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English Department, University of Minnesota Handbook for Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy Candidates
Revised August 2010

Introduction

Requirements

This handbook, also known as the "Blue Book," should be used as a guide to the requirements, options and opportunities for graduate study in English at the University of Minnesota. This handbook is meant to serve as a supplement to other official University publications outlining policy and procedure. Prospective and current graduate students are responsible for all information contained in official University of Minnesota publications. Important resource books for graduate students include:

The Graduate School Catalog , a primary information source, detailing Graduate School regulations, requirements, procedures; some financial aid, scholarship and fellowship opportunities; program and course descriptions. Available in 309 Johnston Hall, or on-line at the above link.

The Class Schedule, published on-line each semester.

Information on registration, final exam schedules, grading, fees, and so on, can be found at One Stop.

The Student-Staff Directory is an annual publication of phone numbers, addresses, and other information about University offices, faculty, staff, and students for all campuses. It is distributed only to departmental offices. It can be found on-line at the above link.

The on-line version of the Graduate School Bulletin, Class Schedule, and student-Staff Directory are more authoritative and more current then the print version.

"Active Status" and Readmission

Graduate students must register every semester to retain active status in the Graduate School. Those who do not register every semester are considered to have withdrawn, and their Graduate files are deactivated. While "inactive," a student may not register for courses, take examinations, submit degree programs or thesis proposals, or file for graduation.

Those who wish to reactivate their files must request readmission to the Graduate School via a Change of Status/Readmission form, available in 309 Johnston Hall. If readmitted, the student must register in the Graduate School for the semester of readmission, to regain his/her active status. Such requests for readmission normally are acted upon immediately by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) and are not referred to a departmental Admissions Committee.

If the final exam is late in the semester and the dissertation requires revision, it may mean that the dissertation cannot be filed until the following semester. In this case, the student will need to register for that semester.

The Graduate School maintains a file on each graduate student, which consists initially of the original application for admission, credentials submitted in support of the admission request, and the formal departmental evaluation of the application. Correspondence relating to the student is included, and eventually official degree program forms, thesis and examination reports will be added to the file. Copies of the University course and grade transcript for each student are filed annually.

The English Graduate Office also maintains a file on each Ph.D. and M.A. student in the program. Each file includes a copy of the application for admission along with letters of recommendation; official correspondence with other agencies and institutions concerning the student; correspondence between the student and the Graduate Studies office and other University offices; records of holds and warnings; a copy of the "Degree Program" form and subsequent petitions; Plan B cover sheets; and the booklist and written preliminary exam. It also includes the student's most recent "Degree Progress" form, and materials related to any teaching or research assistantships.

Each student also has a set of on-line academic records that are available to advising staff only. These include a report of courses taken, grades and incompletes, a record of graduate program 'milestones', and other related information.

A summary "advising card" or advising record is also maintained by you, your advisor, and the English Graduate Office so that all keep current regarding your progress. The card is particularly useful to keep track of the courses a DGS has approved for transfer into your degree program, and to note that you have fulfilled your language requirement. It is especially important to have this record when the departmental administration changes, to convey this information to the new DGS. Whenever you seek advice from your advisor or the DGS, check out the advising card from the English Graduate Office, 204 Lind.

You are permitted to review (and to correct or comment on) information contained in University files that pertain to you.

Expectation of PhD degree progress

Be mindful that future funding support is conditional upon your steady progress to degree.

The department’s expectation is that students entering with an MA will complete their preliminary examinations no later than their third year. If upon entering your third year you have not yet taken your examination nor scheduled it for that fall semester, you should make an appointment with the DGS to discuss your plans and explain any extenuating circumstances.

The department’s expectation is that students entering with a BA will complete their preliminary examinations no later than their fourth year. If upon entering your fourth year you have not yet taken your examination nor scheduled it for that fall semester, you should make an appointment with the DGS to discuss your plans and explain any extenuating circumstances.

Advising

Newly admitted Ph.D., M.A. and special students should arrange for an appointment with the Director of Graduate Studies at their earliest convenience. The Director of Graduate Studies is the advisor for all new Ph.D. and M.A. students during the first semester of enrollment; the Director will review immediate and long-range options. The DGS will require yearly progress reports from all Ph.D. and M.A. students.

Director of Graduate Studies

The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) is an elected officer of the graduate faculty of the Department of English. The Director is chiefly responsible for the conduct of the department's graduate programs and oversees the advising of graduate students. Along with other duties, the Director:

  1. gives final departmental approval to each Ph.D. or M.A. student's "Degree Program" form (an official document formalizing the student's course of study for the degree);
  2. certifies Ph.D. and M.A. students as academically eligible for employment in the department, based on the student's continuing progress as reported in the yearly Degree Progress form;
  3. serves as the initial advisor for newly enrolled students;
  4. serves as alternative or supplementary advisor to advanced students.

Director of the Creative Writing Program

The Director of the Creative Writing Program is appointed by the Chair of the English department. The Director is responsible for conducting the writing program and is the main advisor of the students in that program.

Faculty Advisor

You should feel free to consult any graduate faculty member informally at any time. However, it is necessary that each student have an official advisor who will handle all paperwork, as well as give academic advice. Candidates for the M.A. degree may ask any member of the graduate faculty to serve as advisor.

