English Graduate Student Handbook

MA-ONLY REQUIREMENTS

THIS SECTION INCLUDES: Coursework; Thesis; and Master’s Degree Eligibility Form.

NOTE: The English Department has a three-year statute of limitations (SOL) from the date of admission for the MA-Only degree’s completion; this takes precedence over the university’s typical four-year SOL for a master’s degree. (Access “Statute of Limitations” section later in this handbook for more details.)

For the terminal MA degree, either ten graduate courses (30 credits) or eight graduate courses (24 credits) plus an MA thesis (6 credits) are required (access Appendix B, “Master’s Thesis Checklist,” for more detail on writing an MA thesis).
 

1. Coursework:

• Like other graduate students in the program, MA-Only students usually take two (and sometimes three) courses per semester, although there may be some flexibility about this for students not subject to visa restrictions.
• At least half of the total required credits must be taken on a letter-graded basis.
• Students may transfer credit for two graduate-level English courses taken at other institutions if not counted toward a completed degree, or they may receive credit for two graduate English courses taken at UMass before their formal admission to our graduate English program. Credits transferred from another institution cannot be used to satisfy the university’s requirement for graded credits nor for the 600-800 course-level requirement.
• Once enrolled in the program, students may take two graduate courses in departments other than English and count these toward the MA.

MA-Only in Literature: While no specific course distributions are required, students taking this degree with an eye toward later doctoral studies in English literature would be well advised to choose courses in consultation with the GPD or a faculty advisor that are likely to fulfill theory and period requirements.

MA-Only in Composition and Rhetoric: While no specific course distributions are required, students taking this degree with an eye to later doctoral studies in Composition and Rhetoric would be well advised to discuss their course selections with a faculty advisor in that field. For more details on Composition and Rhetoric offerings, access the Composition and Rhetoric requirements webpage.

MA-Only in American Studies:

• American Studies Seminar: “Methods for the Study of American Culture” (792A) surveys the major methods, topics, and debates in the field.
• 2 courses in American literature
• 1 course in American history
• 1 course in comparative cultures or cultural theory (from any UMass department)
• 5 courses selected in consultation with an American Studies advisor

NOTE: To ensure coherence in individualized programs, each student must work with an American Studies advisor in selecting courses. For more details, access the American Studies requirements page.

2. Thesis (optional):

Students intending to write a master’s thesis should identify a faculty member willing to advise that thesis and should meet with the GPD ahead of time. The thesis is commonly a two-semester project, although it may be possible to complete it in one semester if you have no other significant academic obligations. Access Appendix B: Master’s Thesis Checklist for more information.
 

3. Master’s Degree Eligibility Form: 

Upon fulfilling all program requirements, complete the appropriate form on Spire, then submit it to the Graduate Program director.

• For a non-thesis MA, please contact the English Graduate Program Assistant
• For a thesis MA, please fill the form on Spire:

In SPIRE, go to Academics > Graduation > Graduate Degree Eligibility

Read the directions at the top of the page, summarized below:

1. Verify your diploma name and address. Update if desired.
2. Select your expected graduation term.
   • You will always have two terms to choose from, the current term and the next term.
3. Add thesis, dissertation, or capstone advisor and title information, if applicable.
4. Select all courses needed for your degree.
5. Select Yes to verify that information is correct and complete before clicking Submit to Grad Program Director.

You will be unable to make any changes after submitting the form unless your program or the Graduate School returns it to you. You would receive email notification if someone were to return the form.

Make sure that you meet the current relevant deadline for submitting your degree eligibility form to the department (i.e., the English Graduate Office), as found on the Graduate School’s “Checklist for Master’s Degrees” and “Academic Calendar” webpages. Upcoming deadlines:

• For a February 2026 degree: January 16, 2025
• For a May 2026 degree: Mid-March 2026 (will eventually be posted on “Checklist” and “Academic Calendar” webpages)
• For a September 2026 degree: Mid-August 2025 (will eventually be posted on “Checklist” and “Academic Calendar” webpages)

LITERATURE/COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC MA/PHD & PHD REQUIREMENTS

THIS SECTION INCLUDES: Pre-Doctoral MA Requirements (Coursework; The Advisory Session); The Advisory Session (Scheduling the Advisory Session; Advisory Session Materials; What to Expect During and After the Advisory Session); PhD Requirements (Coursework; Two-Area/Preliminary Comprehensive Exam; Dissertation and Other Doctoral Requirements; Residency Requirement); MA/PhD Calendar; and PhD Calendar.
 

Pre-Doctoral MA Requirements: Lit/Comp & Rhet

1. Coursework:

Ten 3-credit courses and one 1-credit introductory course in five semesters.

NOTE: “Introduction to English Graduate Studies” (796-01) replaces the theory requirement for those entering Fall 2024 onward.

For Literature MA/PhD students:

• 4 courses in pre-1900 literature, of which at least 2 courses should be pre-1800
• 6 elective courses
• “Introduction to English Graduate Studies” (796-01) during first term

For Composition and Rhetoric MA/PhD students:

• 3 courses in literature
• 7 elective courses (may include core courses in the Composition and Rhetoric PhD program)
• “Introduction to English Graduate Studies” (796-01) during first term

NOTE: Students may transfer credit for two graduate-level English courses taken at other schools (if not counted toward a completed degree), or they may receive credit for two graduate English courses taken at UMass before their formal admission to the Graduate English program. Once enrolled in the program, they may take two graduate courses in departments other than English.

2. The Advisory Session (access next section for details)

Master’s Degree Eligibility Form: Upon fulfilling all program requirements, complete the appropriate form on Spire, then submit it to the Graduate Program director:

In SPIRE, go to Academics > Graduation > Graduate Degree Eligibility

Read the directions at the top of the page, summarized below:

1. Verify your diploma name and address. Update if desired.
2. Select your expected graduation term.
   • You will always have two terms to choose from, the current term and the next term.
3. Add thesis, dissertation, or capstone advisor and title information, if applicable.
4. Select all courses needed for your degree.
5. Select Yes to verify that information is correct and complete before clicking Submit to Grad Program Director.

You will be unable to make any changes after submitting the form unless your program or the Graduate School returns it to you. You would receive email notification if someone were to return the form.
 

The Advisory Session

The following information applies to pre-doctoral MA students in Literature and in Composition and Rhetoric. To date, American Studies students do not participate in an Advisory Session; instead, they must take an American Studies Advisory Session, which serves much the same purpose.

The Advisory Session is a two-hour academic conversation with three faculty members held by the end of an MA/PhD student’s fifth semester. The session provides the student with focused guidance from the faculty before advancing to doctoral coursework. Students scheduling their Advisory Session must have at least a 3.5 GPA in the program and no incompletes.

Please bear in mind that the Advisory Session is not an examination. The department has designed it to be a springboard that helps you advance more quickly and effectively through the program. We encourage you to bring any and all questions you might have to the session and to regard it as an opportunity, not an ordeal.
 

Scheduling the Advisory Session

MA/PhD students should schedule a meeting with the GPD in their fourth semester to discuss the session. In that meeting, the GPD will consult you about a possible chair for the committee; the GPD generally selects the other two committee members to distribute this service work equitably among the faculty. As the fifth semester approaches, the Graduate Office Assistant will help organize a time when all the faculty participants can attend, checking first with you for possible dates. Once the date has been fixed, and no later than three weeks before the session is to be held, give copies of your materials (see below) to the three faculty members on your committee. The English Graduate Office needs only a copy of your five-page reflective essay.

NOTE: While an in-person meeting is always preferable, Advisory Sessions may take place via remote conferencing if necessary.

Advisory Session Materials

Your advisory session conversation will be structured around three documents:

Two papers you have written for courses taken in the program

You may choose any two course papers; different students make different choices. For example, you may choose an early paper and a recent one; or you may choose two papers on one topic, or in one field, or in one genre; or you may choose two papers that represent seemingly unconnected research interests in hopes that the session will help you decide which to commit to. If you would like help in choosing these papers, the GPD will be happy to provide advice, as will your Advisory Session chair. The two course papers are not intended to serve as a “stand-in” for an MA thesis, and they do not need to be extensively revised or expanded prior to the exam.

A five-page reflective essay written specifically for this occasion

The reflective essay discusses your graduate career to date and outlines possible directions for future study. Consult with your Advisory Session chair as you complete this essay and before submitting it. Include those issues, texts, theories, ideas, and experiences that have been most formative for you here at UMass; in addition, evaluate your own sense of where you are in your graduate study and what you feel you have left to do and learn. More than anything else, this document should be specific about what intrigues you as a scholar. It should reflect careful self-analysis of your strengths and those areas where strength can be built. It should project hopes and aspirations for your course of doctoral study. It is an occasion for you to undertake self-reflection about what you have accomplished and what you hope to accomplish in your graduate career. Be sure to turn in a copy of your reflective essay for your file in the English Graduate Office.
 

What to Expect During and After the Advisory Session

At the beginning of the Advisory Session, you will be invited to speak briefly (5-10 minutes maximum), perhaps highlighting what you feel is most important in your five-page reflective essay, or narrating an intellectual trajectory thus far, or adding any further thoughts since the essay was first turned in.

Thereafter, discussion develops organically yet includes two main elements.

