Guide to Graduate Studies br (Specific Requirement for Graduate Degrees)
Table of Contents
Specific Requirements for Graduate Degrees
The following specific degree requirements are in addition to the general degree requirements that apply to all graduate programs in the Department of English & Comparative Literature.
MA in Professional Writing
The MA in Professional Writing (PWRT) enables students to practice and hone their advanced writing and editing skills in a variety of media, with a specific emphasis on content generation, information design, and technological literacy. The PWRT program emphasizes a fundamental understanding of communication processes, an understanding that puts theory into practice and bridges disciplines and industries. Upon completion of this program, students may choose to work as professional writers, editors, information managers, web developers, or planners. Some students have chosen to enter PhD programs in rhetoric, communication, and health.
Specific Requirements
Coursework
âºIntroduction to Professional Writing (PWRT 7001, 3 hours)
âºInternship (PWRT 7030, 3 hours â second year only)
âºWeb Design (PWRT 7045, 3 hours)
âºCapstone in Professional Writing (PWRT 7095, 3 hours)
âºTeaching Technical and Professional Communication (TAs onlyâPWRT 7002, 3 hours)
In addition, students must take one Theory course (3 hours), two Technology courses (6 hours), three Genre courses (9 hours), and two additional electives (one if a TA). A list of categories and courses may be found on the MA in PW Curriculum Checklist [original link path: /content/dam/artsci/departments/english/docs/checklists/ma_pw_cl.pdf].
Internship: The student must arrange a project with at least 120 total hours of work, to be supervised by a professional writer or editor and approved by the faculty advisor. The internship culminates with a report that is approved by a committee of two faculty members chosen by the student. To find an appropriate internship, students usually make inquiries with local businesses and professional organizations. They should also check with the Professional Writing Director and faculty. Once a student has lined up a promising arrangement and cleared it with the faculty advisor, the student should submit a formal internship proposal.
Capstone:
Students in the PWRT program take a specialized capstone course. This course provides an opportunity for students completing the graduate program in Professional Writing to demonstrate their mastery and integration of the skills, principles, and knowledge gained from the courses they have taken. It requires the application of that learning to a field project. This service-learning course will be evaluated by faculty in the writing programs and others.
MA in English, Tracks in Literature & Cultural Studies and in Creative Writing--Expected Timeline
Important note: Please consult the information on your specific track (below) for a fuller account of requirements and deadlines.
Fall Semester, Year One
*Teaching Practicum, Introduction to Graduate Studies, plus seminars
Spring Semester, Year One
*Teaching College Writing plus seminars
By May 1 of your first year, you should check with your advisor within the track and with the Director of Graduate Studies to fill out an Individual Academic Plan and make sure everything is order and that youâre set to complete all required coursework on time.
Fall Semester, Year Two
Seminars/Workshops
By October 1 of your second year, you should have identified a thesis director and a second reader. It is your responsibility to convey those names to your area director and to the Director of Graduate Studies by way of your trackâs Thesis Committee Form.
Spring Semester, Year Two
Thesis: Students register for three hours of MA Thesis credit (9090) during the term in which they intend to complete the paper, usually in the final semester of study. They are responsible for seeking out a director and second reader and for obtaining permission for ENGL 9090 from the project director; the thesis paperwork must be approved by and filed with the Director of Graduate Studies. Students must submit a final full draft of the paper two weeks before the required oral defense. The project director submits a letter grade for the thesis hours based upon the quality of the MA thesis.
MA in English, Literature & Cultural Studies Track
The MA Literature & Cultural Studies track is designed for students who wish to extend their liberal education beyond the bachelorâs level, to acquire professional training for teaching in high schools and junior and community colleges, and/or to prepare for the PhD, the degree most often required for teaching literature and writing in four-year colleges and universities.