Students in the doctoral program may select as advisors only Senior Members of the graduate faculty. Those who have Member/Advising status may serve on examining committees, but may not serve as sole advisor for doctoral students; a Senior Member must agree to be co-advisor. A student must get the professor's agreement to serve as his or her advisor. You can determine the graduate faculty status of any professor by searching the Graduate School's roster page by department or individual.

Selecting an advisor is a serious matter. While there is no requirement that a student's advisor remain the same throughout the PhD program, this is usually what happens. An advisor may be changed, but to make any change, the student must first seek the counsel and approval of the DGS.

Aside from the DGS and the Director of the Creative Writing Program, no faculty member may advise more than ten graduate students who have not passed the Ph.D. preliminary oral examination.

To arrange for an advisor, the student should first gain the prospective advisor's agreement. Once arranged, the student can notify the English Graduate Office informally. The advising arrangement becomes official with the Graduate School upon filing of the "Degree Program" form. For more information concerning the Ph.D. advisor and examining committees, consult Ph.D. Degree Program below.

Procedural advice is also available from the Graduate School Student Services office in 316 Johnston Hall (phone: 625-3490). This office handles submission and approval of "Degree Program" forms, procedures for Ph.D. oral exams, filing of doctoral theses, graduation arrangements, and related matters. Alternatively, ask the English Graduate Office for help.

M.A. DEGREE PROGRAM

The Department of English offers two master's degrees, the master of arts in English language and literature (M.A.) and the master of fine arts in creative writing (M.F.A.). The M.A. offers extensive training in the areas of literary history, literary theory and interpretation, language, linguistics, rhetoric, and composition. Students in the M.A. can develop specific concentrations through consultation with the director of graduate studies. The M.A. is a terminal degree and is not normally a route to the Ph.D. The M.F.A. is a professional degree that is normally required for teaching in college/university program in creative writing.

M.A.—Plan B

Degree Requirements

The minimum requirement for the M.A. is 30 credits. Coursework must include at least 8 elective courses in English and 2 courses in related fields outside of English or in a minor field. At least 3 of the courses in English will be at the 5xxx course level, and 1 course must be at the 8xxx seminar level.

All M.A. students must complete the two-semester introductory sequence EngL 5001-5002 on methods and theory of literary study. In consultation with the DGS, the student will define two areas of emphasis, based on her or his academic and personal goals. Typically, one area will involve courses spread over the history of literature in English, and the other will be more specifically focused.

The two courses outside of English may include coursework toward an outside Minor.

Language Requirement

For the M.A. programs, a reading knowledge of one modern or classical language or of American Sign Language is required, as is approval by the DGS of one's choice. Computer programming languages do not fulfill the language requirement. You may satisfy the requirement either of the following ways:

  1. By completing at the college level at least two semesters (three quarters) in the language with a grade of A or three semesters (four quarters) with an average grade of B. This course work should not date back more than five years.
  2. By successfully completing one of several special programs of course work that are designed to develop foreign-language reading skills in French, German, Spanish and Italian; these are offered through the College of Continuing Education (e.g., French 0001, German 0221- 0222).

After completing either of these options, you should obtain a "Language Certification by Language Department " form in person from the Graduate School Student Services Office (316 Johnston Hall), or download one from the Graduate School's forms for Master's Degree page and present it for signature to the appropriate language department. It is then sent to the Graduate School by the department where approval is entered on your degree program and transcript. This is the more "official" mode of certification; it results in an entry on your official transcript to the effect that you have passed the language requirement.

Alternatively, the English Department DGS may certify to the Graduate School that your previous course work satisfies the requirement. The "Language Certification by Graduate Department " form is used for this purpose, and it is available in 316 Johnston or on-line at the Graduate School's forms for Master's Degree page.

The signed language certification form must be returned to 316 Johnston Hall. This process will ensure your satisfaction of the requirement on the degree program form. The certification, however, will not appear on your transcript.

If you feel you already have a reading knowledge of an approved language, contact the English department graduate studies office.

Students for whom English is a second language may have the foreign language requirement waived by the DGS.

Transfer of Credits

You may satisfy some of the course requirements listed above by transferring up to twelve semester credits of course work (or their equivalent) from another recognized graduate school, from another University of Minnesota graduate degree program, or from several other categories as indicated below.

The work to be transferred must be graduate level, must have been taken for graduate credit, and must have been taught by faculty members authorized to teach graduate courses. It is the student's responsibility to provide to the program appropriate course documentation (e.g., course syllabi, faculty status information) in support of the credits proposed to be transferred.

In the case of a transfer from a non-U.S. institution, the credits must have been earned in a program judged by the Graduate School to be comparable to a graduate degree program in a graduate school of a regionally-accredited institution in the United States.

From other registration categories: A maximum of twelve semester credits of completed graduate-level coursework, in any combination of the specific registration categories listed below, may be considered for transfer.

Registration for graduate credit by non-admitted students—Students may be able to register for graduate credit when not admitted to the Graduate School. Non-admitted students interested in taking graduate-level courses must work with the respective departments (generally the director of graduate studies or his/her designee) to gain admission to non-degree status. The registration procedure outlined a PDF "Registering for Graduate Credit" found at the One Stop forms page must be followed for courses to be considered for transfer by the Graduate School.

