phd in english and education

English Education PhD

Doctor of philosophy (75 points).

The primary purpose of the doctoral programs in English Education at Teachers College is to advance knowledge relevant to the teaching and learning of English and to prepare expert teachers of English for careers as scholars, researchers, and teacher educators in the field of English education. ​​ The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program in English Education is open to a wide array of scholarly interests and thrives on the diversity of backgrounds and experiences students bring with them. As a Ph.D. student, you will become conversant with the principal theories, research methods, and pedagogical traditions of the field of English education. The degree program leads to an original research project culminating in the development of a scholarly dissertation that contributes to knowledge in the field. Graduates often take up research careers in universities or other educational institutions upon completion of their Ph.D. 

Experiences and Exposures: 

• World-class faculty come together with a collaborative group of students from around the world to critically engage with theoretical and pedagogical stances that underpin English Education. 
• Engagement in the scholarly community via coursework, research experiences, and opportunities to write and present at scholarly conferences. 
• Supported by faculty mentors, students take on individual exploration of enquiries and conduct original research into issues of critical importance to the field of English Education.

Final Admissions Deadline:  January 15th

The final deadline for doctoral program applications is January 15th (with a December 1st as a priority deadline).

If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to a faculty member regarding the admissions process for this program.

Admissions Information

Displaying requirements for the Spring 2024, Summer 2024, and Fall 2024 terms.

Doctor of Philosophy

• Points/Credits: 75
• Entry Terms: Fall Only

Application Deadlines

Select programs remain open beyond our standard application deadlines , such as those with an extended deadline or those that are rolling (open until June or July). If your program is rolling or has an extended deadline indicated above, applications are reviewed as they are received and on a space-available basis. We recommend you complete your application as soon as possible as these programs can close earlier if full capacity has been met.

Application Requirements

Requirements from the tc catalog (ay 2023-2024).

Displaying catalog information for the Fall 2023, Spring 2024 and Summer 2024 terms.

View Full Catalog Listing

Doctor of Philosophy in English Ed

The Doctor of Philosophy (75 credits) degree is designed to prepare candidates for positions in higher education as teachers and researchers whose scholarly activity is focused on the theoretical, philosophical, and pedagogical questions that define English education as a discipline for teaching and inquiry.

Required courses for ALL English Education/Teaching of English doctoral candidates:

A&HE 5510 Seminar in Foundational Texts 1 

A&HE 5504 Research Paper: Teaching of English (co-requisite with A&HE 5149)A&HE 5149 Writing Research: Methods and Assumptions (co-requisite with A&HE 5504)

A&HE 6504 Doctoral Seminar: Teaching of English

A&HE 7504 Dissertation Seminar: Teaching of English

A&HE 8904 Dissertation Advisement in the Teaching of English

A range of electives in literary and rhetorical studies

Four research methods courses for a total of at least 12 credits. It is recommended that candidates include at least two of the following:

A&HE 5150 Research in Practice

A&HE 5160 Qualitative Methodologies & Theoretical Frameworks

A&HE 6151 Narrative Research in English Education

A&HE 6152 Advanced Narrative Research in English Education

Students may also satisfy the requirement for research methods courses by completing approved courses in other programs and departments across the College.

Credit Requirements and Transfer Credits for the Ph.D. in English Education

The number of courses students take depends in part on the number of credits students transfer from previous graduate work at Teachers College. Students working toward the Ph.D. degree (75 credits) may transfer a maximum of 30 credits and will thus complete at least 45 credits while in the Ph.D. program. Approval of transfer of credits is always at the discretion of the advisor.

Coursework Restrictions

An academic advisor must approve all coursework in a student’s program plan, especially to ensure enforcement of the following College and Departmental policies:

No course that is “R” (attendance) credit or that is “P” (pass/fail) may be counted toward the Ph.D. aside from A&HE 6504 and A&HE 7504.

Students must consult their academic advisors when they undertake an independent study, an internship, fieldwork courses, or graduate courses in other colleges (usually GSAS) of Columbia University or at other universities within the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium.

Doctoral students are generally discouraged from taking 4000-level courses and must consult with their academic advisors before registering for these courses.

Candidates should take a minimum of two courses outside the English Education Program (Courses not designated A&HE).

Doctoral Program Milestones Program Plan

During their first year of study, students in consultation with their advisor should complete, and file with the Office of Doctoral Studies, a program plan (the forms are available in the English education office and in the Office of Doctoral Studies) anticipating all the courses they will need to complete within the scope of their doctoral studies. This program plan should then be reviewed annually with the student’s advisor (and revised as necessary) giving student and advisor an annual measure of the student’s progress through the program

A&HE 5504: Research Paper in the Teaching of English

Before enrolling in A&HE 5504, students must have completed at least two research methods courses, have successfully completed the Certification 1 Examination, have discovered an area or problem of interest that they wish to study for their 5504 project, and have familiarized themselves with some of the available research literature on the topic or problem they propose to investigate. The research paper completed in A&HE 5504 allows a doctoral student to demonstrate the capacity to complete independent research and produce a research paper at a level of sophistication that promises success in undertaking a doctoral research project and doctoral dissertation. The completed A&HE 5504 research paper must be approved by faculty as qualifying the student to proceed to the next milestone in the doctoral program, the Certification 2 Examination.

Certification Examinations

Certification examinations certify a student’s expertise in the foundational texts, research traditions, and theoretical perspectives that represent the history of English Education as an academic discipline and that inform research in the more specialized field of study defined by a student’s anticipated dissertation project. Doctoral students in the English Education Program must pass two separate certification examinations. Examination 1 is a take-home examination, seven days in duration, covering the history of English education with a focus on one of the major curricular strands within the discipline. Examination 2, covering a specialized disciplinary area related to the student’s dissertation topic, is a take-home written examination to be completed within a time frame (up to one semester) set by the student’s faculty advisor. The topics and texts to be covered by the two examinations and the examination questions are determined by each student’s advisor in consultation with the student who will be examined.

Foreign Language Requirement

Candidates for the Ph.D. degree in English education must demonstrate reading proficiency in at least one foreign language at a level of competence sufficient to read scholarly or professional work relevant to their own field of study. Students should contact the Office of Doctoral Studies for the current policy regarding satisfying this requirement. Courses in statistics or other past substitutes for a foreign language will not be accepted.

Dissertation Proposal (A&HE 7504)

The doctoral dissertation proposal consolidates the work candidates have done in courses, professional reading, and the two certification examinations. It is usually a 60 to 100-page document, which outlines a coherent account of the work a candidate wants to undertake for dissertation research, usually presenting drafts of early chapters for the dissertation. Typically a proposal includes an introductory chapter describing the origins and aims of the project, a fairly complete review of the literature, a chapter on research methods, and some preliminary data and data analysis. The dissertation proposal must be accepted at a formal or informal hearing where at least two faculty members function as examiners. Students may not undertake the dissertation proposal until both certification exams have been completed successfully.

Award of the Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) degree

Students become eligible to apply for the Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) degree upon completing 75 credits of coursework and fulfilling each of the previous doctoral program milestones. Upon being awarded the M.Phil. degree, doctoral students become “candidates” for the Ph.D. degree. Applications for the M.Phil. degree can be filed with the Office of Doctoral Studies.

Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation is the culminating research project of the doctoral program and constitutes a significant contribution to knowledge in the field of English Education. As candidates write their dissertations, they must enroll in A&HE 8904: Dissertation Advisement in Teaching English, which is designed to help them refine their thinking and revise their writing as they complete successive drafts of their dissertation.

The Advanced Seminar

What is known historically as the Advanced Seminar now functions as a pre-defense meeting of a portion (2-3 faculty members) of the Ph.D. candidate’s doctoral dissertation committee, which convenes to interrogate and advise the candidate on the dissertation in progress in order to ensure its successful completion. The committee may be convened at any point in a candidate’s progress toward completing the dissertation research, but is ordinarily convened for English education candidates at a point when the candidate can present a rough draft of the entire dissertation for scrutiny by the dissertation committee members. The committee is convened in response to a formal request filed with the Office of Doctoral Studies (ODS) by the candidate with the approval of the dissertation advisor. Candidates should consult the ODS early in the dissertation project to ensure that all procedural rules for convening the Advanced Seminar and reporting on its deliberations are properly observed.

Dissertation Defense

The dissertation defense offers the opportunity for members of the candidate’s dissertation committee, all of whom have carefully read the dissertation, to interrogate the candidate on any and all dimensions of the candidate’s research and the written dissertation that is the product of that research. In most cases the committee will suggest minor revisions that the candidate is expected to incorporate into the dissertation before filing the final version. A typical defense, however, is less an interrogation than it is a collegial discussion of the candidate’s research project and findings with attention to next steps in the candidate’s research agenda and possibilities for revising and publishing the dissertation or sections of it. A successful dissertation defense marks both a moment of certification and a ritual initiation. At the conclusion of a successful defense, authorized doctoral faculty officially certify a candidate’s accomplishment in completing a major research study that makes a significant contribution to knowledge in the field of English education broadly defined, and thereby welcome the doctoral candidate into the community of scholars.

• View Other Degrees

Program Director : Yolanda Sealey Ruiz, Limarys Caraballo

Teachers College, Columbia University 327 Horace Mann Hall

Phone: 212.678.3070 Fax: 212.678.8197

Email: pa_enged@tc.edu

Doctor of Philosophy in Education

Additional Information

• Download the Doctoral Viewbook
• Admissions & Aid

The Harvard Ph.D. in Education trains cutting-edge researchers who work across disciplines to generate knowledge and translate discoveries into transformative policy and practice.

Offered jointly by the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Ph.D. in Education provides you with full access to the extraordinary resources of Harvard University and prepares you to assume meaningful roles as university faculty, researchers, senior-level education leaders, and policymakers.

