Graduate Student Handbook

The graduate catalog can be found on the university’s academic catalog page. The drop-down menu on the top right side of the page includes the current catalog, as well as previous academic year catalogs. Be sure to select your correct degree program from the “degree programs” link on the left side of the homepage. While students may refer to any catalog from the time they entered their degree program, we recommend using the most recent catalog.

Graduate students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0. Detailed information on grading can be found in the academic regulations section of the graduate catalog.

The following are the university-mandated maximum time periods for completion of graduate degrees. For the recommended timelines, please see the “General Timelines for MA” and “General Timelines for PhD” below.

• MA: maximum of 8 years
• MFA: maximum of 10 years
• PhD: maximum of 12 years

An approved leave of absence allows you to be readmitted without having to submit a full admission application. You should talk with your advisor and the English Graduate Studies Office to arrange for a leave of absence. A readmission application must be submitted before the start of the readmission term. There is no application fee for readmission.

• 6000-6999: Taught in conjunction with a 4000-level undergraduate course. The university limits the number of 6000-level credits that can be applied to a doctoral degree. See the academic regulations section of your graduate catalog for more information.
• 7000-7999: Courses open primarily to certificate and master’s students
• 8000-8999: Courses open primarily to post-master’s students
• 9000: Dissertation, directed by a full member of the Graduate Faculty

Full-time graduate students must register for nine (9) graduate credit hours in fall and spring semesters. Late-stage (post-comprehensive exams) MFA and PhD students may enroll in reduced hours and still maintain full-time status.

International graduate students must register for nine (9) graduate credit hours each semester, while only three of those hours may be online. International graduate students in late-stage should submit the request to reduce courseload form to the International Student Services office.

Course descriptions for the upcoming semester, as well as the department’s two-year course rotation template, are listed on the English Department’s course description page.  

You must be advised by a faculty member before registering each semester. Faculty approval for registration clearance must be sent to the English Graduate Studies Office at smellis@memphis.edu. Incoming students will be advised by a concentration coordinator. Concentration coordinators can inform you how academic advisors are selected/assigned.

All returning PhD and MFA students must submit a brief check-in survey before registration, administered by the department’s Director of Graduate Studies. Surveys will be emailed with a reminder of the advising process each semester.

All requests for permit-restricted classes must be submitted to the English Graduate Student Office at smellis@memphis.edu.

An independent study may be approved only when no other course is available to meet program requirements. Requests should be sent from the faculty member sponsoring the independent study to the English Graduate Studies Office at smellis@memphis.edu and include a full syllabus and rationale.

Up to 30 graduate hours from a previous graduate degree may be applied toward the PhD. These credits do not need to be formally transferred in, but will be counted when you apply to graduate. Transfer credits are needed if you want to apply a specific course from your prior graduate study for a core course in the PhD program.

Up to 12 graduate hours from a previous degree may be applied toward the MA. Transfer coursework must be approved by a faculty advisor.

Transfer credit should be presented for review no later than the end of your second semester of enrollment in the program. Transfer credits from another institution must not be expired.

PhD students entering with a prior master’s degree must complete at least 39 additional credit hours at the university, including Reading for Comps, Colloquium, and dissertation hours. Students may apply a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 9 (Applied Linguistics) or 15 (WRTC/Literary and Cultural Studies) number of dissertation credits towards the PhD. 

The graduate school maintains a comprehensive list non-departmental financial aid and funding sources available to graduate students.

Tiger Scholarship Manager maintains a comprehensive list of all available funding opportunities in the university. Some non-departmental opportunities that may be appropriate for you include:

• Graduate School Scholarships: a range of funding opportunities for graduate students, including summer research funding and dissertation-completion scholarships.
• College of Arts and Sciences Scholarships: funding opportunities for humanities graduate students, as well as one-time research travel grants that are typically advertised by email at the beginning of each semester.
• Marcus W. Orr Center for the Humanities Dissertation Fellowship: for advanced graduate students, the MOCH Catherine and Charles Freeburg Dissertation fellowship provides one semester of teaching relief to work on dissertation research and writing.
• Women and Gender Studies Graduate Student Funding: Each year, WGS recognizes two graduate students working on women, gender, sexuality, and/or the family in their coursework.