Adult special, summer session, and College of Continuing Education (CCE) registrations taken prior to spring semester 2001—The Graduate School will accept only adult special, summer session, and CCE coursework taken at the University of Minnesota before spring semester 2001. Any registration in these categories taken spring semester 2001 or later will not be accepted towards any Graduate School degree requirements.

Your advisor will take into account proposed transfer courses while helping you plan your studies. However, the actual transfer of credits will not officially take place until you file a "Degree Program" form with the Graduate School--usually in the second or third semester of registration.

Filing a "Degree Program" Form

Before or during their second semester of course work, M.A. candidates should meet with their advisor to begin planning the completion of the "Degree Program" form (GS 89a). The form is available from the Graduate School, 316 Johnston Hall and from the Graduate School's forms for Master's Degree page. List all coursework, completed and proposed, that will be offered in fulfillment of degree requirements, including transfer work. List coursework in the order that it appears on your transcript, with any transfer coursework first.

Indicate the language you will use for your degree requirements, but do not list language courses that you have or may take. Titles of Plan B projects do not have to be included on the form, although there is space provided for them. The Graduate Office monitors degree progress, and if the Degree Program form is not filed in a timely fashion, it may lead to a hold on a student's record, blocking further registration.

The program must be approved first by your advisor, then by the DGS, or the DGS may sign as advisor for an M.A. student The Graduate Studies office secretary will then forward the program form to the Graduate School for final approval. Once approved, the Graduate School will send a copy to you and another to the DGS. The program form may be revised by submitting a petition form, available in the Graduate Studies office.

Plan B papers

The Plan B paper is a tightly argued essay of about 5,000 words, usually a reworking of a paper done originally for a course. For each paper, you should enlist the help of a sponsoring professor who will read one or more drafts of the paper and offer suggestions, and will ultimately write "Accepted for Plan B requirement" on the title page, and sign it. After the paper is approved, file a photocopy of the title page with the English Graduate Studies office. Visiting professors, adjunct faculty members, and members of the faculty from other departments may certify as acceptable a Plan B paper for the M.A. degree.

The M.A. Examination

The oral exam for the M.A. shall last approximately one hour and tests your knowledge of the research or creative area mapped out in your Plan B papers. Your committee will be made up of the faculty members who sponsored your Plan B papers. In the case where one faculty member sponsored two papers, a third faculty member must be chosen to complete the committee. At the completion of the oral exam, the committee will sign the departmental oral exam form, which then will be turned in to the Graduate Office. The DGS will then sign the Graduate School's "Report of Committee" form (GS 4).

Graduation

Order your 'Graduation Packet' before your M.A. oral examination. This packet is available in 316 Johnston Hall, or on-line at the Graduate School's forms for Master's Degree page; it includes the Application for Degree form and the Report of Committee on Examination for the M.A. Degree form (GS 4). Submit the "Report of Committee" form to the DGS, who must certify on it that you have completed the Plan B papers and have passed the M.A. examination.

Degrees are granted at the end of each month. To qualify for graduation for a particular month, you must pay the graduation fee and submit the "Application for Degree" to Student Relations, 200 Fraser Hall, on or before the first work day of the month in which you wish to graduate. All other requirements (including other necessary forms and fees) should be completed by the last workday of that month.

Time Limit

M.A. candidates have seven years to complete all degree requirements, beginning with the date of the first course work listed on the program. The degree must be awarded within this time limit. The limit may be extended by petition when circumstances warrant; use the all-purpose Graduate School Petition form (available from 316 Johnston Hall, or on-line at the Graduate School's forms for Master's degree page).

Such a petition must be endorsed both by your advisor and by the DGS.

Ph.D. DEGREE PROGRAM

Course Requirements

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 39 course credits, and 24 thesis credits, is required. Course requirements for the Ph.D. program are broadly defined, allowing students to shape a personal program of study. All courses must be taken at the graduate level (i.e. 5xxx or 8xxx). (4xxx courses will also count, if offered.) The following courses are required:

EngL 5001, preferably during the first year of doctoral study (3 credits);

EmgL 5800, Teaching Practicum, the first year in which you teach at least one semester (3 or 2 credits, normally 3)

three English courses (minimum of 9 credits) distributed among the following areas, one course per area:

*Medieval literature and culture; *Early modern, to 1800; *19th century; *20-21st century; *creative writing; *Rhetoric, Literacy, Language; *Criticism, theory;

four additional English courses in a focused area of emphasis (minimum of 12 credits); four courses in a supporting program (minimum of 12 credits). At least four of the above courses, in addition to the introductory sequence, must be taken at the 5xxx level, and at least three of the above courses must be taken at the 8xxx seminar level. Students are encouraged to enroll in additional courses as appropriate.

If you have taken graduate courses elsewhere, you may transfer relevant courses and use them to fulfill these and other requirements. You may also transfer graduate work at Minnesota, subject to limitations set out above in Transfer of Credits.

Courses used to fulfill requirements for our M.A. degree may also be used to fulfill requirements for the Ph.D.

Dissertation Seminars

The department also offers two elective dissertation seminars of 2 credits each, offered for 3rd year students and beyond: EngL 8625 Preparing for the Qualifying Exam, and EngL 8626, Writing the Dissertation.