Specific Requirements
Coursework:
âºIntroduction to Graduate Study (ENGC 7002, 1 hour)
âºMethods of Criticism and Critical Debates: Introduction to Theory Course (ENGC 7004, 3 hours)
âºCultural Difference and Alterity* requirement: literature and/or theory course (3 hours)
*Each student is to take a seminar that engages in a substantive way with issues of identity, difference, and âotherness.â Students with questions about whether specific courses can satisfy the alterity requirement should consult the Area Director in Literature and Cultural Studies or the Director of Graduate Studies.
âºTeaching College Writing (ENGC 7030, 3 hours)
âºTeaching Practicum (ENGC 7031, 2 hours)
âºHistorical requirement: 3 courses in literature, with at least one of those pre-1900 and at least one post-1900 (9 hours)
âºElectives chosen from courses at the 6000-8000 levels (12 hours)
âºLanguage requirement (to be fulfilled outside the regular course count)
âºMA Thesis, ENGL 9090 (3-6 hours)
MA Research Paper: Students complete the degree with a Masterâs project, for which the student receives a letter grade. The project is most often a substantial revision of a seminar paper. MA papers are 25-40 pages in length (excluding footnotes), modeled after articles published in refereed academic journals, and written under the supervision of two faculty members.
MA in English, Creative Writing Track
Through genre-specific workshops and seminars, the Creative Writing track provides an opportunity for students to combine the writing of poetry, fiction, and/or nonfiction with the advanced study of literature and craft. Upon completion of the two-year degree, some students may choose to pursue either an MFA in creative writing or a PhD in writing or literature. Graduates of our program in recent years have also pursued professional degrees or taken jobs in business and arts-or-writing-related fields.
Specific Requirements
Coursework:
âºIntro to Graduate Study (ENGC 7002, 1 hour)
âºTeaching Practicum (ENGC 7031, 2 hours)
âºTeaching College Writing (ENGC 7030, 3 hours)
âºTechnique & Form in Poetry or Fiction (ENGL 7086, 3 hours)
âºMA Thesis (ENGL 9090, 3-6 Hours)
âºOne Theory Course (3 hours)
âºThree Literature Courses above 5000 (comprising a field, area, critical approach, discipline, or genre of studentâs choice)
âºAt least three workshops (9 hours)
âºOne Elective (3 hours)
MA Thesis: By October 1 of the second year, MA students should secure a thesis director as well as a second reader. The thesis director and the student will set up a schedule of deadlines and meetings over the course of the year, as the student revises existing work and/or drafts new work. The second reader will read the completed thesis in preparation of the defense. The thesis should be 75-125 pages for prose and 25-35 pages for poetry. Students should deliver the completed thesis to both the director and the second reader at least two weeks before the defense date, which should take place before the end of the spring semester. It is the studentâs responsibility to schedule a time and place for the defense.
Double Degree (MA/PhD) with Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies
Required Coursework WGSS:
1st year of the WGSS MA (and English Electives)
âºProseminar I (WGSS 7000,1 hour)
âºProseminar II: Directed readings (WGSS 7001, 2 hours)
âºFeminist Methods and Methodologies (WGSS 7004, 3 hours)
âºFem Theory Foundations (WGSS 7012, 4 hours)
âºTwo of the following core courses: Race, Class, Nation (WGSS 7014, 4 hours), Contemporary Issues (WGSS 7015, 4 hours), or Transnational Theory (WGSS 7015, 4 hours)
âºTwo English electives (6 hours)
2nd year WGSS MA (MA Project and English Teaching Requirements)*
âºFeminist Research & Methods (WGSS 8000, 3 hours)
âºIndividual Directed Research I (Final paper, WGSS 8010, 1-3 hours)
âºIndividual Directed Research II (Final Paper, WGSS 8011, 1-3 hours) âºTwo WGSS electives (6 hours)
âºWGSS Oral Exam (WGSS 8020, 1-3 hours)
âºTwo English electives (6 hours)
âºEnglish Teaching Practicum (ENGC 7031, 2
hours)
*Variable credit hours are based a combination of coursework and independent research hours necessary to complete the MA project and exam. GAs must carry a minimum of 12 credit hours per term (24 for the academic year) to remain in good standing with the Graduate School. WGSS graduate students typically carry additional hours.
