Department of EnglishPhD in English

Degree Requirements

Admission to the PhD in English requires a Master's degree. The PhD requires 72 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree. For most students in the English PhD program, these 72 hours include at least 48 credit hours in structured courses (with some courses from a master's degree transferring in), up to 12 credits of research hours as they prepare for and take their qualifying exams, and 12 (or more) credits of dissertation hours.

Irrespective of concentration, all doctoral students must take the following courses:

• ENGL 5352: Research Methods
• ENGL 5390: Writing for Publication
• ENGL 5392: Teaching College Literature
• For those on assistantship: First-Year Writing Practicum (total of 3 hours)

All students must also take at least one course each in British literature, American literature, and Comparative literature as well as a minimum number of courses in their intended area of expertise. Most students satisfy some of the general requirements during their MA program, even if that MA program has been completed at another university. Other courses—and particularly those in the intended area of expertise—must be completed at Texas Tech so that the doctoral candidate may form positive working relationships with faculty in their field of study.