Minor and Supporting Program

Minors in other disciplines

The Graduate School requires at least four courses (minimum of twelve semester credits) to be offered in either a minor, or in a supporting program. In the case of a traditional minor, the work will be in a single discipline related to the English major; the course work requirements will be defined by the relevant department (see departmental entries in the Graduate School Catalog; not all departments offer a graduate minor). Although the option of a formal minor is not commonly chosen, it does provide a good opportunity for serious interdisciplinary study.

A formal minor requires the approval of the DGS in the department offering the minor, who must sign the "Degree Program" form. Many departments offer broad minors that can be individually designed by the student; these include Comparative Literature, Education, and various language departments. Other departments have specific requirements; these include American Studies, English as a Second Language, History, and Linguistics. There are also stand-alone minors such as Medieval Studies, Studies in Africa and the African Diaspora, and Composition, Literacy, and Rhetorical Studies.

Supporting Program

For the alternative and more common option, the "supporting program," the English department requires four courses (minimum of twelve semester credits); of these at least two courses (minimum of six credits) must be taken in a related field outside the department. The work should compose a coherent pattern of courses, related to the area of emphasis; in most cases the "supporting program" will actually consist of the two required English courses in the area of emphasis, plus two relevant extra-departmental courses.

Language Requirement

For the Ph.D., the student must demonstrate a reading knowledge of two classical or modern languages. American Sign Language may be used to fulfill part of this requirement, but computer programming languages do not. Students specializing in medieval or early modern literature and culture are advised to include Latin as one of their languages.

Ph.D. candidates may instead fulfill the language requirement by demonstrating proficiency in one modern or classical language. This is done by taking, or having taken, two semesters at the advanced undergraduate level or one at the graduate level with grades of B or better. Latin requires one course at the graduate level.

See the Language Requirement section under M.A. Degree Program above, for ways to satisfy this requirement. Students for whom English is a second language may use English to satisfy one requirement and their native language for the second.

Filing a "Degree Program" Form

During or before the end of the second year of residence, Ph.D. candidates must file a Degree Program form (GS 89a) listing all courses that will be completed to satisfy the course requirements for the degree. The form is available from the forms cabinet outside 316 Johnston Hall and from the Graduate School's forms for Doctoral Degree page. You may report additional courses beyond those needed to satisfy the basic requirements, though it is not necessary. You should not list courses being used to fulfill your language requirement, nor should you list thesis credit registration. List the courses chronologically in the order that they appear on your transcript, and include the following:

  • relevant graduate courses taken elsewhere (list these first);
  • or courses taken at the University of Minnesota for graduate credit before entering the program, that are to be credited towards the degree;
  • regular courses already completed; and
  • proposed additional courses.

Your advisor and the DGS will help you estimate the timing of actual course offerings. The category of proposed additional courses requires you to make a double prediction: that certain courses will be offered in the near future, and that you will actually enroll in them. If it later turns out that a prediction is wrong, you can amend the filed program by filing a General Petition form (GS 59), available in the forms cabinet outside 316 Johnston Hall or from the Graduate School forms for Doctoral Degree page. The petition will request permission to substitute a similar course for the one originally listed on the form, but never actually taken. You must, however, use an actual course number and title, as published in the Graduate School Bulletin, when completing the "Degree Program" form, and not just the label of the requirement category that the proposed course would satisfy.

You may satisfy some of the course requirements listed above by transferring up to twelve semester credits (or their equivalent) to the Ph.D. program. See Transfer of Credits above.

You should attach to the completed "Degree Program" form a current unofficial transcript of course work completed in the Graduate School at the University of Minnesota. Official transcripts reporting graduate courses taken elsewhere, or courses taken at the University of Minnesota for graduate credit, must be submitted with the "Degree Program" form, if they are not already included in your Graduate School file.

You should also specify the foreign languages necessary to satisfy the requirements, whether or not you have already demonstrated your proficiency in them.

You do not have to submit a thesis title with your program. You must, however, name your advisor and nominate faculty members for the preliminary examining committee at the time you submit your program to the DGS, who will then make examining committee recommendations to the Graduate School.

The degree program is approved first by your advisor and the DGS (and also by the DGS in the minor, if you designate a formal minor), then by the Graduate School. After the DGS signs the program, the Graduate Studies secretary will submit it to the Graduate School, 316 Johnston Hall. Upon approving the program, the Graduate School will send a copy to you and another to the Director(s) of Graduate Studies.

Submit the program at least one semester in advance of scheduling the preliminary oral examination.

For more information, see Preliminary Exam FAQ

Ph.D. Advisor and Preliminary Examining Committee

Sometime in the first year of doctoral study, you should choose an area in which you want to specialize and enlist a faculty member in the area to help you. Later in your studies, you should arrange for a faculty member to serve as your advisor and chair of your preliminary examining committee. The advisor must be a Senior Member of the graduate faculty; a faculty member with Member/Advising status will need a Senior Member to be co-advisor (see Faculty Advisor above). The advisor ordinarily chairs the preliminary examining committee and is the strongest voice in designing the booklist and writing the questions for the written examination.

