english phd programs new york

PhD Program in English Language and Literature

The department enrolls an average of ten PhD students each year. Our small size allows us to offer a generous financial support package. We also offer a large and diverse graduate faculty with competence in a wide range of literary, theoretical and cultural fields. Each student chooses a special committee that works closely along side the student to design a course of study within the very broad framework established by the department. The program is extremely flexible in regard to course selection, the design of examinations and the election of minor subjects of concentration outside the department. English PhD students pursuing interdisciplinary research may include on their special committees faculty members from related fields such as comparative literature, medieval studies, Romance studies, German studies, history, classics, women’s studies, linguistics, theatre and performing arts, government, philosophy, and film and video studies.

The PhD candidate is normally expected to complete six or seven one-semester courses for credit in the first year of residence and a total of six or seven more in the second and third years. The program of any doctoral candidate’s formal and informal study, whatever his or her particular interests, should be comprehensive enough to ensure familiarity with:

• The authors and works that have been the most influential in determining the course of English, American, and related literatures
• The theory and criticism of literature, and the relations between literature and other disciplines
• Concerns and tools of literary and cultural history such as textual criticism, study of genre, source, and influence as well as wider issues of cultural production and historical and social contexts that bear on literature

Areas in which students may have major or minor concentrations include African-American literature, American literature to 1865, American literature after 1865, American studies (a joint program with the field of history), colonial and postcolonial literatures, cultural studies, dramatic literature, English poetry, the English Renaissance to 1660, lesbian, bisexual and gay literary studies, literary criticism and theory, the nineteenth century, Old and Middle English, prose fiction, the Restoration and the eighteenth century, the twentieth century, and women's literature.

By the time a doctoral candidate enters the fourth semester of graduate study, the special committee must decide whether he or she is qualified to proceed toward the PhD. Students are required to pass their Advancement to Candidacy Examination before their fourth year of study, prior to the dissertation.

PhD Program specifics can be viewed here: PhD Timeline PhD Procedural Guide

Special Committee

Every graduate student selects a special committee of faculty advisors who work intensively with the student in selecting courses and preparing and revising the dissertation. The committee is comprised of at least three Cornell faculty members: a chair, and typically two minor members usually from the English department, but very often representing an interdisciplinary field. The university system of special committees allows students to design their own courses of study within a broad framework established by the department, and it encourages a close working relationship between professors and students, promoting freedom and flexibility in the pursuit of the graduate degree. The special committee for each student guides and supervises all academic work and assesses progress in a series of meetings with the students.

At Cornell, teaching is considered an integral part of training in academia. The field requires a carefully supervised teaching experience of at least one year for every doctoral candidate as part of the program requirements. The Department of English, in conjunction with the  John S. Knight Institute for Writing  in the Disciplines, offers excellent training for beginning teachers and varied and interesting teaching in the university-wide First-Year Writing Program. The courses are writing-intensive and may fall under such general rubrics as “Portraits of the Self,” “American Literature and Culture,” “Shakespeare,” and “Cultural Studies,” among others. A graduate student may also serve as a teaching assistant for an undergraduate lecture course taught by a member of the Department of English faculty.

Language Requirements

Each student and special committee will decide what work in foreign language is most appropriate for a student’s graduate program and scholarly interests. Some students’ doctoral programs require extensive knowledge of a single foreign language and literature; others require reading ability in two or more foreign languages. A student may be asked to demonstrate competence in foreign languages by presenting the undergraduate record, taking additional courses in foreign languages and literature, or translating and discussing documents related to the student’s work. Students are also normally expected to provide evidence of having studied the English language through courses in Old English, the history of the English language, grammatical analysis or the application of linguistic study to metrics or to literary criticism. Several departments at Cornell offer pertinent courses in such subjects as descriptive linguistics, psycholinguistics and the philosophy of language.

All PhD degree candidates are guaranteed five years of funding (including a stipend , a full tuition fellowship and student health insurance):

• A first-year non-teaching fellowship
• Two years of teaching assistantships
• A fourth-year non-teaching fellowship for the dissertation writing year
• A fifth-year teaching assistantship
• Summer support for four years, including a first-year summer teaching assistantship, linked to a teachers’ training program at the Knight Institute. Summer residency in Ithaca is required.

Students have also successfully competed for Buttrick-Crippen Fellowship, Society for the Humanities Fellowships, American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), Shin Yong-Jin Graduate Fellowships, Provost’s Diversity Fellowships, fellowships in recognition of excellence in teaching, and grants from the Graduate School to help with the cost of travel to scholarly conferences and research collections.

