English (PhD)
In our PhD program, you’ll pursue the most advanced, research-intensive degree our department offers. Courses, candidacy exams and a doctoral dissertation will prepare you for a range of humanities careers.
You’ll work with distinguished faculty in a department that has special strengths in medieval and early modern studies, Victorian literature, modernism, book and media studies, digital humanities and West Coast literatures.
We also offer an optional concentration in cultural, social and political thought (CSPT). Additional credentials are available through teaching, research assistantships and other program collaborations.
| Expected length | Project or thesis | Course-based |
|---|---|---|
| 5 years | Yes | No |
Quick facts
- Program options:
- Doctorate
- Study options:
- Full-time study
- Program delivery:
- On-campus
- Dynamic learning:
- Co-op optional
Outcomes
Students in this program will:
- evaluate and employ theoretical, methodological, material, generic, historical, and thematic approaches to literature, culture and media in English
- conduct independent, original and publishable research
- demonstrate advanced research skills, theoretical acumen and rhetorical ability
- deploy practical, professional experience in teaching and course design
- apply knowledge of the discipline of English in a variety of academic and professional contexts
- evaluate the challenges of decolonization in academic and professional contexts
- demonstrate practical and analytical skills needed for higher levels of employment in a variety of professions and institutions
Find a supervisor
You do not need to identify, or have the agreement of, a supervisor before applying to this program.
It’s a good idea to explore our faculty listings and consider who you might like to work with. You don’t need to have anything confirmed for your application.
When we review your application, we’ll consider who would be best to supervise your work, depending on your proposed research.
Alison Chapman, FRSC
Professor & Graduate Adviser Nineteenth-century literature and culture, Victorian poetry, women's writing, Anglo-Italian studies, Digital Humanities.
Christopher Douglas
Professor Literature and Religion; Bible as Literature; Contemporary American Fiction
Eric Miller
Associate Professor Poetry; the lyric essay; Friedrich Hoelderlin; Ann Radcliffe; Elizabeth Simcoe
Erin Kelly
Associate Professor & ATWP Director Rhetoric; Renaissance; Shakespeare; sixteenth- and seventeenth-century English drama
G. Kim Blank
Professor English Romantic poetry; cultural studies; theories of influence; university writing
Gary Kuchar
Professor Renaissance Literature; Seventeenth-Century Poetry and Prose; Intellectual History; Reformation Culture and Thought; Shakespeare; Literary/Critical Theory; Philosophy of Religion
Iain Higgins
Professor Medieval English and Scottish literature; poetry; travel writing; utopian and dystopian fiction
Janelle Jenstad
Professor Shakespeare; Renaissance drama; London studies; bibliographical and print culture; digital humanities
Jentery Sayers
Director of Media Studies, Associate Professor Media studies; game studies; American literature; critical theory
Joseph Grossi
Professor & Acting Undergraduate Adviser Old and Middle English literature
Kim McLean-Fiander
Associate Teaching Professor & AWR Adviser Academic writing, early modern literature, book history, women writers, digital humanities
Lincoln Z. Shlensky
Associate Professor Cultural studies; Film and media studies; Postcolonialism; Caribbean literature; Jewish and Hebrew studies
Lisa Surridge
Professor Victorian fiction and culture; illustrated Victorian serial fiction; legal writing
Luke Carson
Associate Professor Modern and contemporary American poetry; aesthetic theory
Magdalena Kay
Professor Twentieth- and twenty-first-century British poetry; Irish poetry; Polish poetry; comparative literature; poetics
Michael Nowlin
Professor & Acting Chair 19th - and 20th-Century American literature
Misao Dean
Professor Early Canadian writing on animals and the natural world; the Canadian novel; representation; contemporary critical theory; feminisms
Nicholas Bradley
Associate Professor & Honours Program Adviser Canadian literature, American literature, literatures of the West Coast
Raymond Siemens
Distinguished Professor Renaissance literature; textual culture; editorial theory; Humanities Computing
Rebecca Gagan
Associate Teaching Professor & Student Liaison Romanticism; Pedagogy; Academic Writing; Scholarship of Teaching and Learning; Community-Engaged Learning
Rebecca Halliday
Assistant Teaching Professor & Professional Communication Adviser communication studies; fashion studies; media studies; performance studies; digital media and mediatization; social media; influencers; AI; fashion and streetwear; affect theory; material culture; immaterial labour; popular culture; corporate communication; crisis communication
Richard Pickard
Assistant Teaching Professor Environmental humanities; composition; 18th C. poetry; BC writing; professional and technical writing
Richard van Oort
Professor Shakespeare; literary theory; generative anthropology; literature and anthropology
Samuel Wong
Assistant Teaching Professor Early modern literature, history of ideas, genre theory.
