english phd brown university

Department of English

Professional development, graduate studies.

Throughout the year, the Department of English offers seminars that address a variety of timely academic topics meant to enhance students' professional development, as well as expose them to important elements of an academic career.

In a challenging academic job market, Brown's  Department of English affirms its commitment to preparing our students for success in their academic search. The English department offers regular stand-alone seminars that address a variety of topics meant to enhance students' professional academic development, as well as introduce them to important aspects of an academic career. These seminars are led by department faculty members with topics determined each year by the Graduate Committee. Students in all years of the doctoral program are strongly encouraged to attend.

While we are dedicated to providing an environment that prepares graduate students for work as professors, we know that not everyone who begins a PhD finishes it being able to, or wishing to have an academic career. Given this, we hope also to encourage and support an interest in the broad range of non-academic careers made possible by the skills our graduate students will develop and hone throughout their time in the program. While many of our PhDs go on to successful academic careers, we also recognise that our graduate students need resources to explore the wider world of options made available to them by their education, research and teaching at Brown. These pages represent one of the steps the Department is taking toward providing such resources.

Our students have gone on to pursue many varied vocations in and beyond the academy: from tenure-track professorships and post-doctoral fellowships, to work in publishing, administration, marketing, instruction, and law. Although the Department has a long and successful history of tenure-track placement, Brown English is also committed to helping students find and successfully begin careers which center the practices of writing, teaching, critical thinking, theorizing, and close reading that are at the core of an English PhD.

Past Seminar Topics

• External Fellowships
• Conferences: How to Apply and Write Papers
• Publishing in Journals
• Article Writing and Submitting for Publication
• Library Materials/Research
• Archival Research
• Genre of the Dissertation
• Developing Reading and Writing Research Habits
• Gender & Sexuality/Professional Ethics and Protocols
• Sexual Harassment Training
• The Digital Humanities
• Zotero and Scrivener 

Additional Information

Doctoral program, spotlights on alumni, recent spotlights, spotlights on alumni: david liao, spotlights on alumni: katie fitzpatrick, spotlights on alumni: chris holmes, spotlights on alumni: rebecca van laer, spotlights on alumni: christine baumgarthuber.

Graduate School

Application information.

Brown University offers 50 doctoral programs and nearly 30 master’s programs, including those of the School of Engineering, the School of Public Health, and the School of Professional Studies.

Exploring Graduate Studies at Brown

Graduate programs.

Brown has a friendly scale and collaborative culture. With more than 3,000 graduate and medical students and more than 700 full-time faculty members, Brown offers excellent academic training and mentoring within a supportive environment.

If you are interested in an academic program, please feel free to contact that program’s Director of Graduate Study. Application deadlines vary by program.

Is Brown for You?

Living & Resources

Distinctive opportunities, graduate alumni career paths.

The University prepares graduate students for distinguished careers in research, teaching and as experts in the public and private sectors.

Application and Admission Information

Learn more about the application process, components and fees. Fill out an inquiry form and/or start your application.

Doctoral & Select Fine Arts and Biomedical Sciences Master's Programs

Master's programs: Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology (fifth-year) Literary Arts, Medical Physics, Medical Sciences, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry (fifth-year), Therapeutic Sciences (fifth-year), Pathobiology (fifth-year), Theatre: Brown/Trinity Repertory Acting and Directing, Theatre and Performance Studies

If you have any questions regarding the application process or admission to a doctoral program or one of the master's programs listed above, please email [email protected] or call the Graduate School at 401-863-2600.

Learn How to Apply to Doctoral Select Fine Arts and Biomedical Sciences Master's Programs

Select Master's and Fifth-Year Master’s Programs

• Biomedical Engineering, Sc.M.*
• Biotechnology, A.M., Sc.M.*
• Computer Science, Sc.M.*
• Cybersecurity, Sc.M.*
• Data Science, Sc.M.*
• Data-Enabled Computational Engineering and Science, Sc.M.*
• Design Engineering, A.M.*
• Engineering, Sc.M.*
• Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship. Sc.M.*
• Integrative Studies, A.M., Sc.M
• Master of Arts in Teaching, MAT*
• Physics, Sc.M.*
• Public Health, MPH*
• Public Health (Online), MPH
• Public Affairs, MPA*
• Public Health and Public Affairs Dual Degree, MPH, MPA
• Social Data Analytics, Sc.M.*
• Urban Education Policy, A.M.*

* Fifth-Year option  available for current Brown seniors

If you have any questions regarding the application process or admission to one of the master's programs listed above, please email  [email protected]  or call the School of Professional Studies at 401-863-7901.