As a Ph.D. candidate, you will collaborate with scholars across all Harvard graduate schools on original interdisciplinary research. In the process, you will help forge new fields of inquiry that will impact the way we teach and learn. The program’s required coursework will develop your knowledge of education and your expertise in a range of quantitative and qualitative methods needed to conduct high-quality research. Guided by the goal of making a transformative impact on education research, policy, and practice, you will focus on independent research in various domains, including human development, learning and teaching, policy analysis and evaluation, institutions and society, and instructional practice.   

Curriculum Information

The Ph.D. in Education requires five years of full-time study to complete. You will choose your individual coursework and design your original research in close consultation with your HGSE faculty adviser and dissertation committee. The requirements listed below include the three Ph.D. concentrations: Culture, Institutions, and Society; Education Policy and Program Evaluation; and Human Development, Learning and Teaching . 

We invite you to review an example course list, which is provided in two formats — one as the full list by course number and one by broad course category . These lists are subject to modification. 

Ph.D. Concentrations and Examples

Summary of Ph.D. Program

Doctoral Colloquia  In year one and two you are required to attend. The colloquia convenes weekly and features presentations of work-in-progress and completed work by Harvard faculty, faculty and researchers from outside Harvard, and Harvard doctoral students. Ph.D. students present once in the colloquia over the course of their career.

Research Apprenticeship The Research Apprenticeship is designed to provide ongoing training and mentoring to develop your research skills throughout the entire program.

Teaching Fellowships The Teaching Fellowship is an opportunity to enhance students' teaching skills, promote learning consolidation, and provide opportunities to collaborate with faculty on pedagogical development.

Comprehensive Exams  The Written Exam (year 2, spring) tests you on both general and concentration-specific knowledge. The Oral Exam (year 3, fall/winter) tests your command of your chosen field of study and your ability to design, develop, and implement an original research project.

Dissertation  Based on your original research, the dissertation process consists of three parts: the Dissertation Proposal, the writing, and an oral defense before the members of your dissertation committee.

Culture, Institutions, and Society (CIS) Concentration

In CIS, you will examine the broader cultural, institutional, organizational, and social contexts relevant to education across the lifespan. What is the value and purpose of education? How do cultural, institutional, and social factors shape educational processes and outcomes? How effective are social movements and community action in education reform? How do we measure stratification and institutional inequality? In CIS, your work will be informed by theories and methods from sociology, history, political science, organizational behavior and management, philosophy, and anthropology. You can examine contexts as diverse as classrooms, families, neighborhoods, schools, colleges and universities, religious institutions, nonprofits, government agencies, and more.

Education Policy and Program Evaluation (EPPE) Concentration

In EPPE, you will research the design, implementation, and evaluation of education policy affecting early childhood, K–12, and postsecondary education in the U.S. and internationally. You will evaluate and assess individual programs and policies related to critical issues like access to education, teacher effectiveness, school finance, testing and accountability systems, school choice, financial aid, college enrollment and persistence, and more. Your work will be informed by theories and methods from economics, political science, public policy, and sociology, history, philosophy, and statistics. This concentration shares some themes with CIS, but your work with EPPE will focus on public policy and large-scale reforms.

Human Development, Learning and Teaching (HDLT) Concentration

In HDLT, you will work to advance the role of scientific research in education policy, reform, and practice. New discoveries in the science of learning and development — the integration of biological, cognitive, and social processes; the relationships between technology and learning; or the factors that influence individual variations in learning — are transforming the practice of teaching and learning in both formal and informal settings. Whether studying behavioral, cognitive, or social-emotional development in children or the design of learning technologies to maximize understanding, you will gain a strong background in human development, the science of learning, and sociocultural factors that explain variation in learning and developmental pathways. Your research will be informed by theories and methods from psychology, cognitive science, sociology and linguistics, philosophy, the biological sciences and mathematics, and organizational behavior.

Program Faculty

The most remarkable thing about the Ph.D. in Education is open access to faculty from all Harvard graduate and professional schools, including the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Harvard Kennedy School, the Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, and the Harvard School of Public Health. Learn about the full Ph.D. Faculty.

Jarvis R. Givens

Jarvis Givens studies the history of American education, African American history, and the relationship between race and power in schools.

Paul L. Harris

Paul Harris is interested in the early development of cognition, emotion, and imagination in children.

Meira Levinson

Meira Levinson is a normative political philosopher who works at the intersection of civic education, youth empowerment, racial justice, and educational ethics. 

Luke W. Miratrix

Luke Miratrix is a statistician who explores how to best use modern statistical methods in applied social science contexts.

Eric Taylor

Eric Taylor studies the economics of education, with a particular interest in employer-employee interactions between schools and teachers — hiring and firing decisions, job design, training, and performance evaluation.

Paola Uccelli

Paola Ucelli studies socio-cultural and individual differences in the language development of multilingual and monolingual students.

View Ph.D. Faculty

Dissertations.

The following is a complete listing of successful Ph.D. in Education dissertations to-date. Dissertations from November 2014 onward are publicly available in the Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) , the online repository for Harvard scholarship.

• 2022 Graduate Dissertations (265 KB pdf)
• 2021 Graduate Dissertations (177 KB pdf)
• 2020 Graduate Dissertations (121 KB pdf)
• 2019 Graduate Dissertations (68.3 KB pdf)

Student Directory

An opt-in listing of current Ph.D. students with information about their interests, research, personal web pages, and contact information:

Doctor of Philosophy in Education Student Directory

Introduce Yourself

Tell us about yourself so that we can tailor our communication to best fit your interests and provide you with relevant information about our programs, events, and other opportunities to connect with us.

Program Highlights

Explore examples of the Doctor of Philosophy in Education experience and the impact its community is making on the field:

Reshaping Teacher Licensure: Lessons from the Pandemic

Olivia Chi, Ed.M.'17, Ph.D.'20, discusses the ongoing efforts to ensure the quality and stability of the teaching workforce

Lost in Translation

New comparative study from Ph.D. candidate Maya Alkateb-Chami finds strong correlation between low literacy outcomes for children and schools teaching in different language from home

Ph.D. Program

The Stanford English department has a long tradition of training the next generation of scholars to become leaders in academia and related fields. Our Ph.D. program encourages the production of ambitious, groundbreaking dissertation work across the diverse field interests of our prestigious faculty.

Fusing deep attention to literary history with newer approaches to media, technology, and performance, our department carefully mentors students in both scholarship and pedagogy through close interaction with faculty. Our location on the edge of the Pacific and at the heart of Silicon Valley encourages expansive, entrepreneurial thinking about the interpenetration of arts and sciences.

Program Overview

The English Department seeks to teach and promote an understanding of both the significance and the history of British and American literature (broadly defined) and to foster an appreciation of the richness and variety of texts in the language. It offers rigorous training in interpretive thinking and precise expression. Our English graduate program features the study of what imaginative language, rhetoric, and narrative art has done, can do, and will do in life, and it focuses on the roles creative writing and representations play in almost every aspect of modern experience. Completing the Ph.D. program prepares a student for full participation as a scholar and literary critic in the profession.

Financial Support

We offer an identical five-year funding package to all admitted students with competitive funding available for a sixth year. Funding covers applicable tuition costs, Stanford Cardinal Care health insurance, and living expenses in the form of direct stipend, teaching assistantships or pre-doctoral research assistantships. The department, in conjunction with the School of Humanities and Sciences, is also committed to supporting students' involvement in professional activities and funds many of the expenses for research travel, summer language study, and participation in academic conferences. Student housing is not included in the funding package.

In addition to our standard doctoral funding package, the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education (VPGE) provides competitive funding to support individual doctoral students, student groups, and department-based projects. VPGE funding opportunities promote innovation, diversity, and excellence in graduate education. Explore their doctoral  fellowship  and other student  funding  opportunities.

The  Knight-Hennessy Scholars  program cultivates and supports a highly-engaged, multidisciplinary and multicultural community of graduate students from across Stanford University, and delivers a diverse collection of educational experiences, preparing graduates to address complex challenges facing the world. Knight-Hennessy Scholars participate in an experiential leadership development program known as the King Global Leadership Program and receive funding for up to three years of graduate study at Stanford. Two applications must be submitted separately; one to Knight-Hennessy and one to the Stanford English graduate degree program by its deadline. Please refer to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program page to learn more and apply.

Teaching Requirements

One pedagogical seminar and four quarters of supervised teaching. Typically a student will teach three times as a teaching assistant in a literature course. For the fourth course, students will have the option of applying to design and teach a Writing Intensive Seminar in English (WISE) for undergraduate English majors or teaching a fourth quarter as a T.A..

• 1st year: One quarter as T.A. (leading 1-2 discussion sections of undergraduate literature)
• 2nd year: One quarter as T.A. (leading 1-2 discussion sections of undergraduate literature)
• 3rd/4th/5th years: Two quarters of teaching, including the possibility of TA'ing or teaching a WISE course.

Language requirements

All candidates for the Ph.D. degree must demonstrate a reading knowledge of two foreign languages. One language requirement must be completed during the first year of study. The second language must be completed before the oral examination in the third year.

Candidates in the earlier periods must offer Latin and one of the following languages: French, German, Greek, Italian or Spanish. Candidates in the later period (that is, after the Renaissance) must demonstrate a reading knowledge of two languages for which  Stanford’s Language Center  regularly offers a reading course, administers a competency exam, or facilitates the administration of an American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Reading Proficiency Test (ACTFL RPT). In all cases, the choice of languages offered must be relevant to the student’s field of study and must have the approval of the candidate's adviser. Any substitution of a language other than one for which Stanford offers a competency exam must also be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.

