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English Department offers both an MA and PhD in English; each program
has its own separate admissions process. The PhD program is designed
to be completed in five years; students who enter the program with an
MA can sometimes complete their degree requirements in four years. We
have an excellent placement record for our graduates, and Rochester PhDs
hold academic positions in some of the nation's best colleges and universities.
Applicants who wish to pursue the PhD should apply directly to the PhD
program. The MA Program requires one year of course work, followed by
an MA thesis or exam. Although some students in the MA program have subsequently
been admitted into the PhD program, the MA program has its own integrity
and is not designed to lead into our PhD program. Rochester MAs have
pursued careers in publishing, higher education, and business, and they
have also been successful in gaining admission to other PhD programs.
Policies and regulations for graduate study in English are established
by the department’s Graduate Studies Committee, chaired by the Director
of Graduate Study (DGS). The makeup of the committee (which includes one
graduate student) is determined each year by the department, with graduate
students electing their own representative. The committee acts on matters
such as general requirements and standards, and procedures for qualifying
and language examinations and for recommending candidates for scholarships
and fellowships. It also consults with the DGS on requests for exceptions
to standard procedures. Requests for committee action on any matter should
be made in writing to the DGS. All changes in policy must be approved by
the full faculty.
The DGS is responsible for overseeing the program of all students in
the MA and PhD programs. PhD students should begin forming their own
committees as early as possible; the DGS will advise new graduate students
in their first semesters in the program, assist in the formation of individual
committees, and ensure that students are aware of the policies and regulations
of the program. The DGS will help set up course schedules in the first
two semesters of study, will act on all applications for transfer of
credit or changes in schedules or on transcripts, will approve the makeup
of individual committees and candidates’ lists for their fields,
and will sign off on thesis and dissertation proposals. All questions
about these matters should be brought to the DGS.
All students in the MA and PhD programs must sustain a satisfactory
level of performance in all their work. For record-keeping purposes,
each course employs one of two systems of grading: S (Satisfactory) or
U (Unsatisfactory); or letter grades (A, A-, and so on). One course grade
lower than B does not automatically mean withdrawal, though not more
than ten hours of credit toward the MA degree may be below B. PhD students
are expected to maintain grades at the B+ or A level. A succession of
B’s or an absence of A’s constitutes grounds for the DGS
and the Graduate Studies Committee to advise probation or withdrawal
from the program.
Graduate students are responsible for conscientious participation in
course work, and for completing assigned reading, reports, and papers
on time. (The DGS may make exceptions for unexpected illness or other
unforeseen interruptions.) Degrees will not be awarded until all work
is completed. PhD students must have completed work for all courses,
and had grades recorded by the Registrar, before they take the Qualifying
Exams. PhD students must also have completed the Language Exam before
setting up Qualifying Examinations.