Learn How to Apply to Select Master's and Fifth-Year Programs

All Public Health

Doctoral, master's and fifth-year master’s programs (except for the online MPH program)

Behavioral and Social Health Sciences, Biostatistics (terminal and fifth-year), Clinical and Translational Research, Epidemiology, Health Services Research, Public Health

Learn how to apply to Public Health Programs

All Professional Programs

Healthcare Leadership, IE Brown Executive MBA, Technology Leadership

Learn how to Apply to Professional Programs

Literary Arts

Graduate students in Brown's Literary Arts MFA program may choose to focus in one of three tracks – Fiction, Poetry, or Digital/Cross Disciplinary Writing. The Graduate School has notified candidates regarding admission decisions for Fall 2024 in all three tracks: Cross-Disciplinary, Fiction and Poetry.

The two-year program is structured to allow graduate student writers maximum possible time for creative and intellectual exploration. Students attend two courses each semester: the writing workshop and an elective in the first three semesters (with an additional half-course in pedagogy in semesters two and three); and in the final semester an independent study for completing the thesis as well as an elective.

Elective courses may be selected from among the full offerings of the Brown University curriculum. In years past, students have taken courses in literature, history, philosophy, theater and performance studies, modern culture and media, religious studies, and foreign languages. Studio fine arts courses and translation workshops are often appropriate choices – as are workshops offered on special topics or in other genres. 

The thesis may be a substantial work of fiction or poetry, or a substantial digital or cross-disciplinary project. It is intended to represent the student’s achievement during the two years in residency at Brown.

Application deadline

Applications  may be submitted from 30 September to 11:59 pm ET on 15 December 2023. If seeking a fee waiver , the deadline is 1 December.

Learn More About the Program

Graduate program handbook, learn about applying, financial information.

Graduate Programs

• Skip to Content
• Bulletin Home
• Institution Home

Brown University

• Bulletin Home
• The College
• Undergraduate Concentrations
• 2024-25 Course Announcement Bulletin
• 2024-25 University Bulletin
• Courses @ Brown
• Your Concentration(s)
• General Regulations
• Academic Calendar
• Curricular Programs
• Undergraduate Certificates
• The Graduate School
• The Division of Biology and Medicine
• The School of Engineering
• The School of Public Health
• School of Professional Studies
• Departments, Centers, Programs and Institutes
• University Courses
• Independent Study Plans
• Financial Information
• University Libraries
• Summary of Enrollment &​ Degrees
• Written Contractual Agreements
• The Brown Alumni Association
• Bulletin Archive

The English Department fosters the study of British, American, and Anglophone literature—old  and new—in ways that are both intensive and open.  We study how English literature works, how we understand and appreciate it, and how we write about it.   We offer a wide array of courses in poetry, drama, fiction, creative nonfiction, film, digital media, and theory.  All our courses emphasize the development of student skills in writing, textual analysis, and argument.  The department’s faculty members are deeply committed to undergraduate teaching and advising.  You will find considerable diversity in our critical methods, including cross-disciplinary approaches that relate the study of literature to history, politics, science, as well as to other art forms.  We encourage students in our classes likewise to forge their own new ways of understanding literature and culture. 

In addition to the standard English concentration, we offer an English concentration track in the practice of Nonfiction Writing. The concentration in English and the English/Nonfiction track follow the same core requirements, and students in the English concentration may elect Nonfiction Writing courses as electives. We invite applications from qualified juniors to the honors programs in both English and Nonfiction.

One of the largest humanities concentrations at Brown, English provides a strong foundation for a liberal education and for employment in many sectors, especially those that centrally involve writing and working with texts (in any form).  In addition to authorship, scholarship, and teaching, these include: journalism, publishing, advertising, visual media, consulting, public relations, public service, finance, government, corporate research, and administration.  Our English concentrators routinely go on to law, medical, and professional schools as well as to graduate education in literature and the arts.

