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 (or "submat") 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.

Full details on the Ph.D. degree program are available for download in the Ph.D. Program Handbook.

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.

M.A. students are required to complete eight graduate-level courses, one foreign language requirement, a research report (i.e., a seminar paper from coursework at Penn), and a general exam. Full details on the these requirements can be found in the linked pages and the M.A. Program Handbook.

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.

M.A. 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.

Note: Students in the Ph.D. program who wish to obtain their M.A. 'in passing' are required to complete all components of the M.A. degree, including the scholarly report and the general exam (which can be fulfilled by passing the 50-Book Exam).

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.

Submat students are subject to both the B.A. and M.A. policies of the English department. All questions regarding the graduate (M.A.) side of the program should be directed to the Graduate Chair and the Graduate Coordinator.

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

Michael Gamer, Chair of Graduate Studies

Chris Chan, Graduate Coordinator

Fisher-Bennett Hall, 130

gradcoordinator@english.upenn.edu