PhD English at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Programme overview

The Department of English offers programs of study leading to the Master of Arts and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees. We welcome qualified students who wish to pursue their interests in English, American, and Anglophone language, literature and film beyond the undergraduate level.

Faculty: College of Liberal Arts & Sciences | Study mode: full-time | Location: Champaign, IL, United States

What you will study

Required courses listed include ENGL 599 Thesis Research (32 max can be applied to the degree.); ENGL 593 Professional Seminar in College Teaching (or act as a teaching assistant for two semesters in a large lecture course before they teach literature courses. Students are expected to teach at least one literature course during their Ph.D. work.); ENGL 593 Professional Seminar in College Teaching.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

A student who wishes to be considered for admission to graduate studies in English must present the equivalent of at least 20 semester hours of undergraduate work in English and American literature, excluding required work in rhetoric or composition. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are required for those applying for the Literary Studies and Writing Studies programs. The GRE subject test for literature in English is not required. For the 2021-2022 application season, the English Department is not requiring the GRE general test, and such scores will not be considered by the readers of applications in their deliberations. All applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores. Currently, a minimum score of 550 on the paper-based test (213 on the computer-based test) is required. Before a teaching

Domestic applicants: USD 14,908 a year (2026-27). Illinois resident rate. Tuition only for new and continuing graduate students, Fall 2026-Spring 2027 at full-time (12 credit hours per term). Non-Illinois U.S. resident tuition for this programme: $32,204. Excludes campus and mandatory fees, health insura Source

International applicants: USD 32,204 a year (2026-27). International rate. Tuition only for new and continuing graduate students, Fall 2026-Spring 2027 at full-time (12 credit hours per term). Excludes campus and mandatory fees, health insurance, housing and other expenses as the source states them separately Source

Not all graduate programmes offer admission in all terms; term availability is set by each programme of study.

Graduate applicants apply online through the Graduate College application; deadlines and term availability are set by each programme. Medicine, law and veterinary medicine applicants apply directly to their colleges.

Apply through the official page: https://english.illinois.edu/admissions/graduate-admission

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