Other requirements

All candidates for the Ph.D. must satisfactorily complete the following:

• 135 units, at least 70 of which (normally 14 courses) must be graded course work
• Qualifying examination, based on a reading guide of approximately 70-90 works, to be taken orally at the end of the summer after the first year of graduate work.
• University oral examination covering the field of concentration taken no later than the winter quarter of the third year of study.
• Submission of the dissertation prospectus
• First chapter review with the dissertation advisor and the members of the dissertation reading committee.
• Dissertation, which should be an original work of literary criticism demonstrating the student's ability to participate fully as a scholar and literary critic in the profession.
• Closing colloquium designed to look forward toward the next steps; identify the major accomplishments of the dissertation and the major questions/issues/problems that remain; consider possibilities for revision, book or article publication, etc.

• Future Students
• Current Students
• Faculty/Staff

Programs & Degrees

• Programs & Degrees Home
• Master's
• Undergraduate
• Professional Learning
• Student Voices

You are here

Doctoral programs.

The goal of the GSE PhD in Education is to prepare the next generation of leading education researchers. The cornerstone of the doctoral experience at the Stanford Graduate School of Education is the research apprenticeship that all students undertake, typically under the guidance of their academic advisor, but often with other Stanford faculty as well.

In this apprenticeship model, doctoral students are provided with a multi-year funding package that consists of opportunities each quarter to serve as teaching and research assistants for faculty members' courses and research projects. By this means, and in combination with the courses they take as part of their program, students are prepared over an approximately five-year period to excel as university teachers and education researchers.

The doctoral degree in Education at the GSE includes doctoral program requirements as well as a specialization, as listed below, overseen by a faculty committee from one of the GSE's three academic areas.

Doctoral programs by academic area

Curriculum studies and teacher education (cte).

• ‌ Elementary Education
• ‌ History/Social Science Education
• ‌ Learning Sciences and Technology Design
• ‌ Literacy, Language, and English Education
• ‌ Mathematics Education
• ‌ Science, Engineering and Technology Education
• ‌ Race, Inequality, and Language in Education
• ‌ Teacher Education

Developmental and Psychological Sciences (DAPS)

• ‌ Developmental and Psychological Sciences

Social Sciences, Humanities, and Interdisciplinary Policy Studies in Education (SHIPS)

• ‌ Anthropology of Education
• ‌ Economics of Education
• ‌ Education Data Science
• ‌ ‌Educational Linguistics
• ‌ Educational Policy
• ‌ Higher Education
• ‌ History of Education
• ‌ International Comparative Education
• ‌ Organizational Studies
• ‌ Philosophy of Education
• ‌ Sociology of Education

Cross-area specializations

Learning sciences and technology design (lstd).

LSTD allows doctoral students to study learning sciences and technology design within the context of their primary program of study (DAPS, CTE, or SHIPS).

Race, Inequality, and Language in Education (RILE)

RILE trains students to become national leaders in conducting research on how race, inequality, and language intersect to make both ineffective and effective educational opportunities. RILE allows students to specialize within their program of study (DAPS, CTE, or SHIPS).

Other academic opportunities

• ‌ Concentration in Education and Jewish Studies
• ‌ PhD Minor in Education
• ‌ Stanford Doctoral Training Program in Leadership for System-wide Inclusive Education (LSIE)
• ‌ Certificate Program in Partnership Research in Education
• ‌ Public Scholarship Collaborative

“I came to Stanford to work with faculty who value learning in informal settings and who are working to understand and design for it.”

Doctoral graduates were employed within four months of graduation

of those employed worked in organizations or roles related to education

For more information about GSE admissions and to see upcoming events and appointments:

To learn more about the Academic Services team:

Stanford Graduate School of Education

482 Galvez Mall Stanford, CA 94305-3096 Tel: (650) 723-2109

• Contact Admissions
• GSE Leadership
• Site Feedback
• Web Accessibility
• Career Resources
• Faculty Open Positions
• Explore Courses
• Academic Calendar
• Office of the Registrar
• Cubberley Library
• StanfordWho
• StanfordYou

Improving lives through learning

• Stanford Home
• Maps & Directions
• Search Stanford
• Emergency Info
• Terms of Use
• Non-Discrimination
• Accessibility

© Stanford University , Stanford , California 94305 .

English (English Education), PHD

On this page:, at a glance: program details.

• Location: Tempe campus
• Second Language Requirement: No

Program Description

Degree Awarded: PHD English (English Education)

The PhD program in English with a concentration in English education prepares students to examine the writing and reading practices of secondary students. Students also learn about the instructional practices of secondary English language arts teachers through emphasis of the relationship between pedagogy and research methodologies used to study the teaching of secondary English.

The curriculum comprises dynamic coursework, mentoring, interdisciplinary learning opportunities and community outreach.

Possible areas for research focus within this program include young adult literature, secondary reading and writing practices, new literacies, English language learning, critical literacy, and secondary English language arts curriculum and instruction development. The program encourages students to pursue coursework in other subdisciplines within the Department of English, such as rhetoric and composition, applied linguistics and literature, and coursework in the ASU Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, such as literacy and educational research methodology.

Students benefit from the program's links to the Central Arizona Writing Project, which offers opportunities for related coursework, research, community outreach and teacher in-service programs.

The doctorate in English education prepares students to become professors of English education or to pursue other relevant opportunities in research and administration.

The PhD in English (English Education) prepares students to become national leaders in the field of English education as tenure-track faculty at research universities and teaching colleges, as well as secondary English language arts curriculum specialists for school districts, state and federal departments of education, and private education agencies. This concentration emphasizes the relationship between pedagogy and research methodologies used to study the teaching of secondary English (grades 6-12) and prepares students to examine the writing and reading practices of secondary students as well as the instructional practices of secondary English language arts teachers. Possible areas for research focus within this program include young adult literature, secondary reading and writing practices, new literacies, English language learning, and secondary English language arts curriculum and instruction development.

*Note: This degree is not TESOL, ESL, or EFL related. If interested in these fields, check out our PhD Linguistics and Applied Linguistics program.

Christina Saidy , Director

Sheila Luna , Program Manager

Faculty in English Education

Doctoral Examinations

Doctoral Procedures and Timeline

Teaching Assistantships

Degree Requirements

84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (3 credit hours) ENG 501 Approaches to Research (3)

Foundational Distribution (12 credit hours)

Advanced Studies Distribution (12 credit hours)

Internships (6 credit hours) ENG 784 Internship (6)

Specialization (9 credit hours)

Electives and Research (30 credit hours)

Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) ENG 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curriculum Information Students must take 12 credit hours at the 500 level, selected from a list of approved courses in education, English, linguistics and applied linguistics for the foundational distribution.

Students must take at least three courses in the area of specialization.

When approved by the student's supervisory committee and the Graduate College, this program allows 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree to be used for this degree. If not approved, the 30 credit hours of coursework will be made up of electives and research.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's and master's degree from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants with master's degrees in English education and related fields, such as English literature, applied linguistics, education, and rhetoric and composition will be considered. A minimum of three years of full-time teaching or volunteer work in secondary English language arts classrooms or in literate-rich settings is required.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

All applicants must submit:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• statement of purpose
• resume or curriculum vitae
• three letters of recommendation
• academic writing sample
• proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English and has not graduated from an institution of higher learning in the United States must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency. Applications will not be processed without valid proof of English proficiency; official scores must be sent to ASU in order for the application to be processed.

The one- to two-page statement should explain the applicant's interest in the program and how the applicant's background and preparation led to the specific career and research goals. Although applicants will not be expected to have a definite research topic, the statement should articulate the specific domain or research area the applicant hopes to pursue and possible research questions. Letters of recommendation should be from individuals familiar with the applicant's promise in English education, including one letter from a school principal and two letters from university professors. Applicants applying for funding must also submit a statement of teaching philosophy.

Courses and Electives

The Graduate College requires a grade point average of “B” (3.0) or better in the last two years of work leading to the bachelor’s degree. The Admissions Committee will consider applicants with master’s degrees in English education and related fields such as English literature, applied linguistics, education, and rhetoric and composition. A minimum of three years full-time teaching or volunteer work in secondary English language arts classrooms or in literate-rich settings (i.e. Peace Corps, community organizations, and libraries) is preferred. Students seeking advice should consult with the graduate program manager and/or the program director.

The PhD consists of 84 hours of graduate work. A student with a master’s degree must complete a minimum of 54 semester hours of approved graduate work, which includes 12 hours of dissertation. Students will complete all courses on their Program of Study (POS) with a grade of B or better and maintain a GPA of 3.2 or higher. Required coursework for PhD (English Education) must include the following:

• Approaches to Research (3 hours): Students will complete ENG 501: Approaches to Research in English Education.
• Foundational Distribution (12 hours) : Students must take 12 hours at the 500 level selected from a list of approved courses in education, English, linguistics, and applied linguistics.
• Advanced Studies Distribution (12 hours) : Students must take 12 hours at the 600 level from a list of approved courses in education, English, indigenous studies, linguistics, and applied linguistics.
• Internships (6 hours) : Students will complete two internships (ENG 784). Each internship will focus on either the supervision of secondary English language arts teachers, research in collaboration with her/his advisor in a secondary English language arts classroom setting, or assisting in the teaching of an under-graduate English education methods course (i.e. young adult literature, methods of teaching secondary writing, or teaching the interpretation of texts of various genres in the secondary English language arts classroom).
• Specialization : Students will complete at least three courses focused on their area of specialization, which will provide them with intensive background in their selected area of expertise in English education.
• PhD Examinations : The examination includes a portfolio, an oral or written exam, and a colloquy on the dissertation prospectus
• Dissertation : Students must include 12 hours of 799 on the doctoral plan of study. An oral defense of the dissertation is required.

Next Steps to attend ASU

Learn about our programs, apply to a program, visit our campus, application deadlines, learning outcomes.

• Produce written article-length work of publishable quality.
• Write a comprehensive book-length research study with theory, literature review, methods, analysis, and findings based on one's own research.
• Design and conduct original research in the field of English Education.

Career Opportunities

Careers for English education graduates include professions related to the field of language arts and literacy education in secondary schools.