3rd Year in English (Additional PhD Coursework)
âºFour English courses supporting two fields of study
âºTwo graduate-level WGSS or English electives at the 6000-8000 levels
At least one of the English courses taken in years two or three should be an intensive 8000-level seminar.
The WGSS MA Oral Exam counts for one-half area of critical theory for the English PhD qualifying exams. (See description of the second field below for an explanation of the half-area in the structure of the qualifying exam.)
PhD Program in English--Expected Timeline
The PhD program in English features three tracks: Literature & Cultural Studies, Rhetoric & Composition, and Creative Writing. The degree is designed to prepare our students for careers as teachers (primarily as college faculty), as scholars, as writers, and in general as contributors to the future of English Studies, whether through scholarship, creative work, teaching, or other professional activities. Our tracks are designed to offer great flexibility for graduate students to pursue their wide-ranging interests, and in turn to produce versatile graduates who can thrive either in academic jobs or in an increasingly broad variety of related fields.
Important note: This is not an exhaustive list, and some areas have track-specific requirements (for instance, the First-Year Review in Rhetoric & Composition. Please consult the information on your specific track (below) for a fuller account of requirements, deadlines, and procedures.
Fall Semester, Year One
âºTeaching Practicum (ENGC 7031, 1 hour), Professionalization Seminar (ENGC 7003, 1 hour), Teaching (ENGL 9098, 3 hours), plus a seminar
Spring Semester, Year One
âºTeaching College Writing (ENGC 7030), Teaching, seminars
*By May 1 of your first year, you should check with your advisor within the track and with the Director of Graduate Studies to fill out an Individual Academic Plan and make sure everything is in order to complete required coursework on time.
Fall Semester, Year Two
âºTeaching, seminars
Spring Semester, Year Two
âºTeaching, seminars
*By January 15, you should have identified and secured qualifying examiners and named your exam areas. It is your responsibility to turn in your areaâs Exam Lists form to your area director and to the Director of Graduate Studies by the due date.
*By May 1 of your second year, you should turn in your lists, which at this point should be at least tentatively agreed upon with your examiners, to your area director and to the Director of Graduate Studies. (Note re rationales: Rules for rationales vary from track to track, sometimes from examiner to examiner. If your track or examiner requires a preliminary rationale at the time of list-making, that rationale should be included in the document you file with the area director and the Director of Graduate Studies.)
Fall Semester, Year Three
âºTeaching, exam preparation
Spring Semester, Year Three
âºTeaching, exams
*Except in extraordinary circumstances, qualifying examsâwritten and oral--should be taken by February 15.
*The Exam Results form must be turned in to the Graduate Coordinator immediately after completion of the oral exam. The Graduate Schoolâs admission-to-doctoral candidacy form must be turned in to the Graduate Coordinator for the Director of Graduate Studiesâ approval within one week of the successful oral exam. This form requires that the student identify her or his dissertation committee, so make sure youâve secured committee members before submitting the form.)
Year Four
âºTeaching, dissertation
*The fourth year of study is generally devoted to the writing of the dissertation. The student should take note that the Graduate Schoolâs defense deadline for spring falls generally around the end of March.
The department is mindful that students writing research dissertations may need part or all of the fifth year to complete them. Fifth-year funding, often in the form of teaching, may be available, but it is not guaranteed.
General Department Rules and Expectations about Exam and Dissertation Procedure
These rules are supplemented below in the specific tracksâ sections, which the student should also consult.
PhD Qualifying Exams
Upon completing coursework, students move forward to the dissertation stage of the PhD program by passing written and oral qualifying examinations. Faculty members compose questions and administer exams based on reading lists designed in collaboration between the examiner and the student and then approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. The exam structure is linked to coursework, with the goal of focusing on preparation for the dissertation.