Near the end of the second year of doctoral studies, your advisor will help you select the members of your preliminary examining committee; together with the committee, he/she will then help you prepare a booklist, which will define a broad area for doctoral study. The committee must include a minimum of four graduate faculty members, three "internal" members from the Department of English (including the advisor) and one "external" member from the field of the minor or supporting program. It is expected that the external member be from a department other than English. It is possible, however, with the approval of the DGS, for an English professor to be an external member of the committee, if he/she is also on the graduate faculty of another department or program. Should you wish to have more than four members to provide support for your scholarly project, you may do so. Discuss your committee structure and research agenda with the DGS.

The selection of an advisor and members of the committee is a matter of mutual agreement between you and each faculty member. Students should canvass prospective committee members to determine their willingness and ability to serve. Once determined, changes must be done in consultation with and the approval of the student's advisor.

On the "Degree Program" form there is a space for a faculty member to certify that he or she agrees to serve as your major advisor, and spaces in which to nominate the other members of the examining committee. Among the major functions of this committee are:

* to give advice regarding the student's proposed course of study and the preparation of the list of the booklist for the preliminary written and oral examinations; * to administer the preliminary written examination (this function is normally restricted only to the committee members who are members of the English department); * to administer the preliminary oral examination.

Any substitutions or changes in the committee must be requested by the student's advisor to the DGS. It is expected that all committee members affected by the change should agree to the change (for example, the faculty member who is leaving the committee, as well as the one who is being added).

The Booklist and Preliminary Written Examination

All doctoral students must take a preliminary written examination within three years of entering the doctoral program. However, doctoral students may earn the M.A. degree en route to the Ph.D. by filing an M.A. degree program (indicating the coursework that fulfills M.A. requirements), completing three Plan B papers, and passing the M.A. oral exam.

The preliminary written examination is the focus of the middle part of your graduate program. It allows you to describe the "architecture" of your research agenda, and to prefigure your dissertation research. The preliminary written examination for the Ph.D. is based on a reading list of approximately 50 - 70 works that you construct in consultation with your preliminary examining committee. The process of defining the list and reading the works is cyclical and cumulative. In other words, you define the list and you establish the significance of each work on it (together with the various relationships they hold to each other) as you read. Typically, works are added and deleted throughout the reading process as you and your committee mutually work out the "architecture" of your project. So it is not reasonable (in most cases) to prepare a list of unread works and simply work through them. As you read, your conception of the general and specific topics will grow and your sense of the place of each work will become clearer. The list becomes final when you submit it to the DGS (see below).

Your guiding principles for the list can be very usefully set out with a brief preface, no more than a page in length. The booklist is not so specific that it merely provides the review of literature for the dissertation project. Many examiners feel strongly that your list should "ground" you in a subject "area" (so that you can reasonably claim the expertise necessary to teach beginning- or intermediate-level courses in that area).

Typical exams might treat, for example, the modern American novel with a focus on regionalism and women writers; Anglo-Saxon and Middle English literature with a focus on religious texts. Recent examinations have treated very well defined issues, with their historical and theoretical background: metaphor as a cognitive and cultural pattern in writing; the theoretical bases of "fiction," "lies," "deception," and "pretense"; changing conceptions of horror and the gothic in the novel through postmodernism.

Candidates who have taken all their courses and need to be registered while preparing for exams should sign up for doctoral pre-thesis credits, EngL 8666, six credits per term for two semesters. Beyond that, DGS approval is needed.

All doctoral students should file an approved examination booklist with the DGS by the end of the fifth semester in the doctoral program (not counting summer sessions). The typescript of this booklist will conform to the standard bibliographic guidelines for your area (usually APA, LSA or those set out in The MLA Handbook). Each member of the committee must approve the list by signing it. The original signed copy should be submitted to the Graduate Studies office at least three weeks before the examiners set the questions for the exam. You should also give each examiner a copy.

Scheduling the examination is often complex, as it must fit your schedule and those of your committee members. As a rule, you should not schedule exams during the last two weeks of a semester, or so that they must be read over term breaks. Negotiate your scheduling with all members of your committee, and secure their approval of your final plans.

The English professors on the preliminary examining committee will constitute a subcommittee chaired by your advisor for the purpose of administering the preliminary written examination. The subcommittee devises two or more essay questions suggested by important topics in the reading list. The questions will be left in the Graduate Studies office for you to pick up. You select one of these questions and, within one week, write and present to the committee a substantial essay (approximately 5000 words, and no more than 5500, typewritten and double-spaced), responding to the set question. You may focus the question to fit your particular interests, and you are welcome to call your advisor during your writing to clarify any conditions. Though you may consult any published sources during your writing, you should discuss the question and your response only with your committee members--if at all.

International students whose native language is not English may take two weeks to complete the preliminary exam.

Once finished, distribute one copy of the exam to each examiner and one to the Graduate Studies office to be placed in the your file. [You may use the English department copy machine; ask the Graduate Studies office secretary for the access code.] Within one week the examiners individually and collectively grade the essay "Pass" or "Fail." Within two weeks each examiner must provide you with a written evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the examination. Copies of all these documents--the set questions, the essay, and the evaluations--are added to the student's file in the Graduate Studies office by the chair of the committee.