• Discussion of your skills, especially as indicated by the seminar papers:  Often the session begins with a review of strengths, weaknesses, and progress exemplified in the seminar papers. Committee members may point to specific passages or elements in the papers to commend or to raise questions about matters such as close reading of textual evidence, use of historical evidence, skills in argumentation, and handling of criticism and theory.
• Exploration of your intellectual interests, with an eye to the Two-Area (Preliminary Comprehensive) Exam and dissertation: The other main focus of the session is an exploratory dialogue about your intellectual interests and possible areas of concentration. This discussion typically builds on the submitted materials, yet it may also develop from ideas that have emerged in the session. Together, you and your committee consider preliminary possibilities for the two areas and the dissertation. Within that framework, the committee offers advice about remaining coursework and suggestions for independent reading that you should pursue.

Toward the end of the two-hour period, you will leave the room briefly while the faculty members discuss the session and prepare to summarize their advice; you will then return for a final conversation. The committee may make recommendations regarding possible additional coursework, potential faculty advisors, helpful professional organizations and outlets for completed work, suggestions for area-exam studies, and even potential dissertation topics. In most cases, recommendations will be guided by the specific questions you have raised during the session. Within seven days of the session and with faculty input, the chair will write a brief evaluation of the session and submit the report to the English Graduate Office, which will then send you a copy.
 

PhD Requirements: Lit/Comp & Rhet

1. Coursework:

• 6 elective courses (18 credits)
• (1 credit): “Introduction to English Graduate Studies” (796-01) during first term, if not already taken as part of MA/PhD program

NOTES:

• ”Introduction to English Graduate Studies” (796-01) replaces the theory requirement for those entering Fall 2024 onward.
• A student entering with an MA from another program may be required to take one or two pre-1800 or pre-1900 graduate courses if their MA is seen to be deficient in breadth of preparation.
• Students entering with an MFA are expected to complete an MA in English before advancing to the PhD.
• For Literature students, up to two graduate courses from other departments at UMass fulfill elective credit with approval of the Graduate Program Director.
• Creative Writing workshops cannot be applied towards the degree.

2. Two-Area/Preliminary Comprehensive Exam (6 credits):

Please refer to “The Two-Area/Preliminary Comprehensive Exam” section of this handbook for important details.
 

3. Dissertation (18 credits) and Other Doctoral Requirements:

Please refer to “The Dissertation” section of this handbook for important information, procedures, and deadlines related to credit registration, director/chair and committee arrangements, the prospectus, the defense (Final Doctoral Oral Exam), dissertation formatting and submission, the dissertation signature page, the Doctoral Degree Eligibility Form, and other graduation requirements that must be completed in a thorough, timely way.
 

4. Residency Requirement:

As per the Graduate School, “a doctoral candidate must spend the equivalent of at least one continuous academic year of full-time graduate work (nine credits per semester) in residence at the University. The residency year must be either in a Fall/ Spring or Spring/Fall sequence. During this year, the student must spend some part of each week physically on campus.” Summer sessions do not count as part of the two-semester sequence. Typically, dissertation credits make up the additional six hours in Year One to fulfill this requirement. Teaching for the Writing Program or the department during a term while enrolled in two classes can also count toward full-time status for residency purposes. Contact the English Graduate Program Assistant with questions.
 

MA/PhD Calendar:  Lit/Comp & Rhet

The deadlines described here apply to Literature and Comp & Rhet students who will complete their coursework at or after the end of the spring 2017 semester.

First Year:

• Meet with GPD and faculty mentor.
• Coursework (2 per semester).

Second Year:

• Spring: Discuss Advisory Session with GPD.
• Coursework (2 per semester).

Third Year:

• End of Fall semester: DEADLINE for completing Advisory Session.
• Spring: Meet with GPD and faculty advisors about Two-Area Exam.
• Begin compiling area lists in consultation with advisors.
• Coursework (2 per semester).

Fourth Year:

• Spring: Begin writing area rationales.
• Coursework (2 per semester).
• Optional: “Graduate Writing Workshop” (792C) — CAN count as a required course.

Fifth Year:

• Schedule and complete Two-Area Exam.
• End of Fall semester: DEADLINE for submitting final drafts of area rationales
• End of Spring Break: DEADLINE for submitting Dissertation Prospectus
• Work on dissertation.

Sixth Year:

• Meet with advisor and Associate GPD about job search.
• Work on dissertation.
• Begin job search process.

Seventh Year (final year of funding):

• Finish dissertation.
• File degree paperwork with English Graduate Office.
• Job search.

NOTE: All MA/PhD students are required to take a minimum of 16 classes (ten for the MA plus six for the PhD), six area credits (796W and 796X), and 18 dissertation credits. The English Graduate Program Assistant registers students for dissertation and area credits upon student request. Of course, students are not prevented from taking more than the required number of classes and may want to use a class to help them work on an area exam rationale.

PhD Calendar: Lit/Comp & Rhet

The deadlines described here apply to students who will complete their coursework at or after the end of the spring 2017 semester.

First Year:

• Meet with GPD and faculty mentor.
• Coursework (2 per semester).

Second Year:

• Fall: Meet with GPD and faculty advisors about Two-Area Exam.
• Fall: Coursework (2 courses).
• Begin compiling area lists in consultation with advisors.
• Optional: “Graduate Writing Workshop” (792C) — CANNOT count as a required course.

Third Year:

• Schedule and complete Two-Area Exam.
• Fall: DEADLINE for submitting final drafts of area rationales: November 1st.
• Spring: DEADLINE for submitting Dissertation Prospectus: February 15th.
• Work on dissertation.

Fourth Year:

• Meet with advisor and Associate GPD about job search.
• Work on dissertation.
• Begin job search process

Fifth Year (final year of funding):

• Finish dissertation.
• File degree paperwork with English Graduate Office.
• Job search.

NOTE: All PhD students are required to take a minimum of six classes, six area credits (796W and 796X), and 18 dissertation credits. Dissertation credits make up the additional six hours in Year One to fulfill the Graduate School residency requirement. The English Graduate Program Assistant registers students for dissertation and area credits upon student request. Of course, students are not prevented from taking more than the required number of classes and may want to use a class to help them work on an area exam rationale.

AMERICAN STUDIES MA/PHD & PHD REQUIREMENTS

THIS SECTION INCLUDES: American Studies Pre-Doctoral MA Requirements (Coursework and The American Studies Advisory Session); The American Studies Advisory Session; American Studies PhD Requirements (Coursework, American Studies Two-Area/Preliminary Comprehensive Exam, Dissertation and Other Doctoral Requirements, and Residency Requirement); American Studies Two-Area/Preliminary Comprehensive Exam; American Studies MA/PhD Calendar; and American Studies PhD Calendar.
 

Pre-Doctoral MA Requirements: American Studies

1. Coursework:

Ten 3-credit courses and one 1-credit introductory course.

The following list has been devised to give the student some background in American literature and history while allowing maximum flexibility in designing an individual program of interdisciplinary study. To ensure coherence in individualized programs, each student must work with an American Studies advisor in selecting courses.

• American Studies Seminar: “Research Methods in American Cultures” (792A) surveys the major methods, topics, and debates in the field.

NOTE: Students admitted with an MA in a field other than American Studies must take this introductory American Studies seminar; they may count it toward their PhD coursework requirements.

• 2 courses in American literature
• 1 course in American history
• 1 course in critical ethnic studies, comparative cultures, or cultural theory (from any university department)
• 5 courses selected in consultation with an American Studies advisor
• (1 credit): “Introduction to English Graduate Studies” (796-01) during first term

NOTE: “Introduction to English Graduate Studies” replaces the Theory requirement for those entering Fall 2024 onward.

2. The American Studies Advisory Session (access next section for details)

Master’s Degree Eligibility Form: Upon fulfilling all program requirements, complete the appropriate form on Spire, then submit it to the Graduate Program director:

In SPIRE, go to Academics > Graduation > Graduate Degree Eligibility

Read the directions at the top of the page, summarized below:

1. Verify your diploma name and address. Update if desired.
2. Select your expected graduation term.
   • You will always have two terms to choose from, the current term and the next term.
3. Add thesis, dissertation, or capstone advisor and title information, if applicable.
4. Select all courses needed for your degree.
5. Select Yes to verify that information is correct and complete before clicking Submit to Grad Program Director.

You will be unable to make any changes after submitting the form unless your program or the Graduate School returns it to you. You would receive email notification if someone were to return the form.
 

The American Studies Advisory Session

All students going on for the PhD in American Studies—including students admitted into the graduate PhD program with an MA in a field other than American Studies—must pass a two‐hour advisory conversation to qualify for work as a PhD candidate. Students are expected to take the American Studies Advisory Session no later than their fifth semester in residence (or the second semester in residence if admitted with an MA in a field other than American Studies).

In consultation with an American Studies advisor, you will develop a list of 12‐15 key works for the study of American culture on which you will be examined. In developing this list, you will need to address the following:

• Explain the theme, concept, or idea that informs your choice of materials for this session.
• Indicate the disciplinary perspectives (at least two) and/or theoretical positions involved in this choice of materials.
• Identify 12‐15 authors, works, studies, or artifacts involved in this session.

After your advisor approves the list, and at least two weeks prior to the exam, you must submit your list to the American Studies Director. You will also prepare a written opening statement of no more than three pages and submit it to your advisory committee two weeks prior to the exam. Your committee will consist of three members, one being your advisor, and two others—who may be from other departments where relevant to your interests—chosen in consultation with your advisor and the American Studies Director.
 