About the Concentration

We encourage students interested in concentrating in English to visit the department offices at 70 Brown Street and speak with a concentration advisor . Students in English courses who are considering an English concentration are welcome to make an appointment to speak with their instructor. Concentration programs must be approved by a concentration advisor.

Concentration Requirements (10 courses 1 ):

All substitutions and/or exceptions must be approved by the concentration advisor in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies. A substitution or exception is not approved until specified in writing in the student’s concentration file housed in the English Department.

English Concentration -- Nonfiction Writing Track (10 courses)

The English concentration also includes a Nonfiction Writing Track . The requirements are the same as 1 through 6 above, but three of the five electives must be 1000-level Nonfiction Writing courses (only ONE of which may be intermediate: ENGL1030, ENGL1050). Only THREE Nonfiction courses may count toward the track.

Honors in English

The English Honors program is intended for students who have been highly successful in their English concentration coursework and who want the opportunity to pursue a research project in more depth than is possible in an undergraduate seminar.  The program is intended for those students with a strong desire to conduct independent research under the supervision of a thesis advisor and culminates in the writing of a thesis during the senior year. 

Students apply to the Honors Program early in the second semester of their junior year.  December or mid-year graduates may apply in their 6th semester, but are encouraged to apply during their 5th semester and write their theses alongside May graduates.  Interested concentrators should speak to the Honors Advisor early in their junior year to discuss their plans.  Specific deadlines for admission are announced annually and are available on the department website.  Students who are studying off campus are expected to meet the application submission deadline. 

Admission to the English Honors Program depends on evidence of ability and promise in the study of literature.  To be eligible for admission, students must have received more As than Bs (and no Cs or below) in concentration courses completed.  Students must complete an application; supply a brief writing sample, and request two letters of recommendation from English faculty with whom they have taken courses.  If necessary, letters may come from faculty in related departments.  Letters from teaching assistants may only serve as supporting recommendations.  Candidates must also submit a one-page project proposal signed by the faculty member who has agreed to serve as the thesis advisor.

See  procedures and application  for more details.

December or mid-year graduates who wish to apply to honors have two options, but the first is highly encouraged:


In their 5th semester (Spring), students apply to the honors program along with the other juniors. Accepted students will be incorporated into the regular honors cohort and must meet the same deadlines: i.e. they must complete their theses at the same time as the other honors students (though for mid-years this will be at the end of their 7th semester). They register for ENGL 1991 English Honors Seminar in the Fall, and ENGL 1992 Senior Honors Thesis in the Spring.

In the 7th semester (the Spring of their final year), students take an independent study with their thesis advisor, under whose direction they will begin to research and write their theses. This course must be taken S/NC. In the 8th semester (the Fall of their final year), as they complete their theses, students take ENGL 1992 for a grade. Mid-year graduates should consult with the Honors Director for information about deadlines.

Requirements 

The course requirements for the English Honors Program are the same as those for the regular concentration, with the following additions:

As part of regular coursework, and counting toward the concentration requirements, honors candidates must complete at least three upper-level seminars or comparable small courses in which students have the opportunity to do independent research, take significant responsibility for discussion, and do extensive scholarly and critical writing.  Students are encouraged to include at least one graduate seminar in their program. (Permission to take a graduate course must be obtained from the instructor.) Honors candidates should discuss their proposed course of study with the Honors Advisor.

During the Fall and Spring of the senior year, honors candidates must complete two additional courses beyond the ten courses required by the regular concentration: ENGL 1991 and ENGL 1992 . ENGL 1991 is the Senior Honors Seminar, in which students begin to research and write their theses, as well as meet to discuss their work. This is a mandatory S/NC course. ENGL 1992 , the Senior Honors Thesis is an independent research course that must be taken for a grade.

Honors candidates must continue to receive more As than Bs in courses taken as part of the concentration.  Courses completed with a grade of C will not count toward an Honors concentration.  A student who receives such a grade and wishes to continue in the program must complete a comparable course with a grade higher than C.