Your advisor should obtain a copy of the Report of Written Examination in Major Field for Doctoral Students (GS 17) from the Graduate Studies office, and, after completing and signing it, forward it to the DGS in English. The graduate secretary will then forward it to the Graduate School.

Students who fail the preliminary written exam on a first attempt may retake the exam--responding to a different set of questions--within six months. A student who fails the exam on the second attempt may not proceed in the doctoral program. The Ph.D. student who does undistinguished work in the first two years, or who fails the qualifying examination, may take a terminal M.A. by fulfilling the requirements of the M.A. program including passing the oral exam.

For more information, see Preliminary Exam FAQ

Preliminary Oral Examination

After completing the course work and passing the preliminary written exam, but before writing the thesis, the student must take the preliminary oral examination. within three months after having passed the preliminary written examination. Most students take it within a month of receiving a passing grade on the written exam, within the guidelines given below.

Like the preliminary written exam, the preliminary oral exam is based on the booklist. Questions in the examination range over the entire booklist. The examination provides a place to elaborate ideas not fully addressed in your written essay, and for the committee to raise issues they recognized in reviewing your examination and list. It is your responsibility to schedule the preliminary oral examination with the examiners and the Graduate School office, 316 Johnston Hall (625-2306), at least one week in advance. The scheduling form (GS 12) is available from the forms cabinet outside 316 Johnston Hall or from the Graduate School forms for Doctoral Degree page. The Graduate School will then forward a copy of the Preliminary Oral Examination Report form to the chair of the committee. (Note: The Graduate School discourages the scheduling of this examination for any time between the end of summer session and the beginning of Fall semester.)

Contact the secretary in the Graduate Studies office for assistance in arranging a room for the exam. A speakerphone can be arranged at that time. At that time, he or she will forward a copy of the departmental Examination Report form to your advisor.

At the start of the exam, the committee will agree on the ground rules for the sequencing of questions. Typically the student is invited to make an opening statement--about ten minutes--giving reasons for the selection of the books on the list, and drawing attention to special topics of interest. Questioning moves in a more or less orderly fashion from member to member, with the committee members typically engaged by the questions and following up on ideas they and you introduce. At the end of the exam, the chair will ask you to step out of the room (by Graduate School policy). The committee then votes: pass, fail, or pass with reservations.

If the committee votes to pass with reservations, it must inform you immediately. Then, within one week, the committee must send you a letter clearly stipulating the reservations and the steps required to remove them. The committee will meet again to reconsider specific issues or to have you write an essay elaborating issues unresolved in the oral examination. Once the reservations have been removed, a second letter from the committee will officially inform you that you have now completed the requirements. Copies of both letters must be forwarded to the Graduate School. A student who fails the preliminary oral examination on the first attempt to retake the examination within one year. The student who fails the exam on a second attempt will not be allowed to proceed in the doctoral program.

The examining committee will report the results of the preliminary oral exam to the Graduate School by forwarding the completed "Preliminary Oral Examination Report" form to 316 Johnston Hall immediately following the exam. The examining committee for the preliminary oral exam should be the same committee that was selected in advance of the preliminary written exam. In case an emergency change must be made, contact the DGS.

See the Graduate School Catalog or contact the Director of Graduate Studies for more information concerning the format of the exam and rules governing changes within the committee.

For more information, see Preliminary Exam FAQ

Doctoral Candidacy and Thesis

Official doctoral candidacy is established once the student has passed the preliminary oral examination. The student is now authorized to write the thesis. By Graduate School rules, you must complete the dissertation within five years from the date you pass your orals.

Thesis Credit Registration

As part of your PhD program on completing your preliminary examination, you are required to register for a total of 24 credits of EngL 8888 to satisfy the thesis credit requirement. These are to be taken over two consecutive semesters.

Should circumstances arise that justify your spreading the EngL 8888 thesis credits over more than two semesters, however, you may petition the DGS to that effect. Graduate students seeking such an exception to policy will submit a petition to the DGS in advance of registering for the thesis credits. To be approved, the petition must offer a clear justification for registering for the credits over more than two semesters.

Upon completing the thesis credit requirement (EngL 8888), you will next register for one credit of EngL 8444, Full-Time Equivalent, which certifies you as “full-time” for loan deferral purposes and which is the minimum requirement for advanced doctoral students holding a fellowship or assistantship.

Grad 999, a zero-credit is a zero-fee, non-graded registration option, for students who must register solely to meet the Graduate School’s fall and spring registration requirement. This would be relevant for students who have completed their thesis registration, and will not be holding an assistantship or fellowship at Minnesota. Do not register for Grad 999 if you must be registered to hold an assistantship or fellowship, maintain legal visa status, defer loans, or receive financial aid.

Students who have registered for four semesters of Grad 999 will need DGS permission for any subsequent semesters of Grad 999 registration.

Thesis Title and Statement

After you submit the doctoral degree program form, or in any case not later than the first semester after you pass the preliminary oral examination, you should submit a prospectus and suggestions regarding the composition of the thesis committee (also known as the final oral examining committee) to the DGS and file the three-page Thesis/Project Proposal form (GS 63, GS 63a and GS 63b) with the Graduate School, 316 Johnston Hall. A set of these forms is available from the forms cabinet outside that office or from the Graduate School forms for Doctoral Degree page.