Expectations for graduate assistants to retain funding are listed under graduate assistantship requirements. For what you should expect financially from Graduate Assistantships select more Information on Graduate Assistantships. Full-time graduate assistantships include a health insurance plan. For information on the plan and details, see Heath Care Information.

For information on the Graduate Assistantship contract and the University of Memphis’s expectations, see Graduate Assistant Expectations. In general, PhD students entering with a relevant MA are offered 3 years funding with the possibility of a 4th year extension. PhD students entering without prior graduate coursework are offered 5 years of funding with the possibility of a 6th year extension. MFA students are offered 3 years of funding. Graduate Assistants will receive information on I-9, W-4, and direct deposit forms upon approval of their assistantship contracts. Inquiries about these forms may be directed to Human Resources or emailed to hrservicecenter@memphis.edu.

All Teaching Assistants are required to participate in the CAP Program. This program provides professional development for teaching and the job market as well as guidance for managing TA workloads and expectations. CAP is part of the teaching assistant contract and needs to be prioritized over other work positions. Until comprehensive exams, TAs will be observed by their CAP mentors. Once a committee has been established, your committee chair or other designated committee member should observe you once a year.

All graduate assistants must enroll in ENGL 7/8003: Theory & Practice in Teaching Composition during their first semester of teaching at the UofM (even if they have taught elsewhere). This is a required course for all new graduate teaching assistants. The course is designed for graduate assistants teaching English 1010. In their first year of teaching, TAs will teach ENGL 1010 in the fall and ENGL 1020 in the spring. Students in dissertation/thesis may be offered the opportunity to teach upper division courses in their concentration, depending on course availability.

International students may be required to take a Speak Test before teaching classes for their role as a graduate teaching assistant. English proficiency scores may exempt you from this requirement (see test scores used instead of Speak Test). International students from countries listed as exempt from English proficiency testing on the Graduate Admissions page are also exempt from this requirement.

Graduate assistants who have not yet earned 18 graduate English credit hours or have not passed the SPEAK test (if required) are assigned as research assistants. Research assistant assignments are emailed to students at the beginning of each semester.

Below is a list of the English Department specific graduate scholarships that are managed through Tiger Scholarship Manager. Applications open in November each year. Deadlines for most English Department scholarships usually fall at the start of February.

• Eugenia and Fred Gattas Scholarship - open to all English students
• Joe Orgill Fellowship - open to late-stage PhD and MFA students
• Ruth & Henry Loeb Scharff Scholarship - open to all English students
• William & Martha Donigan Scholarship - open to all English students
• Society for Technical Communication Scholarship - open to first or second year WRTC students
• Sarah & Lawrence Wynn Scholarship - open to British/American Literature Students with emphasis on Romantic/Victorian (ca. 1660-1940, dealing with the pre-modern and modern British and American literature).
• Sarah & Lawrence Wynn Fellowship - open to all British/American Literature students.

The English Department encourages all students to apply for academic conferences and share their research and interests with larger communities. Our Academic Conferences 101 page includes information on where to find conference calls for proposals (CFPs), how to apply for funding from the department and elsewhere, and general advice for first time presenters.

Conference Funding
The English Department has a limited pool of funding to support graduate students at conferences, on a first come, first served basis. You will need to provide evidence of having been accepted to a conference (usually the acceptance email) and a copy of the program with the title and time of their presentation. Contact the department chair and department’s financial services associate to learn if you qualify.

There are other conference funding sources at the University of Memphis. Generally, you should only apply for funds after you’ve been invited to present at a conference. You can find information on applying for these funds at the travel enrichment fund and GSA travel funding.

Any person taking a graduate course in the English department is eligible and encouraged to be a member of UMEGO. UMEGO organizes an annual graduate student research conference in the Spring, in conjunction with the Deb Talbot Roundtable. Conference topics change annually and are decided by the current UMEGO officials, in consultation with UMEGO members and the Talbot committee. For more information, click here.

Click on News and Events for any information on speaking events, colloquiums, community events, and student announcements. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more news, events, and updates.