Admission & Application Procedures

The application for Fall 2024 admission will open on September 15, 2023 and close at 11:59pm EST on December 1, 2023.

Our application process reflects the field’s commitment to considering the whole person and their potential to contribute to our scholarly community.  Applicants will be evaluated on the basis of academic preparation (e.g., performance in relevant courses, completion of substantive, independent research project). An applicant’s critical and creative potential will be considered: applicants should demonstrate interest in extensive research and writing and include a writing sample that reveals a capacity to argue persuasively, demonstrate the ability to synthesize a broad range of materials, as well as offer fresh insights into a problem or text. The committee will also consider whether an applicant demonstrates a commitment to inclusion, equity, and diversity and offers a substantive explanation for why study at Cornell is especially compelling (e.g., a discussion of faculty research and foci). Admissions committees will consider the entire application carefully, including statements and critical writing, as well as transcripts, letters of recommendation, and a resume/cv (if provided). Please view the requirements and procedures listed below, if you are interested in being considered for our PhD in English Language and Literature program.

Eligibility: Applicants must currently have, or expect to have, at least a BA or BS (or the equivalent) in any field before matriculation. International students, please verify degree equivalency here . Applicants are not required to meet a specified GPA minimum.

To Apply: All applications and supplemental materials must be submitted online through the Graduate School application system . While completing your application, you may save and edit your data. Once you click submit, your application will be closed for changes. Please proofread your materials carefully. Once you pay and click submit, you will not be able to make any changes or revisions.

Deadline: December 1st, 11:59pm EST.  This deadline is firm. No applications, additional materials, or revisions will be accepted after the deadline.

PhD Program Application Requirements Checklist

• Academic Statement of Purpose Please describe (within 1000 words) in detail the substantive research questions you are interested in pursuing during your graduate studies and why they are significant. Additionally, make sure to include information about any training or research experience that you believe has prepared you for our program. You should also identify specific faculty members whose research interests align with your own specific questions.  Note that the identification of faculty is important; you would be well advised to read selected faculty’s recent scholarship so that you can explain why you wish to study with them. Do not rely on the courses they teach.  Please refrain from contacting individual faculty prior to receiving an offer of admission.
• Personal Statement Please describe (within 1000 words) how your personal background and experiences influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree and the research you wish to conduct.  Explain, for example the meaning and purpose of the PhD in the context of your personal history and future aspirations.  Please note that we will pay additional attention to candidates who identify substantial reasons to obtain a PhD beyond the pursuit of an academic position. Additionally, provide insight into your potential to contribute to a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect where scholars representing diverse backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn (productively and positively) together.
• Critical Writing Sample Your academic writing sample must be between 3,000 and 7,500 words (12-30 pages), typed and double-spaced. We accept excerpts from longer works, or a combination of shorter works.
• Three Letters of Recommendation We require 3 letters of recommendation.  At the time of application, you will be allowed to enter up to 4 recommenders in the system.  Your application will be considered “Complete” when we have received at least 3 letters of recommendation.   Letters of recommendation are due December 1 . Please select three people who best know you and your work. Submitting additional letters will not enhance your application. In the recommendation section of the application, you must include the email address of each recommender. After you save the information (and before you pay/submit), the application system will automatically generate a recommendation request email to your recommender with instructions for submitting the letter electronically. If your letters are stored with a credential service such as Interfolio, please use their Online Application Delivery feature and input the email address assigned to your stored document, rather than that of your recommender’s. The electronic files will be attached to your application when they are received and will not require the letter of recommendation cover page.
• Transcripts Scan transcripts from each institution you have attended, or are currently attending, and upload into the academic information section of the application. Be sure to remove your social security number from all documents prior to scanning. Please do not send paper copies of your transcripts. If you are subsequently admitted and accept, the Graduate School will require an official paper transcript from your degree-awarding institution prior to matriculation.
• English Language Proficiency Requirement All applicants must provide proof of English language proficiency. For more information, please view the  Graduate School’s English Language Requirement .
• GRE General Test and GRE Subject Test are NO LONGER REQUIRED, effective starting with the 2019 application In March 2019, the faculty of English voted overwhelmingly to eliminate all GRE requirements (both general and subject test) for application to the PhD program in English. GRE scores are not good predictors of success or failure in a PhD program in English, and the uncertain predictive value of the GRE exam is far outweighed by the toll it takes on student diversity. For many applicants the cost of preparing for and taking the exam is prohibitively expensive, and the exam is not globally accessible. Requiring the exam narrows our applicant pool at precisely the moment we should be creating bigger pipelines into higher education. We need the strength of a diverse community in order to pursue the English Department’s larger mission: to direct the force of language toward large and small acts of learning, alliance, imagination, and justice.