Rules for constituting lists are specific to the tracks, but within an overarching departmental structure.
These are the basic principles inscribed in all tracksâ procedures:
Size of Lists:
Each trackâs expectation will be for two (possibly subdivided) lists totaling approximately 100-110 works.
Exam Committee:
Usually, students will negotiate an area-exam list with each of two faculty members, and then they will ask a third faculty member to serve as a kind of âexaminer without portfolioâ (the exam moderator)âsomeone to read the written exams and ask questions about them, but from the fresh perspective of someone who has been relatively outside the list-making process.
Scheduling the Exam:
Upon formally submitting the reading lists and the rationale to the Graduate Director, the student, in consultation with the examiners, sets the dates for the qualifying exam. Under normal circumstances, the student should allow at least three months to elapse between approval of these materials and the exam.
The student should make arrangements with the Graduate Coordinator for the dates of the exam and for the location and time of the oral component. The written and oral portions should generally be completed in a span of one week, and each written exam should take place on one working day, following an 8 am to 5 pm or a 9 am to 6 pm schedule (which may be deviated from only under extraordinary circumstances). It is highly recommended that they not take place during breaks or on holidays. The Graduate Coordinator assists in the room scheduling for the oral portion of the exam. The student submits to the Graduate Coordinator the signed Doctoral Exam Results Form reporting the results of the exam.
For each written part, the exam committee will prepare questions that give the student some choice; committees may invite the student to submit ideas for questions. Students may compose their answers anywhere they see fit. The expectation is that students will wish to write in a comfortable place, near their study materials. The student must return her or his response via e-mail to the Graduate Coordinator and the entire committee before time expires. Individual faculty members set the word limit (or page count) for their section of the exam. We do not expect or want students to write constantly all day; we seek the equivalent of four to six hours of thoughtful writing, with time enough for breaks and editing/proofreading.
After the student has completed the written qualifying exams, the Committee will make a preliminary judgment to confirm that the written exam justifies proceeding to the oral component. (There may be instances where the committee decides that the studentâs written exam is clearly failing in one field. In this situation, the student will retake the field that s/he failed.) The oral exam is approximately 90 minutes. How to apportion the oral examinationâs time is up the committee, but a typical exam period might be divided this way: Field 1: 25 minutes for the examiner, 10 minutes each for the second and third examiners. Field 2: 25 minutes for the second examiner, 10 minutes each for examiners 1 and 3.
All examiners will evaluate all portions of the exam. The committee should determine whether the student has earned a High Pass, a Pass, or Failure. The student must pass both fields in order to pass the qualifying exam. Neither qualifying exam may be retaken more than once; a repeated failure of an exam shall result in dismissal from the PhD program. At least one full term should elapse before the qualifying exam may be retaken.
Dissertation Committee:
The dissertation committee usually consists of a director and a second and third reader, though under certain circumstances, and with the permission of the dissertation director and the Director of Graduate Studies, faculty members may be added. The dissertation committee and the exam committee are usually not identical, although they can be.
The dissertation committee may include a person or persons from outside the department who has/have special competence or interest in the dissertation area. For example, expertise on the dissertation topic may be available in the person of a former faculty member or an appropriate professional practitioner. Typically the committee will include three English department faculty, but exceptions to that rule are possible. Except under very unusual circumstances, the dissertation director and at least one other committee member should be faculty in the department of English.
Once the student has assembled a committeeâa step that should take place as soon as possible after the successful completion of the qualifying examsâs/he should obtain approval of the committee from the Director of Graduate Studies.
