Literature and Criticism, PhD
—Sahar Al Shoubaki
Learn more about the Literature and Criticism PhD program, including course information and how to apply.
The Literature and Criticism program at IUP enables scholarly engagement and research in British, US, and world literature; film studies; and emerging fields such as popular literature, video game studies, and digital literature and culture.
Led by an accomplished community of teacher-scholars, our mission is the integration of research and pedagogy, and our classes are informed by the theory and practice of effective teaching. We not only train college and university faculty but also prepare you for a broad range of professional possibilities and career paths beyond the academy to pursue innovative work in your field of specialization.
You are welcome to apply to either a full-time doctoral program or our summer-only program accommodating working professionals and educators.
Five Reasons to Join Our Community
- A curriculum that mixes tradition and innovation
- Faculty who are dedicated, innovative teacher-scholars
- A curriculum designed to fit you, whatever you want to be
- A diverse community of graduate students from across the United States and around the world
- A good place to be and a good place to explore
Academic Year Program
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Take courses in the fall and spring semesters, from the end of August through mid-May, for two years
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Take three courses each semester as a full-time student
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Residency requirement fulfilled after two years
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Can take courses in the summer sessions to complete requirements
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Eligible for highly competitive graduate assistantship.
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Live on campus or off campus. It's your choice!
Snapshot of Your Academic Year Sessions
Fall semester
ENGL 955
Two additional 800-level courses
Spring semester
ENGL 956
Two additional 800-level courses
Complete Candidacy Portfolio
Summer Session
One 800- or 900-level course
Summers-Only Program
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Take courses from late May through early August over two to three summers
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Take two courses in at least two summer sessions each year as a full-time student
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Can take some classes remotely during the academic year
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Graduate assistantships not available. Many employers will provide tuition assistance or reimbursement.
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Live on campus or off campus. It's your choice! Flexible leases are available during the summer to meet your needs.
Snapshot of Your Summer-Only Sessions
Summer Session 1
ENGL 955
One 800-level course
Summer Session 2
ENGL 956
One 800-level course
Fall, After Your First Summer of Classes
Portfolio Proseminar course
Spring After Your First Summer of Classes
Submit Portfolio for Candidacy Review
Pre-session:
One Research Skills course
Summer Session 1
One 800-level course
One 900-level course
Summer Session 2
One 800-level course
One 900-level course
Take candidacy exam in May or August
Enriching Experience
"The opportunity to work as a teaching associate in the English Department—and as a graduate assistant for both the Thesis and Dissertation offices and as a graduate tutor in the Writing Center—has given me a diverse set of skills that I have applied both in my teaching and in my scholarship. In fact, my final project in Dr. Watson's Theory class evolved into my first publication, a book chapter on teaching masculinity in a collection on teaching from Vernon Press!"
Jeff Ambrose, PhD in Literature and Criticism PhD candidate and Teaching Associate, English Department
Intellectual Community
Student Organizations
You will have many opportunities to contribute to the intellectual community and to engage in preprofessional experiences to prepare for life after graduate school. Many of those opportunities are made available through the English Graduate Organization.
The Literature and Criticism Newsletter
Read the latest issue and dive into our archives.
Scholarly Journals
Members of our program are active in scholarly publishing in the areas of interdisciplinary humanistic studies, applied critical theory, and special literatures, the chief emphases in our program. Our faculty members also serve as editors for journals in their fields. Literature and Criticism graduate assistants may have the opportunity to work on these journals.
- Pennsylvania Humanities, edited by Michael T. Williamson
- Scriblerian, edited by Melanie Holm
- Studies in the Humanities, edited by Reena Dube
Centers and Institutes
A number of research centers and institutes at IUP are led by faculty members. Graduate students in Literature may become involved in work on these journals as graduate assistants.
- Digital Humanities Center, Ken Sherwood
Contact Us
Debbie Bacco
Graduate Program Secretary
dbacco@iup.edu
Latest News
IUP Continues to Make National Ranks
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is ranked, for the 29th consecutive year, as one of the "Best National Universities" in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. IUP's graduate English programs are ranked in the top eight in Pennsylvania.
L&C Alum, Pamela Richardson Wilks named Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Pamela Richardson Wilks was appointed provost and vice president for academic affairs at Coppin State University in Baltimore, Maryland. Wilks holds bachelor's and master's degrees in English from North Carolina A&T State University. She earned her PhD from the L&C program in 2014.
L&C Alumnus Carl Sell Publishes Cultural Object
Carl Sell published "Round Table Revival: The Order: 1886" with The Vault of Culture, an open access space "devoted to publishing a wide range of approaches to a variety of cultural objects, from comics to film to novels to video games and everything in between." Sell earned his PhD from the L&C program in 2020.
L&C Student Recognized with Distinguished Scholarship Award
Kaitlynn Sass, a student in IUP's Literature and Criticism PhD program, has been recognized with Sigma Tau Delta's William C. Johnson Distinguished Scholarship Award. a member of Sigma Tau Delta since 2014, she has served the Society as the Eastern Region student representative (2016-17) and as the student advisor (2018-020 and 2022-24). Kaitlynn also served as the vice president (2018-19) and as the secretary (2020-22) of IUP's English Graduate Organization.
L&C student and French Teacher Publishes Book
John Mabold, a student in IUP's Literature and Criticism PhD program and a French teacher at Shady Side Academy Senior School, recently published the book Jostled Soul, a collection of poems deeply rooted in the meaning of cycles, nature, remembrance, and transcendence.