Literature and Cultural Theory
Literature and Cultural Theory in the Department of English at UWM offers a flexible program that allows students to develop and follow their interests in a recognized field of literary study (see our major fields below), while also providing rigorous training in established and cutting-edge cultural and literary theory. We offer both an MA and a PhD. We enroll and welcome a range of students, including current K-12 teachers seeking to enrich their expertise, advanced students already holding the MA, and recent BA graduates looking to begin their professional studies. The title of our program emphasizes our faculty’s equal commitment to the study of literary genres, periods, and areas, as well as our dedication to interdisciplinary approaches to culture and theory.
As the conjunction in Literature and Cultural Theory suggests, students may focus their coursework on established literary fields, or they may choose to take a majority of seminars in cultural theory. Our faculty members are keenly aware of the need for professionalization in the discipline and have dedicated a course to the practicalities of negotiating graduate school. Topics in this one-credit course include, for example, an introduction to the scholarly expertise of our faculty, a guide to best practices for presenting at conferences and submitting articles, and a review of methods and practices of literary pedagogy.
In short, Literature and Cultural Theory offers students an exciting program in literature and cultural theory, one that is theoretically sophisticated, broadly internationalist, comparative and committed to the professional development of our students.
The major fields of Literature and Cultural Theory in which students can specialize are:
- Indigenous Literary Studies
- Irish Studies
- Postcolonial Literature
- U.S. Ethnic and Multicultural Studies
- Writing by Women
- Transnational Literature
- British and Irish Literature and Culture (see subdivisions in Preliminary Exams)
- American Literature and Culture (see subdivisions in Preliminary Exams)
Admission Requirements
Application Deadlines
Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.
Admission
Students in the UWM Master of Arts degree program in English must pass an M.A. exam and be recommended for admission into the Ph.D. program by their M.A. committee. An application for the Ph.D. program also must be submitted to the Graduate School.
Applicants with master’s degrees from other institutions are evaluated on the basis of standard application materials:
- GPA
- Statement of Purpose
- Three Supporting Letters
- A Sample of Academic Writing
Such applicants are admitted to doctoral study provisionally and are required to complete an Academic Review within six weeks of finishing 12 credits.
For more specific information about departmental requirements for admission, please visit the English Department’s Graduate Admissions Web page.
The Academic Review is a one- to two-hour meeting with three faculty members of the English Graduate Faculty. At least two members come from the student’s concentration. The Review covers the student’s academic progress in doctoral coursework, two unrevised course papers, and a list of 20-25 books chosen by the student in consultation with the reviewers. See the English Graduate Program Handbook for further details regarding the Academic Review. Applicants should contact the Graduate Program Office for additional information and deadlines.
Literature and Cultural Theory
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select 9 credits in literature courses outside the field of emphasis (at least 3 credits pre-1800) | 9 | |
| Select 9 credits in cultural theory | 9 | |
| Select 9 credits in field of emphasis 1 | 9 | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| ENGLISH/HIST 740 | Approaches to the Modern I | |
| ENGLISH/HIST 741 | Approaches to the Modern II | |
| Select 24 credits of electives | 24 | |
| ENGLISH 703 | Introduction to Graduate Studies in Literature (taken during the first semester) | 1 |
| ENGLISH 820 | Seminar in Advanced Topics in Literary Criticism and Research: | 1 |
| Total Credits | 56 | |
- 1
Primary field of emphasis must be declared prior to submitting the prelim proposal and field lists to the Graduate Program Committee. Field of emphasis will be selected from among those designated by Plan A to be available on the Literature and Cultural Theory Web page.
All credits must be 600-level or above, with no more than 9 credits at the 600 level. Doctoral students may not accumulate more than 6 credits of independent study. (ENGLISH 701 must be counted as elective.)