About PhD Program,
THE PHD PROGRAM PREPARES STUDENTS for independent work as teachers, scholars, and critics by developing their abilities to pose and investigate problems in advanced literary studies. The Department of English has played an important role in transforming literary studies over the past century, and our Ph.D. program has been at the center of those transformations. The 2025-26 Admissions Theme is “Environmental Humanities.”
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
The Admissions Committee does not have specific cutoff levels for GPAs, nor does the Department report average GPAs. Please note that the Admissions Committee generally considers your writing sample, statement of purpose, and recommendation letters to be of most relevance.
The department does not require any GRE exam scores.
PhD Funding Coverage,
All incoming doctoral students receive a comprehensive funding package to support them in their scholarly and pedagogical training and are eligible to be registered for up to 9 years. All PhD students will be guaranteed to have funding support from the University if Chicago, external sources, or a combination of the two for the duration of their program to include the following:
- Full tuition coverage
- Annual stipend
- Fully paid individual annual premiums for UChicago’s student health insurance
(U-SHIP, the University Student Health Insurance Plan) - Student Services Fee
Some students may also be eligible for additional fellowships via their department including Neubauer fellowships, which offer additional funding per year over six years. The number of fellowships available is limited and decided on at the time of admission.
The goal of the University’s commitment to ensuring that students are supported is to allow students to prioritize their studies and prepare for rewarding careers. Funding is contingent on remaining in good academic standing and making progress toward completing degree requirements.
Application Requirement,
Students applying to the PhD program in English Language and Literature at the University of Chicago must complete an online application and upload the following to that application:
- Scanned transcripts from all college-level, degree-track programs. [Note: For Spring 2020 transcripts, ‘Pass’ grades and letter grades will be regarded as equivalent as we evaluate applications for admission to our PhD program.]
- 3-4 confidential letters of recommendation (recommenders may upload directly or you may use a service like Interfolio).
- A 15-20 page writing sample (double-spaced; page count does not include bibliography)
- A statement of academic purpose, 1-3 pages, single-spaced
- ENGLISH PROFICIENCY
- GRE/GPA
Application Deadline,
Dec 02, 2024
Application Fee,
an application fee of $90