Career examples include:

• curriculum developer
• department chair
• district level research specialist
• dual enrollment teacher
• faculty member (college, university)
• instructional leader
• literacy coach
• middle or high school English teacher
• state level curriculum specialist

Global Opportunities

Global experience.

With over 250 programs in more than 65 countries (ranging from one week to one year), study abroad is possible for all ASU students wishing to gain global skills and knowledge in preparation for a 21st-century career. Students earn ASU credit for completed courses, while staying on track for graduation, and may apply financial aid and scholarships toward program costs. https://mystudyabroad.asu.edu

Program Contact Information

If you have questions related to admission, please click here to request information and an admission specialist will reach out to you directly. For questions regarding faculty or courses, please use the contact information below.

• [email protected]
• 480/965-3194

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Literacy and Language Education

Graduate Programs

The Literacy and Language doctoral program is a research-oriented program culminating with a dissertation. The program focuses on the development of a core knowledge base, with additional coursework to supplement and extend that knowledge base. Working with the advisor and advisory committee, doctoral students have the ability to create this core knowledge base by tailoring their program of study to individual interests and needs. This flexibility and individualization is an important component of the Ph.D. program.

December 1st is the deadline for consideration for Fall admission for this residential program. Applications must be fully complete, submitted, and all application fees paid prior to the deadline in order for applications to be considered and reviewed.

*Those applicants interested in being considered for any available PhD funding should submit completed applications by December 1 for the following Fall semester.

This program does not lead to licensure in the state of Indiana or elsewhere. Contact the College of Education Office of Teacher Education and Licensure (OTEL) at [email protected] before continuing with program application if you have questions regarding licensure or contact your state Department of Education about how this program may translate to licensure in your state of residence.

Here are the materials required for this application

• Transcripts (from all universities attended)
• Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• 3 Recommendations
• Academic Statement of Purpose
• Personal History Statement
• International Applicants must meet English Proficiency Requirements set by the Purdue Graduate School

We encourage prospective students submit an application early, even if not all required materials are uploaded. Applications are not forwarded on for faculty review until all required materials are uploaded.

When submitting your application for this program, please select the following options:

• Select a Campus: Purdue West Lafayette (PWL)
• Select your proposed graduate major: Curriculum and Instruction
• Please select an Area of Interest: Literacy and Language Education
• Please select a Degree Objective: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Primary Course Delivery: Residential

Program Requirements

Applicants with a minimum of three years teaching experience in public or private school classrooms are favorably regarded. Direct experience in the teaching of literacy at the elementary and/or secondary level is preferred.

Students entering the Literacy and Language doctoral program must have an earned master’s degree that fulfills the core requirements found in the Purdue master’s program or complete these core requirements during doctoral study.

The Literacy & Language Education doctoral program requires courses that focus on research and specific cluster areas according to students’ interests. The program typically requires a four year commitment for completion beyond the master’s degree, with a minimum of 60 hours additional credit required beyond master’s study. The following links list and describe the required coursework:

Curriculum and Instruction Foundations Core (15 credit hours)

• EDCI 50000: Foundations of Literacy
• EDCI 58000: Foundations of Curriculum
• EDCI 58500: Multicultural Education
• EDPS 53000: Advanced Educational Psychology
• EDPS 53300: Introduction to Educational Research I: Methodology

Curriculum and Instruction Research Core (minimum of 12 credit hours)

• EDCI 61500: This course provides a foundation for understanding the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings and procedures used in conducting qualitative research.
• STAT 50100 or 51100: Introduction to Statistics. This course provides a foundation for understanding and applying basic concepts of descriptive and inferential statistical research design and analysis. PSY 60000 and SOC 58100 are also acceptable research courses. Consult with your major professor to choose the course most appropriate for your program of study.
• Qualitative research courses include EDCI 61600: Advanced Qualitative Research Methods in Education, COM 58300: Research And Assessment In Organizational Communication, ANTH 51900, ANTH 56500, ANTH 60500, SOC 60900
• Quantitative research courses include STAT 50200, STAT 51200, PSY 60100
• EDPS 63000: Research Procedures in Education is taken when students are ready to write their dissertation proposal. This course focuses on the design and presentation of educational research. Seminars which focus on qualitative or quantitative studies are offered under the same course number. Students should elect the option that is most suited to their research interests.
• Theoretical or mixed methods research courses include EDCI 62000: Seminar in Mathematics Education; EDCI 67300: Issues and Methods in Educational Technology Research; ANTH 60500: Seminar in Ethnographic Analysis; ENGL 61800: Research Design; ENGL 62400: Rhetorical History and Theory; ENGL 62500: Empirical Research on Writing; ENGL 63200: Critical Theory; ENGL 68000: Qualitative Research Methods; STAT 51400: Design of Experiments

Literacy & Language Education Cluster Areas (minimum of 12 credit hours)

The Literacy and Language doctoral program is currently organized around three different cluster areas: English Language Learning (ELL), Literacy and Human Development, and English Education. Students typically focus their program of study in one cluster area, with a minimum of 12 credit hours from the selected area. However, as students develop their individual program of study with their major professor, students may take courses from any cluster area.

Cluster Area 1: English Language Learning (ELL) Required courses for the ELL Cluster:

• EDCI 51900: Teaching Learners of English as a New Language
• EDCI 52600: Language Study for Educators
• EDCI 53000: English Language Development
• EDCI 55700: Assessment of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students
• EDCI 55900: Academic Language and Content Area Learning

Other possible courses are offered through the Second Language/ English as a Second Language Graduate Program in the Department of English. These include the following:

• ENG 51600: Teaching English as a Second Language: Theoretical Foundations
• ENG 51800: Teaching English as a Second Language: Principles and Practices
• ENG 62900: Seminar in English as a Second Language
• ENG 63000: Seminar in Second Language Writing

Cluster Area 2: Literacy and Human Development In addition to EDCI 50000 (Foundations of Literacy), three of the following courses are required for the Literacy and Human Development Cluster:

• EDCI 50100: Problems in Literacy Acquisition: Evaluation and Instruction
• EDCI 50400: Children’s Literature as Semiotic, Developmental Resource
• EDCI 61400: Literacy and the Development of Young Children (online)
• EDCI 61200: Seminar in Literacy. Possible seminar topics include: Literacy Research Methodologies, Bilingualism and Multilingualism

Cluster Area 3: English Education (Secondary) Suggested courses for the English Education Cluster:

• EDCI 50200: Reading in Middle and Secondary Schools
• EDCI 50900: Writing in Middle and Secondary Schools
• EDCI 55100: Young Adult Literature
• EDCI 59500: Advanced Studies in English Education
• EDCI 61300: Seminar in English Language Arts
• EDCI 62300: Seminar in Genre Studies

Two variable topic seminars are also offered and may be repeated for credit by graduate students during their programs.

• EDCI 61200: Seminar in Literacy. Recent topics include: The Development of Academic Language in the Content Areas; An Introduction to Systemic-Functional Linguistics; Teacher Education for Social Justice
• EDCI 61300: Seminar in English Language Arts. Recent topics include: Teacher Research; Classroom Discourse Analysis; Teaching Bodies; The Reflective Teacher; Young Adult Literature and Identity
• Ackerman Center
• Serious Games
• CnI Online Fac
• Curriculum Studies
• Education for Work and Community
• Elementary Education
• English Education
• English Language Learning
• Learning Design and Technology
• Literacy and Language Education
• Mathematics Education
• Science Education
• Social Studies Education
• Applied Behavior Analysis
• Counseling and Development
• Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
• Educational Psychology and Research Methodology
• Gifted Education
• Special Education

Janet Alsup

Helen bentley, breanya hogue, tara star johnson, tiffany karalis noel, melanie kuhn, patricia morita-mullaney, jennifer renn, brenda sarmiento-quezada, ofelia castro schepers, christy wessel powell, wayne e. wright, application procedure.

Course Registration, payment, drops/withdraws, and removing holds: [email protected] Career accounts: ITaP (765) 494-4000

• Departments and Units
• Majors and Minors
• LSA Course Guide
• LSA Gateway

Search: {{$root.lsaSearchQuery.q}}, Page {{$root.page}}

• News & Events
• Affiliated Programs
• Interest Groups
• Undergraduates
• Graduate Programs
• Alumni & Friends

• English Major
• Creative Writing Minor
• English Department Writing Program
• English Major with Teaching Certification
• Capstone Program in Creative Writing
• English in Action
• 2024 Commencement
• English Minor
• Capstone Program in Research
• Advising Information
• Study Abroad
• Current Students
• Faculty Fields
• How to Apply
• Internship Program
• Ph.D. Dissertations
• Prospective Students
• Certificate Programs
• Giving to English
• Alumni Resources
• Alumni Survey
• Sponsor Student Careers
• Parents & Visitors
• Alumni Profiles
• Annual Newsletter
• Lasting Impressions
• PhD in English and Education
• PhD in English Language and Literature
• PhD in English and Women's and Gender Studies
• MFA in Writing

Students interested in studying rhetoric, composition, literacy studies, or English education at UM should apply to the interdisciplinary Joint PhD program in English and Education (JPEE). Students in this program have written dissertations on rhetorical theory, literacy, feminist theory, new media composition, disability studies, queer theory, applied linguistics, English language studies, ethnic studies, creative writing studies, and writing assessment. All JPEE students have the opportunity to pursue research projects collaboratively with faculty, including social justice- and activist-oriented research, in addition to individual dissertation research. All students are guaranteed five years of full funding, and there is additional support for conference travel, research projects, and summer research and writing. To date, the program has a 100% placement for graduates who have chosen to pursue tenure-track faculty positions in education and English departments in colleges and universities; program graduates also sometimes choose to pursue opportunities in educational nonprofits, school districts, and government-sponsored agencies Students in JPEE work closely with those in other PhD programs in both the English Department and the School of Education and take courses in both units. However, JPEE maintains its own admissions process, exam schedule, and support structure. To learn more about the program and how to apply, visit our JPEE Program Page .

