literature program. The GRE advanced test for literature in English is not required of writing studies applicants. All applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit TOEFL scores. Currently, a minimum score of 550 is required. Before a teaching assistantship involving classroom instruction or student consultation can be awarded to a non-native speaker of English, the applicant must take the Test of Spoken English (TSE) and achieve a score of 230 or higher. Because applications for admission usually far exceed capacity, in recent years undergraduate grade point averages of students admitted have been significantly higher than the 3.0 (A = 4.0) 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 M.A. in English must spend at least two semesters or the equivalent in residence and complete at least eight units of course work. At least four 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 3.5. 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 M.A. candidates in the English department's program. The student takes eight 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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