Program Overview and Requirements

The Graduate Program in English confers doctoral (PhD) degrees as well as non-terminal masters (AM) degrees to students who are completing the English PhD program.

The program takes four to seven years to complete, with the majority of students expected to finish in six to seven years. Students spend the first two years completing coursework. In the first year, they also prepare for the PhD Qualifying Exam (the “General” Exam), which takes place at the beginning of the second year. In the second and third years, students prepare for the Dissertation Qualifying Exam (the “Field” Oral Exam). The Field exam takes place in the middle of the third year, after which students submit their dissertation prospectus. Students spend their fourth, fifth, and sixth years writing their doctoral dissertation with support from Term-Time and Dissertation Completion Fellowships. Beginning their third year, students also serve as teaching fellows and instructors of junior tutorials. Further details on program requirements are below.

Students are required to complete the program in eight years. The Director of Graduate Studies may consider enrollment beyond eight years in exceptional circumstances where a student has been making satisfactory academic progress.

The program aims to provide graduate students with a broad knowledge of the field of English, including critical and cultural theory. Additional important skills include facility with the tools of scholarship such as ancient and modern foreign languages, bibliographic procedures, and textual and editorial methods. The program also emphasizes the ability to write well, to do rigorous and innovative scholarly and critical work in a specialized field or fields, to teach effectively, and to make articulate presentations at conferences, seminars, and symposia.

The minimum in-residence requirement is two years of enrollment in full-time study, with a total of at least fourteen courses completed with grades of B- or higher). The minimum standard for satisfactory work in the Graduate School is a B (3.0) average GPA in each academic year.

• Students in their first two years consult with the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Program Administrator on course selection.
• A minimum of 14 courses must be completed no later than the end of the second year.
• At least ten courses must be graduate-level seminars (200-level courses and proseminars), and at least six of these ten must be taken within the department. Graduate students in the English Department will have priority for admission into 200-level courses.
• Beginning with the incoming class of 2020-21, two proseminars (see below) are now required and count as part of the ten required seminars.
• The remaining courses may be either at the 100- or the 200-level.
• Students typically devote part of their course work in the first year to preparing for the General Exam, focusing increasingly on their chosen field(s) in the second year.

• The first-year (G1) proseminar (held in the spring term of the first year) helps students prepare for the General Exam, which takes place at the end of August or the beginning of September at the start of their second year. The G1 proseminar gives students a broad knowledge of literature in English for teaching and writing outside their specialty, and builds an intellectual and cultural community among first-year students.

• The second-year (G2) proseminar (held in the spring term of the second year) has a two-part focus. First, it introduces students to the craft of scholarly publishing by helping them revise a research paper for publication in a peer-reviewed journal by the end of the course.  Second, it introduces students to the growing array of alternative careers in the humanities by exposing them to scholars who are leaders in fields such as editing, curating, and digital humanities.

Once a student has completed at least three 200-level courses with a grade of A or A-, they may transfer a maximum of four graduate-level courses taken while enrolled in another graduate degree program with approval from the Director of Graduate Studies. More information on GSAS policy on credit for work completed elsewhere can be found at https://gsas.harvard.edu/policies.

Transferred courses will be counted as 100-level courses and do not count toward the minimum of ten required graduate-level seminars.

Students cannot hold an Incomplete (INC) in more than one class at a time, and it must be made up no later than six weeks after the start of the next term.

In applying for an Incomplete, students must have signed permission from the instructor and the DGS, or the course in question may not count toward the program requirements. If a student does not complete work by the deadline, the course will not count toward the program requirements and may become a permanent incomplete (INP), unless there are documented extenuating circumstances.

A reading knowledge of two languages is required. Students typically fulfill the requirement with Latin, Ancient Greek, Old English, French, German, Spanish, or Italian, but other languages, including ASL and computer languages, may be acceptable if the DGS deems them relevant and appropriate to a student’s program of study.

Students may fulfill the language requirements:

(1) by passing a two-hour translation exam with a dictionary;
(2) by taking a one-term literature course in the chosen language, when conducted in the language and/or the readings are in the language (DGS approval may be necessary in some cases)
(3) or by taking two terms of Old English*, elementary Latin, or Ancient Greek.

Translation exams are typically held three times a year, in August/September, February/March, and May/June. Students should plan to fulfill their language requirements by the end of their second year but may take until the beginning of their third year with approval from the DGS.

Any course taken to fulfill the language requirement must be passed with a grade of B- or better. Literature-level language courses count for course credit; elementary language courses do not. *Note: Only the spring term of Old English will count towards the graduate course requirement (as a 100-level course, or as a 200-level course in the case of ENG 200d) when taken to fulfill a language requirement.