Program Newsletter

These are the recent issues of the Program's newsletter:

• 2018  (PDF)
• 2017  (PDF)
• 2016  (PDF)
• 2015  (PDF)
• 2014  (PDF)
• 2013  (PDF)
• 2012  (PDF)
• 2011  (PDF)
• 2010  (PDF)
• 2009  (PDF)
• 2008  (PDF)
• 2007  (PDF)
• 2006  (PDF)
• 2005  (PDF)
• 2004  (PDF)

Hours: M-F 8 am - 4:30 pm

• Information For
• Faculty and Staff
• Alumni and Friends
• More about LSA
• How Do I Apply?
• LSA Magazine
• Student Resources
• Academic Advising
• Global Studies
• LSA Opportunity Hub
• Social Media
• Update Contact Info
• Privacy Statement
• Report Feedback

English Ph.D.

The Ph.D. program in English at the University of Texas at Austin is one of the largest and best doctoral programs of its kind. Ranked in the top 20 English Graduate Programs by U.S. News & World Report , our program offers students intensive research mentoring and pedagogical training in the vibrant setting that is Austin, Texas. In addition, all admitted English PhD students receive six years of full funding .

Drawing on the resources of two units, the Department of English and the Department of Rhetoric and Writing, our program has at its center a dynamic and dedicated faculty of over 60 .

While the Ph.D. program is housed in and administered by the Department of English , the Department of Rhetoric and Writing is a crucial partner in helping to educate our shared students. The make-up of each cohort of students mirrors our unusual interdepartmental collaboration: each year we accept 10-12 students in literature and 4 in rhetoric and digital literacies.

One of the distinguishing features of our program is its collegiality and sense of shared purpose. Students and faculty work collaboratively on a number of departmental and university-wide committees, participate actively in reading and writing groups, and treat one another with respect.

Our program is engaged not only in meeting the challenges of a complex, rapidly changing academic discipline but also in helping to shape it. Our graduate courses examine relationships between writing and other cultural practices and explore the social, historical, rhetorical, and technological processes by which literature and other discourses are constituted. While we take seriously our responsibility to help train the next generation of the professoriate—that is, to cultivate scholarship, effective teaching, and collegiality—we also encourage our students to think of their training and their futures in the broadest terms possible.

Requirements

• Foreign Language Requirement
• Tab Option 4
• Tab Option 5

All students, regardless of whether they enter with a BA or MA, are required to complete 39 hours of formal graduate coursework taken for a grade before the end of their third year. These 39 hours must include:

• E384K Disciplinary Inquiries, which is taken in the first semester. It may not include other courses under the E384 course number.
• At least one 3-hour seminar on pre-1800 material
• At least one 3-hour seminar on post-1800 material
• At least 3 hours, but no more than 9 hours, taken out of department. Out-of-department courses include: undergraduate English courses taken for graduate credit, creative writing workshops or Literature for Writers courses with the New Writers Project, and supervised study conference courses arranged with individual faculty members.

These curricular requirements ensure that students encounter a wide range of courses, faculty, and texts during their time at UT, extending well beyond their specialized area of interest. Students choose coursework in consultation with the Associate Graduate Advisor, who may allow substitutions for English courses in cases where alternate coursework is needed to supplement departmental offerings. This alternate coursework could take the form of the out-of-department courses listed above. Such substitutions may be warranted in cases where a student is pursuing a portfolio in an interdisciplinary unit such as CWGS, MALS, or AADS; where the English department offers few courses in the student’s area of interest; or where the student needs to pursue a foreign language for research purposes. We encourage students to investigate portfolio options early in their career so they can integrate those courses as soon as possible. Some portfolios require 12 hours of coursework; in those cases, the Associate Graduate Advisor will grant an exception to the 9-hour limit on out-of-department courses.

Students who hold the position of AI are also required to take RHE398T, which is usually taken during the fall semester of their third year, or when a graduate student teaches RHE306 for the first time. RHE398T does not count toward the required 39 hours of formal graduate coursework.

Beginning in their third year of the program, students have the option of enrolling in additional seminars inside or outside the department, choosing whether to take these courses for a grade or for Credit/No Credit.  They can also enroll in E384L Scholarly Publication (usually taken in or after the third year) and E384M Professional Outcomes (usually taken in or after the fourth year). Students take these two courses for Credit/No Credit. The graduate program encourages students to continue enrolling in optional courses throughout their years as a PhD student, while they are reading for exams and planning and writing a dissertation.

In the spring of year three, students must pass the  Third-Year Examination , which tests their knowledge of and engagement with chosen fields of specialization. Students will be examined on either a fixed reading list or a reading list developed by three faculty members in collaboration with the student. The list will contain 60-80 primary and/or secondary texts. The Third-Year Examination consists of a written and an oral component. The written component consists of: 1) a 1000- to 2000-word intellectual rationale for the list; 2) an annotated version of the list (at least 1/3 of the texts with an annotation of 100 words or more each); and 3) two syllabi based on the list—the first for a survey course, the second for an upper-division seminar. Students will then sit for a two-hour oral examination during which the committee will ask questions about both the written materials and the students’ comprehension of the reading list.

The  Prospectus Examination  grants students an opportunity to receive formal feedback from three faculty members on their proposed dissertation project. Students work closely with faculty to write and revise a 15- to 20-page prospectus. Once the faculty members are ready to sign off on the document, an oral Prospectus Examination is scheduled. Students are encouraged to pass the Prospectus Examination by the end of the fall semester of their fourth year in the program.

Doctoral Candidacy  is achieved when students have successfully completed the Third-Year and Prospectus Examinations; fulfilled the foreign language requirement (see below); and identified a dissertation committee of at least four faculty members, one of whom needs to be from another graduate program or institution. All students must spend at least two long semesters, or one long semester and one summer, in candidacy before earning their degree.

The last milestone for the Ph.D. is the  Final Oral Defense , otherwise known as the dissertation defense.  In general, faculty will not schedule a defense until the dissertation is completed and ready for critical engagement.

Students working toward a Ph.D. in English at UT Austin are expected to pursue courses of language study relevant to their individual professional trajectories, as determined in consultation between students themselves; their faculty mentors; and graduate program advisor(s).

Student progress toward appropriate levels of competence will be assessed by means of a four-part  Foreign Language Audit  according to the following schedule:

Fall semester of the first year: Foreign Language Interview with the associate graduate advisor to review prior training, assess current levels of expertise, and, if necessary, begin developing an appropriate language study agenda.

Spring semester of the second year: as part of the Second-Year Reflection, students complete a first Language Study Check-in with the graduate advisor(s) and their faculty sponsor, to ensure that appropriate progress has been made toward execution of the agenda with alteration or addition in light of subfield expectations and project directions.

Spring semester of the third year (in most cases): as part of the Third-Year Exam, students will complete a second Language Study Check-in, this time with their exam committee, to determine whether satisfactory progress has been achieved on their language study agenda, again with alteration or addition in light of subfield expectations and project directions.

Fourth year (in most cases): as part of the Prospectus Exam, students will finalize their Foreign Language Audit. This will involve discussion with the exam committee, along with presentation of all necessary evidence to demonstrate that the language study agenda has been fulfilled. If, in the judgment of the committee, requisite levels of language competence have not been achieved, student and committee will agree upon a binding plan for fulfillment, during which period the student shall remain on probationary status with regard to the Foreign Language Requirement. Successful fulfillment of the Foreign Language Audit must be achieved before the student advances to Ph.D. candidacy.

Notes: Some students will enter the program with sufficient foreign language skills for their course of study (e.g. either compelling evidence of literate knowledge of a language other than English, such as a high school degree from a school in a non-English speaking country, or four or more semesters at the college level of a language other than English with a grade of B or better in the last semester, or its equivalent). These students will not need to complete the final three steps of the FLA.

Program Administration

Associate Chair & Graduate Adviser: Gretchen Murphy

Associate Graduate Adviser (Literature):  Julie Minich

Associate Graduate Adviser (Rhetoric): Scott Graham

Graduate Studies Chair: Tanya Clement

Graduate Program Administrator:  Patricia Schaub

Share this page

The graduate program in English provides you with a broad knowledge in the discipline, including critical and cultural theory and literary history. This solid foundation enables you to choose your own path based on the wide variety of areas of concentration. Our flexible program allows you to take courses outside the department to further explore your chosen field(s). Our program emphasizes excellence in writing, innovative scholarship, and eloquent presentations—important skills you will need in your future profession. The program and its faculty are committed both to diversity in its student body and in the diversity of thought and scholarship.

Examples of student theses and dissertations include “The Write to Stay Home: Southern Black Literature from the Great Depression to Early Twenty-first Century,” “Profaning Theater: The Drama of Religion on the Modernists Stage,” and “Sentimental Borders: Genre and Geography in the Literature of Civil War and Reconstruction.”

Graduates have secured faculty positions at institutions such as Brown University, Columbia University, and University of California, Los Angeles. Others have begun their careers with leading organizations such as Google and McKinsey & Company.

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Department of English and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies .

Areas of Study

Unspecified | Medieval | Renaissance/Early Modern | 18th Century/Enlightenment | 19th Century British/Romantics/Victorian | Early American (to 1900) | 20th Century British | 20th Century American | Criticism and Theory | The English Language | Transnational Anglophone/Postcolonial | African American Literature | Drama | Poetry

Admissions Requirements

Please review admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program-specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Department of English .

Writing Sample

The writing samples (one primary and one secondary) are highly significant parts of the application. Applicants should submit 2 double-spaced, 15-page papers of no more than 5,000 words each, in 12-point type with 1-inch margins. The writing samples must be examples of critical writing (rather than creative writing) on subjects directly related to English. Applicants should not send longer papers with instructions to read an excerpt or excerpts but should edit the samples themselves so that they submit only 15 pages for each paper. Applicants who know the field in which they expect to specialize should, when possible, submit a primary writing sample related to that field.

Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose is not a personal statement and should not be heavily weighted down with autobiographical anecdotes. It should be no longer than 1,000 words. It should give the admissions committee a clear sense of applicants’ individual interests and strengths. Applicants need not indicate a precise field of specialization if they do not know, but it is helpful to know something about a candidate’s professional aspirations and sense of their own skills, as well as how the Harvard Department of English might help in attaining their goals. Those who already have a research topic in mind should outline it in detail, giving a sense of how they plan their progress through the program. Those who do not should at least attempt to define the questions and interests they foresee driving their work over the next few years.

Standardized Tests

GRE: Not Accepted

While there are no specific prerequisites for admission, a strong language background helps to strengthen the application, and students who lack it should be aware that they will need to address these gaps during their first two years of graduate study.

While a candidate's overall GPA is important, it is more important to have an average of no lower than A- in literature (and related) courses. In addition, while we encourage applications from candidates in programs other than English, they must have both the requisite critical skills and a foundation in English literature for graduate work in English. Most of our successful candidates have some knowledge of all the major fields of English literary study and advanced knowledge of the field in which they intend to study.

Theses & Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations for English

See list of English faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

The PhD program in English prepares students for a range of scholarly careers in English through a combination of literary studies with writing and rhetoric. In literary studies, we emphasize American literature, Transatlantic and Caribbean literature, Early Modern literature, and the study of gender and sexuality.

In The News

How Queer Comics Made Their Mark on History

Where Are All the Women in Early Modern English Literature?

Letters of Ignatius Sancho Offer Window To Life of Black Man in 18th Century London

In writing and rhetoric, we emphasize teaching and assessing writing, community engagement, diversity and identity, and empirical research methodologies. We also have exceptional offerings in the digital humanities, including digital archiving, network analysis, digital editing and encoding, geospatial analysis, and text mining.

Students in the PhD program in English undertake a program of study designed to train them to be productive scholars, teachers, and leaders in their chosen fields. In coursework, students read and analyze the important texts, current issues, and critical methodologies of the discipline. Drawing on the breadth of this preparation, students demonstrate their ability to recognize and produce scholarly arguments in designing the three comprehensive field papers in areas of scholarly interest and competence corresponding to recognized and emerging fields of study. Finally, the dissertation provides an opportunity for designing a focused research project in consultation with a dissertation advisor.

Throughout the program, faculty work closely with doctoral students to develop their scholarly and professional identities in preparation for careers in academia. As students complete their studies, the department offers strong support for the academic job search, including workshops on stages from dissertation writing to the job market itself, individual advising, mock interviews, and a departmental dossier service.

Learn more about this PhD program in English from the College of Social Sciences and Humanities .

• All doctoral students receive full five- or six-year teaching fellowship funding
• Opportunities for involvement in research and teaching in centers including the NULab for Texts, Maps, and Networks; the Writing Center; the Digital Scholarship Group; and the Humanities Center as well as with individual faculty
• The department focuses particularly on the fields of American Literature; Transatlantic and Caribbean Studies; Digital Humanities; and Writing and Rhetoric

We have a high rate of placement for students conducting both local and national job searches. Our graduates have obtained tenure-track positions at four-year colleges and universities across the country and abroad, including: Columbia College (Chicago); the Florida Institute of Technology; Frankiln Pierce University; McKendree University; Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts; Middle Tennessee State University; the National Technical University, Norway; Oberlin College; Park University (Missouri); Providence College; Sterling College; Rhode Island College; Wesleyan College (Georgia); and the University of Puerto Rico. Other full-time placements include positions in departments of English and in writing programs at the American University of Dubai; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; the University of Southern California; and Wheelock College (Boston). Tenure-track placements at two-year colleges include Bristol CC, Queensborough CC, and Quincy College.

Application Materials

Application.

• Application fee – US $100
• Personal statement
• Unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended
• English proficiency for international applicants
• Three letters of recommendation
• Scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) – Optional
• Writing sample

Admissions deadline for Fall term: December 1

• Program Website

Request Information for PhD in English

Search NYU Steinhardt

Doctor of Philosophy Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

Pursue scholarship that builds on your interests in language development and multilingual education. This doctoral program will advance your knowledge of language education pedagogy, intercultural communication, research methodologies and educational foundations. You’ll conduct research in language development and pedagogy and prepare for a career in academic, multilingual, and bicultural settings.

Degree Details

Official degree title.

Phd in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

What You'll Learn

You’ll combine courses on the foundation of Teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) and research methods as you explore the value of multilingualism and multiliteracy, emphasizing respect for and appreciation of all languages and cultures. You’ll explore:

• Development of English as a new or foreign language, pedagogy, and research
• How to implement alternative research methodologies
• Intercultural communication
• Educational foundations

Your Academic Experience

Research opportunities.

Located in one of the most diverse urban settings in the world, NYU is an ideal facility for conducting educational research. As a doctoral student in our program, you will research and prepare your dissertation while working closely with your faculty mentor.

Doctoral Seminars

Your doctoral course work dedicated to TESOL will be supplemented with departmental content seminars and a dissertation proposal seminar. Open to doctoral students enrolled in any department or program at NYU, these seminars foster deep conversations on relevant literature and texts, and reflections on issues and research in the field. You’ll work on a paper or project, refine your scholarly voice, and define a dissertation focus.

Careers and Outcomes

Upon completion of your doctorate, you’ll be prepared for a career as a researcher or teacher educator in TESOL in colleges and universities; a curriculum specialist, developer, or evaluator in government agencies and nongovernmental organizations.

Funding for Full-Time PhD Students

If you are accepted as a full-time NYU Steinhardt PhD student without an alternate funding source, you are eligible for our competitive funding package, which includes a tuition scholarship and living stipend.  Learn more about our funding opportunities .

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.

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

Take the Next Step

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

Info for:  (choose one) Tap Enter button to open the role navigation Tap Enter button to close the role navigation

Need Answers?

Email, Phone, and Addresses

Explore Degrees

• Diversity, Inclusion, Justice, Equity (dije)
• Michigan Education Magazine
• Mission & Vision
• Rooms & Floor Plans
• Courses & Syllabi
• Tuition & Funding
• Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education (CSHPE)
• Combined Program in Education and Psychology (CPEP)
• Educational Studies (ES)
• Educator Preparation Program (EPP)
• Joint Program in English and Education (JPEE)
• Learning, Equity, and Problem Solving for the Public Good (LEAPS)
• Bachelor's
• Master's
• Teacher Certification
• Other Certificates & Endorsements
• EdHub for Community & Professional Learning
• Career Services
• Marsal School in Action
• Student Organizations
• James A. Kelly Learning Lever Prize
• Center for Education Design, Evaluation and Research (CEDER)
• Detroit P–20 Partnership
• Featured Projects & Partners
• Grants & Awards