General Information for All Applicants

Application Fee: Visit the Graduate School for information regarding application fees, payment options, and fee waivers .

Document Identification: Please do not put your social security number on any documents.

Status Inquiries:  Once you submit your application, you will receive a confirmation email. You will also be able to check the completion status of your application in your account. If vital sections of your application are missing, we will notify you via email after the Dec. 1 deadline and allow you ample time to provide the missing materials. Please do not inquire about the status of your application.

Credential/Application Assessments:  The Admission Review Committee members are unable to review application materials or applicant credentials prior to official application submission. Once the committee has reviewed applications and made admissions decisions, they will not discuss the results or make any recommendations for improving the strength of an applicant’s credentials. Applicants looking for feedback are advised to consult with their undergraduate advisor or someone else who knows them and their work.

Review Process:  Application review begins after the submission deadline. Notification of admissions decisions will be made by email by the end of February.

Connecting with Faculty and/or Students: Unfortunately, due to the volume of inquiries we receive, faculty and current students are not available to correspond with potential applicants prior to an offer of admission. Applicants who are offered admission will have the opportunity to meet faculty and students to have their questions answered prior to accepting. Staff and faculty are also not able to pre-assess potential applicant’s work outside of the formal application process. Please email [email protected] instead, if you have questions.

Visiting: The department does not offer pre-admission visits or interviews. Admitted applicants will be invited to visit the department, attend graduate seminars and meet with faculty and students before making the decision to enroll.

Transfer Credits:  Students matriculating with an MA degree may, at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies, receive credit for up to two courses once they begin our program.

For Further Information

Contact [email protected]

English and American Literature (PhD)

Program description, dual degree.

The Department of English warmly welcomes qualified applicants who wish to pursue advanced study towards a graduate degree. We are a large department and value historical coverage of the field that has traditionally been the study of English and American literature: we also encourage innovative approaches to that study, and have an expansive sense of the topics it might cover.  We teach in all areas and currently have particular research clusters among our faculty and graduate students in Medieval and Renaissance, modernist, post-colonial, Latino/Latina, American and African American literatures.  We maintain close ties with the Department of Comparative Literature, with which we jointly organize a certificate in Poetics and Theory and an Advanced Certificate in Comparative Approaches to the Literatures of Africa, the Middle East, and the Global South (CALAMEGS), and with the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, while we also participate in offering an Advanced Certificate in Digital Humanities.  In addition, our graduate students originate, organize and receive funding for their own working and reading groups, which currently include African American and African Diasporic Working Group; Critical Theory and Medievalisms; Cultures of War and the Post-War; Creative Writing; Digital Culture/s; the Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century British Literature Working Group; Politics of Empowerment; Postcolonial, Race and Diaspora Studies Colloquium; Nonhuman(isms) Working Group; University On the Edge/ (re)Thinking the University; and the Organism for Poetic Research.

All applicants to the Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS) are required to submit the  general application requirements , which include:

• Academic Transcripts
• Test Scores  (if required)
• Applicant Statements
• Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
• Letters of Recommendation , and
• A non-refundable  application fee .

See English for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.

The English Department offers a dual degree with the NYU School of Law : English PhD/Law JD.

Program Requirements

Concentration in medieval and renaissance studies, doctoral examination, dissertation defense, submission and approval, departmental approval.

This program requires the completion of 72 credits, and offers a concentration in Medieval and Renaissance Studies. See concentration details below.