Dissertation Defense:
It is the studentâs responsibility to apply for graduation by the Graduate School deadline for the terms in which s/he intends to defend. Application for graduation requires that the student set a tentative date of defense. Once the dissertation director and the student have agreed, in consultation with the committee, that the dissertation is ready
for defense, the student should contact the Graduate Coordinator to schedule a room
and a time. Except under exceptional circumstances, the student should provide copies of the complete dissertation to all members of the committee at least three weeks in advance of the defense. Defenses will last about an hour and a half. After time to confer, the committee will convey results.
Upon successful completion of the defense, the student will submit the Committee Approval Form. The student is responsible for downloading this form from http://grad.uc.edu/student-life/etd.html; it should be brought to the defense for signature. After committee approval of the dissertation, the candidate should consult http://grad.uc.edu/student-life/etd.html for information and requirements related to preparing and submitting the electronic dissertation.
PhD, Literature & Cultural Studies Track
LCS PhD in English with Research Dissertation
Required Coursework:
âºProfessionalization Seminar (ENGC 7003, 1 hour)
âºTeaching Practicum (ENGC 7031, 2 hours)
âºMethods of Criticism and Critical Debates: Introduction to Theory Course (ENGC 7004, 3 hours)
âºCultural Difference and Alterity requirement: literature and/or theory course (3 hours)
âºTeaching College Writing (ENGC 7030, 3 hours
âºHistorical Requirement: 1 course pre-1900 and 1 post-1900 (6 hours)
âºFour courses supporting two fields of study (12 hours)
âºTwo additional graduate-level electives (6 hours)
At least one of the seminars should be an intensive 8000-level course. (Students may, in certain circumstances, apply to the Director of Composition for a waiver of the Teaching College Writing requirementâclick here for details.)
PhD Qualifying Exams
LCS students select two fields of study (which may include additional areas within a field). Fields might be constituted in terms of broad literary or theoretical movements; they might be based on historical chronology, national boundaries, and genre study (including narratology and poetic theory), and on pedagogy. They might also focus on visual culture, media and film studies, gender and sexuality, drama and performance studies, race and ethnicity, and womenâs literary studies. The students must secure the faculty members who will examine them. See below for the various ways that a third examiner might contribute to a qualifying examination.
âºThe first field of study includes a substantial theoretical component relevant to the proposed dissertation topic. Along with coverage of primary and secondary texts in the area studied, it begins to formulate the topic and research question (problem) of the dissertation and includes methodological and theoretical positions that will assist in the writing of the dissertation.
âºThe second field of study may be a single area further supporting work on the dissertation, or it may even include hybrid lists designed to enhance the candidateâs areas of special expertise. For example, a student may devise a hybrid list that consists of two half-size areas, with each of those lists to account for a half-day of writing.
While compiling and finalizing reading lists, students also complete specific rationales for each of the chosen areas, clarifying their content, relevance to the proposed topic and research question of the dissertation, and addressing theoretical approaches to the texts studied in the areas.
Reading lists for each field of study are generally structured under the following plan: 17-20 primary works and 8-10 theoretical and/or critical works from lists suggested by the area directors; 17-20 primary and 8-10 theoretical and/or critical more works chosen by the candidate, subject to the examinersâ (and in some cases, the third examinerâs) approval, supporting the two areas. The total number of works per list (with âworksâ to be defined by mutual agreement between the examiner and the student) should be 50-55. See below for how the third examiner might contribute to a qualifying examination.
Some lists are posted on the Graduate Program website, and students might consult them for information and guidance. Additionally, the Graduate Coordinator will retain some reading lists and rationales from past Ph.D. exams, and these may be consulted as resources.
Exam Committee:
Usually, students will negotiate an area-exam list with each of two faculty members, and then they will ask a third faculty member to serve as a kind of âexaminer without portfolioââsomeone to read the written exams and ask questions about them, but from the fresh perspective of someone who has been relatively outside the list-making process. It is also permissible, however, to split the second field exam between two examiners. With the second exam, each examiner handles one half-list (the construction of the list, the written exam, and the oral portion). Students are strongly encouraged to choose faculty with whom they have taken courses and who are familiar with the studentâs work. The student should work closely with the examiners during the entire exam processâin assembling the lists and rationales and also in reviewing for the exams.