The Honors Thesis 

The Honors thesis is an extended essay, usually between 50 and 80 pages, written under the supervision of a department faculty advisor and second reader. (Where appropriate, the advisor or the reader, but not both, may be in another department.) The thesis may be an interdisciplinary or creative project, but it is usually an essay on a scholarly or critical problem dealing with works of literature in English. The specific topic and approach of the thesis are worked out between the student and the thesis advisor, with assistance from the student's second reader. This process should begin in the latter part of the student's junior year. A good way to get an idea of what sorts of projects are possible is to visit the Hay Library, which stores theses from previous years, or to meet with the Honors Advisor.

A prospectus describing the project and endorsed by the faculty advisor must be submitted to the Honors Advisor at the beginning of the senior year. At the end of the senior year fall term, a student must submit approximately 25 pages of draft material toward the thesis. Full thesis drafts are due by mid-March; final bound copies of the thesis are due in mid-April. Late theses will not be accepted for honors after the April deadline; students who hand in theses after the deadline but before the end of the term will receive a grade for the thesis course, but they will not be eligible for departmental honors. The completed thesis will be evaluated by the student's advisor and a second reader, each of whom provides written commentary and suggests a grade for ENGL 1992 .

Evaluation 

The English Department reviews the academic record as well as the thesis evaluations for each senior completing the Honors Program. Following a successful review, the student will be eligible to graduate with Honors in English.

Honors in Nonfiction Writing

The Nonfiction Writing Honors Program is intended for students who have been highly successful in their English concentration work.  Specifically, it allows those who have an expressed and proven interest in nonfiction writing to pursue more completely a single project under the supervision of a first reader.  The intention is to help students to complete work worthy of publication.  The program culminates in the writing of a thesis during the senior year. 

Students apply to the Nonfiction Writing Honors Program in the second semester of their junior year.  December or mid-year graduates may apply in their 6th semester, but are encouraged to apply during their 5th semester and write their theses alongside May graduates.  Interested concentrators should have already made contact with at least one member of the Nonfiction Writing faculty and should meet with the Honors Advisor early in their junior year to discuss their plans.  Specific deadlines for admission are announced annually and are available on the department website. Students who are studying off campus are expected to meet the application submission deadline. 

Admission to the Honors Program in Nonfiction Writing depends upon a student's demonstrated superior ability in nonfiction writing.  Students must have taken either one intermediate and one advanced writing course, or two advanced writing courses by the end of their sixth semester and completed each of them with an S.  To be eligible for admission, students must have earned more As than Bs (and no Cs or below) in other courses in the concentration plan. Students must submit an application, two letters of recommendation, a writing sample from an advanced writing course, and a project proposal.

December or mid-year graduates who wish to apply for nonfiction honors have two options, but the first is highly encouraged:

In their 5th semester (Spring), students can apply to the nonfiction honors program along with the other juniors. Accepted students will be incorporated into the regular nonfiction honors cohort and must meet the same deadlines: i.e. they must complete their theses at the same time as the other honors students (though for mid-years this will be at the end of their 7th semester). They register for ENGL 1993 Nonfiction Honors Seminar in the Fall and ENGL 1994 Senior Honors Thesis in Nonfiction in the Spring.

In their 7th semester (the Spring of their final year) students take ENGL 1200 and in their 8th semester (the Fall of their final year) they take ENGL 1994 . (Students choosing this option must consult with the Honors Advisor for information on deadlines.)

Requirements

Students in the Nonfiction Writing Honors Program take two additional courses beyond the ten courses required by the Nonfiction Writing Track -- ENGL 1993 Honors Seminar in Nonfiction Writing (with the Honors Advisor) and ENGL 1994 Senior Honors Thesis in Nonfiction Writing; the Honors track will bring to twelve the total number of required courses. The ENGL 1993 grade option must be S/NC; ENGL 1994 must be taken for a grade. Honors candidates should discuss their proposed course of study with the faculty member they choose to direct their thesis.

Honors candidates must continue to receive more As than Bs in courses taken as part of the concentration.  Courses completed with a grade of C will not count toward an Honors concentration. A student who receives a "C" after admission to Nonfiction Honors and wishes to continue in the program must complete an additional course in a comparable subject area, with a grade higher than C.