PhD Requirements: American Studies

1. Coursework:

6 courses (18 credits): Coursework is meant to provide the student with some background in two or more fields of study and prepare the student for the dissertation; should include two courses in American literature (taught by literature scholars), with the others chosen in consultation with an American Studies advisor. 

(1 credit): “Introduction to English Graduate Studies” (796-01) during first term, if not already taken as part of MA/PhD program.

NOTE: Students entering with an MA degree in a field other than American Studies must take “Research Methods in American Cultures” (792A); they may count it among these six required courses. Students entering with an MA in American Studies are not required to take this course, but they can take it for credit.

2. American Studies Two-Area/Preliminary Comprehensive Exam (6 credits): 

Access section below.
 

3. Dissertation (18 credits) and Other Doctoral Requirements: 

Please refer to “The Dissertation” section of this handbook for important information, procedures, and deadlines related to credit registration, director/chair and committee arrangements, the prospectus, the defense (Final Doctoral Oral Exam), dissertation formatting and submission, the dissertation signature page, the Doctoral Degree Eligibility Form, and other graduation requirements that must be completed in a thorough, timely way.
 

4. Residency Requirement:

As per the Graduate School, “A doctoral candidate must spend the equivalent of at least one continuous academic year of full-time graduate work (nine credits per semester) in residence at the University. The residency year must be either in a Fall/ Spring or Spring/Fall sequence. During this year, the student must spend some part of each week physically on campus.” Summer sessions do not count as part of the two-semester sequence. Typically, dissertation credits make up the additional six hours in Year One to fulfill this requirement. Teaching for the Writing Program or the department during a given term while enrolled in two classes can also count toward full-time status for residency purposes. Contact the English Graduate Program Assistant with questions.
 

American Studies Two-Area/Preliminary Comprehensive Exam

NOTE: Please also access “The Two-Area/Preliminary Comprehensive Exam” section of this handbook for information applicable to all students in all concentrations about exam credit registration, exam scheduling, and procedures during and after the exam.

PhD candidates in American Studies take their Two-Area Exam upon completion of at least six courses beyond the American Studies Advisory Session. You will be examined in two areas:

1. An area primarily within American literature (e.g., American women writers, African‐American novels, American literary realism);
2. An area of special interest designed to lead to a dissertation topic (i.e., documentary writing and photography in the 1930s, or representations of space in literature, architecture, and environmental psychology, 1890‐1930). 

One or both of the areas should deal, at least in part, with an aspect of American literary studies. In both areas, you will be expected to demonstrate breadth of familiarity with texts and ideas, authority and imagination in interdisciplinary thinking, and progress toward completion of the PhD degree.

For each area, you will generate a list of approximately 30 texts (primary and secondary) in consultation with an advisor. You will then write an “area rationale”—an essay of 18-22 pages that defines the field of interest, considers the pertinent methodologies, identifies the important issues, and takes stands on those issues. Constituting the basis of your Two-Area Exam, your two area rationales and accompanying bibliographies should demonstrate an interdisciplinary approach by including methodologies and texts from one or more disciplines other than literary studies (e.g., history, media studies, political theory, sociology, anthropology, etc.).

At least three weeks prior to your Two-Area Exam, you will distribute your area rationales and bibliographies to all members of the examining committee for approval. The examining committee will consist of your two area advisors plus two other faculty members chosen by agreement of the area advisors and the American Studies Director.
 

MA/PhD Calendar: American Studies

First Year:

• Meet with GPD, the American Studies Director, and faculty mentor.
• Coursework (2 per semester, including the required "Methods for the Study of American Culture 792A) and “Introduction to English Graduate Studies” (796-01) during first term.

Second Year:

• Fall: Discuss American Studies Advisory Session with American Studies Director.
• Coursework (2 per semester).

Third Year:

• End of Fall Semester: DEADLINE for completion of American Studies Advisory Session.
• Spring: Meet with American Studies Director and faculty advisors about Two-Area Exam.
• Coursework (2 per semester).

Fourth Year:

• Begin compiling area lists in consultation with advisors.
• Coursework (2 per semester).
• Optional: “Graduate Writing Workshop” (792C) — CAN count as a required course

Fifth Year:

• Schedule and complete Two-Area Exam.
• End of Fall semester: DEADLINE for submitting final drafts of area rationales
• End of Spring Break: DEADLINE for submitting Dissertation Prospectus
• Work on dissertation.

Sixth Year:

• Meet with advisor and Associate GPD about job search.
• Work on dissertation.
• Begin job search process.

Seventh Year:

• Finish dissertation.
• File degree paperwork with English Graduate Office.
• Job search.
   

PhD Calendar: American Studies

First Year:

• Meet with GPD, the American Studies Director, and faculty mentor.
• Coursework (2 per semester, including the required "Methods for the Study of American
• Culture” (792A) and “Introduction to English Graduate Studies” (796-01) during first term).
  DEADLINE for scheduling and completing American Studies Advisory Session.

Second Year:

• Fall: Meet with American Studies Director and faculty advisors about Two-Area Exam.
• Fall: Coursework (2 courses).
• Optional: “Graduate Writing Workshop” (792C) — CANNOT count as a required course.

Third Year:

• Schedule and complete Two-Area Exam.
• Fall: DEADLINE for submitting final drafts of area rationales: November 1st.
• Spring: DEADLINE for submitting Dissertation Prospectus: February 15th.
• Work on dissertation.

Fourth Year:

• Meet with advisor and Associate GPD about job search.
• Work on dissertation.
• Begin job search process.

Fifth Year:

• Finish dissertation.
• File degree paperwork with English Graduate Office.
• Job search.

STATEMENT ON LANGUAGE

Work across languages is a significant component of research in the Humanities, though different areas of research require different forms of proficiency. Conversations around research across languages will be introduced during the graduate student orientation by the Graduate Program Director and/or in the fall one-credit course “Introduction to English Graduate Studies” (796-01) required of all first-year students in the MA/PhD and PhD tracks.

In their first semester at UMass, students will consult with their faculty mentors about which languages (if any) would be beneficial to their research trajectory, and together they will develop a plan of study that aligns with the student’s timeline in the graduate program. This plan may include the acquisition of a new language or historical language; strengthening current language proficiencies; study of a coding language or means of data analysis; or work in translation. If the faculty and student determine that work across languages is not necessary to a student’s proposed research area, the student will not be obligated to fulfill a requirement that would divert them from their studies.

A NOTE ON GRADUATE COURSE EVALUATIONS

Please note that for students’ graduate course evaluations to be included in the set, considered, and added to the instructor’s permanent file, they must be submitted via the established process: that is, they must be completed by students anonymously in class on the standard form provided, collected by a student, and delivered as a class set by a student to the English Graduate Office.

Evaluations may not be submitted by other means or added subsequently. This stipulation standardizes the graduate course evaluation process, as is the process for undergraduate course evaluations, and protects the integrity of the information for everyone’s benefit.

INDEPENDENT STUDIES

This information applies to students in all concentrations, at all levels.

An independent study should primarily be used to facilitate exploration of a specific field or intersection of fields not covered in the department’s graduate course offerings. Independent studies that largely replicate existing courses will not be approved unless a compelling argument can be made for the necessity of the independent study format.

Ordinarily, no more than two independent studies can be counted towards coursework; any number above two must receive special permission from the Graduate Program Director.

If you wish to take an independent study, you must fill out and submit an English 796 Independent Study request form to the English Graduate Program Assistant, who will then register you for the course. You can find the form in Appendix A of this handbook or get one through the English Graduate Office.

Note: Use this same form to request Independent Areas 796W and 796X in preparation for your Two-Area (Preliminary Comprehensive) Exam. 

THE TWO-AREA / PRELIMINARY COMPREHENSIVE EXAM

THIS SECTION INCLUDES: Summary; Timeline and Related Issues; Registering for Area Exam Credits; Purpose and Scope; Scheduling the Two-Area Exam; Preparing for the Exam: What to Expect; During and After the Exam; and Advice about the Two-Area Exam.
 

This information applies to all MA/PhD and PhD students in all concentrations. AMERICAN STUDIES STUDENTS should also consult the “American Studies Two-Area/Preliminary Comprehensive Exam” section for information specific to them.
 

Summary

The two-hour oral examination for the PhD – called the Two-Area Exam by the English Department and the Preliminary Comprehensive Exam by the Graduate School – is required of MA/PhD and PhD students in all concentrations. The exam is based on two written area rationales and reading lists (a minimum of 30 works each) developed by the student in collaboration with an examining committee. The Two-Area Exam may be taken in person or remotely.

The examination committee consists of four faculty members: the student’s chosen advisor for a First Area (who will also serve as chair of the exam), the student’s chosen advisor for a Second Area, and two others chosen by the student in consultation with the advisors and the Graduate Program Director. Each reading list will culminate in a written area rationale of 5,500-6,500 words, or 18-22 pages, which the student will distribute to all members of the committee no later than two weeks before the scheduled examination. It is expected that the oral exam will follow shortly after submission of the area rationale final drafts.
 