Both the full prospectus and the short thesis statement should include a clear explanation of your area of investigation, the premises of the thesis, the methods you intend to follow, some indication of the proposed organization of the thesis and comments on the materials to be used and their availability. The statement, submitted to the Graduate School on form GS 63b, should be no longer than 250 words. The prospectus, submitted to the DGS, should be approximately 1500-2000 words.

At this time, you should also submit suggestions for members of the thesis committee to the DGS. The thesis committee need not be identical to the preliminary examining committee; it is technically a distinct entity, though there may well be substantial overlap. The DGS will sign the forms, and enter recommendations for the thesis committee members on form GS 63a, before forwarding them to the Graduate School. On the basis of the thesis proposal and those recommendations, the thesis reviewers and other members of the final oral examining committee will be appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School (see below). Thereafter, changes to the thesis committee requires the advice of the advisor and the approval of the DGS.

For more information, see Dissertation Writing FAQ

Doctoral Dissertations with a "Creative" Component. Policy and Procedure

The English Department recognizes that all good scholarship must be in some way creative, and that good creative writing always involves a process of research. The difference between the two types of writing is largely a question of form--both of the differing methods and procedures for knowledge-gathering that are considered acceptable, and of the differing styles allowed for presenting results. Nevertheless, in an institution devoted to research, a doctoral dissertation with a creative component is anomalous enough so that the department should have available a procedure for approving such dissertations. The Department therefore adopts the following procedure, advisory to the DGS, in such cases:

1.The core faculty in Creative Writing may, at their discretion, nominate a student whom they believe capable of sufficiently high quality creative work as a Ph.D. candidate for writing a creative dissertation. If the student accepts the nomination, s/he will write a dissertation proposal describing both the creative and the scholarly or critical portions of the dissertation. In all cases, the creative portion of the dissertation must be set in the context of a critical or scholarly frame. The proposal must describe the relations between both portions of the dissertation and the student's doctoral booklist, course work, and history of study. It must also describe the student's preparation and credentials for creative expression, including any course work in creative writing, any degrees in creative writing, any publications, or other relevant evidence.

2.The student must present the proposal to a potential dissertation director and the Director of the Creative Writing Program. If they are willing to certify the student's ability to carry out the project, they should advise the DGS to approve the proposal. If the DGS has reservations about the proposal, these should be negotiated at this time. If there is an irreconcilable difference between the DGS and the faculty advocates about the proposal, it should be brought to a meeting of the graduate faculty for final resolution.

3.Once the proposal has been approved, the DGS, the student, and the two faculty members should structure an examining committee appropriate for the project. Care should be taken to see that all members of the committee are comfortable with the idea of a dissertation with a creative component. In some cases, it may work best to have co- directors for the dissertation, one with primary responsibility for the scholarly, critical portion, and one with primary responsibility for the creative portion.

Thesis Committee and Reviewers

A member of the graduate faculty other than the advisor will chair the final oral examination. This individual must be a Senior Member of the Graduate School faculty but may be either from the English department or from the minor or supporting program. The chair will be determined by the DGS in consultation with the student. The advisor will continue to serve as a member of the committee.

The thesis committee, also known as the final oral examining committee, consists minimally of four members, three "internal" members from the major (including the advisor) and one "external" member from the minor or supporting program. It is expected that the external member be from a department other than English. It is possible, however, with the approval of the DGS, for an English professor to be an external member of the committee, if he/she is also on the graduate faculty of another department or program. Should you wish to have more than four members on your thesis committee, you may do so.

The thesis must be read and approved by three "thesis reviewers," consisting of the advisor and at least two other members of the final oral examining committee, including at least the "external" member. If the student and his or her advisor feel that the suggestions of a fourth "reviewer" would be valuable, the group of reviewers may be enlarged to four members.

In all cases, the thesis must be read, chapter by chapter, by each reviewer. It follows that:

If a student withholds the thesis from the reviewers until it is substantially "complete," the reviewers are under no obligation to determine its acceptability in short order.

If a reviewer takes a leave of absence during which it would be either impractical or inappropriate to consult or to correspond frequently with the student about the progress of the thesis, the reviewer should notify the student of that fact, and the student should consider arranging for a different faculty member to serve instead.

If the committee differs substantially from the preliminary examining committee, it may be beneficial for the advisor to convene the entire committee at an early point in the thesis work to discuss the nature, feasibility, and value of the thesis research. This allows you and the committee to share a clear understanding of your project.

At least two weeks before your final oral exam, pick up a Graduation Packet in 316 Johnston Hall. This includes the Thesis Reviewers' Report form (GS 2), Survey of Earned Doctorates, Microfilm Agreement, Application for Degree, and graduation information. You may also order this online at the the Graduate School forms for Doctoral Degree page.

You should supply each of the reviewers with unbound, cleanly typed, final-draft copies of the thesis. This version should not be a "rough" or "working" draft, but instead a version that you deem ready for evaluation and final typing. (Of course, earlier drafts of each chapter will have been read previously. Do not wait to submit a full draft all at once.) You should submit these copies of the thesis for reading not later than two weeks before the final oral examination.