The Nonfiction Writing Honors thesis is an extended project, usually of between 50 and 80 pages, written under the supervision of one of the Nonfiction Writing faculty and a second reader (who can be from literature or another department). The specific topic and approach of the thesis are worked out between the student and the first reader, with assistance from the student's second reader. A good way to get an idea of what sorts of projects are possible is to visit the Hay Library, which stores theses from previous years, or to meet with the Honors Advisor. The work typically is in a genre chosen from Nonfiction Writing's spectrum: critical analysis, literary journalism, memoir, lyric essay, or narrative based on travel, science, history, or cultural critique.

Full thesis drafts are due by mid-March; final bound copies of the thesis are due in mid-April. Late theses will not be accepted for honors after the April deadline; students who hand in theses after the deadline and before the end of the term will receive a grade for the thesis course, but they will not be eligible for departmental honors. The completed thesis will be evaluated by its first reader and second reader, each of whom provides written commentary and suggests a grade for ENGL 1994 .

The English Department reviews the academic record as well as the thesis evaluations for each senior completing the Nonfiction Writing Honors Program. Following a successful review, the student will be eligible to graduate with Honors in Nonfiction Writing.

Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA Phone: 401-863-1000 Maps & Directions / Contact Us © 2024-25 Brown University

• A to Z Index
• Registrar's Office
• Admission Office
• Graduate School
• Alpert Medical School
• Dean of the College

Print this page.

The PDF will include all information unique to this page.

Theatre Arts & Performance Studies

Ph.d. program.

The Ph.D. Program in Theatre and Performance Studies at Brown University offers a rigorous environment for pursuing doctoral research.

Taking a broad-spectrum approach to the histories, theories, and methods of theatre and performance studies from a global perspective, the Ph.D. program trains doctoral students to use performance as an analytical lens to explore the labor of mimesis in the social.

Cross-currents

Brown’s environment is alive with the intersections of performance practice and theory: Ph.D. students benefit from formal and informal cross-currents with:

• Brown’s acclaimed  MFA Playwriting Program
• Brown/Trinity MFA Programs in Acting and Directing  (offered in consortium with the Tony Award winning  Trinity Repertory Company ),
• Brown Arts Institute
• Rhode Island School of Design (RISD )

Brown’s  libraries  provide exceptional special collections for performance-related research, including:

• Harris Collection of American Drama and Poetry
• Smith Collection of Conjuring, Magicana, and Popular Entertainment
• Albert-Bernard Shaw Collection

Open Graduate Education Program

Our students take full advantage of Brown’s unique interdisciplinary opportunities—including the  Open Graduate Education Program , which enables doctoral students to apply to pursue a Master’s degree in a secondary field of study at Brown—and gain teaching experience through a variety of opportunities in and beyond the department.

How to Apply

_______________________

Applications are due   January 4, 2024   and must be submitted via the Graduate School’s Online Application portal . You can find detailed instructions about the application process and components on the Graduate Website.  For other questions refer to The Graduate School’s application FAQ .

Application requirements.

• A statement of purpose (also called a personal statement, generally 2-3 pages) that should address your current academic research interests, why you wish to pursue a Ph.D. in Theatre and Performance Studies, and how you see your work benefiting from the broader context of the department and Brown as a whole. The most successful personal statements make a compelling case for why your research would best be served by our program given the current composition of our faculty and the resources that are available at Brown. 
• An academic writing sample (10- 25 pages). This is an especially  important element of the application, so be sure to submit an example of your strongest scholarly writing to date. 
• Three letters of recommendation. 
• Transcripts from all academic institutions where you have previously studied (graduate and undergraduate).

International applicants whose native language is not English must also submit an official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score. 

• The GRE is no longer required in order to apply for the Ph.D. Program in Theatre and Performance Studies at Brown.

Financial Aid

Brown guarantees 6 years of funding for all admitted Ph.D. students, which includes full tuition remission, a generous living stipend, and health insurance. This financial support applies to both domestic and international students admitted to our doctoral program. Funding is provided through a combination of fellowships (two years) and teaching/research assistantships (four years). Our students have also been very successful in securing funding for their studies, as needed, through external and internal fellowships and grants. Further details about financial support is available through Brown’s Graduate School website  and the  Graduate Student Funding and Support website .