Timeline and Related Issues

Deadlines for submitting final drafts of area rationales:

• MA/PhD students: Fifth year, by end of fall semester
• PhD students: Third year, fall semester, by November 1st

In this handbook, please access the program calendar relevant to you (concentration and MA/PhD or PhD) for the preparatory steps leading up to your Two-Area Exam. In general, at least one year prior to the deadline for completing the exam, you should meet with the GPD, select faculty advisors, begin compiling your area reading lists, and attend the English Graduate Office information session.

Don’t wait until you have completed your coursework to begin thinking about your area topics and lists. In your last semesters of coursework, consult with faculty for advice on what texts might belong on a reading list in your given areas of research interest, bearing in mind that the lists may change through the process of reading and preparing for the exam. More generally, throughout your graduate career, read as widely as possible in your likely areas of specialization; it should become a habit to read authors and pursue research interests beyond assigned coursework reading.

Submission timeline: We strongly recommend that you have an early and explicit conversation with your two area faculty advisors about dates for your submission of your area rationale drafts and faculty’s return of feedback to successfully comply with the deadlines. Ideally, this conversation will result in a mutually agreed-upon schedule to which both you and your faculty advisors will be accountable.

Failure to meet submission deadlines: Not meeting your deadlines will adversely affect your eligibility for funding in the following academic year. Exemptions to the penalty will be made at the discretion of the Graduate Program Director.

Faculty expectations: Central to the faculty’s conversation about these changed timelines for completion of the Two-Area Exam was the explicit acknowledgement that faculty must adjust their expectations for the rationales, to account for the more constrained time frame.

Graduate Writing Workshop (792C): The department annually offers a graduate writing workshop for credit (preferably distinct from the dissertation workshop) in which students can work on their area rationales, among other projects. This course is open to all MA/PhD and PhD students. However, only MA/PhD students can count 792C toward their total number of required courses, thereby helping these students complete their required coursework and comply with their Two-Area Exam deadline.
 

Registering for Area Exam Credits

You will receive three credits for each of the two Independent Areas 796W and 796X, making a total of six credits toward the necessary 24 (eight courses) for doctoral coursework. The best time to register for these credits is the semester of the exam. However, the scheduling of two-area credits is flexible: should you need or want a particular course during the semester you would otherwise be preparing for your exam areas, consider signing up and beginning your areas a semester earlier.

The English Graduate Program Assistant will register you for your area exam credits after you fill out and submit an English 796 Independent Area request form, found in Appendix A of this handbook or obtained from the English Graduate Office.
 

Purpose and Scope

The main aim of the Two-Area Exam is to assess the student’s readiness for dissertation work. To this end, the area rationales are based on wide reading in fields that will support future work. They are meant to demonstrate knowledge and therefore typically include reviews of key critical and primary texts. They are also meant to demonstrate critical and synthetic thinking, so the reviews typically take the form of a mapping of the field within coordinates defined by the student. Even as an area rationale presents and frames a field, it can also raise questions or possibilities for intervening in a field more than strictly developing an argument, as a seminar paper or prospectus might.

The scope and substance of the two areas will vary, but in general, preparing for the exam should also be regarded as a stepping-stone towards the dissertation. The description of the areas, and the relationship between them, should be developed in consultation with your faculty advisors, including your two area advisors and the GPD. You are encouraged to pursue your strongest interests where feasible, yet also to be guided by advisors about what is likely to be practical and successful.

Your two areas should cover substantially different materials and should avoid being either too narrow or too broad. The “novel in English” is too broad. The “short stories of William Faulkner” is too narrow. (Excluding very prolific writers, a single-author area would include most or all of the author’s main works, even though a student may also include and discuss a set of that author’s less canonical works. In general, however, single-author areas are to be avoided).

For those studying literature, one typical—but not prescriptive—pairing is to combine a literary area (including some major criticism in that field) with a critical/ theoretical/ methodological area. Thus, a literary area on the “19th-century American novel” might include 15-20 key literary texts as well as a selection of the major criticism in the field; it might be combined with an area in “Trauma Theory” or “Antebellum and Civil War History.”

For those studying Composition and Rhetoric, the two areas (independently or together) may combine theory with pedagogy, research methodology, histories of writing and writing education, and/or current trends in literacy practices. Here, a pedagogically focused area such as “The Circulation of Writing in Composition Classes” might include key texts presenting diverse critical perspectives on how circulation is conceptualized. A second area might be “Feminist Research Methodology” or “Applications of Marxist Theory in Composition Studies.”

These are just a few samples of many other kinds of combination. Again, you are encouraged to consult with the GPD and faculty in your field.

If you would like to access examples of area rationales, please contact the GPD, who will arrange your access to appropriate documents. Since rationales can vary greatly and different exam committee members often look for different qualities, you may want to view the documents of students who have worked with your faculty advisors in the past.
 

Scheduling the Two-Area Exam

As the deadline for submission of final drafts approaches, you should discuss a prospective date and time for the oral exam, first with your advisors and then with all committee members. Once the schedule is established, you must provide the date and time to the English Graduate Program Assistant, who will then reserve a room and send out a reminder to all committee members two weeks before the exam.

NOTE: You cannot schedule your Two-Area Exam if you have any incompletes on your transcript for required coursework, excepting your Independent Areas (796W and 796W), which are typically graded after the exam.

Please schedule your exam within the semester. Faculty are on nine-month contracts; the months of June, July, and August constitute faculty’s official period of non-responsibility. Faculty may choose to continue to work with their graduate students over the summer but do so on a case-by-case basis.

At least three weeks prior to the exam, you must distribute both area rationales and reading lists to your two chief faculty advisors and to the GPD for approval and signatures. The signature sheet is available from the English Graduate Office.

IMPORTANT: The GPD will enforce the upper limit of the page range described in the earlier “Summary” section. Rationales longer than 6,500 words/22 pages each will not be approved.

Once the materials have been approved, and no less than two weeks before the exam, you must distribute copies of your area rationales, reading lists, and signature sheet to the full committee and to the English Graduate Office. (You may wish to confirm with your committee members whether they prefer paper or electronic copies.)
 

Preparing for the Exam: What to Expect

Well before the exam, you should meet with your exam chair to discuss the exam process. Typically, students speak briefly at the start of the session (suggested maximum 10 minutes), perhaps narrating the intellectual trajectory that led to their two areas or highlighting key points and questions raised in their rationale papers, especially as these might lead to a dissertation. These are just two of several possible directions for an opening statement; you can consult with your chair about others.

As with the Advisory Session, discussion during the Two-Area Exam develops organically, yet it will typically focus at length on the materials and ideas in the area rationale papers. While you should, of course, be familiar with the texts in your bibliography, questions are usually less concerned with testing knowledge of specific texts than with soliciting evidence of your ability to think and converse flexibly and thoughtfully about those texts.
 

During and After the Exam

Unlike the dissertation defense, which is open to the public, the Two-Area Exam is private. Attendance is limited to the student and the faculty members on the examining committee. As the exam begins, you will be asked to leave the room for a couple of minutes while your committee members consult. When you re-enter, you will be invited to make an opening statement; the exam will then commence, generally lasting about two hours. The tenor of the exam is usually collegial and conversational.

After the exam, you will leave the room once more and receive the results of your exam immediately after the committee has made its decision.

• Upon being notified by your chair that you have passed the exam, the English Graduate Program Assistant will prepare and submit a results memorandum and a “Nomination to Candidacy for the Doctoral Degree” form to the Graduate School.
• Your chair will complete a report on your performance, circulate it to the participating committee members for their approval and any necessary revisions, and then send the finalized report to the English Graduate Office for inclusion in your file; you will also receive a copy of the finalized report.

You will now move on to preparing your dissertation prospectus.
 

Advice about the Two-Area Exam

(with thanks to Prof. Haivan Hoang)

Identify your “areas” and construct your reading lists:

• When in coursework, begin to develop lists of sources that you’ve read and that you’d like to read. How will you manage and organize these sources (e.g., print files, RefWorks, Zotero, etc.)?
• How will you take notes? Again, how will you manage and organize these notes?
• The areas should immerse you in conversations that interested you during (maybe before) coursework. Your area lists shouldn’t just replicate what you’ve already read during coursework, but they shouldn’t be a complete departure from prior readings, either.
• As the handbook states, the areas “should avoid being either too narrow or too broad.” How do you determine an appropriate scope?
• Spend time searching on your own for relevant scholarship in the field, and read foundational, oft-cited sources relevant to the area. Also, seek advice from your advisor and others about the lists.

Work with two faculty advisors:

• Identify two faculty with expertise in your areas and request a meeting to ask them to serve as your area advisors. When should you meet, and what should you prepare for that meeting? Be mindful of the tricky issue, described earlier, of requesting meetings and feedback during the summer.
• Talk about how you’ll work together. What are your advisors’ expectations? How often will you meet? What should you share (e.g., lists, drafts), and when? When can you expect feedback on drafts?
• Keep the dialogue open. Tell about your interests and commitments while staying receptive to questions and suggestions.

NOTE: There’s no single formula for how faculty work with graduate students on the area exams, so it’s important to figure out what works best for each pair. That is, faculty bring their own philosophies and approaches to this mentoring role—as do graduate students.

Figure out your own time management strategies for independent reading and writing:

• Make a timeline with your advisor.
• How will you schedule your own reading and writing time?
• What deadlines can you set during this process, and how can you use your scholarly community (including faculty advisor and peers) to help you move forward on the area exams?

