PhD English (Literature) at Arizona State University

Programme overview

The Doctor of Philosophy program in English with a concentration in literature trains you in the methodologies, pedagogies and areas of inquiry that constitute literary and cultural studies. With a distinguished faculty who cover a robust variety of expertises, the program offers you opportunities for specialization in literary criticism, cultural analysis, theory and various fields of interdisciplinary study.

What you will study

84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation Required Core (3 credit hours) ENG 501 Approaches to Research (3) Concentration (12 credit hours) ENG 588 Writing for Publication (3) ENG 601 Job Market Workshop: Designing Your Future (3) ENG 605 Advanced Contemporary Approaches to Literary and Cultural Studies (3) ENG 790 Reading and Conference (3) Pedagogies and Practices (3 credit hours) ENG 555 Literary and Cultural Pedagogies (3) ENG 580 Practicum (3) ENG 604 Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies (3) ENG 784 Internship (3) Language and Linguistics (3 credit hours) ENG 530 Old English (3) ENG 532 Middle English Dialects (3) ENG 550 Translation (3) LIN 517 History of the English Language (3) a 400-level course in an approved language (3) an approved 500-level LIN course (3) an approved graduate-level SILC course (3) Restricted Electives (12 credit hours) Electives and Research (39 credit hours) Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) ENG 799 Dissertation (12) Additional Curriculum Information When approved by the student's supervisory committee and the Graduate College, this program allows 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree to be used for this degree.

Career pathways

Graduates are prepared for careers in higher education and other fields that value this expertise. Sectors employing high numbers of arts and humanities graduates include information and communication, financial and insurance, public administration and defense, arts and entertainment, and education. Career examples: archivist, curator or exhibit designer, consultant or lobbyist, educator, higher education administrator, librarian or rare books curator, market research analyst, nonprofit program director, project manager.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program. All applicants must submit: graduate admission application and application fee official transcripts statement of purpose resume or curriculum vitae three letters of recommendation academic writing sample relevant to the field statement of teaching philosophy (teaching assistantship only) proof of English proficiency Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English and has not graduated from an institution of higher learning in the United States must provide proof of English proficiency , regardless of current residency.

Domestic applicants: USD 13,327 a year (2026-27). Arizona resident tuition. Tuition only for the graduate on-campus (Tempe/Downtown Phoenix/Polytechnic/West Valley) rate band in the ASU tuition estimator, 2026-27: Fall 2026 plus Spring 2027 term tuition summed (full-time flat rate; part-time credit loads Source

International applicants: USD 24,780 a year (2026-27). International tuition. Tuition only for the graduate on-campus (Tempe/Downtown Phoenix/Polytechnic/West Valley) rate band in the ASU tuition estimator, 2026-27: Fall 2026 plus Spring 2027 term tuition summed (full-time flat rate; part-time credit loads ar Source

Entry terms: Fall, Spring and Summer; the terms available for each programme are listed in Degree Search.

Graduate application deadlines are set by each programme office and listed in Degree Search. The nonrefundable application fee is $75 for U.S. citizens, permanent residents, DACA and international online students outside the U.S., and $120 for international students on a nonimmigrant visa studying in the U.S.

Apply through the official page: https://admission.asu.edu/apply/graduate/admission

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