The concentration in Medieval and Renaissance Studies is interdisciplinary in nature and creates a framework and community for diverse approaches to the study of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. It complements doctoral students’ work in their home departments with interdisciplinary study of the broad range of culture in the medieval and early modern periods, as well as of the theories and methods that attend them. The concentration is designed to train specialists who are firmly based in a traditional discipline but who can work across disciplinary boundaries, making use of varied theoretical approaches and methodological practices. The concentration consists of twenty credits distributed under the following courses: MEDI-GA 1100 Proseminar in Medieval & Renaissance Studies ,  MEDI-GA 2100 Studies in Late Latin and Early Vernaculars: or other approved course, and  MEDI-GA 2000 Medieval & Renaissance Workshop , 2 points per semester taken twice in an academic year. Students must also take one approved course in the area of Medieval and Renaissance Media: Visual and Material Cultures, and one approved course in a medieval or early modern topic. At least one course, not counting either the Proseminar or Workshop, must be taken outside a student’s home department. In addition, students pursuing the concentration will present a paper at least once either in the Workshop or in a conference offered by the Medieval and Renaissance Center.

Additional Program Requirements

Students must demonstrate language proficiency beyond the English language. This requirement may be satisfied either before or after matriculation at NYU by demonstrating either (a) advanced proficiency in one language by completing the sixth term of an acceptable college language course with a grade of B or better or by passing a language examination at a comparable level of proficiency or (b) proficiency in two languages by completing the equivalent of four semesters of acceptable college work. The final course or examination establishing proficiency must have been completed no more than two years prior to matriculation for the Ph.D. program. The language(s) offered must be relevant to the dissertation research and scholarly practice of the field in which the student intends to work, and the department reserves the right to require a particular language on these grounds. Any student whose first language is not English should see the director of graduate studies to discuss the use of that language to fulfill (or partially fulfill) the requirement.

Students must pass the Doctoral Examination, based on two individualized reading lists covering two historical fields (one of which is designated the major field, and the other the minor field) and a third topics list. The examination fields are: medieval; Renaissance; 18th-century British; Romantic; 19th-century British; 20th-century British; American: beginning to 1865; American: 1865 to present; African American literature; colonial and postcolonial studies; literature of the Americas; transatlantic studies; and modern drama. The written examination is supervised by a committee of three faculty members chosen by the student.

The final requirement is a completed dissertation and an oral defense of the dissertation. The dissertation must be approved for defense by the director and core committee before the examination is convened. Some revision, including the mandatory correction of any errors, may be required as a result of the defense. The examining board consists of five members of the graduate faculty, the core committee plus two additional committee members. In this final examination, the candidate is questioned for one hour on the dissertation. If the candidate fails the oral defense of the dissertation, a second examination is permitted, resulting either in a pass or in elimination from the Ph.D. program.

All Graduate School of Arts & Science doctoral candidates must be approved for graduation by their department for the degree to be awarded.

Sample Plan of Study

Following completion of the required coursework for the PhD, students are expected to maintain active status at New York University by enrolling in a research/writing course or a Maintain Matriculation ( MAINT-GA 4747 ) course.  All non-course requirements must be fulfilled prior to degree conferral, although the specific timing of completion may vary from student-to-student.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:

• Attain a wide range of knowledge in history and criticism of literature in English, while being acquainted with different theories and modes of query. 
• Develop expertise in chosen fields of specialization and to identify and pursue original research questions in these fields, locating them persuasively and comprehensively within and against relevant scholarly literature(s).
• Conduct original research and produce substantial work as a contribution to the area(s) of chosen expertise and the discipline of English at large.    
• Develop expertise and acquire experience to allow graduates access to careers for which doctoral training in English is essential or highly desirable.

NYU Policies

Graduate school of arts and science policies.

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages .

Academic Policies for the Graduate School of Arts and Science can be found on the Academic Policies page . 

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A doctorate is the pinnacle of an arts and science education. Founded in 1886, the Graduate School of Arts and Science at NYU is among the oldest schools offering doctoral programs in the United States. Today NYU’s doctoral programs span the humanities, sciences, and social sciences, and students pursue cutting-edge research with the close supervision of NYU’s internationally recognized research faculty. New York City resources complement and enhance our vibrant intellectual communities. Use the links below to explore Doctor of Philosophy and dual advanced degrees at New York University.

Ph.D. Programs Dual Degree Programs

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School of Arts & Sciences

Department of English

Graduate program, phd program.

Our English PhD program offers students a rare combination of close interaction with faculty and personalized courses of study, with the wide array of intellectual, scholarly, and cultural opportunities that define a major research institution such as ours. For a detailed overview of what type of path our students take, see the  PhD schedule page .

Our program comprises the following:

• Pedagogy training
• Qualifying exam
• Professionalization
• Dissertation and defense

In addition to the program elements listed above we also have a language requirement. See our language exam page for more information.

 To learn about our past students, see the recent PhD recipients page.