The Department of English at University of Memphis offers graduate certificate programs that allow students to develop specialized knowledge and professional skills alongside or independent of a graduate degree. These certificates provide focused training in specific areas and may also count toward graduate degree programs such as the MA, MFA, or PhD. Students interested in a certificate should consult with the Graduate Coordinator early in their program.

For admission requirements, specific program prerequisites and requirements, and student retention requirements for any of these programs, see the graduate catalog page. From the catalog homepage, on the righthand side, click the box and select desired year of the Graduate Catalog. Then, click “Programs by College and School” on the left banner. Finally, scroll down through the links to the graduate certificate title. Graduate Certificate students are advised by their concentration coordinators.

English department graduate students (in consultation with their advisors) may choose to complete a graduate certificate from outside our department, including the Cognitive Science Certificate, the Museum Studies Certificate, and the Women and Gender Studies Certificate.

Information about the TESOL certificate is found here. Note that you can earn this certificate while working towards an MA, MFA, or PhD. Current teachers interested in add-on TESOL endorsement can complete a slightly modified version of this program.

Many graduate students complete the certificate while pursuing an MA, MFA, or PhD in English. More information about this certificate is found here.

The English Department has five graduate programs for prospective students, MA in Literature, MA in Writing and Rhetoric, MA in Applied Linguistics, MA in Technical Communication, and an MA in TESOL. For admission requirements, specific program prerequisites and requirements, and student retention requirements for any MA concentration, see the graduate catalog page. Then on the righthand side, click the box and select the Graduate Catalog for desired year. Then, click “Programs by College and School” on the left banner. Finally, scroll down through the links and click “English, (MA).”

See the English Department Graduate Advising page to determine who your advisor is. Each program advises students with either a General English MA Advising Worksheet or a specific program worksheet such as with the Literature Advising Worksheet. You must speak to your advisor each semester before you can be cleared to register for the following semester. For contacting an advisor and all questions regarding credit transfers, click on Graduate Advising and contact the advisor for your corresponding program.

MA programs are designed to be completed in 4 semesters of fulltime study. The capstone (MA portfolio or comprehensive exams) should be completed in the final semester of study. Generally, if you elect to complete an MA thesis, this will be done in the final semester of study.

When an MA student in the WRTC or Literature concentration applies for graduation in the final semester, you will put together an MA Portfolio. Each MA student is required to select three representative examples of work they have produced for graduate courses and submit these alongside a brief reflective essay (500 to 1,000 words).

The selected work may be of any relevant academic genre—response paper, seminar presentation, creative exercise, annotated bibliography, etc.—but at least one of the examples should be a substantial research essay. The reflective essay should describe the ways in which your chosen works demonstrate the development of your critical skills and aligns with your personal or professional goals.

The MA Portfolio must be submitted (via e-mail) to the program coordinator at least one month before you expect to graduate. Graduating students are encouraged to discuss the portfolio with the concentration coordinator or their academic advisor as early as possible. Students who do not submit a portfolio are not eligible to graduate.

Students in the MA TESOL and MA Applied Linguistics concentrations must complete comprehensive exams. These are four hour written exams. Study guides for each exam are available on the program website or from the program advisor (you can find the MA in TESOL study guide here and the MA in Applied Linguistics study guide here). You should contact your advisor about setting up your comprehensive exam by the beginning of your final semester.

All MA students may choose to write an MA thesis or complete the degree by coursework only. If you are interested in the thesis option, you should discuss it with your academic advisor.

Some programs will require proficiency in a secondary language. For more on this requirement, see the most recent MA English graduate catalog page.

Students entering their final semester should review the Graduate School’s website for information about degree candidacy and deadlines for graduation and required paperwork for thesis defenses. Students writing a thesis should refer to the Graduate School’s formatting guidelines.

MFA in Creative writing website can be found here. For admission requirements, specific program prerequisites and requirements, and student retention requirements for the MFA concentration, see the graduate catalog page. Then on the righthand side, click the box and select the Graduate Catalog for desired year. Then, click “Programs by College and School” on the left banner. Finally, scroll down through the links and click “Creative Writing (MFA)”.