Examples of past language exams can be found here.

The AM degree in English is only available to students enrolled in the PhD program. In order to apply for their masters degree, students must complete, with a grade of B+ or better, no fewer than a total of seven courses, including a minimum of four English courses, at least three of which must be at the graduate (200-) level, and one additional course that must be taken at the graduate level, but may be taken in another department. Students must also fulfill at least one of their departmental language requirements.

The General Exam is a 75-90 minute oral exam in which faculty ask students about texts from a set list that the department makes available for each entering class by the end of July before their G1 year. The G1 proseminar in the spring of the first year is dedicated to helping students prepare for this exam, which students take immediately before classes begin in the fall term of their second year. The examiners are three tenured or tenure-track members of the department (assistant, associate, or full professors), whose names will not be disclosed in advance.

Students whose performance on the exam is judged inadequate will be marked as “not yet passed” and must retake the exam at a time to be determined by the DGS and their exam committee based on an assessment of their performance during the exam. If a student does not pass on the second attempt, they will be withdrawn from the program for making unsatisfactory progress.

In addition to taking the G1 Proseminar to prepare for the exam, students also usually form study groups over the summer prior to their examinations. To ensure equity in exams, mock exams with faculty members (except for those conducted in the G1 Proseminar) are not permitted.

Note: Students must fulfill at least one language requirement by the end of the first year in order to be eligible to take the General Exam.

The Field Exam is a two-hour oral exam that students take in their third year. Students typically take the exam at the end of Reading Period in their G3 fall, and no later than the end of February in their G3 spring, unless they receive approval from their exam committee and the DGS.

The purpose of the Field Exam is twofold: to discuss an emerging dissertation topic, and to evaluate a student’s knowledge of their teaching and research field(s) based on a discussion of the literary and scholarly works that make up their exam lists. The exam should assess the viability of the dissertation topic and the preparedness of the student to pursue it, as well as the student’s familiarity with the key literary and scholarly texts and critical debates in their field(s).

The exam is conducted by a three-person faculty committee, chosen by the student, normally from among the tenured and ladder faculty of the English department. Beginning with the cohort entering in 2025/26, students should convey the following to the graduate program coordinator by June 1 of their G2 year: names of their field exam chair and at least one other committee member, and a preliminary field exam reading list of at least 50 texts. The chair of the exam committee often assists the student in selecting other members.

Students develop their exam lists in consultation with their chair and committee members. The exact format of the exam and the field lists is up to the student and their committee, but students should discuss and confirm the format, the scope of the exam, and expectations for passing with their committees no later than the beginning of their G3 fall semester. Some students choose to work on a separate list with each committee member, while others will have one dissertation list and one list for general teaching and research field(s). Some committees choose to structure the conversation by list while others prefer more open discussion across lists. Many students will begin with a short presentation on their proposed dissertation topic or field lists. In some exams, students already have a clear idea of the dissertation, one that they have discussed with the committee before the exam. In other exams, the student's dissertation project is not yet fully formed, and the exam actively contributes to fleshing out the project's scope and direction. Students should plan to meet with exam committee members regularly in the semester before their exam (at least once a month) to finalize their lists, discuss selected works, and clarify expectations.

The exam is graded Pass/Fail. Although committees generally discourage students from taking the exam until they demonstrate sufficient preparation, in the event that a student does not pass, the exam committee and the Director of Graduate Studies will establish a plan for retaking the exam in consultation with the student.

Both the preparation for the exam and the discussion of the dissertation topic during the exam should aid the student in writing the prospectus (see below), due six weeks after the exam. Before the submission of the dissertation prospectus, students should clarify with exam committee members whether they will also be serving on the dissertation committee. Students can consult with the chair of the exam or dissertation committee and the DGS about any changes in committee membership.

The dissertation prospectus, signed and approved by at least two committee members, including the chair, is due to the Graduate Program Administrator and the Director of Graduate Studies six “business weeks” after the Field Exam. “Business weeks” do not include winter recess and J-term, so a student passing the exam four weeks before winter recess begins, for example, would have another two weeks after the start of classes in the spring term to complete the prospectus.

The prospectus is neither a draft chapter nor a detailed road-map of the next few years of work but a sketch, no longer than ten double-spaced pages (excluding bibliography), of the topic upon which the student plans to write. It typically includes a preliminary account of the argument and/or the questions that will be explored in the dissertation, and a description of the expected structure and scope of the study, which typically includes a brief literature review, an explanation of methodology, and a chapter outline. This overview should be followed by a bibliography.