Prospective Students

• Admitted Students
• Current Students
• Visiting Scholars

Error message

• Warning : Undefined array key "field_application_process_catego_target_id" in Drupal\views\Plugin\views\filter\FilterPluginBase->acceptExposedInput() (line 1498 of core/modules/views/src/Plugin/views/filter/FilterPluginBase.php ). Drupal\views\Plugin\views\filter\FilterPluginBase->acceptExposedInput(Array) (Line: 311) Drupal\views\Plugin\views\filter\InOperator->acceptExposedInput(Array) (Line: 330) Drupal\taxonomy\Plugin\views\filter\TaxonomyIndexTid->acceptExposedInput(Array) (Line: 183) Drupal\views\Form\ViewsExposedForm->submitForm(Array, Object) call_user_func_array(Array, Array) (Line: 129) Drupal\Core\Form\FormSubmitter->executeSubmitHandlers(Array, Object) (Line: 67) Drupal\Core\Form\FormSubmitter->doSubmitForm(Array, Object) (Line: 597) Drupal\Core\Form\FormBuilder->processForm('views_exposed_form', Array, Object) (Line: 325) Drupal\Core\Form\FormBuilder->buildForm('\Drupal\views\Form\ViewsExposedForm', Object) (Line: 134) Drupal\views\Plugin\views\exposed_form\ExposedFormPluginBase->renderExposedForm() (Line: 1253) Drupal\views\ViewExecutable->build(NULL) (Line: 1406) Drupal\views\ViewExecutable->execute(NULL) (Line: 1469) Drupal\views\ViewExecutable->render() (Line: 131) Drupal\views\Plugin\views\display\Block->execute() (Line: 1645) Drupal\views\ViewExecutable->executeDisplay('block_24', Array) (Line: 81) Drupal\views\Element\View::preRenderViewElement(Array) (Line: 61) Drupal\views\Plugin\Block\ViewsBlock->build() (Line: 106) Drupal\layout_builder\EventSubscriber\BlockComponentRenderArray->onBuildRender(Object, 'section_component.build.render_array', Object) call_user_func(Array, Object, 'section_component.build.render_array', Object) (Line: 111) Drupal\Component\EventDispatcher\ContainerAwareEventDispatcher->dispatch(Object, 'section_component.build.render_array') (Line: 90) Drupal\layout_builder\SectionComponent->toRenderArray(Array, ) (Line: 88) Drupal\layout_builder\Section->toRenderArray(Array) (Line: 318) Drupal\layout_builder\Entity\LayoutBuilderEntityViewDisplay->buildSections(Object) (Line: 278) Drupal\layout_builder\Entity\LayoutBuilderEntityViewDisplay->buildMultiple(Array) (Line: 339) Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityViewBuilder->buildComponents(Array, Array, Array, 'full') (Line: 24) Drupal\node\NodeViewBuilder->buildComponents(Array, Array, Array, 'full') (Line: 281) Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityViewBuilder->buildMultiple(Array) (Line: 238) Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityViewBuilder->build(Array) call_user_func_array(Array, Array) (Line: 111) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doTrustedCallback(Array, Array, 'Render #pre_render callbacks must be methods of a class that implements \Drupal\Core\Security\TrustedCallbackInterface or be an anonymous function. The callback was %s. See https://www.drupal.org/node/2966725', 'exception', 'Drupal\Core\Render\Element\RenderCallbackInterface') (Line: 859) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doCallback('#pre_render', Array, Array) (Line: 421) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender(Array, ) (Line: 240) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->render(Array, ) (Line: 238) Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\{closure}() (Line: 627) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->executeInRenderContext(Object, Object) (Line: 231) Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->prepare(Array, Object, Object) (Line: 128) Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->renderResponse(Array, Object, Object) (Line: 90) Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\MainContentViewSubscriber->onViewRenderArray(Object, 'kernel.view', Object) call_user_func(Array, Object, 'kernel.view', Object) (Line: 111) Drupal\Component\EventDispatcher\ContainerAwareEventDispatcher->dispatch(Object, 'kernel.view') (Line: 186) Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handleRaw(Object, 1) (Line: 76) Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 68) Drupal\simple_oauth\HttpMiddleware\BasicAuthSwap->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 58) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\Session->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 48) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\KernelPreHandle->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 191) Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->fetch(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 128) Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->lookup(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 82) Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 48) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\ReverseProxyMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 51) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\NegotiationMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 36) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\AjaxPageState->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 142) Drupal\cloudflare\CloudFlareMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 51) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\StackedHttpKernel->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 704) Drupal\Core\DrupalKernel->handle(Object) (Line: 19)
• Warning : Undefined array key "field_application_process_catego_target_id" in Drupal\views\Plugin\views\filter\FilterPluginBase->acceptExposedInput() (line 1498 of core/modules/views/src/Plugin/views/filter/FilterPluginBase.php ). Drupal\views\Plugin\views\filter\FilterPluginBase->acceptExposedInput(Array) (Line: 311) Drupal\views\Plugin\views\filter\InOperator->acceptExposedInput(Array) (Line: 330) Drupal\taxonomy\Plugin\views\filter\TaxonomyIndexTid->acceptExposedInput(Array) (Line: 1381) Drupal\views\ViewExecutable->_build('filter') (Line: 1277) Drupal\views\ViewExecutable->build(NULL) (Line: 1406) Drupal\views\ViewExecutable->execute(NULL) (Line: 1469) Drupal\views\ViewExecutable->render() (Line: 131) Drupal\views\Plugin\views\display\Block->execute() (Line: 1645) Drupal\views\ViewExecutable->executeDisplay('block_24', Array) (Line: 81) Drupal\views\Element\View::preRenderViewElement(Array) (Line: 61) Drupal\views\Plugin\Block\ViewsBlock->build() (Line: 106) Drupal\layout_builder\EventSubscriber\BlockComponentRenderArray->onBuildRender(Object, 'section_component.build.render_array', Object) call_user_func(Array, Object, 'section_component.build.render_array', Object) (Line: 111) Drupal\Component\EventDispatcher\ContainerAwareEventDispatcher->dispatch(Object, 'section_component.build.render_array') (Line: 90) Drupal\layout_builder\SectionComponent->toRenderArray(Array, ) (Line: 88) Drupal\layout_builder\Section->toRenderArray(Array) (Line: 318) Drupal\layout_builder\Entity\LayoutBuilderEntityViewDisplay->buildSections(Object) (Line: 278) Drupal\layout_builder\Entity\LayoutBuilderEntityViewDisplay->buildMultiple(Array) (Line: 339) Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityViewBuilder->buildComponents(Array, Array, Array, 'full') (Line: 24) Drupal\node\NodeViewBuilder->buildComponents(Array, Array, Array, 'full') (Line: 281) Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityViewBuilder->buildMultiple(Array) (Line: 238) Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityViewBuilder->build(Array) call_user_func_array(Array, Array) (Line: 111) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doTrustedCallback(Array, Array, 'Render #pre_render callbacks must be methods of a class that implements \Drupal\Core\Security\TrustedCallbackInterface or be an anonymous function. The callback was %s. See https://www.drupal.org/node/2966725', 'exception', 'Drupal\Core\Render\Element\RenderCallbackInterface') (Line: 859) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doCallback('#pre_render', Array, Array) (Line: 421) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender(Array, ) (Line: 240) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->render(Array, ) (Line: 238) Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\{closure}() (Line: 627) Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->executeInRenderContext(Object, Object) (Line: 231) Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->prepare(Array, Object, Object) (Line: 128) Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->renderResponse(Array, Object, Object) (Line: 90) Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\MainContentViewSubscriber->onViewRenderArray(Object, 'kernel.view', Object) call_user_func(Array, Object, 'kernel.view', Object) (Line: 111) Drupal\Component\EventDispatcher\ContainerAwareEventDispatcher->dispatch(Object, 'kernel.view') (Line: 186) Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handleRaw(Object, 1) (Line: 76) Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 68) Drupal\simple_oauth\HttpMiddleware\BasicAuthSwap->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 58) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\Session->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 48) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\KernelPreHandle->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 191) Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->fetch(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 128) Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->lookup(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 82) Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 48) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\ReverseProxyMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 51) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\NegotiationMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 36) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\AjaxPageState->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 142) Drupal\cloudflare\CloudFlareMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 51) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\StackedHttpKernel->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 704) Drupal\Core\DrupalKernel->handle(Object) (Line: 19)

English and Education

The Joint Program in English and Education (JPEE) is interdisciplinary in nature, offering top-flight resources and a supportive and engaging community of scholars. You have the flexibility to craft a program centered on your individual interests, whether that’s rhetoric, composition, literacy studies, or English education.

You will have opportunities to write proposals and make presentations at conferences around the world. You are invited to participate in research projects that include faculty from inside and outside the university. All students may pursue research projects collaboratively with faculty, including social justice- and activist-oriented research, in addition to individual dissertation research.

The Joint PhD Program in English and Education (JPEE) is designed for students who hold master’s degrees in English or education and who have teaching experience.

All students are guaranteed five years of full funding. There is additional support for conference travel, research projects, and summer research and writing.

Additional Certificate and Endorsement Opportunities Learning Experience Design Certificate

Frequently Asked Questions

Joint Program in English and Education

Connect with jpee.

[email protected] Phone: (734) 763-6643 Fax: (734) 936-1606 https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/jpee/

610 E. University Avenue Room 4204 Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1259

Office Hours

Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Application Deadline

Application process.

To submit a successful application for admission, you need to provide the following:

• A clear statement of your academic and career interests, specifying reasons for wanting to enter this particular program, usually one to three pages in length. 
• Describe how your background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational, or other opportunities or challenges, motivated you to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Michigan. 
• Ten to 20 pages of your academic writing
• The three required letters can be submitted online or on paper. 
• To have them submitted electronically, register three recommenders when you fill out the online application. 
• If the letters will be sent by mail, they should be delivered to the Joint Program in English and Education office in the Marsal Family School of Education, 610 East University, SEB 4204, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 -1259, not to Rackham. If the letters of recommendation will be submitted by mail, use the letter of recommendation form .
• Resume or CV 
• English proficiency scores (for non-native speakers of English only)
• GRE Test Scores are not required for admission

Create an account with Rackham Graduate School .

This program, like all of the Marsal Family School of Education's graduate programs, is administered through the University of Michigan's Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies. Rackham offers a host of resources and administrative support to help see you through from submitting your application to completion of your degree.

• After completing page 5 of the application, you will receive an e-mail with your U-M ID. A U-M ID number will be issued to you via email within 5 business days of completing pages 1-5 and advancing to page 6 of the ApplyWeb application. Having your U-M ID number to include on all your application materials ensures accurate and timely processing, so we encourage you to complete pages 1-5 early in the process.
• If you need to submit your application before you receive your U-M ID number, you may still complete the application. Include your date of birth and the program’s name on your application materials.
• Current and former U-M Ann Arbor students, alumni and employees: You do not need to obtain a new U-M ID number. Use your previously obtained U-M ID number.
• If your personal information has changed (for example, legal name, gender), make sure the personal information you submit with your application matches your previous Ann Arbor campus record. If your previous Ann Arbor campus record does not display your current personal information, contact the Registrar’s Office or the Shared Services Center to change your personal information before you apply.

Include at the top of each document:

• The type of document 
• The name of the graduate program
• Your 8 digit U-M ID (if known)

Make sure margins are at least one-inch so nothing is cropped when you upload the documents to the application.

• Information regarding English Proficiency tests and exemption guidelines can be found on the Rackham Graduate School website . 
• GRE test scores are not required for admission , but scores (valid 5 years from test date) can be included with your application.
• Provide ETS with the U-M Institutional Code of 1839 and your scores will be sent directly to the university.
• Test scores must be sent directly from the testing center to the Rackham Graduate School. We recommend starting this process early as it can take up to two weeks for the scores to be received. 
• All applicants must upload a scanned copy, front and back, of their official transcript/academic record issued by the Registrar or Records Office, to ApplyWeb for each bachelor’s, master’s, professional, or doctoral degree earned or in progress. The scanned copy of the official transcript is used for initial review by the graduate program faculty.
• A downloaded transcript from your school portal or system is an unofficial transcript and not acceptable for review.
• If you are attending or have graduated from a Non-U.S. institution, review the Required Academic Credentials from Non-U.S. Institutions for requirements by country.
• If you have community or junior college, non-degree, or study abroad coursework, indicate this information on page nine of the application under the “Additional Education Information” section. Do not submit any from a community or junior college, non-degree, or study abroad coursework to Rackham unless you attended a Non-U.S. institution.
• Submit an official transcript/academic record, front and back, issued by the Registrar or Records Office for each bachelor’s, master’s, professional, or doctoral degree earned.
• Submit only official /academic records. These bear the issuing institution’s seal and the official signature of the Registrar or Recorder of Records. U-M Ann Arbor Applicants (Current or Previous Students): Do not submit your U-M Ann Arbor transcript. Rackham will obtain your U-M Ann Arbor transcript internally. Submit only degree from other institutions you attended including U-M Dearborn or U-M Flint.