Upon entering the program, you will be assigned an advisor in your concentration. A list of graduate faculty can be found here. All students must fulfill the 48-hour degree requirement from the Core Requirements in combination with one area of specialization. You may choose to study poetry, fiction, or nonfiction, along with a variety of options for either a studio degree in Creative Writing or a cross-disciplinary degree combining work in either the Department of English or other departments. A printable advising sheet for all study options is available here.

Any applicant with an MA in English may transfer up to 24 credit hours toward the MFA pending approval by the graduate coordinator. Transfer credits from another institution must be submitted for evaluation by the end of your second semester.

Thesis Committee
A book-length thesis of publishable quality is required; it will be directed by a member of the MFA faculty. Register for thesis hours with your thesis advisor one semester before your anticipated graduation. Part-time students may register upon completing 36 credit hours.

The concentration will determine your thesis advisor before the start of your third year, and you will work with that advisor to choose the full committee. The committee should consist of a minimum of three graduate faculty members. Submit a committee appointment form after committee members have been selected.

Thesis Defense
A thesis defense is a requirement of the MFA program. Students writing a thesis should refer to the Graduate School’s formatting guidelines.

Spring graduates should coordinate with their committee to schedule their defense between mid-February and mid-March; no later than mid-March to meet graduation and commencement deadlines. Fall graduates should schedule between mid-September and mid-October.

Reserve the Patterson Hall Library, room 335, by emailing the English Department’s Assistant to the Chair, Bridget Wells, (bwells6@memphis.edu). It is best to secure a reservation as early as possible to ensure availability for your defense. Your thesis advisor will review your thesis draft the semester before your intended defense date. Provide your revised thesis to all committee members two weeks before your scheduled defense. You are required to submit a Thesis Defense Results Form, Thesis Checklist, and Final Committee Approval Form, immediately following a successful defense.

Uploading Thesis
You must upload their thesis to the ETD Archival System after your defense. When you upload your thesis, ProQuest will ask to publish your thesis nationally and give the option of 1 month from now, 3 months from now, 6 months from now, or OTHER. You should select OTHER and type “Delay indefinitely” in the comments field. Some publishers don’t care whether the manuscript has been published in this way, but some do. It’s okay for the thesis to be available locally at the university library but otherwise, please do not allow it to be published nationally.

The MFA Comprehensive Exam requires a reading list of at least thirty (30) book-length works of literature; this reading list is formed by you and your thesis director. Most students take comprehensive exams the semester before they intend to graduate. You should coordinate with their committee to schedule the exam at least one month prior to the exam date.

You should submit a comprehensive exam worksheet, consisting of your reading list along with a short overview of themes present in your thesis that interconnect with the books on your list, two weeks before the anticipated exam date. You should submit the Comprehensive Exam Results Form immediately following your exam.

Students entering their final semester should review the Graduate School’s website for information about degree candidacy, deadlines for graduation, and required paperwork for thesis defenses.

The PhD in English is designed to prepare scholars in widely recognized fields of English, as well as to prepare advanced writing specialists in the fields of business and industry. The structure of the program provides for three related concentrations Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication; Applied Linguistics; and Literary and Cultural Studies. For admission requirements, concentration prerequisites and requirements, student retention requirements, instructions for prospective students without a MA, graduation submission and residency requirements, see the student graduate catalog. Once there, click “Programs by College and School” on the left banner. Finally, scroll down through the links and click “English: Writing and Language Studies, (PhD).”

When you start the PhD program, you will be assigned an advisor that will help you select courses and (if relevant) help you transfer in credits from your prior graduate studies. If you need help contacting your advisor, click Graduate Advising and contact your concentration coordinator. Later in your program, as you prepare for your comprehensive exams and prospectus, you will choose a committee chair who will act as your advisor until graduation. See the Committees section for more information.

All three PhD concentrations have three stages; Stage 1: Coursework; Stage 2: Qualifying (Comps and Prospectus); and Stage 3: Dissertation. Below is a table of expected timelines for each stage.

Stage	Full-Time w/ Relevant MA	Full-TIme w/out Relevant MA	Notes
Stage 1: Coursework	3-4 semesters	6 semesters
Stage 2: Qualifying (Comps)	4th or 5th semester	7th semester	Max 2 semesters after coursework to complete comps
Stage 2: Qualifying (Prospectus Defense)	4th or 5th semester	7th or 8th semester	Max 3 semesters after coursework to defend prospectus
Stage 3: Dissertation (Writing)	After successful prospectus defense	After successful prospectus defense
Stage 3: Dissertation (Defense)	End of year 4	End of year 6

 

Note: Assistantship contracts are tied to expected completion timelines.

