Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in English and American literature include the completion of 72 points and the following specific requirements:

1. Proseminar (G41.2080), which must be taken in the student’s first semester.
2. One course in English language selected from among the following: G41.1060, G41.1061, G41.2044, G41.2045, G41.2072. This requirement may be waived if the student has taken an equivalent course elsewhere.
3. Four doctoral seminars (selected from G41.3100 through G41.3969).
4. One 4-point Guided Research course in preparation for submission of the dissertation proposal.
5. Three 4-point Guided Research courses in teaching preparation (taken during the final semester of the teaching assistantship).
6. An M.A. thesis consisting of a seminar paper revised as though for publication.
7. A doctoral examination, based on three individualized reading lists covering two historical fields and one topic. The examination fields are medieval; Renaissance; 18th-century British (1660-1800); 19th-century British (1789-1914); 20th-century British; American: beginning to 1865; American: 1865 to present; African American literature; postcolonial studies; literature of the Americas; transatlantic studies; and modern drama (1860-present). The topics are theoretical approaches to the study of literature, such as aesthetics; colonialism and postcolonialism; gender; genre; performance; reception; and the interrelations of literature and another discourse (e.g., philosophy, politics, psychology, the visual arts). The examination is supervised by a committee of three faculty members chosen by the student. It consists of a written part followed by an oral part. Students must have the M.A. degree in hand before sitting for the doctoral examination.
8. Language proficiency beyond the English language. This requirement may be satisfied either before or after matriculation at NYU by demonstrating either (a) advanced proficiency in one language by completing the sixth term of an acceptable college language course with a grade of B or better or by passing a language examination at a comparable level of proficiency or (b) proficiency in two languages by completing the equivalent of four semesters of acceptable college work. The final course or examination establishing proficiency must have been completed no more than two years prior to matriculation for the Ph.D. program. The language(s) offered must be relevant to the dissertation research and scholarly practice of the field in which the student intends to work, and the department reserves the right to require a particular language on these grounds. Any student whose first language is not English should see the director of graduate studies to discuss the use of that language to fulfill (or partially fulfill) the requirement.
9. A dissertation proposal and a dissertation. A student who has fulfilled all of the above requirements is approved for dissertation work and permitted to find a director for the dissertation. In the semester immediately following the semester in which the doctoral examination is taken—ordinarily the seventh semester of the program—students register for 4 points of guided research for the purpose of preparing a dissertation proposal. Ordinarily the director of the guided research becomes the dissertation director. The dissertation director must be a member of the department. When the director has approved the proposal for the dissertation and the required chapter outline and working bibliography, two additional faculty members are appointed as readers. When they and the department chair have approved the proposal, the subject is formally registered in the department. The director and readers, who form the dissertation committee, ultimately approve the dissertation for defense. Two copies are submitted by the candidate: one for microfilming and deposit in the University library and one for the department.
10. A final oral examination in defense of the dissertation. The dissertation must have been approved in writing by the three readers before the examination is convened. Some revision, in addition to the mandatory correction of any errors, may be required as a result of the defense. The examining board consists of five members of the graduate faculty; at least two members of this board must have been official readers of the dissertation. In this final examination, the candidate is questioned for one hour on the dissertation. If the candidate fails the oral defense of the dissertation, a second examination is permitted, resulting either in a pass or in elimination from the Ph.D. program.
11. Completion of all requirements within seven years for students entering with an M.A. degree or ten years for students entering with a B.A. degree.

The department issues the Ph.D. Program Handbook, describing the requirements of the doctoral program in detail. Students should regard this handbook as the complete and authoritative statement of the rules of the Ph.D. program.

For updated information on department programs and activities, visit the Web site at http://english.fas.nyu.edu.

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