PhD Program
Exams & Dissertation
Dissertation guidelines
Preliminary Exam | Prospectus | Dissertation
Credit Requirement
Candidates are required to earn at least 32 semester
hours of credit for the dissertation. This is done by registering for ENGL 599 with the candidate's dissertation chair and submitting a completed Independent Study/Research form ("the Purple Form"). Students should attach a 100-150 word summary on the proposed work to the completed form.
Zero-Hour Registration
After the required amount of credit hours (32) has been met, candidates may register for ENGL 599 for zero hours, under Schedule Option A or Schedule Option B. Students must submit a Graduate Student Petition along with the required Independent Study/Research form. Both forms are available outside the English Department Graduate Studies office (UH2002).
Please consult the Graduate College web page for more information regarding zero-hour registration options.
Writing the Dissertation
Candidates for the doctorate English Studies write dissertations
presenting research in such areas as rhetorical theory and
history, literature and literary theory, pedagogy, and language and
literacy.
Candidates for the doctorate in Creative Writing are expected
to produce as a dissertation one of the following: a novel, a volume
of short stories or poems, a full-length book of creative nonfiction,
or a
collection of essays.
Some recent dissertation titles are available here.
The format of the completed dissertation must meet the minimal
requirements set by University Microfilms and the UIC library
for archival purposes.
These include:
1. The use of "book quality" white paper of 20 or 24 lb. weight, consistent in brand, quality, color, and texture. Such paper is necessary to prevent the deterioration of the library copy of the dissertation. 2. Maintenance of a 1" margins on the left side, and margins of no less than 1/2" on the other three sides. Proper margins are necessary for binding and microfilming purposes. 3. Consecutive numbering, within the prescribed text space, of pages, notes, and tables, with no missing numbers. |
Students must also consult and follow the UIC Thesis Manual, available for download at the Graduate College website. Other formatting features are at the discretion of the dissertation
director, in accordance with standards and practices of the
discipline. If no other formatting changes are specified by the dissertation
director, students are expected to follow the UIC Thesis Manual.
The faculty of the English department has agreed on the following formats:
• Dissertations in English Studies should follow the Graduate College
format, the MLA Style Manual, the APA Style Manual, or the
Chicago Manual of Style. The dissertation
director will decide which style is followed. |
The necessary forms that accompany the completed thesis can be found on the Graduate College website's Thesis Page.
Dissertation
Defense
Candidates must complete a Committee Recommendation Form approximately three weeks to a month prior to the oral defense date. The Graduate College processes it and returns an Examination Report to the English Department. This form must be signed by the entire committee after the successful defense of the dissertation. Deadlines for submission are available on the Graduate College's Academic Calendar.
The program code for doctoral students in the English Department is: 20FS0311PHD.
Candidates defend the completed dissertation before a committee of professors with graduate standing. Normally, these would be the four members of the Prospectus Defense Committee, plus a fifth reader. One member of the Dissertation Defense Committee must be from outside the department.
According to the Graduate College, Emeritus faculty cannot chair a committee without the approval of the Graduate College. However, Emeritus faculty can sit on committees, put together reading lists, submit questions for the Field exams, direct the Research Exam paper, and can be fifth readers. Emeritus faculty do not count as full or tenured members of committees in determining if the committee makeup satisfies Graduate College requirements.
Summer Defense
If a doctoral student is registered in spring (as he or she should be), and defends by June 20 or earlier, he or she does not need to register in summer (or fall). If on a visa, student should consult with OIS.
For a complete review of the defense process, please consult the Graduate College web page on Dissertation Defense.