Graduate Student Handbook

Please consult the English Department Graduate Student Handbook  for the most up-to-date requirements of the graduate programs in English, including, but not limited to: field exams, language requirements, teaching pedagogy, and advisor selection.

For rules and regulations concerning graduate-level study at the University of Rochester, see the Graduate Bulletin .

Pedagogical Training

Our PhD students typically receive two types of pedagogical training: one is based in an apprentice model; the other consists of a formal pedagogy course offered through the Writing, Speaking, and Argument Program (WSAP) .

Apprentice Model Pedagogy Training

In the second year of the program, students are paired with a faculty member with whom they apprentice. In addition to sitting in on one of the faculty member’s undergraduate courses, the apprentice may engage in a variety of tasks. Depending on the nature of the course, the faculty member’s preferences, and the apprentice’s own previous experience the apprentice may

• Assist in presenting certain material
• Lead discussions once or twice during the semester
• Help to devise and/or grade assignments
• Hold office hours from time to time

In all cases, the apprentice will meet with his/her faculty mentor in order to discuss the course’s design, in-class dynamic, and assessment methods, as well as the pedagogical principles behind these.

WSAP Pedagogy Training

During the summer after the second year, those students who have applied successfully to teach for the WSAP in years three and four will participate in the WSAP’s pedagogy course. Information about the course will be provided to participating students in the spring.

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Qualifying Exam

Students typically take their qualifying exams during their third year of study. At the beginning of the third year, students must submit a  Preliminary Scheduling Form .

Students must take exams in two fields - one historical field and one conceptual field.

The lists for both fields will be constructed by the candidate in close consultation with a committee consisting of at least three faculty members from the Department of English, and one faculty member from outside the Department. Historical fields generally include those traditionally recognized within the discipline. Conceptual fields may be critical theory fields, literary history fields, genre fields, history of ideas fields, or thematic fields. Conceptual fields should be designed to cover ground well beyond the student's area of historical specialization.

The Qualifying Examinations are an occasion for students to display their expertise in their chosen historical and conceptual fields; their main function is to help students develop the intellectual and scholarly credentials necessary for success in the profession.

The Dissertation Prospectus (approximately ten pages) should be filed within three months of having passed the exams. 

PhD Historical Field Lists

Each historical field list comprises  no less than 80%  of the final list compiled by the student in consultation with their committee. This allows students to have a set template and then to work with advisors, based on their interests, to supplement that template. Please keep this final length limit in mind when you consult with faculty about adding items to the list.

• Old English
• Middle English
• English Renaissance Literature
• The Long Eighteenth Century
• 19th-Century British
• 19th-Century American
• British and American Moderns
• 20th-Century American

Sampling of PhD Conceptual Field

• Theories of Theater
• Feminist Theory
• Literary Cosmopolitanism 
• Poetry and Poetics
• Postcolonial Theory
• Textual Studies and the Digital Humanities
• Transatlantic Studies
• Theorizing Film and Media Authorship

Graduate education in the department extends to both research and teaching. All PhD students participate in a summer-long pedagogy course and are exposed to a variety of teaching environments by:

• Designing and leading their own composition courses
• Co-teaching a course with a faculty member
• Receiving training and experience in English-as-a-Second-Language instruction
• Teaching core courses during the summer term

Beginning in their third year, students teach one course per semester for the Writing, Speaking, and Argument Program (WSAP) . Each graduate instructor designs his or her own syllabus, reflecting their own passions, interests, and emerging expertise. Enrollment in writing courses is limited to 15 students.

In addition to WSAP courses, advanced graduate students have the opportunity to teach courses within their fields of specialization through the Teaching Fellowship Program, the  Susan B. Anthony Teaching Fellowship , and the department's summer school curriculum.

Campus resources for teaching include:

• Teaching Center
• Writing, Speaking, and Argument Program
• University Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning

Dissertation and Defense

All PhD students must write and defend a dissertation. See the graduate studies PhD defense page for details and deadlines. 

NYU Graduate Admissions

A graduate education brings the work you did as an undergrad to the next level and provides you with the opportunity to focus on the topics and ideas that you care about most. Expectations increase in graduate school. So do the chances to strengthen the skills and expertise that will help you cement yourself as a thought leader and innovator in your chosen field. When you pursue a graduate degree at New York University, you are part of a diverse, dynamic, dedicated community that pushes you every step of the way and supports you at every turn—in a city where resources and opportunities are second to none.

