Doctor of Philosophy Degree

In the Ph.D. program students first establish a solid background in British and American literature and critical theory (years one and two) and then focus on their special field of study (years three through five). After fulfilling a limited number of distribution requirements, each student fashions an Individual Program of Study with the assistance of her or his Individual Faculty Advisor, who is a specialist in the appropriate field.Students who want to pursue a Ph.D at the University of Oregon should apply directly for a Ph.D. Students in the doctoral program who have not earned an M.A. prior to being admitted may receive the M.A. at the appropriate stage of their course of study, typically at the end of the second year (subject to the fulfillment of department and university M.A. requirements). The number of places in the Ph.D. program is limited, and admission is competitive.

Ph.D. Admission Requirements

A bachelor of arts (B.A.) or a master of arts (M.A.) in English or a related field, with at least a 3.50 (A-/B+) grade point average (GPA).
A combined minimum Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score of 1250 on the Verbal section of the General Test and the Literature in English Test.
For international students whose native language is not English: a minimum score of 600 on the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a minimum score of 250 on the computer-based TOEFL.

Ph.D. Residency Requirements

The Graduate School requires at least three years of full-time work beyond the bachelor's degree for the doctorate, with at least one year spent in continuous residence on the Eugene campus. For graduate students in English this means enrollment in at least two formal English graduate courses (excluding independent study courses [English 601, 603, 605] and training classes [English 608, 611, 612, 613]) per term for one academic year. This on-campus requirement is usually satisfied during the first full year for which the student has been admitted. Note that Graduate School regulations specify a minimum of nine credits a term for three consecutive terms to fulfill the doctoral year of residency requirement, and that two courses a term may or may not equal this minimum. Note also that although the Graduate School allows the inclusion of a summer session among these consecutive terms, the English Department's regulations specify a fall-through-spring academic year.

Ph.D. Degree Requirements

18 approved graduate seminars (equivalent of two courses per quarter for three years) Six of these seminars must be in required areas:
- Introduction to Graduate Studies
- Introduction to Theory
- Pre-1500
- Renaissance
- 1660-1800, British or American
- 19th century, British or American
The twelve remaining seminars may be distributed among any areas, but must be determined by a program of study to be approved prior to the second year of study by the student's Individual Faculty Advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies
Foreign Language Requirement. Doctoral students must demonstrate reading competence in two foreign languages or high proficiency in one.
Teaching. Doctoral candidates must have experience as classroom teachers in the department before they receive the degree.
Minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.50 in graduate course work.
Residency requirement of nine approved graduate seminars taken in the University of Oregon Department of English.

Qualifying Examination

The Ph.D. Qualifying Examination, taken at the beginning of the second year of progress by all students, covers all periods of British and American literature. It is based on a reading list compiled by members of the faculty, and a committee of faculty members administers the examination in the fall. Students who fail the Qualifying Examination may retake it once, the following spring.

Ph.D. Oral Examination

After a student in the Ph.D. program has passed the Qualifying Exam, completed course work, and satisfied the language requirement, he or she takes a two-and-a-half-hour Oral Examination in the chosen area of specialization. It is divided into two parts:

A prepared presentation by the student on a topic or problem related to the student's dissertation, followed by a discussion of that topic, and
A discussion of a special field that provides a context for the issue examined in part one.

The Dissertation

After passing the Ph.D. Oral Examination, the student prepares a twenty-page dissertation prospectus under the guidance of his or her dissertation advisor. When the prospectus is approved by the dissertation committee and the Director of Graduate Studies, the student officially advances to "candidacy" (becomes a Ph.D. candidate) and is ready to write the dissertation. This is a substantial work of scholarship on a single subject, based on original research, which contributes substantially to knowledge in the field. Upon completion, the Ph.D. candidate must undergo a formal, public dissertation defense. This is an oral examination in which the student fields questions from the committee about the subject, methodology, research findings, and knowledge of the field.