The Doctor of Philosophy program in English requires a minimum of 72 s.h. of graduate credit. Concentrations are offered in areas such as literary history and critical theory, as well as interdisciplinary areas such as cultural studies and transnational studies.

Of the minimum 72 s.h. required for the degree, at least 51 s.h. must in graded course work at the 3000-level or above. Of those, at least 30 s.h. must be in English courses at the 5000-level or above.

Students must gain formal admission to Ph.D. candidacy by a vote of the Graduate Steering Committee, usually during the third semester of doctoral study.

Students also must fulfill the program's language requirement, usually by completing an advanced undergraduate course numbered 3000 or above in a language other than English.