Find your ideal program and degree

• Business, Finance, and Management
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• Urban Studies: Policy and Systems

Learn more about NYU’s non-degree-seeking opportunities and online degree programs .

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Not sure which program's right for you? We're here to help.

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Doctor of Philosophy Teaching and Learning

Our doctorate aims to prepare first-rate scholars and practitioners. Your pathway is highly customizable, so you can tailor your degree to your specific career goals and interests in areas such as history, social studies, and global education; literacy education; mathematics education; early childhood and childhood education; science and environmental education; urban education; or special education.

Degree Details

Official degree title.

Doctor of Philosophy in Teaching and Learning

How You’ll Learn 

Because the development and completion of a dissertation depends on intensely individual interest and work, this PhD emphasizes the individual tailoring of your degree from the very beginning. We aim to suit the unique interests and experiences that you bring to the program and develop during your course of study.

Concentrations

Early Childhood and Childhood Education

Become a researcher or teacher educator dedicated to understanding children’s development and learning, and supporting them in their education.

History, Social Studies, and Global Education

Advance your knowledge and work with faculty members to conduct research and develop curricula that promote civic engagement.

Literacy Education

Work closely with faculty members to develop your research skills in language and literacy development, and apply that research to improve literacy instruction.

Mathematics Education

Learn strategies for designing and analyzing research studies in mathematics education while working closely with faculty on all aspects of the research process.

Science and Environmental Education

Develop your skills in research in science and environmental education and learn about current science pedagogy, teacher education, technology, and more.

Special Education

Develop expertise in special education policy, research, and practices as you collaborate with our faculty.

Urban Education

Advance your knowledge, work with faculty on research, and prepare to be an educational leader committed to scholarship and action in urban educational settings.

Online Info Session

In this session, NYU faculty share information about the PhD programs in the department of Teaching & Learning, including the PhD in Teaching & Learning, PhD in English Education, PhD in Bilingual Education, and PhD in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Faculty provide an overview of the programs and answer questions from potential applicants.  

Funding for Full-Time PhD Students

NYU Steinhardt offers a competitive funding package for PhD students who study full time.  Learn more about our funding opportunities .

Questions 

If you have any additional questions about our degree, please feel free to contact Jennifer Ruocco at [email protected] .

Take the Next Step

Advance your personal and professional journey – apply to join our community of students.

Kanbar Institute of Film & Television Graduate Film

Be a part of the next wave..

The Graduate Film program is an intensive three-year conservatory in the Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and Television that trains students in the art of cinematic storytelling. We focus on helping writer/directors develop a narrative voice and the technical virtuosity to express that voice in cinema.

Students learn by doing, in the classroom and on set. They write, direct, and produce multiple films and exercises, shooting and crewing on each other's projects. Our students transition into the professional world with a reel of short films that showcase their talent, a feature film script, and a range of highly sought technical skills.

The Graduate Film Program offers a stimulating, challenging, and diverse creative community in the heart of Greenwich Village. Our faculty are working professionals who are committed to developing the next generation of filmmakers.

My students teach me.

Artistic Director

RIT graduate pursues Ph.D. across time zones

Nastaran Nagshineh, center, defended her Ph.D. thesis at RIT in April. Faculty from RIT’s Rochester and Dubai campuses served on her thesis committee and include, from left to right, Kathleen Lamkin-Kennard, Steven Weinstein, Nathaniel Barlow, and David Kofke (a professor at the University at Buffalo). Mohamed Samaha participated remotely and appears on the video screen behind the group and alongside Nagshineh’s picture.

Nastaran Nagshineh is one of the first Ph.D. candidates to bridge RIT’s Rochester and Dubai campuses. Her accomplishment creates a path for future students at the university’s international campuses.

Nagshineh completed her Ph.D. in mathematical modeling while working full time as a mathematics lecturer at RIT Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, teaching as many as five classes a semester. She described her Ph.D. journey as “an exercise in perseverance” due to competing demands and long days. Rochester is eight hours behind Dubai, and the time difference meant many late-night classes and meetings.

“I saw this collaboration as an opportunity, rather than as a challenge, because my primary adviser, Dr. Steven Weinstein (RIT professor of chemical engineering), and my co-adviser, Dr. Mohamed Samaha (RIT Dubai associate professor of mechanical engineering), both have the same area of research interest,” she said. “They both worked toward my success.”