Students completing the PhD part-time will have altered timelines. Note that faculty contracts are based on work in Fall and Spring semesters. Except in cases of extenuating circumstances, all comprehensive exams, prospectus defenses, and dissertation defenses should be scheduled between August 1 and May 30.

Coursework benchmarks and requirements for each concentration can be found on the Graduate Catalog page under “English: Writing and Language Studies (PhD)”, using the navigation instructions listed above. This page also provides information about the eligibility of transferring credits from MA programs. See also the general PhD timeline above for more information on the length of coursework.

After finishing coursework, you are responsible for creating a comprehensive exam committee of at least three faculty members, including a committee chair. Consider faculty profiles and recommendations of your advisor when selecting committee members. For more information click here to know when/how to form a committee. Note that all committee members need to hold graduate faculty status. You may refer to the current listing of all graduate faculty members when creating a committee. After successfully passing the comprehensive exams, you may retain your comprehensive exam committee as their dissertation committee or change committee members before registering for Colloquium and Dissertation hours.

For each concentration, you must appoint a chair of your committee who will guide you in your reading lists if/when applicable. You may also be assigned a set reading list specific to your concentration by your committee chair. For Literary and Cultural Studies, a comprehensive reading list specific to your period of interest is provided. For more instructions on comprehensive exams specific to the respective concentration, see Ph.D. Comprehensive Exams in Literary and Cultural Studies and Ph.D. Comprehensive Exams in Applied Linguistics. For Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication guidance, contact the concentration coordinator. You should enroll in ENGL 8002: Reading for Comps when taking the comprehensive exams and must re-register ENGL 8002 each semester until you pass the comprehensive exams.

After successful completion of the comprehensive exams, you will enroll in ENGL 8900: English Colloquium. During this course, you must develop your prospectus in consultation with the appointed chair of your dissertation committee. Dissertation committee members may be different from your comprehensive exam committee; however, you should confirm your dissertation committee before enrolling in English 8900. You must then submit the prospectus two weeks prior to the prospectus defense. Concentrations may also have other more specific guidelines. For more information on these requirements see Literary and Cultural Studies Prospectus Requirements and Applied Linguistics Prospectus Requirements, or contact your concentration coordinator.

Note: Students who are prepared may complete comprehensive exams and the prospectus defense in one semester. In this case, you would enroll in both ENGL 8002 and ENGL 8900 during the same semester. If you are interested in this option, you should work with your committee chair before the semester begins to plan your timeline.

Students who have passed PhD comprehensive exams are considered late-stage, or ABD (All But Dissertation). At this stage, you may reduce enrollment hours to one dissertation hour and you will still be considered a full-time student. International students who are late-stage should submit the request to reduce courseload form to the International Student Services office.

Once you have successfully defended your prospectus, you may begin writing your dissertation. A full-time student with a prior relevant MA should ideally successfully defend their dissertation by the end of their fourth year, while a full-time student without a prior relevant MA should defend by the end of their sixth year. Note that graduate assistantship contracts are based on these timelines. Note the PhD course timeline limitations described under English Department Policies: Academic Standards.

You will then enroll in English 9000: Dissertation for consecutive semesters as you work on your dissertation. You will meet regularly with your committee chair and formalize the plans for researching and writing the dissertation.

Dissertations generally take between 18 months and 2 years. You should work closely with your chair and committee over this period. You should also consult with your committee before scheduling a defense. The dissertation committee must confirm your request for a defense before submission.

The committee will also oversee the submission process of the dissertation and help you with your submission. You should submit a polished draft of your dissertation to your committee at least two weeks ahead of your defense date.

Students entering their final semester should review the Graduate School’s website for information about degree candidacy, deadlines for graduation, and required paperwork for thesis/dissertation defenses. You should refer to the Graduate School’s formatting guidelines for your dissertation. The dissertation writer’s retreat offers in-person and online support throughout the dissertation process.