English Doctor of Philosophy

About us

The Department of English offers an integrated MA/PhD program, giving graduate students a variety of opportunities to work closely with distinguished scholars and writers. From the works of Chaucer to those of Toni Morrison, from romanticism to postcolonialism, from rhetoric and composition to digital media, from folklore to film, from literacy studies to the history of the book - graduate study in English at Ohio State exposes students to the broad range of traditional and emerging fields in contemporary English studies, with many of our programs being nationally recognized. 

In addition to giving students extensive opportunities to work closely with scholars on a variety of research topics, the department offers outstanding teaching experiences. Incoming graduate students teach in our First-Year Writing Program, and they receive training and support throughout their careers. Some second-year graduate students will move on to the second-level undergraduate writing course, and once PhD students complete a teaching apprenticeship, they are eligible to teach entry-level undergraduate courses or to serve as teaching assistants in the British and American literature surveys.

Finally, the department's Digital Media Project offers graduate students opportunities to learn to use the latest instructional technology to teach both composition and literature courses.