Nagshineh is one of 67 RIT Ph.D. students who defended their thesis this academic year and who will earn their doctorate. RIT awarded 63 Ph.D. degrees in 2023.

In 2020-2021, RIT’s Graduate School met and surpassed the university’s goal of conferring 50 Ph.D. degrees during an academic year. That number will continue to grow as students cycle through the seven new Ph.D. programs that RIT has added since 2017, said Diane Slusarski , dean of RIT’s Graduate School.

Meeting these goals puts RIT on a path toward achieving an “R1,” or research-intensive designation, from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Learning. RIT is currently ranked as an R2 institution . Many factors go into changing a university’s status, including research investment and maintaining a three-year average of 70 Ph.D. degrees awarded per year, according to Slusarski.

“We have met the goals of the strategic plan, and now we look forward to contributing to the research innovation in the future,” Slusarski said. “We want to help the new programs thrive and win national research awards.”

RIT’s emphasis on high-level research is seen in Nagshineh’s Ph.D. work. She applies mathematical modeling to the field of fluid dynamics. Her research has been published in top-tier journals and has gained notice, said Weinstein, her thesis adviser.

Weinstein describes Nagshineh’s accomplishments as “a testament to a fantastic work ethic and commitment” and is inspirational to younger students at Rochester and Dubai.

“The collaboration between RIT Dubai/Rochester has continued,” he said. “Another paper was submitted a few weeks ago with Mohamed Samaha and Nate Barlow (RIT associate professor in the School of Mathematics and Statistics) as co-authors, as well as Cade Reinberger, a younger Ph.D. student in my research group.”

Mathematical modeling is one of RIT’s newer Ph.D. degree programs, and Nagshineh is among its earliest graduates. The program has doubled in size since it began accepting students in 2017, Slusarski said. This past fall, the mathematical modeling program had 35 students, with two graduating this year.

Altogether, RIT has 13 Ph.D. degree programs currently enrolling 438 students, with computing and information sciences accounting for the largest with 117 students. RIT’s other Ph.D. programs include astrophysical sciences and technology , biomedical and chemical engineering , business administration , color science , electrical and computer engineering, imaging science , mechanical and industrial engineering , microsystems engineering , and sustainability .

New programs in cognitive science and physics will launch in the fall.

The growth in RIT graduate education—with more than 3,000 master’s and doctoral students—reflects a demographic change in the student population, Slusarski said. “We have a higher percentage of women in the graduate programs than we have for RIT undergraduate programs.”

RIT’s graduate programs enroll 42 percent women, according to Christie Leone , assistant dean for the Graduate School.

Nagshineh, who also holds an MS in electrical engineering from RIT Dubai, welcomes her role as a mentor to other women students on both campuses.

“As a young woman in an Arabic country, the power of women is often underestimated and undervalued, and I hope to serve as a role model to female students, especially those that question their path,” Nagshineh said.

She plans to continue in her career as a professor and a researcher. “I would like to pursue a research program where I can advise my own students and teach them more deeply.”

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• Department of English >
• Graduate >

Doctoral Program (PhD)

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Why study english at ub, be part of an intellectual community.

Our department is a vibrant and thriving intellectual community and offers a supportive and stimulating environment in which to do your graduate work. From our perspective, graduate study consists of work that happens both in seminars and in the many conversations that happen outside them: formally and informally, among and between faculty and students.

The English Department at SUNY Buffalo has long been recognized for its strengths in contemporary theory and Poetics, and many students come here to work with faculty through the Center for Psychoanalysis and the Poetics Program. But these centers offer only some examples of the kinds of innovative work that takes place in the department. Our students are trained by faculty who are interested in both the latest theoretical approaches and in more traditional fields of literary historical study, and in finding new ways to connect old and new.

Engage across disciplines

There is nothing new about “interdisciplinary” study at Buffalo. For close to fifty years the UB English Department has worked to encourage students to think and study across the disciplines and to think beyond the usual definitions of “English Literature.” We have few curricular requirements and encourage students to take courses in other departments from their earliest semesters. Students frequently have dissertation committee members from other departments and, even within English, work broadly between history and theory. For this reason, our PhDs produce some of the most cutting-edge scholarship in their fields, studying literature alongside anthropology, media studies, transnational studies and, of course, history. For some recent examples of the kinds of dissertations written at Buffalo, look here.