Write essays on the two areas:

• The purpose of the area essays is “to demonstrate knowledge” and “typically takes the form of a mapping of the field within coordinates defined by the student.” The area essays are not, for example, an argument that you’d make in a published article or the dissertation. Think of this essay as a literature review or taxonomy.
• You do not need to give equal attention to all sources on the list. For example, you may have one sentence that includes a parenthetical reference to 3-4 sources, and you may devote a couple of paragraphs to a single key source. Depending on how and why you’re mapping this field, you’ll need to figure out how to pace your use of sources.
• On the other hand, you should not focus exclusively on a few sources and gloss over most of the scholarship cited in this area. Remember that the point is to map the conversation.
• There are common challenges that happen during the writing process. Early on, you might find yourself including too many quotations or spend too much time explaining sources. Don’t worry about it. As you get a handle on the readings, you’ll figure out how to distill your discussion of sources and do so more purposefully.
• This is not a linear process: i.e., decide on area > find readings > write essay. As you search for readings, you’ll likely continue to redefine the scope of the readings. While writing the essay, you’ll likely revisit your reading list—cut some sources, add others—and continue to refine the area.
• Throughout the writing, you’ll need to balance representing the big picture (i.e., mapping major claims and questions in the field) with treating particular sources/lines of thinking precisely and critically.

Prepare for the two-hour exam:

• Prepare a brief statement for the beginning of the exam; access “Preparing for the Exam: What to Expect” for more advice.
• Re-read your exam materials and take notes on what you’ve written (key words and definitions, major claims, questions to pose to yourself and those in this conversation).
• Meet with your advisor and talk with your colleagues.

THE DISSERTATION

THIS SECTION INCLUDES: Dissertation Credits; The Dissertation Director/Chair; The Dissertation Committee; The Prospectus; The Dissertation Defense/Final Doctoral Oral Exam (Scheduling the Dissertation Defense; What to Expect During and After the Defense); Dissertation Submission and Other Doctoral Requirements (Dissertation Submission; Doctoral Degree Eligibility Form; Dissertation Signature Page; Survey of Earned Doctorates; Obligations to the University; Remote dissertation defenses); Common Difficulties and How to Handle Them; and Dissertation Fellowships.
 

This information applies to all doctoral students in all concentrations.

Students should strive to have, at minimum, two funded years to devote to dissertation writing and the job-search process; two-and-a-half years is even better. The program calendars earlier in this handbook are designed to create and preserve that time for writing. Dissertation preparation officially begins with the completion of the Two-Area (Preliminary Comprehensive) Exam, but you will probably be thinking, reading and perhaps even writing toward your dissertation before then. Please use the following information to guide your progress through your dissertation and the accompanying doctoral degree requirements.
 

Dissertation Credits

Eighteen (18) dissertation credits are required for doctoral degree eligibility. The English Graduate Office registers students for these credits (ENGLISH 899), so please send your request to the Program Assistant, indicating the number of credits you would like (maximum of nine per term).  You can be registered for dissertation credits before you’ve actually started working on your dissertation; this can be useful for establishing your residency requirement—two sequential terms with a minimum of nine total credits each—if you only enroll in two courses per term.
 

The Dissertation Director/Chair

Choosing the director of your dissertation is an important decision, so you’re encouraged to consult with the Graduate Program Director about it. In general, you would like your director to be someone whom you trust and feel comfortable with, who is knowledgeable about your topic, and who has a professional reputation in your field. In your preliminary meetings, be sure to ask about this person’s future plans: when will they be away, when does their sabbatical fall, when do they plan to retire? This is information you need to have, so it’s perfectly appropriate to ask these questions. (Again, the GPD stands ready to assist if you’d like.) Bear in mind, too, that it is possible to change your director if circumstances and/or your direction change. Such a step should not be undertaken lightly, and it is best to consult with the GPD if you are considering it.

Once you have obtained a commitment from a faculty member to work with you as the director of your dissertation, the two of you should discuss and decide:

• How often you’ll meet
• How much advice you need and welcome
• The timeline for the project, i.e., when you will submit drafts of chapters and approximately how long the director will spend on them before returning them to you. If you won’t be living in the area, be sure to let your director know so you can make the necessary arrangements. Some directors will work with you via email, phone, and remote conferencing; others will want to meet with you face-to-face, health concerns allowing. Find out early so you can be prepared.
   

The Dissertation Committee

As soon after your Two-Area Exam as possible, put together a dissertation committee. The committee typically comprises three faculty members, including your director/chair. The chair and the second reader must be chosen from within the UMass English Department; the third reader must be a professor from outside an English department (the third reader could be a UMass professor from outside of the department or a professor from another institution). In some cases, it may be desirable to have a fourth faculty member on your committee; this decision should be discussed with your dissertation director and approved by the GPD. Special paperwork must be filed with the Graduate School by the English Graduate Office to add a committee member from outside of UMass.

In choosing dissertation committee members, you should consult both with your dissertation director and with the GPD. The chair of your Two-Area committee can also be of help here, as can the other members of that committee. (Some students ask at least one, if not all, of the professors from their Two-Area committee to continue on with them into the dissertation stage. However, some do not, and there is no assumption that the Two-Area committee will become your dissertation committee.)

When you meet with faculty members to discuss their serving on your committee, explain to them the general project behind your research and give them your estimated timetable. As with the dissertation director, you should discuss expectations of working together. Some committee members will want to read drafts of every chapter; others will read a chapter only after it’s been worked through and revised; still others will prefer to wait until the end to read the entire dissertation in one go. In general, you should bear in mind that your director is your main advisor, responsible for the overall quality of your work, while your committee members will tend to see themselves primarily as resources for your research.

And remember: one of the members must be a professor from outside the English Department. Your dissertation director should be able to help you find this committee member, but it’s also wise to seek out opportunities (including taking courses) to cultivate relationships with faculty beyond the department.
 

The Prospectus

Deadlines for submission:

• MA/PhD students: Fifth year, spring semester, end of Spring Break
• PhD students: Third year, spring semester, February 15th

The dissertation prospectus explains what your research project is and how it will contribute to a particular field or fields. Each dissertation director has their own conception of what the prospectus should be, but in general you should plan to write 15-20 pages plus a bibliography. As you write your dissertation, emphases and even the overall shape may undergo change, so it is best to regard the prospectus as a road map providing you with a good sense of direction, structure, and focus for the journey.

If you would like to access prospectus examples, please contact the GPD, who will arrange your access to appropriate documents. You will immediately notice how different in format, style, and length each is. The most important thing to bear in mind is that the prospectus is a document that should work for you. It should be a springboard, not an impediment, and you should never spend more than one semester writing it.

Submitting your prospectus and signature sheet:

NOTES:

• University regulations require that the prospectus be submitted at least seven months prior to the dissertation defense.
• Most grant and fellowship applications require that your prospectus signature sheet be on file with the Graduate School.

The prospectus is an official document that must be approved by all of your dissertation committee members and the GPD, as evidenced by their signatures on a prospectus signature sheet; a template is available through the English Graduate Office. Upon distributing your prospectus to all of these people, you can circulate the signature sheet through DocuSign (access the DocuSign Setup Guide & Support Information IT webpage).

Once you have collected all signatures, submit your prospectus and completed signature sheet to the English Graduate Office. The Program Assistant will submit your signature sheet and a memorandum recommending the appointment of your dissertation committee members to the Graduate School. A copy of your prospectus and signature sheet will be added to your file.
 

The Dissertation Defense/Final Doctoral Oral Exam

Your Final Doctoral Oral Exam must be scheduled and passed prior to your degree date of record (i.e., your expected graduation date). The defense typically lasts one to two hours and often consists of the student’s own statement, a discussion of the dissertation arising from that statement, and finally, a discussion of what can be done with the dissertation in the future. On the whole, the defense is not so much the student “defending” what they have written as discussing the project and its future with the committee. All questions posed to the student are about the dissertation. Do not expect to be quizzed about an entire literary period, poet, etc., or to be interrogated about topics not covered in your chapters. Many students find the defense very affirming since they are treated as a colleague and an expert in their field.
 

Scheduling the Dissertation Defense

NOTE: Remote dissertation defenses are allowed; the entire committee and student must be able to hear each other during the defense. The committee and student may decide to make the video conference available to the university community and to the student’s family and friends, but this is not an obligation.

1. Upon arranging a mutually agreeable date and time with your committee and at least five weeks prior to your defense, provide the English Graduate Program Assistant with the following information so they can submit the official exam scheduling notice to the Graduate School, including the location, no less than four weeks before the date. (Finding a space for the event can take several days.)

• Date and time (start and end, usually two hours)
• Location (building and room number), if firmly pre-arranged by someone, e.g., your chair
• Meeting link if defense will be conducted remotely
• Committee members’ names and roles
• Dissertation title
• Technology needs, if known at the time

2. At least two weeks before your defense, distribute the finalized copy of your dissertation to all committee members and the GPD.
 

What to Expect During and After the Defense

Typically, only the student and their committee are present at the defense, but the defense is open to all graduate faculty; also, with the agreement of the dissertation committee, students may invite anyone they wish to attend, such as parents and friends.

The content of the student’s statement is open-ended and is usually discussed in advance with the dissertation director. Not all students or committees find it necessary to begin this way. When they do, some students begin by explaining what they've learned from the process of writing a dissertation. Others explain how the project evolved from start to finish (e.g., “The chief difficulty I had while writing the dissertation was . . .”).

