The English Ph. D. degree program is open to all qualified graduates of universities and colleges of recognized standing. To see a list of graduate classes, scroll down to the bottom of this page; to see the degree description and advising form, click on the appropriate link below.
Program of study (general description)
Plan of study (for individual students and advisers)
To be admitted with full status to the program, the applicant
must fulfill all of the requirements set out below.
Admissions Requirements
In most cases, applicants are expected to have completed a Master
of Arts or Science, but exceptional candidates may be admitted
directly out of the Bachelor's degree. They must have completed a
BA, BS, MA, or MS from an accredited educational institution and
have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.5.
Conditional admission may be granted to students who do not meet
all requirements for admission or have deficiencies in prerequisite
course work, but demonstrate potential for graduate study. Such
students may be required to take additional courses to address
deficiencies in prerequisite course work.
To be considered, completed applications should be received by
January 31st directly to The Graduate School.
Official transcripts (transcripts having an appropriate seal or
stamp) of all previous undergraduate and graduate records must be
received by The Graduate School before the application is complete.
When a transcript is submitted in advance of completion of
undergraduate or graduate studies, an updated transcript showing
all course credits and grades must be provided prior to the initial
registration at North Dakota State University.
At least three letters of recommendation and a writing sample are
required before action is taken on any application. Personal
reference report forms are available from The Graduate
School.
Applications must include:
at least 3 letters of recommendation, ideally addressing your
abilities as a student and your potential for graduate work; an
academic writing sample, not to exceed 20 pages, that reflects the
students' academic or professional interests and that demonstrates
the students' critical and analytical abilities; a statement of
purpose articulating goals and qualifications for graduate study;
official transcripts from all previous undergraduate and graduate
records; when applicable, a letter stating your interest in and
qualifications for a teaching assistantship.
Preferred additional materials:
Graduate Record Exam General Test scores; practical and / or
professional writing sample, not to exceed 10 pages.
The TOEFL examination is required of all international applicants.
A minimum score of 100 (internet test) 600 (paper test) or 243
(computer test) or a minimum of 7 on the IELTS is required of
international students seeking admission with full standing.
Questions about the degree may be directed to Dr. Dale Sullivan, Head of the Department.
Courses Offered
652 History of the English Language 3 Development
of the English language from its Germanic origins to the modern
period. (offered on alternate years)
653 Social and Regional Varieties of English 3
Regional and social variables affecting language uses; attitudinal
considerations with emphasis on the educational and sociopolitical
ramifications of standardization policies. Focus on American
English with reference to British and other English dialects.
(offered on alternate years)
654 Language Bias 3 Examination of how social
asymmetries of race, gender, and ethnicity are reflected and
sustained in discourse practices. Use of current critical
linguistics theories to examine how gender, racial, and ethnic
abilities/disabilities are manifested through language. (offered on
alternate years)
656 Literacy Studies 3 Reading, writing, research,
and discussion of diverse types of literacy from functional to
cultural to technological and their roles in culture and identity
formation. Completion of related community projects. (offered on
alternate years)
659 Research and Writing Grants and Proposals 3 A
rhetorical approach to writing academic and business grants,
proposals, and related professional documents. Development of a
portfolio of professionally designed and edited documents as well
as the vocabulary of grants writing and research. (offered on
alternate years)
670 Topics in American Literature 3 Intensive
study of a special theme, form, period, or group of writers central
to the formation and development of American literature. (offered
on alternate years)
671 American Realistic Literature 3 Principles of
American literary realism as exhibited in the major works of
Howells, James, Twain, Crane, Chopin, Gilman, Norris, Wharton,
Dreiser, and others. Combination varies. (offered on alternate
years)
672 20th-century American Writers 3 Intensive
study of major American writers from 1900 to 1950. (offered on
alternate years)
674 Native American Literature 3 The development
of literature by and about Native Americans is traced from 1850 to
the present. Focus on Native American identity and contributions to
the American culture. (offered on alternate years)
680 Medieval Literature 3 British poetry and prose
from the beginning of the Middle Ages to 1500, excluding Chaucer.
(offered on alternate years)
682 Renaissance Literature 3 Study of British
writers of the 16th and 17th centuries. Past classes have covered
non-Shakespearean drama, Renaissance poetry, and Shakespeare on
film. (offered on alternate years)
683 Topics in British Literature 3 Intensive study
of a special theme, form, period, or group of writers central to
the formation of British literature. (offered on alternate
years)
685 18th-century Literature 3 Study of major
writers, Dryden, Pope, Swift, and Johnson, with occasional
excursions into the fictional territory of Richardson, Fielding,
Sterne, and Smollett. (offered on alternate years)
686 19th-Century Literature 3 Study of major
British writers from the French Revolution to the coronation of
Queen Victoria. (offered on alternate years)
753 Rhetorics and Poetics of New Media 3 RPNM
explore issues related to the rhetoric and poetics of new media
through selected reading, projects that allow students to develop
skills and insight through experiential learning. (no pattern;
offered occasionally)
754 Rhetorics of Science and Technology 3 The
study and critique of the rhetorics of science and technology,
informed by rhetorical theory and by the philosophy of and the
social studies of science and technology. (offered on alternate
years)
755 Composition Theory 3 Study of contemporary
theories of teaching writing with frequent summary/response papers
on assigned readings and a research paper on composition theory.
(offered on alternate years)
756 Composition Research 3 Study of designs and
basic statistics for writing research, analysis of current
research, and a research project in composition. (offered on
alternate years)
758 Topics in Rhetoric and Writing 3 Intensive
study of a theory, theorist, or issue in rhetoric or writing with
regard to relevance for critical and production practices in
English Studies. (offered on alternate years)
759 History of Writing Instruction 3 The study of
the history of writing instruction from antiquity to the present,
with emphasis on relevance to modern writing instruction. (offered
on alternate years)
760 Graduate Scholarship 3 Introduction to
scholarship in English studies and to the nature and state of the
discipline. (typically offered every autumn term)
762 Critical Theory 3 Study of contemporary
literary theory and criticism. (typically offered every spring
term)
764 Classroom Strategies for TAs 3 Introduction to
current issues in composition pedagogy, research, and theory,
focusing on how they inform teaching practices. Instruction on
developing philosophy of and strategies for teaching through short
position papers, literacy autobiography, and a sequence of
assignments for English 120. (typically offered every autumn
term)
770 Studies in American Literature 3 Intensive
study of a special period, theme, technique, or group of writers
central to the formation, development, or flowering of American
literature. (offered once a year)
780 Renaissance Literary Studies 3 Intensive study
of a special theme, form, or group of writers central to the
formation and development of British literature in the Renaissance
period. (offered once a year)
790 Graduate Seminar 1-3
793 Individual Study/Tutorial 1-5
696/796 Special Topics 3
797 Master's Paper 1-3
798 Master's Thesis 1-10