Ph.D. in English

SUNY Stony Brook University

Through our graduate programs, Stony Brook’s English Department participates in learning communities around the world. Professionals with Stony Brook English degrees teach in secondary schools, colleges and universities, present research at scholarly conferences, and write for specialized and general-interest audiences. Students enrolled in the Ph.D. program pursue a course of study that is designed, in large part, around individual interests and that moves from a broad-based survey to a more narrowly focused specialization. Eleven courses are required of each student. EGL 600, The Discipline of Literary Studies, must be taken during the first fall semester in which it is offered, as it introduces students to the variety of approaches to literature represented in current criticism. Students select their remaining courses in consultation with faculty advisors these courses are intended to strengthen the student’s literary background and theoretical knowledge, and further define chosen areas of inquiry. To accommodate the latter goal, students may take courses in other departments with approval from the graduate director. While pursuing the Ph.D. in English, students may also earn an interdisciplinary graduate certificate in women’s, gender and sexuality studies, media, arts, cultural and technology, or composition studies.

College of Arts and Sciences, Department of English