The discussion, too, can take almost any shape. Students and their committees in the past have talked about the kinds of courses, graduate or undergraduate, the student might be capable of teaching. Others have discussed how the dissertation might be turned into a book and/or how separate chapters might be reworked into articles and where those might be published.

Bring a paper copy of your dissertation signature page to your defense so present committee members can sign it after your exam; you can then scan the form and collect any missing signatures, including the GPD’s, via DocuSign (access the DocuSign Setup and Support Information IT webpage). Alternatively, all signatures can be obtained via DocuSign after the exam. The English Graduate Office can provide you with a sample signature page template.

Once you’ve passed your Final Doctoral Oral Exam (dissertation defense), your chair should immediately notify the English Graduate Program Assistant, who will submit an exam result memorandum to the Graduate School. Your chair will write a report about your performance, send it to all committee members for feedback and possible revisions, and then submit it to the English Graduate Office for inclusion in your file; you will also receive a copy of the report.

Please carefully read the section “Dissertation Submission and Other Doctoral Requirements” to ensure that you fulfill all of your remaining responsibilities on time, since deadlines are strictly enforced.
 

Dissertation Submission and Other Doctoral Requirements

It is critical that you understand and observe the Graduate School’s policies, procedures, and deadlines for your doctoral degree requirements. To this end, in addition to reading the information provided in this handbook, you should refer to the following Graduate School webpages:

• Graduate School Academic Calendar: Deadlines for the current and upcoming terms.
• Degree Requirements: Scroll down the right-hand menu to find pages relevant to the doctoral degree and dissertation.

While it’s possible you’ll find some discrepancies (e.g., our office needs five weeks’ advance notice of your defense to allow time for room reservation) and outdated information (e.g., submission of documents on special paper with special ink), you should regard the Graduate Student Service Center (Goodell room 520; 413-545-0722; Records: @email; Degree Requirements: @email) and the website as fundamental resources in addition to the English Graduate Office.

Here is a summary of doctoral requirements not already covered in sections of this handbook.
 

Dissertation Submission:

Consult the Graduate School’s “Doctoral Dissertation Submission” webpage for detailed instructions and guidelines regarding manuscript preparation, submission, and deadlines. There are many small details that have to be observed, so take time to familiarize yourself with them; please note, however, that special paper and ink are no longer required, since dissertations are now submitted electronically.
 

Doctoral Degree Eligibility Form:

Upon fulfilling all program requirements, complete the appropriate form on Spire, then submit it to the Graduate Program director:

In SPIRE, go to Academics > Graduation > Graduate Degree Eligibility

Read the directions at the top of the page, summarized below:

1. Verify your diploma name and address. Update if desired.
2. Select your expected graduation term.
   • You will always have two terms to choose from, the current term and the next term.
3. Add thesis, dissertation, or capstone advisor and title information, if applicable.
4. Select all courses needed for your degree.
5. Select Yes to verify that information is correct and complete before clicking Submit to Grad Program Director.

You will be unable to make any changes after submitting the form unless your program or the Graduate School returns it to you. You would receive email notification if someone were to return the form.

Make sure that you meet the relevant deadline for submitting your form to the department (i.e., the English Graduate Office, as posted on the Graduate School Academic Calendar).

Upcoming deadlines:

• For a February 2026 degree: Early January 2025*
• For a May 2026 degree: Mid-March 2025*
• For a September 2026 degree: Mid-August 2025*
• *All 2026 dates will eventually be posted on “Academic Calendar” webpage.

Dissertation Signature Page:

You are responsible for (1) gathering signatures and submitting your signed signature page to the Graduate School (@email) by the posted deadline and (2) including an unsigned signature page after the copyright page in your electronically-submitted dissertation. The English Graduate Office can provide you with a sample template; signatures can be collected on a paper copy that you can then scan or via DocuSign (access the DocuSign Setup Guide & Support Information IT webpage).
 

Survey of Earned Doctorates:

Complete and submit this online survey by the posted deadline.
 

Obligations to the University:

All holds must be resolved and bursar’s fees paid at least six weeks prior to your degree deadline date.
 

Remote dissertation defenses:

The Graduate School’s policy requiring that dissertation defenses be held in-person and on campus was suspended in September 2021 as part of the University’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to support remote dissertation defenses via videoconferencing and electronic submission of signature pages.

• Prior to the defense, ensure that the dissertation committee has received the complete dissertation along with any other materials that will be presented in the defense.
• The entire committee and student must be able to hear each other during the defense.
• Programs and students must continue to submit all required forms to the Graduate School. The preferred method is through DocuSign (for more information on how to set up a DocuSign account access the DocuSign Setup Guide & Support Information IT webpage). Completed forms should be sent directly to the graduate school ([email protected]) by the appropriate deadline.

The committee and student may decide to make the video conference available to the university community, as well as to the student’s family and friends, but this is not an obligation.
 

Common Difficulties and How to Handle Them

Some students zoom through the program with nary a stumble or scratch. Most of us, however, encounter minor (and occasionally major) setbacks, quagmires, and other assorted monsters. And generally speaking, the dissertation is the most challenging part of the doctoral program.

It’s not unusual to experience some discouragement about the dissertation and the progress you’re not making. Many students experience bouts of self doubt, frustration, and thinker’s/writer’s block. Take time to talk with people you trust and seek out professional help if you think that's what you need. Everyone usually benefits from joining or creating an ongoing dissertation group for support, useful critique, and deadline-setting.

• Many students fear that their dissertation will have already “been done.” Of course, you should be familiar with what (if anything) is being said in your field about your topic. But rest assured – while you may find books that share your interests, almost never will you find that someone has taken an identical approach to your subject matter.
• Allow yourself time to assimilate the information you’re consuming. Trying to rush your best ideas can be a pointless expenditure of sweat and anxiety.
• In some cases, students find that they have to stop reading and just start writing, allowing themselves to write what they already know. In general, writing (beyond note-taking) as you go – jotting down ideas, creating outlines and starting rough drafts – is a productive approach.
• Periodically check on your relationship to your primary texts. From time to time, you might need to step away from the secondary materials and renew your acquaintance with your primary sources.
• It might be more efficient to work on more than one chapter of the dissertation at once. In any case, give some thought to the order in which you will write your chapters (e.g., do you write the introduction first or last?), and perhaps discuss this with others, such as faculty and peer mentors.
• If you’re having problems working with a committee member, talk with friends and decide if it’s a matter for the Graduate Program Director to mediate. The GPD is usually able to offer suggestions about resolving the issue.
   

Dissertation Fellowships

The Graduate School offers a variety of grants to support dissertation research.

Depending on the availability of funding from the Graduate School, College of Humanities & Fine Arts, and/or other sources, the English Department offers fellowships to support the dissertation writing of doctoral students who have completed all other program requirements and filed a dissertation prospectus. These funds are usually awarded in the summer; the amount for each fellowship varies according to the funds available. The English Graduate Office aims to make the selection and distribution process for these fellowships as fair and transparent as possible. When it becomes apparent that funds are available to support such fellowships, the GPD circulates an email message to students outlining details of the application process and relevant deadlines.

Graduate students are also encouraged to seek out other grant and fellowship opportunities, both on campus and beyond. The Graduate School’s funding support page is a good place to begin.

ADVISING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

THIS SECTION INCLUDES: Thinking about Your Future; Workshops and Advising; Professional Organizations; Conferences; Conference Presentation Support; and The Job Search.
 

Thinking about Your Future

The English Graduate Program is fully aware that most graduate students pursue an advanced degree because they intend to get an academic or alt-ac job. We believe that students should be given every opportunity to prepare themselves for their careers, and we have devoted considerable resources to this end. Both the Graduate Program Director and the Associate Director are available for informal conversation about your future and for more focused help with such matters as fellowship and job applications, internships, interviews, and career paths, whether academic or nonacademic. We strongly urge you to connect with these people in your first year here and to make a point of meeting with them occasionally as you move through the program.

Experience has shown us that success in the job market follows not so much from shaping yourself into an abstractly “ideal” job candidate as from knowing your interests and strengths and demonstrating to others the particular qualities you could bring to a job. Therefore, the more consistently reflective you are about yourself—your aims, abilities, interests—the better prepared you will be for the moment you go into the job market and present yourself as a candidate for a specific position. Our hope is that conversing with the GPD and the Associate GPD, in addition to participating in our workshops, will help you develop the self-awareness that is so helpful when you actually go looking for a job.
 

Workshops and Advising

The Associate GPD and English Graduate Organization (EGO) often collaborate to organize a series of professionalization workshops for all graduate students in the program; the Graduate School’s Office of Professional Development also runs regular workshops and seminars. Collectively, their aim is to show that exciting new opportunities exist for graduate students who understand the ways that higher education is changing and who develop the skills and interests demanded of the new professoriate.

Consequently, while some workshops focus on traditional aspects of professionalization (e.g., writing a job letter, putting together a CV), many deal with topics that promote a broader understanding of today’s meaning of professionalization. In addition to supplementing your learning through your coursework, these workshops might open doors to new ways of imagining yourself as a teacher, scholar, and intellectual. We strongly urge you to enroll in some of these workshops early in your studies here.