If a specialist in a desired area is not available among the departmentâs faculty, that area cannot be included on the exam. However, outside experts or specialists in any of the three areas may be invited to serve as additional ex officio members of the exam committee.
Once the student has prepared the individual reading lists and the rationales for the fields/areas, they must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and filed electronically with the Graduate Coordinator. Once the exam dates are scheduled, the student must obtain and fill out the Pre-Candidacy Doctoral Exam Form, which requires the signatures of all committee members.
Submitting the Reading Lists and Rationale:
During their first year, students begin to develop, in consultation with a faculty mentor, two fields of study.
Second-year students construct reading lists and write rationales for their fields in consultation with members of their exam committees. They have an âExam Areas and Committees Formâ due by January 15 that says, âStudents must have committees formed by the beginning of the second semester or their second year of study and approval of their areas and lists by exam committees and the Director of Graduate Studies by the end of their second year of study. Exams must be completed by February 15 of the third year of study.â
The rationale follows these guidelines:
âºOne rationale, of about two pages, covers the two field exams.
âºThe rationale opens with a paragraph announcing what the two areas are, who the three examiners will be, and distinguishes between the dissertation area and the secondary field(s).
âºThe rationale then goes on to explain why the student chose these fields (or half- fields), showing why they make intellectual and practical sense. Then, more specifically, the student must explain the rationales behind the selection of the additional readings on the lists (selected and added by the student).
Once the examiners have read and approved the whole exam package and have verified that the student is ready to sit for the exam, a cover memo with the lists/rationale should be electronically submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Coordinator.
Dissertation
Doctoral students in the LCS PhD program complete a scholarly dissertation.
By April 15 of the third year of study, each student should submit a draft of his or her dissertation proposal. Advisors should approve proposals by the beginning of the summer between the third and fourth years of study. After all members of the dissertation committee have approved the proposal, a copy is filed electronically with the Director of Graduate Studies.
Dissertation Proposal
The proposal should be from 5 to 10 pages in length (depending on the extensiveness of the bibliography) and should include:
âºa clear statement of the aim, scope, and proposed organization of the dissertation
âºa reasoned argument for the importance of the project, and a review of the research in this area
âºa bibliography of criticism and scholarship immediately relevant to the subject
PhD, Rhetoric & Composition Track
Required Coursework:
âºProfessionalization Seminar (ENGC 7002, 1 hour)
âºTeaching Practicum (ENGC 7031, 2 hours)
âºTeaching College Writing (ENGC 7030, 3 hours)
âºTwo courses in Rhetoric & Composition, and two in a supporting area (at least one 8000Ââlevel course among the four, preferably in dissertation area---3 hours each, 12 hours total)
âºTwo courses in Critical Theory (rhetorical, literacy, professional writing, or literary theory (3 hours each, 6 hours total)
âºFour electives (3 hours each, 12 hours total)
First-Year Review
The academic review takes place at the end of a studentâs first year in the doctoral program. The goal of the review is to identify areas of strength, growth, and/or weakness as revealed in completed work and in verbal responses during the review. Faculty members may recommend that the student take particular courses, read more extensively in a specific area, or meet with faculty on a regular basis for a certain purpose (i.e., to improve writing, develop a research agenda, etc.).
