Women’s Studies and English Joint PhD Program
Specific Requirements and Policies
Transferring Credits
Language Requirement
Recommended Progress
Third Term Review
Prelims
WS 891
Dissertation Prospectus/Proposal
Faculty of the Women’s Studies and English Doctoral Program
Transferring Credits
You may transfer a maximum of 6 credit hours for English courses taken at
other institutions, not used as credit toward another degree. These credits
may not satisfy cognate or 800-level seminar requirements unless approved by
the Director of Graduate Studies in both Women’s Studies and your department.
Transfer credits may not be used to satisfy the language requirement. Students
may not transfer credit prior to posting their MA at Michigan. Paperwork to
transfer credits should be submitted at the same time as the application for
the Michigan MA is submitted.
back to top
Language Requirement
Students must demonstrate either a basic proficiency in two foreign languages or an advanced proficiency in one. These requirements may be satisfied by doing coursework here or by passing a departmental examination (graded on a pass/fail basis). If a student’s native language is one other than English, but English is the student’s primary language (i.e., the language of schooling), that student may take either a basic or an advanced examination in the native language. If a student’s primary language is not English, the English Department can waive the advanced examination, thus fulfilling the language requirements for that student.
Basic proficiency is equivalent to four semesters of college course work; advanced proficiency is equivalent to six or more semesters of college course work.
The language requirements must be satisfied on campus by the end of the student’s second year. You may not transfer language credits from another institution or from an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan to satisfy your graduate language requirement(s).
back to top
Recommended Progress
Please Note: This timeline notes typical progress through
the program. Your schedule may be slightly different depending on when certain
courses are offered.
First Year:
Fall
- WS 501—Proseminar in Women’s Studies
- WS 530—Feminist Theory
- ENG 520—Introduction to Graduate Studies
- WS 601—Approaches to Feminist Scholarship
- 2 Electives in Eng or WS
Winter
Second Year:
Fall
- Third-term Review
- ENG 695—Pedagogy
- 2 Electives in Eng or WS
MA requirements should be met
- 30 total credits (GPA of B or higher)
- 24 English credits (grades of B- or higher)
- 2 Cognates (grades of B- or higher—cannot bring GPA below a B)
- Language requirement (one advanced or one basic)
Winter
- 3 Electives in Eng or WS
- ENG 695 - Pedagogy
- Prelim reading list due
Candidacy requirements should be met by the end of August
- 2 Cognates (grade of B- or higher—cannot bring GPA below a B)
- Language requirement (one advanced or two basic)
- 2 800-level English courses
- 36 RFTs
Third Year
Fall
Winter
- Eng 990/995
- Complete required courses (4 800-level courses)
- Prelim: oral exam (between Jan and April)
- Register for WS 891
Fourth Year
- Eng 995
- Prospectus due Sept 15
- Register for and defend WS 891 by Dec. 15
Fifth Year
- Eng 995
- Complete Dissertation
back to top
Third Term Review
Students in English and Women’s Studies are reviewed in their third
term. The main purpose of the third term review is to provide helpful advice
about the student’s course of study and professional goals. A committee
is constituted of 3–4 faculty, preferably including one person jointly
appointed in Women’s Studies and English; one person appointed in English
but not Women’s Studies; and one appointed in Women’s Studies but
not English. The joint appointments will be selected on the basis of a student’s
intended research plans. Consultation between the graduate chairs of English
and Women’s Studies will determine the jointly appointed committee members.
This committee meets individually with each joint student. Then this smaller
review committee meets with the larger English review committee; lingering
issues are discussed and a report is sent to the student. Students are invited
to discuss the report with either or both grad chairs.
Written evaluations
are collected from each instructor who has taught the student.
The student is asked to submit:
- an unrevised seminar paper
- a statement about progress and future interests
Any recommendation that the student not continue in the joint program must be approved by both the English Department Third Term Review Committee and the Women’s Studies Doctoral Programs Committee.
back to top
Prelims
The student composes an interdisciplinary committee consisting of:
- at least one faculty member jointly appointed in English and Women’s Studies
- one faculty member appointed in Women’s Studies, but not English
- one faculty member appointed in English, but not Women’s Studies
The faculty member jointly appointed will serve as chair or co-chair.
Joint Women's Studies and English students follow the guidelines for English Language and
Literature prelims, which consist of two parts: a 2-hour oral exam on two fields,
taken between January 31 and April 15 of the third year; this is followed by
WS 891 (this replaces ENG 992—see English Department Handbook), defended
in the Fall term of the fourth year.
Fields are considered two broad areas in which students are committed to doing major research and teaching, which take the form of a reading list. They are areas in which the candidate
- will do research during and after the dissertation period
- will consider an area of expertise as a teacher
- will be proficient in order to interview for jobs
back to top
WS 891
WS 891 is an interdisciplinary seminar paper meant to integrate learning in English and Women’s Studies and focuses on a topic pertinent to the dissertation.
It also serves as an 800-level seminar.
Winter term of the third year, the student registers for 3 credits of WS 891 and drafts a seminar paper. The student signs up under the INDI (individual instruction) number of the committee chair and receives a
“Y” (“extended course”) grade.
Fall term of the fourth year, the student registers for an additional 3 credits of WS 891 and the seminar paper is revised. By the end of the term, it is defended in a two hour oral exam with the whole committee. The “Y” is converted to a grade.
The prelim exam in English must be completed by April of the third year and WS 891 by December of the fourth year.
back to top
Dissertation Prospectus/Proposal
The prospectus is a student’s proposal or plan for dissertation research and writing.
In English, the prospectus is typically a typed document of 10 to 20 double-spaced pages. It defines the subject, central question and methodological approach to the dissertation topic, including the importance of the proposed work to advancing the understanding of the discipline. It should relate the proposed research project to previous literature on the question and include a bibliography. It might also include a chapter plan and/or a tentative timetable.
In English, the prospectus must be approved by two prospective dissertation
committee members (one must be the chair) by September 15 of the fourth year.
Please file a copy of your prospectus with the Women’s Studies Graduate Office.
See also: Department of English website
back to top
Faculty of the Women’s Studies and English Doctoral Program
Budgeted Faculty
Anne Herrmann
Sidonie Smith
Valerie Traub
Non-Budgeted Faculty
David Halperin
June Howard
Petra Kuppers
Adela Pinch—on leave 07–08
Maria Sanchez
Cathy Sanok
Martha Vicinus
Patricia Yaeger
Affiliated Faculty
Anita Norich
Johanna (Yopie) Prins
Anne Ruggles-Gere
Terri Tinkle
Alisse Portnoy
back to top