Regular offerings include:

• Pedagogy workshops and effective mentoring for teachers
• Dissertation workshops and support groups
• Professionalization workshops that deal with topics such as the job letter, the job talk, the campus interview, conference paper publication, teaching portfolios and syllabi
• Individualized job-search counseling and career preparation for nonacademic jobs
• Grant-writing workshops held by the Graduate School
• Mock interviews before the annual MLA convention
   

Professional Organizations

Upon entering the graduate program, students are strongly encouraged to join one or more of the scholarly and professional organizations that guide and assist us in our academic work; special member rates are usually offered to graduate students. Faculty advisors and more advanced peers in your field can help you identify which organizations will be particularly important for you; examples include the Modern Language Association (MLA), National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), and American Studies Association (ASA).

We also urge you to familiarize yourself with several journals in your areas of interest. A few times each year you should browse through them, read the book reviews, read an occasional article, look at the book titles being advertised, and so forth. After three or four years, you will find that this process has oriented you toward your field(s) much more effectively than any course, curriculum, or program advising can do.
 

Conferences

Entering the profession means taking in and presenting up-to-date scholarship. In addition to the annual conferences held around the country by various professional organizations like the MLA and ASA, any number of smaller, more regional conferences on particular themes issue calls for papers by graduate students and faculty alike. For a complete list, access each new issue of the PMLA; announcements are sometimes posted on the bulletin board outside the English Graduate Office. We strongly urge you to join listservs that regularly disseminate information about conferences, papers, etc. – both generally, and for your field in particular. (One of the best “clearing-house” listservs is the UPenn Call for Papers, which now functions through their web interface and RSS feeds.)

In recent years, the English Graduate Organization (EGO) has also organized very successful graduate-student conferences, which draw participants from many institutions beyond our own campus. Presenting here is a great way to gain experience and to find out what colleagues are doing; getting involved in organizing the conference is also valuable service experience, and yields an impressive line on your CV.

We strongly advise you to have presented at least two or three conference papers by the time you begin your job search.
 

Conference Presentation Support

The English Graduate Office is usually able to provide modest support for graduate students’ travel to conferences where they are presenting papers connected to their scholarship. This depends on the program’s receipt of funds from the Graduate School and the College of Humanities & Fine Arts (HFA) and so cannot be guaranteed until such funds have been committed. Students should not count on this funding to cover the entire cost of conference travel; in recent years, the amount available has been around $300 per student per year. If that amount is spent on one conference, students should not expect additional departmental funding for travel until the following year.

Travel funds are awarded in two cycles, split equally between fall and spring. Students are notified when each application period opens; the deadline is usually mid-September for fall conference award applications and mid-February for the spring. These are priority deadlines; students can continue to apply as long as funds are available.

All other things being equal, students who have not previously received funding and who are in their final years in graduate school will be favored over those who have received conference funding many times before and are early in their program career. While we hope to fund the majority of requests, we want to make sure that people who are nearing the end of their program career—and who may need to travel to a conference for a job interview—are supported. 

NOTE: Students are eligible for travel funds for their program length plus one year—that is, for six years from year of enrollment for those entering as PhD, eight years for those entering as MA/PhD.

The Writing Program occasionally has funding available to support travel by its current tutors, lecturers, and graduate Teaching Associates when they are presenting papers directly related to Writing Program courses or programs—that is, Basic Writing, College Writing, Junior Year Writing, the Writing Center, or the Writing Program as a whole.

NOTE: Graduate students may not receive travel funding from both the English Department and the Writing Program for the same conference. They may, however, request an exception to this policy if their travel costs are unusually high (e.g., for a conference outside the U.S.) and both the English GPD and Writing Program Director agree to this exception. If students are presenting at more than one conference during the year, they may receive funding from English for one conference and the Writing Program for another if the funding is appropriate to each conference and agreed to by the relevant director.

The Job Search

The academic job market can be a daunting prospect: the number and kinds of available positions shift unpredictably from year to year, and a generally good year might still be a more challenging one for positions in a given field (and vice versa). But remember: people do get jobs! Between 1999-2023, 73% of UMass English PhD graduates found teaching jobs at the university level (48% tenure stream; 25% non-tenure stream). Others have found employment in other types of professional work, higher ed administration, and industry.

Furthermore, the English Graduate Office is deeply committed to helping you in this stage of the program. When you and your dissertation director feel that you are ready to begin thinking about the job market, you should arrange to meet with the Associate GPD, who coordinates our placement program. The Associate Director can tell you about the many resources we offer to help our students as they prepare for the job market, including workshops, individualized review of application materials, and practice interviews.

As noted above, you should begin preparing for your job search well before you actually finish your PhD. Your job application letter, teaching portfolio, writing sample, and CV all play a crucial role in your job search. You will want to discuss them with your dissertation director and the Associate GPD, allowing enough time for several drafts and substantial revisions.

The final stages of your job search will be a full-time occupation for many weeks. It is a long and often demanding process, which is why candidates are encouraged to begin preparing well in advance and to draw on the resources of the department.

If you are pursuing or considering nonacademic career paths, you may find advice from sources like the MLA to be helpful. You may also wish to take advantage of local resources such as:

• Beyond the PhD programming from the Graduate School
• the UMass English Department’s LinkedIn group, to connect with other alumni
• free access to LinkedIn Learning, which offers training in many in-demand skills
• a UMass Handshake account to access job/internship postings, campus career fairs
• UMass Career Services and HFA Career Services, for help with, among other things, crafting a resume and cover letter that translate your academic experiences and skills for a nonacademic audience

TEACHING

THIS SECTION INCLUDES: Term of Funding; Literature Teaching Assignments; and Other Teaching Opportunities.
 

Term of Funding

Students accepted into the MA/PhD and PhD programs can expect to receive 7 or 5 years (respectively) of teaching support once they have applied to, interviewed successfully with, and been hired by the Writing Program.

Continued support is also contingent upon satisfactory performance of all duties required by the position and upon maintaining good academic standing within the program, including completing the Two-Area (Preliminary Comprehensive) Exam on time.

NOTE: Semesters of guaranteed support are continuous from the semester of enrollment, excluding formal leaves of absence from the program. In addition, semesters spent working outside the department (e.g., in teaching, research, or editorial assistantships that are equivalent in hours to a departmental assistantship) are included in the semesters of guaranteed support; the only exception to this are semesters spent in paid employment with the Graduate Employee Organization (GEO).

Once their term of guaranteed funding has expired, students cannot rely on further teaching opportunities in the department. Teaching on extension in the Writing Program is possible, but only if available in a given year. Under some exceptional circumstances, it might be possible to extend the clock on departmental support through teaching: but these cases are very rare, and permission must be granted well ahead of time by the GPD.
 

Literature Teaching Assignments

Each spring, students have a chance to express their literature teaching preferences for the following year by filling out a form (known as the “dream sheet”) and returning it to the English Graduate Office. Note that the GPD has no control over the courses or the number of sections that are offered each year, nor the time slots offered.

NOTE: Students with two incompletes (‘I’ or ‘IF’) cannot be assigned teaching. The “dream sheet” will indicate a deadline for resolving outstanding incompletes in order to be eligible for teaching the following year.

The English Graduate Program aims to provide MA/PhD and PhD students with three kinds of teaching opportunities during the course of their studies:

• As a Teaching Associate (TO) or Assistant (TA) in the Writing Program
• As a Teaching Assistant (TA) for a lecture course taught by a faculty member
• As an instructor (TO) of a 35-student General Education (Gen Ed) undergraduate literature course.

Unfortunately, the complexities of scheduling, along with the uncertain size of each entering class of freshmen, wreak havoc with the ideal of orderly progression from one kind of teaching to another. Furthermore, the department has cut the number of large lecture courses, meaning that teaching assistant opportunities are especially limited.

For these reasons, students who have been hired by the Writing Program can count on the number of years of support that apply to their program (MA/PhD or PhD), but we cannot guarantee that they’ll be able to do all three kinds of teaching, much less that they will teach in any predictable sequence. That said, the GPD and the Director of the Writing Program do all they can to meet students’ teaching preferences.

NOTE: All graduate students who would like to teach literature should also apply to the Writing Program (WP) in case a literature section cannot be assigned to them. If you’ve taught in the WP in the past two years, you should receive a reminder from Heidi Terault, by mid-February, asking you to let them know what your plans are. It’s important that you respond to this memo in a timely manner so the WP reserves your spot for a Teaching Associateship (TOship).

The GPD takes the following elements into consideration when making literature teaching assignments, in approximately this order:

1. Number of years taught in the Writing Program
2. Number of years of teaching eligibility remaining (for those who have yet to teach literature)
3. Lecture and literature sections taught previously
4. Progress toward the degree – i.e., has the student completed coursework, the Advisory Session or the American Studies Advisory Session, the Two-Area (Preliminary Comprehensive) Exam, and Dissertation Prospectus in a timely manner
5. Match of student preferences for department needs

Any student who feels that there is something unfair about their teaching assignment should feel free to meet with the GPD to express those concerns; the GPD can then explain the assignment and alter it if a change is merited.

NOTE: Graduate students should not, under any circumstances, take on a one-credit HIS (Honor’s Independent Study) with an undergraduate. This is uncompensated labor and as such is in violation of your GEO contract.