The review is a ninety-minute session during which the student and two professors discuss a portfolio of work, consisting of a brief self-evaluation and two unrevised seminar papers completed during the academic year. In addition, the student, in consultation with his/her advisor, will develop a reading list of 10-15 books (many of which are drawn from the yearâs coursework), which will shape part of the groupâs conversation. Ideally, the review will be a conversation about the reading list and the studentâs intellectual and rhetorical progress as demonstrated in the papers. The committeeâs questions can be open-ended or direct. Broad, open-ended questions will ask students to relate texts to each other, to the papers, to the studentâs goals and understanding of the field. Direct questions will require the student to discuss specific theories, authors, concepts, or ideas that emerge in the written work or in the conversation. The student will be notified verbally of the committeeâs assessment shortly after the review. Faculty will jointly write an assessment of the studentâs progress, indicating whether the student passed or failed the review, and then submit a copy of this report to the graduate office and to the student. If a student fails the review, he/she may be asked to revise one of the included papers, read specific texts and discuss them with faculty, and/or meet regularly with faculty for focused discussion on particular topic
Qualifying Exams and Dissertation
The goal of the qualifying exam is to ensure that students have both broad and deep knowledge of the field and are prepared to begin work on the dissertation. Students will work with a faculty member in the area to select 24 core readings from the Exam Guidelines & Core List [original link path: http://www.artsci.uc.edu/content/dam/artsci/departments/english/docs/rhet_comp/exam_guidelines_core_list] and to develop an individualized reading module (or set of smaller modules). The module, however configured, should include approximately 24-26 texts. Thus, with the core of 24 texts plus module readings, the Rhetoric & Composition exam will cover approximately 50 texts total. See the Resource for Developing a Reading List [original link path: http://www.artsci.uc.edu/content/dam/artsci/departments/english/docs/rhet_comp/developing_a_reading_list] for ideas on module topics and Sample Reading Lists for helpful models.
Please note that students take exams in at least two areas, so the Rhetoric & Composition exam would constitute one area. For a student working toward a PhD with concentration in literature or creative writing, the other area would be in one of these broad areas; for a student working toward a PhD with concentration in Rhetoric & Composition, the second exam list will be developed in consultation with an advisor, and will likely include areas of study in Rhetoric and Composition not covered in the Core List. It may also include literary and/or creative texts/issues.
Students will ask a third faculty member to serve as an additional examiner, who reads the written exams and ask questions about them, but from the fresh perspective of someone outside the list-making process. It is also permissible to split the second exam between two examiners. In this case, each examiner handles one half-list (the construction of the list, the written exam, and the oral portion). Students should work closely with the examiners during the entire exam processâin assembling the lists and rationales and also in reviewing for the exams.
Approximately two weeks prior to taking exams, students should submit a double-spaced, six-to-eight-page rationale that describes the central themes and/or critical viewpoints made available in each area of study, articulates interrelationships between areas, and addresses the overall relevance of the exam to the student's future work.
The exam itself consists of a two-day writing period, followed by a ninety-minute oral defense. For the writing portion, we expect that students might compose essay(s) totaling 3000-5000 words (12-20 double-spaced pages) each exam day. After successful completion of the qualifying exams, students in Rhetoric and Composition will write a dissertation proposal before beginning work on the dissertation. Please adhere to the Dissertation Proposal [original link path: http://www.artsci.uc.edu/content/dam/artsci/departments/english/docs/rhet_comp/rc_dissertation_proposal_form.pdf] format.
The dissertation offers a scholarly contribution to the field of Rhetoric and Composition. Students work closely with a Director and two readers while developing and drafting the dissertation. The completed dissertation is followed by a ninety-minute defense.
For a more specific and detailed timeline for Rhetoric & Composition PhD students, click here.
PhD, Creative Writing Track
Specialization in Fiction, Nonfiction, or Creative Nonfiction
Specific Requirements
Coursework
âºProfessionalization Seminar (ENGC 7002, 1 hour)
âºTeaching College Writing (ENGC 7030, 3 hours)
âºTeaching Practicum (ENGC 7031, 2 hours)
âº4 Workshops (3 hours each, 12 hours total)
âºTheory Course (usually ENGC 7004, 3 hours)
âºTechnique & Form in Fiction/Poetry (ENGL 7086/7085, 3 hours)
âºLiterature Course pre-1900 (3 hours)
âºLiterature Course post-1900 (3 hours)
âº2 Non-Workshop Electives (6 hours)
Teaching College Writing may under certain circumstances be waived at the discretion of the Director of Composition, based upon prior courseworkâfor details, click here. The literature courses must be above the 6000 level. Among the theory, literature, and elective requirements, two courses should be at the 8000 level, provided a sufficient number of such courses are offered. Of the required four workshops, one may be in a second genre or in a hybrid course. The theory course should generally be Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory, but with the permission of the Graduate Director the student mayâusually on the basis of having taken a similar classâsubstitute another such course.