Shamma Boyarin
Assistant Professor Medieval Hebrew and Arabic literature; the Bible and literature
Sheila Rabillard
Associate Professor Modern & contemporary drama, women's writing, literature & ecology.
Stephen Ross
Professor Modernism; theory; the novel; literature and theory of climate change
Suzan Last
Associate Teaching Professor Academic and technical writing; curriculum development
Program details
Providing you accurate admission requirements, application deadlines, tuition fee estimates and scholarships depends on your situation. Tell us about yourself:
Program details
Application deadlines
Admission requirements
Program specific requirements
- Applicants normally hold an MA (or equivalent) in English or a related discipline with a minimum average of A- in previous graduate courses.
- Preference is given to those who demonstrate strong preparation across a range of English literature, literary theory, and/or research methods. Previous academic experience with a language other than English is desirable.
- Unofficial transcripts from every post-secondary institution attended. (If you are offered admission, you will be required to submit official transcripts.)
- Names and emails of two academic references. They will be sent assessment forms directly.
- A statement of intent: two single-spaced typed pages. Indicate your field of study and specific area(s) of research interest. Note the most important aspects of your preparation/training. Describe a current research plan that will lead to and include a doctoral dissertation and explain why UVic is suited to this plan. (CSPT applicants should be sure to highlight preparation and research suitable to the CSPT program.)
- A 10–15-page double-spaced typed essay demonstrating strong academic writing and advanced literary and/or critical abilities.
- A curriculum vitae. This should include details of your educational background, any relevant training, employment experience (academic or otherwise), awards and honours (academic or otherwise), publications (academic or otherwise), and any experience with leadership, teaching, and/or conference presentation.
- Canadian applicants are expected to apply for SSHRC doctoral awards.
Program specific requirements
- Applicants normally hold an MA (or equivalent) in English or a related discipline with a minimum average of A- in previous graduate courses.
- Preference is given to those who demonstrate strong preparation across a range of English literature, literary theory, and/or research methods. Previous academic experience with a language other than English is desirable.
- Unofficial transcripts from every post-secondary institution attended. (If you are offered admission, you will be required to submit official transcripts.)
- Names and emails of two academic references. They will be sent assessment forms directly.
- A statement of intent: two single-spaced typed pages. Indicate your field of study and specific area(s) of research interest. Note the most important aspects of your preparation/training. Describe a current research plan that will lead to and include a doctoral dissertation and explain why UVic is suited to this plan. (CSPT applicants should be sure to highlight preparation and research suitable to the CSPT program.)
- A 10–15-page double-spaced typed essay demonstrating strong academic writing and advanced literary and/or critical abilities.
- A curriculum vitae. This should include details of your educational background, any relevant training, employment experience (academic or otherwise), awards and honours (academic or otherwise), publications (academic or otherwise), and any experience with leadership, teaching, and/or conference presentation.
- GRE scores are not required.
Completion requirements
Funding & aid
Tuition & fees
Estimated minimum program cost*
* Based on an average program length. For a per term fee breakdown view the tuition fee estimator.
Estimated values determined by the tuition fee estimator shall not be binding to the University of Victoria.
Ready to apply?
You can start your online application to UVic by creating a new profile or using an existing one.
Faculties & departments
Related programs
Need help?
Contact Deborah Ogilvie at englgradsec@uvic.ca or 250-721-6331.