Check on your application status . If you’ve been accepted, you will receive an email with information on how to send your official transcripts.

• If you have been accepted, congratulations! You may accept or decline the offer of admission in your U-M Friend Account .
• For international students that accept offer of admission, Rackham prepares immigration documents for visas.

Phone: 734.763.6643 Fax: 734.936.1606 [email protected]

Quick Facts

Gre general exam scores.

GRE scores are no longer required, but if you plan to submit scores anyway, please take the general GRE no later than October and provide ETS with the U-M Institutional Code 1839 to have your scores sent directly to the university.

TOEFL score minimum

620 (paper) 260 (computer) 106 (internet)

Financial aid

To date, we have an outstanding placement record for graduates who have chosen to pursue tenure-track faculty positions in education and English departments in colleges and universities; graduates also assume a broad range of careers in K-12 administration, educational nonprofits, and government-sponsored agencies.

Internships

During the semesters when they are not on fellowship, JPEE students teach one course per semester, and they have opportunities to serve as instructors of record in a variety of courses in both the Department of English and the Marsal Family School of Education.   Most begin by teaching first-year composition, and from there they move on to professional writing, creative writing, advanced composition, methods of teaching English, or courses in related fields.  One of the goals of the Program is to ensure that students have an opportunity to teach many different courses while they are in graduate school.

• ISU Navigate
• Faculty & Staff
• Virtual Tour

Common Searches

• Academic Calendar
• Transcripts
• Scholarships
• Event Tickets
• Health Center
• APA Style Guide
• Financial Aid

The PhD in English and the Teaching of English

The PhD in English and the Teaching of English integrates research in English studies with practical and theoretical training in the teaching of English. It is the only PhD program in English in Idaho, Montana, or Wyoming, and attracts applicants from around the region, the nation, and the world.

The 2014  Report of the MLA Task Force on Doctoral Study in Modern Language and Literature recognized our program as an example of innovative doctoral training. Indeed, our program is unique in its integration of research-oriented coursework with courses in pedagogy, supervised teaching internships, and a pedagogical component in every dissertation. The aim is to prepare students for teaching careers in English at two- and four-year colleges and universities, and the PhD program is especially well-suited for those pursuing a teaching-focused position at a community college.

Our PhD program also houses the  Teaching Literature Book Award , an international, juried prize that recognizes excellence in research on teaching literature at the college level.

Request Information

For more information, please see:

• PhD Curriculum
• PhD Program Handbook

Recent PhD Dissertations

• Doctoral Job Placement

Curriculum, Doctor of Philosophy in English and the Teaching of English

The Doctor of Philosophy in English and the Teaching of English prepares students for teaching careers in English at colleges and universities. The program emphasizes the study of literature, rhetoric and composition, and content-specific English pedagogy. For a full description of the PhD Curriculum, please see the Graduate Catalog.

Students have written dissertations in several areas of English studies. Most focus on British, American, or Anglophone literature, or some aspect of literature or composition pedagogy, while some deal with traditional or newer forms of narrative (oral storytelling, film, graphic novels, and video games). Each dissertation contains at least one chapter discussing implications of the research for teaching literature or composition.

• Wonjeong Kim, "Asian Diaspora and Shopkeeping in North American Literature" (2022)
• Yousef Deikna, "A Cognitivist Reading of Hutchinson's and Cavendish's Responses to the English Civil War" (2021) 
• Noran Amin, “The Interrogative Mode: A Practical Theory for Comics Criticism” (2020)

Catherine Becker “Seriality, Context, and Format: Early American Literature and the Periodical” (2020)

Jennifer Cox “Illuminating the Dark Carnival in American Fantasy” (2020)

Melinda Linscott, “Petrarchan Imagery in Woth's Pamphilia to Amphilanthus and Prominent Cultural Discourses in Seventeenth Century England: ‘From contraries I seeke to runn, but contraries I can nott shunn’ “ (2020)

Shelley McEuen, “A 21st Century Perspective on the American Frontier:  The Influence and Continuity of Historical Rhetoric on Current Attitudes toward Western Landscape and Urban Wild Spaces” (2020)

• Richard Samuelson “Crossing the Moat around the Ivory Tower: Community Engagement in a Face-to-Face and Online First-Year Writing Course” (2020)

Corinna Barrett-Percy, “ ’Ideal’ American Heroes: Soldiers of Color in American World War II Literature” (2019)

Dana Benge, “Well-Behaved Women Rarely Make History: Patricia Clapp’s Jane Emily and Young Gothic Literature” (2019)

Anelise Farris, “The Boundless Self: Disability in Virtual Reality” (2019)

Quinn Grover, “Water, Aridity, Community, and Individualism in 20th Century Fiction of the American West” (2019)

Suzette Kunz, “What Vernacular Narratives Teach Us about Trauma” (2019)

Brad Rowe, " ’Annuit Coeptis’: The Providence Myth and the American Revolution” (2019)

Diantha Smith, “Empowering Student Writers with Instruction on Language Patterns in Academic Discourse” (2019)

Valah Steffen-Witter, “Anglo-Saxon Sources in The Hobbit” (2019)

Jacob Thomas, “Hagiographic Rhetoric in Medieval English Devotional Texts: Ælfric of Eynsham, Thomas of Monmouth, and John Mirk” (2019)

Chris Brock, “Masculinity in the Early Works of Frank Miller” (2018)

Steve Harrison, “ ’Come Out of the Woods and We’ll Tell You Who You Are’: The Protest Literatures of S. Alice Callahan, Charles Alexander Eastman, and Simon Pokagon” (2017)

Job Opportunities for Doctoral Graduates

Graduates from our PhD program have found a wide variety of employment, from tenure-track faculty appointments and careers in academic administration to corporate employment. PhD graduates who finished their degrees in 2017 or after have been employed by the following institutions:

Butte College (adjunct faculty)

BYU-Idaho (tenured and tenure-track faculty; multiple graduates)

Cairo University (Egypt) (tenure-track faculty)

College of Coastal Georgia (tenure-track faculty)

College of Eastern Idaho (full-time faculty; multiple graduates)

College of Southern Idaho (tenured faculty)

Georgia Institute of Technology (postdoctoral fellow)

Idaho State University (adjunct faculty; multiple graduates)

Midwestern State University (full-time faculty)

Northwest Nazarene University (tenure-track faculty)

Shoreline Christian School (full-time faculty [high school])

Snow College (tenure-track faculty)

Southern New Hampshire University (adjunct faculty)

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (full-time faculty)

Utah Valley University (full-time faculty)

Utah Valley University (adjunct faculty)

Some of our ABD students accept full-time faculty employment in the final stages of finishing their PhDs. Those students have been employed by the following institutions:

College of Eastern Idaho

Midwestern State University

Snow College

Utah Tech University

Utah Valley University

tag manager container

• Employee Hub
• Directories

Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education

PhD Curriculum & Instruction: English Education

The PhD in Curriculum & Instruction is structured to support interdisciplinary studies and individualization for researchers and practitioners. Advanced course work and research in the liberal arts and social sciences are emphasized. Students will focus on the types of research available in their fields of study and the appropriate application of these skills. Students will complete a dissertation in the English content area during the course of the program. 

Program Structure

The program requires (90) hours beyond the bachelor’s, at least twelve of which are to be taken outside the School of Education:

Major Area of Study: Curriculum & Instruction

Core courses.

These courses must be taken consecutively during the first year of enrollment:

ELRC 7299 Introduction to Scholarship in Education (fall) EDCI 7910 Traditions of Inquiry in Education (spring)

English Education

Fifty hours must be taken in the student’s area(s) of specialization.

Research Methodology and Dissertation Research

Twenty-one hours minimum, including:

Dissertation hours (EDCI 9000): a minimum of twelve hours and a maximum of eighteen hours must be taken within the 90-hour program. (Additional hours may be taken beyond the 18 hours but cannot be used to satisfy the research requirement.)

Three research courses ELRC 7006 or equivalent; ELRC 7241 or equivalent; ELRC 7243 or equivalent. Students may use courses from the list below or other courses approved by the major advisor:

• EDCI 7475 Research Project in Secondary or K-12 Teacher Education
• LHRD 7921 Applied Qualitative Research Methods
• SOCL 7211 Seminar: Methods of Social Investigation
• ANTH 4090 Ethnographic Methodology
• ELRC  7243 Qualitative Methods in Educational Research
• ENGL 7621 Research Methods in Composition, Literacy and Rhetorical Studies
• HIST  7957 Research Seminar in American History
• ELRC  7006  Educational Statistics
• ELRC  7016  Advanced Educational Statistics
• ELRC  7241   Educational Research Methodology
• ELRC  7242   Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs in Ed. Research
• PSYC  7117  Methodology and Research Design
• SOCL  7201  Fundamental Statistics in Sociology
• SOCL  7203/POLI  7963   Advanced Research Methods in Social Science 

Electives or Minor Area of Study

Electives - Up to twelve hours may be taken with the major advisor’s approval

Twelve to eighteen hours, or as required by the minor field, are to be taken. At least one doctoral committee member must represent the minor field.

This program must be completed within seven years of completing the Master's or Education Specialist requirements. 

Students should meet regularly with their advisors in order to determine what course loads and requirements best suit their individual schedules. Students must pass a General Exam consisting of written questions and a comprehensive oral exam; write a dissertation proposal and pass an oral defense of the proposal; and write a dissertation, and pass an oral defense of the dissertation.

Financial Information

FOr More Information

Dr. Jackie Bach 221K Peabody Hall 225-578-1437