Foreign Language: The foreign language requirement is to be satisfied outside the course and credit-hour requirements, and it may be fulfilled in various ways. See âForeign Language Requirement,â above.
Exams:
âºAreas, Lists, and Committee: Students will develop two areas of study with two different faculty members: (1) a literary genre; and (2) a historical period, theory, or rhetoric/composition. Together, the two reading lists should contain 100 works, generally 50 to no more than 55 per list. Though both exams are expected to cover both primary and secondary works and consider texts with attention to scholarly issues, one of the exams will look at the studentâs main area more from the perspective of the practitioner and the other will look at its material from the perspective of the scholar, historian, and theorist. Ordinarily, this distinction will be reflected in the specializations of the faculty members overseeing each exam. A third examiner, in addition to serving as moderator, will be a full member of the committee and respond to exams as a whole. At least one member of the committee must be outside the Creative Writing faculty.
âºTimeline: By the beginning of the second semester of the second year of study, students must have committees formed, and by the end of the second year of study they must have approval by the exam committee and the Director of Graduate Study of their areas, their lists, and in some cases (see below) their rationales. Exams must be completed by February 15 of the third year of study. Rationales may be required, either at the outset of the process or as a prelude to the taking of exams, at the discretion of the examiner. (For specific requirements of rationales in Literature & Cultural Studies and in Rhetoric & Composition, please see PhD, LCS Track, and PhD, RC Track, above.)
Format: Students will take the written exam over two days, each day devoted to one area. Questions will arrive via email in the morning, with answers due within nine hours. Students can expect to write about 15-25 double-spaced pages each day.
Dissertation:
Committee: The Graduate Schoolâs admission-to-doctoral candidacy form must be turned in to the Graduate Coordinator for the Director of Graduate Studiesâ approval within one week of the successful oral exam. After confirming the studentâs completion of all degree requirements except the dissertation, the Director of Graduate Studies and the graduate Coordinator convey that form to the Graduate School, and the student receives notice from the Graduate School of having officially entered into candidacy. This form requires the names of dissertation committee members, so the student should have identified, asked, and secured dissertation committee members at the time of the oral qualifying exam. Students should limit themselves to three committee members, and are strongly encouraged to select one member from outside the Creative Writing faculty.
Process: The dissertation director and the student will set up a schedule of deadlines and meetings over the course of the studentâs fourth year, and may decide that the student should set up a similar schedule to work with the third reader on the critical portion. The goal is a completed and revised manuscript of at least 175 pages in prose and 50 pages in poetry, plus a completed and revised critical essay of 20-30 pages. The second and third readers will read the complete manuscript at least once in advance of the defense.
Defense: It is the studentâs responsibility to set a date and time for the defense, with an eye toward Graduate School deadlines, and to give copies of the complete dissertation to all three members at least three weeks in advance of the defense. Please note that defenses should be held during the school year. Defenses will last about an hour and a half. The student can expect questions from the committee about genre, intention, technique, the link between critical and creative practice, and related matters. The committee will also offer critique of both the creative and critical manuscript. After time to confer, the committee will convey results.
Electronic Submission: Creative dissertations are protected from public electronic publishing. Students should be prompted to choose the UC Repositoryâonly option, and should contact the Director of Graduate Studies if there are any problems. Please note that as part of the electronic submission process, students will be asked to upload an abstract of the dissertation.
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