English Literature (PhD)
Doctorate (PhD)
Offered by:Department of English, Faculty of Arts & Science
Why pursue a Doctorate in English?
Take your training as a literary scholar to the next level. Deepen your mastery of period- and area-specific archives as you develop the intensive disciplinary self-consciousness that propels the renewal of the field.
You’ll investigate the cultural categories of literature and the media, in both historical and contemporary contexts. Inspired by Concordia’s rich culture of interdisciplinary collaboration and its location in a vibrant, bilingual city, you’ll study literatures in English in the context of cross-disciplinary, cross-cultural, and cross-linguistic environments and exchanges.
The program will be of special interest to those doctoral students with the desire and skills necessary to work across discourses, media, or literary languages and/or traditions.
Program details
Applicants are assessed by the Department of English's Graduate Committee on the basis of undergraduate and graduate transcripts, letters of recommendation, research ability, and a letter of intent. The following criteria serve as admission requirements:
- Excellence and pertinence of academic background (applicants should have a GPA of 3.5 or above) from a recognized university
- Master's in English or equivalent (see *** below)
- Promise as a scholar as demonstrated by letter of intent and submitted writing sample
- Relevance of proposed research to the program
- Feasibility of proposed research in terms of material resources including faculty supervision
- Applications will be considered for either full-time or part-time study
*** In exceptional circumstances, outstanding students who have completed 18 credits of course work in English Literature at the master's level may be admitted into the PhD program before satisfying the remaining master's requirements.
Proficiency in English. Applicants whose primary language is not English must demonstrate that their knowledge of English is sufficient to pursue graduate studies in their chosen field. Please refer to the Graduate Admission page for further information on the Language Proficiency requirements and exemptions.
- Credits. A fully qualified candidate is required to complete a minimum of 90 credits.
- Courses. (19 credits). Doctoral students are required to take 19 credits of coursework to include ENGL 800 - Pro-Seminar I: Theory, ENGL 801 - Pro-Seminar II: Methodology, ENGL 802 - Professional Development Workshops (1 credit) and 12 credits from the selection of Studies courses. A minimum of three of the 12 credits must be pre-20th Century.
- Field Examinations. ENGL 891 - The Major Field Examination I and ENGL 892 - The Sub-Field Examination II. Students are required to complete two written Field Examinations during the second year of their program. The supervisor and at least one other faculty member in a relevant field adjudicate each Field Examination. Each exam comprises five questions. Students are required to respond to three questions. Questions are distributed one week in advance of the scheduled examination. Each exam is held on campus for four hours without notes or other additional materials. The exams are assessed by the supervisor on a pass/fail basis in consultation with at least one other faculty member in the Department with related expertise in the area. In the case of a "fail," the student has until the end of the tenth term to obtain a "pass," whether in the initial or another Major Field or configuration of the Sub-Fields exam.
Field Examinations Reading Lists- Medieval Literature
- Renaissance Literature
- Restoration and 18th-Century Literature
- 19th-Century Literature
- 20th-Century and Contemporary Literature
- American Literature
- Canadian Literature
- Post-Colonial Literature
- Literary Criticism/Theory
- Thesis proposal and oral presentation. ENGL 890 - Thesis Proposal. Students are admitted to candidacy for the PhD upon acceptance by their advisory committee of the written thesis proposal and its successful oral presentation. Students typically complete one Major Field Examination in an area related to the thesis topic. The oral examination of the written thesis proposal normally takes place in the term following the writing of the second Field Examination. The written proposal is normally 4,500 words in length with an additional five pages for a bibliography.
- Thesis. ENGL 895 - Thesis Research. Doctoral students must submit a thesis based on their research and defend it in an oral examination.
- Language Requirement. Students are required to demonstrate reading knowledge of a language other than English, a language of demonstrated relevance to their program of research. Language testing occurs once each term, and students are expected to pass the language requirement by the end of their second year in the program.
Your completed application will include:
- Application form and Fee
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Three Letters of Reference and assessment form
- Statement of Purpose (three pages maximum): Outline your academic background and, as specifically as possible, describe the research project you expect to focus on and the relevance of your proposed research to our program. The English Graduate Program Committee invites members of equity-seeking groups to identify themselves if they wish
- A sample of your written work. Fifteen pages maximum
- Transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended
- Proof of Canadian citizenship (if applicable)
- Applicants whose primary language is not English, are required to submit official language test scores, unless exempted.
Please apply online. Read the how-to guide for application procedures.
| DEGREE |
FALL (September) |
WINTER (January) |
SUMMER (May/June) |
| English | PhD |
Jan. 15* | n/a | n/a |
| *January 15 is the deadline for applicants who wish to be considered for funding. Applicants who do not require funding must submit applications by April 1. |
Consult the graduate calendar for a complete list of courses and read about upcoming, current and past course offerings
We are committed to providing financial support to all of our students. PhD candidates usually receive three-year funding packages, which include Concordia fellowships and English teaching assistantships. Students are eligible to apply for graduate funding (e.g., conference awards, accelerator funds) throughout the degree. We also assist you in the preparation of applications for external grants from SSHRC and the FQRSC
Please consult the English Department’s funding page and Financial Aid and Awards
Our faculty are accomplished scholars across many fields of literature. Learn more about us by visiting:
Graduate students hold writing sessions and workshops, host literary and scholarly events, and publish a journal. Learn more about Concordia Write Nights, Headlight, and visit SAGE to get involved.
Our doctoral students will emerge prepared to enrich the social and cultural milieux of Montreal, Québec, Canada, and beyond, embarking upon careers as researchers, educators and writers either inside or outside of the academy.