Beyond coursework, there are numerous venues for interdisciplinary conversation within and beyond the humanities. Some of the most productive involve groups organized by faculty and graduate students through Buffalo’s Humanities Institute .

Participate in department operations

Ours is a program in which students are active in every phase of the department’s operations. A unique system of parity gives graduate students a strong voice in departmental operations. Department meetings are open to graduate students, and student representatives sit as voting members in those meetings and in all departmental committees, including the Graduate Review Committee and the Committee on Admissions and Fellowships.

The English Graduate Student Association (EGSA) is an active and vital group that elects students to committees, helps form the graduate curriculum, and sponsors lectures, conferences, works-in-progress symposia, and many other events.

Prepare for the Profession

Our students leave the PhD Program accomplished teachers and scholars and very much prepared to assume careers in the profession. We encourage students to publish during their time in graduate school and offer a third-year workshop dedicated to that goal. Our department is also unique in having graduate students involved in every phase of its operations. Students attend department meetings and are part of all department committees, including the Graduate Review Committee and the Committee on Admissions and Fellowships.

What are the requirements for completion?

The doctoral degree requires 72 graduate credits, most of which are satisfied through ten graduate seminars.

Candidates may also create a Minor Field, broadly defined as an area of knowledge or intellectual discipline other than English or American Literature. The range of possibilities is vast, and the only requirement is that the Minor Field have some defensible relation to the student’s dissertation.

Examination

Candidates for the PhD take a PhD oral qualifying examination that is largely of their own design. The exam consists of three fields, one of which relates to a potential dissertation topic. The students constructs each examination list with a faculty member who specializes in that area, and all three lists are reviewed and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.

Dissertation

The degree is completed through a book-length work of original scholarship, which is advised by a committee of three faculty members. Upon the completion of the dissertation, the student participate in a defense with the full committee.

How do I apply?

Apply online.

Completed applications are due by  December 13 .

Damien Keane

Associate Professor; Director of Graduate Studies

302B Clemens Hall

Phone: (716) 645-0681

Email: [email protected]

Steven Miller

Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Admissions

415 Clemens

Phone: (716) 645-0687

Email: [email protected]

Administrative Assistant

Graduate Office

302 Clemens Hall

Phone: (716) 645-2567

Email: [email protected]

College of Southern Nevada sees around 4,000 students graduate in Spring 2024

LAS VEGAS ( KLAS ) — It is the moment many college seniors are waiting for: graduation day!

The College of Southern Nevada serves more than 20,000 students a year and more than 90% of CSN’s graduates will remain in state and continue their education, including Student Body President Pio Rejas.

Rejas plans to attend UNLV to finish a bachelor’s degree in political science and said attending CSN has helped shaped his path into politics.

“I just put my name on the ballot and I ran for student senator,” Rejas remarked. “Just that small step, it was a whole snowball effect that gave me the opportunity to go to Chicago, Washington, even the White House. It’s absolutely incredible.”

He said CSN opened new doors for him gave him a sense of community.

“CSN is a minority serving institution,” Rejas added. “With a Hispanic serving institution, I feel like quite a bit like I’m home like my home country. I see people that look like me, I see faculty that look like me, even the president I can relate to.”

For Keyna Hadley, she plans to enroll at Siena College in New York after graduation.

“I’m gonna be going there to play basketball and also pursue my psychology degree,” Hadley explained. “It’s going to be my first time being out on the East Coast.”

She said attending CSN gave her a good balance to juggle sports and school.

“Things didn’t really work out at my first school and I went on the internet and searched up community colleges in Las Vegas to get into basketball and the coach responded to me within 10 to 15 minutes and that’s why I’m here today,” Hadley explained. “I will say most students graduating high school should take the junior college route just because it really prepares you, not just for school, but life in general.”

With around 4,000 set to receive their certificates and degrees, school officials said the class of 2024 may be one of the largest graduating classes in the school’s history.

Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. James McCoy said while many people know CSN is a two-year institution, they offer four-year degrees too, which helps with flexibility and enrollment.

“A student can come to CSN for a short-term certificate and be in and out in one semester and get an amazing job or stick around and take higher education including 4-year bachelor’s degrees,” Dr. McCoy said. “These students are the next generation of the workforce here in southern Nevada from nursing to the next teacher pipeline, these are students that are going to filling in the gaps that have significant needs in our career paths. “

There were also 116 students who enrolled at CSN high school and graduated with both a high school diploma and associates degree. It is all part of a dual credit program through CSN and CCSD. 

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