In signing the Thesis Reviewers' Report form, the reviewers have three options. They may certify: (1) that the thesis is acceptable as presented; (2) that it is acceptable with minor revisions; or, (3) that it requires major revisions and is not acceptable for defense as presented. If either of the first two options is chosen, the Graduate School will authorize the final oral examination. In any instance where major revisions are required, the student shall be informed in writing of the nature of the revisions, and all questions concerning such revisions must be resolved in the draft before the oral is scheduled. It is the responsibility of the advisor to certify that the copy ultimately submitted to the Graduate School does in fact incorporate all the changes that were required by the thesis reviewers. When you submit the final draft of the thesis to the "reviewers," you should also provide the other members of the examining committee with complete copies. The Graduate School requires that all members of the committee be allowed at least two weeks to read the thesis. The thesis abstract (350 words or less) must be included with the thesis when it is distributed to the committee. The abstract also must be signed by your advisor before it is submitted to the Graduate School.

Although all members of the final oral examining committee read the thesis, only those designated as "thesis reviewers" will sign the report form, certifying that the thesis is ready for defense. Return the Thesis Reviewers' Report form to the Graduate School, 316 Johnston Hall. The report form must be on file with the Graduate School at least one week before taking the final oral exam. At thsi point the Graduate School will send the "Final Examination Report" form to the committee chair.

Final Oral Examination

You may take the final oral examination only after you have completed all work on the official program (including the language requirement), when you have passed the preliminary exams, and after the thesis as been certified ready for defense. You must take the final oral exam within five years of successfully completing the preliminary oral examination. Consult with the committee members to schedule the time of the exam.

The Thesis Reviewers' Report form must be on file before you can schedule the final oral examination, and before the Final Examination Report form is issued by the Graduate School. The final oral exam must be scheduled with the Graduate School at least one week before the proposed exam date. The scheduling form (GS 12a) is available from the forms cabinet outside 316 Johnston Hall or from the Graduate School forms for Docgtoral Degree page.The exam should not be scheduled between the end of the summer session and the beginning of Fall semester.

A student must have 'active' status in the graduate school at the time of final examination. Certification of the student's language certification must be on file with the Graduate School before the exam can be scheduled, and there must be no Incompletes among the courses in the student's degree program.

The exam must be publicized and the scholarly community invited to attend. At least one week before the examination, file with the DGS full information about the forthcoming exam: time, place, examiners, and a copy of the thesis abstract. The secretary in the Graduate Studies office will then secure a room for you, publicize the examination, and forward a copy of the departmental "Final Examination Report" form to your advisor. Any changes in the committee must be made in advance of the exam. Either the DGS or the Graduate Studies secretary will inform the Graduate School of the change.

The final oral examination, conducted by the thesis committee, covers the candidate's thesis and special field of study. It consists of a seminar which the scholarly community may attend and which includes a presentation of the thesis by the candidate. A closed meeting between the candidate and the appointed examining committee immediately follows the thesis presentation. Directly following the completion of the exam, the candidate will leave the room, and a written, secret ballot is taken before discussing the examination. Following the discussion, a second and final vote is taken. The exam is generally two hours in length and will not exceed three hours.

To be recommended for the doctoral degree, the candidate must receive a positive vote from the examining committee with no more than one dissenting vote. All committee members will sign the "Final Examination Report" form, which will then be delivered to the Graduate School, normally by the student. The advisor must also submit a departmental "Final Examination Report" form to the Graduate Studies office.

For more information, see Dissertation Writing FAQ.

Also see the Graduate School's Degree Completion Guidelines page for an overview of requirements.

Preparation of Thesis Copies

After you have passed the final oral exam, you must arrange for the final printing of the thesis in accordance with Graduate School regulations. See Formatting Guidelines for the Doctoral Dissertation. PhD students are required to submit a copyof their final dissertation to the Graduate School in order to receive their degree. Doctoral students currently have the option to submit their dissertations to the Graduate School electronically or in hard copy, although the Graduate School strongly encourages students to submit their dissertations electronically. To submit the dissertation electronically, see the ETD Administration page. Students who prefer to submit a paper copy of their dissertation can follow the Graduate School instructions on paper submission. Note the requirement of a signature page, title page, and (for a paper submission) a signed thesis abstract, each to be submitted to 316 Johnston Hall.

In nearly all cases, your advisor will suggest or require some revisions to the defense draft of your dissertation. These typically include correcting typographical errors and making minor corrections,but they may involve some more writing or rewriting, for example to clarify points you make in your conclusion or introduction. You should complete these as soon as possible - ideally within a few days or couple of weeks after your oral exam. In any case, you should complete these within a few months; otherwise, you get into another academic year, you may need to pay extra fees, and you may run past the five-year deadline for completing your degree.

Graduation

To qualify for graduation in any given month, you must submit the Application for Degree form (from your Graduation Packet) to One Stop Student Services in 200 Fraser, and pay the graduation fee, on or before the first work day of that month.

You must also turn in to the Graduate School your dissertation and abstract, as described above, by the last working day of the month.

In order to attend commencement ceremonies in either December or May, you must obtain the signatures of your adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies on this form and submit it to the Graduate School by the deadline date published in the current calendar posted on One Stop.

Graduate students at symposium

Graduate students at symposium