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Head of the Department: Dennis Baron
Director of Graduate Studies: Carol T. Neely
210 English Building
608 South Wright Street
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-3646
E-mail: grad@english.uiuc.edu
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 master of arts and doctoral
degrees may be earned with a specialization in writing studies. A
graduate program in creative writing has recently been approved and
will begin accepting applications for Fall 2002.
Admission
A student who wishes to be considered for admission to graduate studies
in English must present the equivalent of at least 20 semester hours
of undergraduate work in English and American literature, excluding
required work in rhetoric or composition. Graduate Record Examination
(GRE) scores for the verbal and subject tests are required for those
applying for the literature program. The GRE subject test for literature
in English is not required of writing studies applicants. All applicants
whose native language is not English are required to submit Test of
English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores. Currently, a minimum
score of 550 on the paper-based test (213 on the computer-based test)
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 50 or higher (230 or higher before 1996). 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, strong recommendations, and a compelling writing sample:
in short, an academic record that shows promise of doing outstanding
work in the field and earning degrees within a reasonable time. Preference
is given to applicants who will be full-time students and active degree
candidates. Applicants are considered only in spring for fall admission,
and the deadline for submitting applications is January 1.
Graduate Teaching Experience
Experience in teaching is considered a vital part of the graduate
program and is required as part of the academic work of all Ph.D.
candidates in this program.
Master of Arts
A candidate for the Master of Arts in English must spend at least
two semesters or the equivalent in residence and complete at least32
graduate hours of coursework. At least 16 graduate hours must be at
the 500 level, and 12 of the 16 must be in English. The student must
show a knowledge of one foreign language equivalent to that acquired
by three years of undergraduate coursework. A full-time student can
complete this program in two academic years.
Doctor of Philosophy
Students in the program who have earned their master’s degrees
must apply formally to the Ph.D. program. Applicants who have completed
their master’s degrees elsewhere may also apply. Seldom are
applicants accepted with graduate grade point averages below 3.5.
A student who has earned the master of arts degree elsewhere must
demonstrate knowledge of one foreign language on a level equivalent
to that required of master’s candidates in the English department’s
program. The Ph.D. degree requires 32 graduate hours of coursework,
planned in consultation with an adviser. Interdisciplinary work is
encouraged. Students may take courses outside of English. They may
complete a minor in Women’s Studies; obtain certification through
the Unit for Criticism and Interpretive Theory; or declare a concentration
in Cultural Studies and Interpretive Research. The special field examination
is taken as the student completes coursework and prepares to write
the thesis. The student then goes on to complete and defend the thesis
under the direction of a committee composed of four professors. A
total of 64 graduate hours beyond the master’s degree, including
thesis credits, is required. A full-time student can complete this
program in four 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.
For complete information about the program, prospective applicants
should write to the above address for the department’s handbook
on graduate studies.
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