Frequently Asked Questions

Students in our Ph.D. program have many opportunities to gain teaching experience during their time at Brown. Typically students in their second year serve as Teaching Assistants for undergraduate courses in the Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies. More advanced students can develop and teach their own classes. Our students find additional opportunities to hone their pedagogical skills through Brown's  Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning ,  Summer@Brown , the  Brown/Wheaton Faculty Fellows Program , and elsewhere.

As an intentionally small program with an emphasis on intensive mentorship and advising, we accept a cohort of approximately 2 to 3 students per year. Most of our Ph.D. students complete the degree within 5 to 7 years.

We welcome applicants who are interested in all aspects of theatre and performance studies research. The best way to learn about the range of research topics and methods that are being pursued in our program is by looking through the profiles of our  current faculty  and  Ph.D. students .

Yes. We accept students who have obtained Bachelor's degrees as well as students who have previously completed an MA or MFA. Depending on the field of study and with the approval of our graduate faculty, students may receive credit toward the Ph.D. degree for previous graduate coursework completed at other institutions.

Graduates of our PhD program have achieved a stellar placement rate into academic positions. Many have gone on to become leaders in the field, holding tenured or tenure-track positions at Yale, Tufts, NYU, UCLA, Washington University-St. Louis, Colgate, Emerson, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Rhode Island, among other institutions. A  recent national study of Theatre and Performance Studies graduate programs  showed that Brown was the top program in terms of placement, with 100% of our graduates holding tenure-track positions.

Please do not email the department with technical questions or requests to troubleshoot your online application submission. For questions about the application process (including how to submit TOEFL scores, Letters of Recommendation, and other technical matters), please contact the Graduate School directly at  a [email protected] .

Patricia Ybarra

Program handbooks.

• TAPS Doctoral Program Handbook (PDF)
• All TAPS Graduate Handbooks

Recent News

Phd student şeyda nur yıldırım published in theatre research international vol. 38, no. 3 (2023)., taps at the american society for theatre research conference, phd candidate marlon jiménez oviedo published in global performance studies.

Hispanic Studies

Ph.d. program.

The Brown Ph.D. in Hispanic Studies emphasizes the global connections and interdisciplinary dialogues of Hispanic literatures and cultures. Students are trained as specialists and generalists, researchers and active intellectuals by an internationally renowned literature faculty with additional strengths in performance, visual, urban, and environmental studies.

• Graduate Program

Graduate Program Handbook

Major features of the program include: 

• Five-year funding, including summers, with the possibility of a 6th year extension
• Support for conference and research travel
• Close faculty-student interaction and collaboration
• Dedicated pedagogical training and teaching experience in language, literature and culture
• Mentoring in professional development
• Dynamic year-round calendar of lectures, talks, readings, and workshops
• Active connections with other departments and scholarly communities across campus through classes and co-sponsored events
• World-famous John Carter Brown and John Hay Libraries
• Interdisciplinary teaching and research opportunity in other departments and centers

Program Requirements

• 3 seminars per semester in the first and second years
• Language-teaching methodology in the fall semester
• One seminar and one independent study in the third year
• Proficiency in two languages besides English and Spanish
• Preliminary exams based on a reading list of 70 books in Latin American and peninsular literatures, taken at the beginning of the third year
• Guided and independent research through the third year, working toward an article-length paper and culminating in oral exams
• Dissertation-proposal and dissertation writing in years four and five
• Teaching assistantships in years two, three, and four (one course per semester)

Ph.D. Program Details

How to apply, guidelines for language instructors.

Doctoral Programs

Earn your Ph.D. at the School of Public Health.

Ready to apply?

Start your journey toward a public health education at Brown University.

Pursuing a Ph.D. at the Brown University School of Public Health is a student-centered training experience, involving active partnerships with faculty mentors and the execution of innovative research . Our doctoral candidates are committed to generating new knowledge and aspire to make significant contributions to teaching and leadership roles that prioritize the well-being of populations. 

Our doctoral programs

Behavioral & social health sciences, biostatistics, epidemiology, health services research.