Other Teaching Opportunities

Students have a chance to teach a limited number of Winter, Spring, and Summer Session courses offered through the Division of Continuing and Professional Education. These positions are announced by the English Graduate Office, which also distributes the appropriate application forms.

Teaching positions in other departments are sometimes available to English MA/PhD and PhD students. These are listed in “Job Opportunities” under “Funding” on the Graduate School web site.

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS

Each graduate degree at the university is subject to a statute of limitations (SOL) – a specified number of years from the date of admission during which students are expected to complete the degree. This policy is set and enforced by the Graduate School.

The SOLs for graduate degrees in English are as follows:

• Terminal MA: Three years (takes precedence over the Graduate School’s SOL length)
• MA/PhD: Seven years*
• PhD: Five years*

*When a student completes the Two-Area (Preliminary Comprehensive) Exam – technically, when they “achieve doctoral candidacy” – the Graduate School automatically re-sets their SOL to five years from that date; however, the extension is sometimes less than five years for students who have previously been granted SOL extensions.

SOL extensions are not within the GPD’s power to grant, but requests must be approved by the GPD before advancing to the Graduate School Dean. Students who are approaching the expiration of their SOL receive a message from the Graduate School and a reminder from the English Graduate Program Assistant to that effect. However, should you perceive that you realistically won’t be able to meet your SOL, the sooner you start the extension request process, the better, since you’ll be hard pressed to write and submit a thorough, compelling request at the last minute. (Requests are scrutinized more closely now than in the past.)

To request an SOL extension:

1. Email your intent to the GPD and the English Graduate Office. You will be sent a departmental SOL Extension Request Form, which includes helpful completion tips for providing the required information, such as the extension length requested (one or two years), factors impeding progress to date, plans to resolve those issues, and a detailed timeline for degree completion.
2. Email your completed form to the English Graduate Program Assistant, who will transfer your information and submit your request via a SPIRE form. Your request will be routed to the GPD, who reviews and, in most cases, approves reasonable first requests, as these are unlikely to raise much resistance at the Graduate School level. However, given the Graduate School’s increasing scrutiny of each subsequent request, the GPD may ask for more information and reach their own determination about the Graduate School’s likelihood of approving before deciding whether to approve and submit the request. You will receive the decision about your SOL extension request by email.

NOTE: SOL extensions are not related to, and do not impact, the number of years of funding one receives from the program.

LEAVES OF ABSENCE

Unexpected complications may necessitate a pause in study. The following information about personal and medical leaves of absence is borrowed from the Graduate School’s website and the most current edition of the Graduate School Bulletin under “Policies and Regulations,” where the full policy can be found.

Personal Leave of Absence:

A student may request a personal leave of absence when they are unable to actively pursue their graduate program of study because of unexpected circumstances. The student must formally request a personal leave of absence by petitioning their Graduate Program Director who, in turn, provides justification for the request to the Graduate Dean. If a leave of absence is granted, the student's statute of limitations is extended by the length of the leave. Graduate students on a personal leave of absence must maintain continuous enrollment by registering for GRADSCH 999 and paying the Program Fee every semester during their leave. A student on a leave of absence is not considered to be actively pursuing their graduate program of study; therefore, they are not eligible to receive a loan deferment for the duration of that leave of absence.

Medical Leave of Absence/Withdrawal:

A student may request a medical leave of absence of up to one year at a time for reasons related to a health concern that, in the opinion of the student’s treating physician or mental health professional, significantly impacts their ability to fulfill academic obligations in their role as a student. Each request is reviewed by the University Health Services (UHS) Medical Director, and a determination of the request is made based on an individualized assessment of the student and appropriate medical evidence. UHS relays to the Graduate School the start and end dates of the medical leave. Accordingly, the student’s statute of limitations is extended by the length of the leave. Graduate students on a medical leave of absence must maintain continuous enrollment by registering for GRADSCH 999 and paying the Program Fee every semester during their leave.

ADDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

With approval from the Writing Program, MA/PhD and PhD students admitted into the English Department receive several years of guaranteed financial support as instructors of composition courses in the Writing Program or as instructors of General Education undergraduate English courses. While many students complete their degree within this allotted timeframe, life may intervene in unexpected ways and delay progress, so it is not uncommon for students to need additional time to complete their dissertation and therefore need additional employment to cover expenses.

The department can occasionally offer additional teaching opportunities to those who have completed their guaranteed semesters of support, but this is not a certainty. Many students find positions across the campus to support themselves. Since we cannot offer teaching support to terminal MA students, they often fund their studies through employment outside the department.
The English Graduate Office regularly forwards calls for applications as specific needs arise in other departments or offices across the campus and within the Five Colleges consortium. In addition, the Graduate School maintains a job listing board.

Examples of specific positions that students have held in recent years:

• Biochemistry & Molecular Biology—Writing Fellow/Teaching Assistant
• College of Information and Computing Sciences—Instructor in Junior Year Writing
• College of Natural Sciences Majors—Instructor in Junior Year Writing
• Library—Assistant in Material Management Department; Student Worker
• Office of Academic Planning and Assessment—Research Associate; Web Design
• Oxford Summer Seminar at UMass—Assistant Director
• Writing Program—Digital Communications and Pedagogy Assistant

Other offices on campus where students have found work:

• Instructional Media Lab
• International Programs Office
• Commonwealth Honors College
• College Writing Center
• Residential Life
• Graduate Employment Organization

RESOURCES AND LINKS

• The Center for Counseling and Psychological Health
• The Center for Women and Community
• The English Graduate Organization (EGO)
• The Graduate Employee Organization (GEO)
• The Graduate School
• Useful Graduate School links
• The Graduate Students of Color Association
• The Office of Global Affairs
• The Stonewall Center
• Student Legal Services
• University Health Services
• The Writing Program

APPENDIX A: ENGLISH 796 COURSE REQUEST FORM

Access the English 796 Course Request Form for Independent Study and Independent Area.

APPENDIX B: MASTER'S THESIS CHECKLIST

Please refer to the Graduate School’s “Checklist for Master’s Degrees” and “Academic Calendar” for more details and the current academic year’s deadline dates.
 

1. Thesis Credits:

Register for six Master’s Thesis credits (English 699) during the year you write your thesis — whether three credits each semester or all six in one semester — by sending a request to the English Graduate Office.
 

2. Thesis Committee:

Select a thesis committee consisting of a chair from the English Department and two other members of the graduate faculty, to be approved and then nominated by the Graduate Program Director (GPD) for appointment by the Graduate Dean. The committee is responsible for supervising your thesis project and conducting your final oral examination/thesis defense.
 

3. Thesis Outline:

Prepare and distribute a thesis outline for the approval and signatures of your thesis committee and the GPD. You must submit your approved outline and thesis committee form to the English Graduate Office at least four months prior to the date of your thesis defense for subsequent submission to the Graduate School. If you would like to access samples of thesis outlines, please contact the GPD so arrangements can be made.
 

4. Final Oral Examination/Thesis Defense:

Your exam must be scheduled and passed prior to your degree date of record (i.e., your expected graduation date for your MA). Upon completing your thesis outline and obtaining the approval of your committee chair, schedule your defense in consultation with your committee members and, at least three weeks in advance of your defense date, notify the English Graduate Office so a room can be reserved and the official scheduling notification sent out. You are strongly encouraged to bring the thesis signature page to the exam for the committee to sign. After the exam, the committee chair will notify the English Graduate Office of the results. The office will then prepare and submit a defense results memorandum to the Graduate School along with your completed Master’s Degree Eligibility Form for Thesis Students.
 

5. Master’s Degree Eligibility Form for Thesis Students:

Upon fulfilling all program requirements, complete the appropriate form on Spire, then submit it to the Graduate Program director.

For a thesis MA, please fill the form on Spire:

In SPIRE, go to Academics > Graduation > Graduate Degree Eligibility

Read the directions at the top of the page, summarized below:

1. Verify your diploma name and address. Update if desired.
2. Select your expected graduation term.
   • You will always have two terms to choose from, the current term and the next term.
3. Add thesis, dissertation, or capstone advisor and title information, if applicable.
4. Select all courses needed for your degree.
5. Select Yes to verify that information is correct and complete before clicking Submit to Grad Program Director.

You will be unable to make any changes after submitting the form unless your program or the Graduate School returns it to you. You would receive email notification if someone were to return the form.

Make sure that you meet the current relevant deadline for submitting your degree eligibility form to the department (i.e., the English Graduate Office), as found on the Graduate School’s “Checklist for Master’s Degrees” and “Academic Calendar” webpages. Upcoming deadlines:

• For a February 2026 degree: January 16, 2025
• For a May 2026 degree: Mid-March 2026 (will eventually be posted on “Checklist” and “Academic Calendar” webpages)
• For a September 2026 degree: Mid-August 2025 (will eventually be posted on “Checklist” and “Academic Calendar” webpages)

6. Guidelines for Master’s Thesis:

Please note that special paper and ink are no longer required; all can be prepared digitally.
 

7. Submission of Master’s Thesis and Signature Sheet:

• Submit your thesis electronically through ScholarWorks, including an unsigned copy of your signature sheet after the copyright page.
• Submit your signature sheet, signed by your committee and the Department Chair, to the Graduate School (@email) and to the English Graduate Office by the appropriate deadline. Electronic signatures gathered via DocuSign are acceptable (access the DocuSign Support and Information IT webpage).