Students draft the prospectus in consultation with their dissertation advisors, who meet with students at least once in the spring of the third year to discuss the prospectus and help to draw up a timetable for the writing of the dissertation, keeping in mind departmental and fellowship deadlines.

The department requires that students beginning with the incoming class of 2015/16 submit an article to a scholarly journal by the end of their 5th year in order to remain in satisfactory academic standing. The article does not need to be accepted to fulfill this requirement.

Students assemble a group of faculty members to supervise the dissertation. Several supervisory arrangements are possible: students may work with a committee of three faculty members who share nearly equal responsibility for advising, or with a committee consisting of a principal faculty advisor and a second and a third reader. In the first scenario, one of the three faculty members will be asked to serve as a nominal chair of the committee; in the second scenario, the principal advisor serves as chair. If the scope of the project requires it, students should consult the DGS about including a faculty advisor from a department other than English or from another university. Students should refer to the GSAS Student Handbook for more information on the policy regarding the composition of dissertation committees.

Students should indicate their chosen advising structure when they submit their dissertation prospectus to the department. Regardless of the structure of advising, three faculty readers are required to certify the completed dissertation.

Students are highly encouraged to arrange chapter meetings with their entire committee in consultation with their dissertation chair. Students should submit a full draft of the chapter prior to the meeting, giving members sufficient time to review the draft before the meeting.

The doctoral dissertation should be an original and substantial work of scholarship or criticism, excellent in form and content. The department accepts dissertations on a great variety of topics involving a broad range of approaches to literature. A typical dissertation consists of an Introduction and three to four body chapters, but the department sets no specific page limits, preferring to give students and advisors as much freedom as possible. 

In setting a schedule for completing the dissertation, students should bear in mind (1) that two draft chapters of the dissertation must be completed by the middle of their fifth year if they plan to apply for completion fellowships that will fund their sixth year, and (2) that students generally enter the job market in the fall of their sixth year, with at least two finished chapters and a third draft chapter. Note: The timetable can be accelerated if a student so wishes and is in the position to do so.

In order to remain in good standing in the period of dissertation writing following the approval of the prospectus, students must demonstrate consistent satisfactory progress towards the PhD through regular meetings with advisors and/or the full committee; regular submission of new research and writing; and responsiveness to communications from the committee and the program.

The dissertation defense is a necessary part of receiving the PhD, but it is not a pass/fail examination and comes after the dissertation committee’s official acceptance of the dissertation. The defense is required for all students who entered the program in 2007 or after, and can be scheduled once the dissertation committee agrees the dissertation is ready to be accepted for the doctoral degree.

The form of the defense is as follows:

• Each student’s defense will be a separate event.
• In addition to the student and the advisors, the participants typically include any interested faculty and any interested graduate students, as well as observers invited by the student. However, a student may also request a closed defense with only their committee present.
• The Graduate Office will announce the upcoming defense to all members of the department, unless otherwise specified by the student.
• The event will start with a 15–20 minute presentation by the student followed by questions and comments from the committee and other attendees.
• The defense will last at most 90 minutes.
• If a student has left Cambridge and cannot return easily for this purpose, the defense may be held remotely.

Students are responsible for making arrangements for the defense in communication with the Graduate Office. Students should send an email to the Director of Graduate Studies and to the Graduate Program Administrator, with a copy to their advisors, indicating the day, time, and location of the defense.

The defense for a November, February, or May degree takes place after advisors have signed off on the dissertation (by signing the Thesis Acceptance Certificate) and, in the case of the May degree, at least a week before Commencement. In practice, however, students will need to defend after advisors have signed off and before advisors disperse for the summer: that period will normally be between May 1-14, and usually falls in the early days of May. 

Students typically begin teaching in their third year. Ordinarily, they teach discussion sections in courses run by faculty and departmental junior tutorials.

Preparation for a teaching career is a required part of students’ training, and Teaching Fellows should receive supervision and guidance from faculty members leading courses.

Teaching Fellows are required to take English 350, the Teaching Colloquium, in their first year of teaching. In addition, they are encouraged to avail themselves of resources provided by the Bok Center for Teaching and Learning.

The job placement seminar, led by two faculty members, meets during the fall term to help students prepare dossiers and oral presentations of their work for the academic job market. The class meets roughly every two weeks, providing a supportive structure for participants to produce, workshop, and revise application materials. Mock interviews and practice-teaching demonstrations will be arranged. The placement officers provide one-on-one support with editing/proofing materials and guidance in navigating the applications process. This seminar is restricted to students in the English department. Students may enroll in years when they intend to apply actively for postdocs or jobs; some seminar sessions, which are suitable for those thinking about the market or their career options but not actively applying that year, will be open to all graduate students in the department and advertised widely.