Department of English
About
Our Graduate Degrees
The Department of English offers three options for studying at the graduate level: the Ph.D. program, the terminal M.A. program, and the submatriculation program. The submatriculation program is available only to current undergraduate English majors at Penn.
The Ph.D. Program
The Ph.D. in English is a flexible five- or six-year program that combines coverage in literatures in English, concieved broadly, with concentrations shaped by our students’ interests. Students generally study a wide range of literary traditions and theoretical frameworks during their first two years of coursework, and then begin to specialize in their third year in preparation for their comprehensive exams. In the fourth, fifth, and often sixth years, students write their dissertations. Throughout the program, Ph.D. students are taught, advised, and supported by our faculty, and they stay apprised of new scholarship in their respective fields through participation in our Departmental Working Groups, through which they also share their own work.
All Ph.D. students, regardless of citizenship, receive five years of educational support which covers tuition, fees, and health insurance and includes a competitive stipend.
Many of our Ph.D. students go on to become faculty members at other institutions, while others pursue careers in the public and private sectors.
The M.A. Program
The M.A. in English is a standalone one-year master’s program. This is a challenging degree program, well-suited for students who want to undertake graduate-level study in the discipline, but who are not yet ready to make the commitment required for a Ph.D. program. M.A. students have the freedom to explore and develop their unique interests through their course selection and are welcomed at our departmental working groups.
Our M.A. students often go on to apply for Ph.D. programs, but they are also prepared for careers in the public and private sectors. The M.A. and Ph.D. programs are not linked; that is, M.A. students may not continue on to the Ph.D. program at the end of their M.A. program.
MA students are not funded and must cover the full costs of their tuition, fees, health insurance, and living expenses. UK citizens are encouraged to apply for the Thouron Fellowship, a competitive award that provides funding for a master's degree at Penn.
The Submatriculation Program
The submatriculation degree, commonly referred to as the “submat”, enables eligible and admitted undergraduate English majors to obtain their bachelor’s and master’s degrees simultaneously. Submat students take graduate-level coursework concurrently with their undergraduate coursework and upon completion, graduate with both the B.A. and M.A. degrees.
Admission to the program is highly selective. Students typically apply in their third year, though in cases where students plan to take additional year(s) of undergraduate coursework, they may apply in their fourth year or above.
Students who are interested in learning more about the submat program should first read through our Submatriculation page The Department also holds a Submat Information Session for prospective applicants at the end of the fall semester.
After reading through this information, interested students should arrange meetings with the English Undergraduate Chair, English Graduate Chair, and Neil McDowell in the College Office to discuss their interest in the program and to determine the feasibility of their plan for undertaking graduate coursework. Students should then apply to the program in the spring semester.
For more information on SAS policies governing submat programs, please see: https://www.college.upenn.edu/submatriculation/
Graduate Program Contacts
Zita Nunes, Chair of Graduate Studies
Fisher-Bennett Hall, 132
215-746-3529
Meghan Hall, Associate Director of Graduate Studies
Fisher-Bennett Hall, 129
215-898-3669