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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Master of Arts (MA), course-based and thesis-based

Areas: British, American, Canadian and International literatures in English

A Creative Writing option is available in the Master of Arts (thesis-based) and Doctor of Philosophy programs.

In addition to Faculties of Graduate Studies and Arts requirements, the Department requires:

Master of Arts (course-based and thesis-based)
a) A University of Calgary Honours degree or its equivalent in English (10 full courses in English)
b) A Statement of Intent
c) A sample of critical writing; for creative writing applicants, an additional 10-page sample of creative writing
d) For applicants required to provide proof of proficiency in English, a minimum TOEFL score of 600 (written test), 100 (internet-based test), a MELAB score of 84, an IELTS score of 7.5, or a PTE score of 7.0
e) Two references letters

Doctor of Philosophy
a) A Master of Arts Degree in English or its equivalent
b) A Statement of Intent
c) A sample of critical writing; for creative writing applicants, an additional 10-page sample of creative writing
d) For applicants required to provide proof of proficiency in English, a minimum TOEFL score of 600 (written test), 100 (internet-based test), a MELAB score of 84, an IELTS score of 7.5 or a PTE score of 70
e) Two reference letters

In addition to Faculties of Graduate Studies and Arts requirements, the Department normally requires:

Master of Arts (thesis-based)
a) Three full-course equivalents in English at the 600 or 700 level beyond the Honours BA
b) English 696 or its equivalent
c) A reading knowledge of a language other than English

Master of Arts (course-based)
a) Four full-course equivalents in English at the 600 or 700 level beyond the Honours BA or equivalent
b) English 696 or its equivalent
c) A reading knowledge of a language other than English

Note: Only the course-based Master of Arts program is open to part-time students.

Doctor of Philosophy
a) Six full-course equivalents in English at the 600, 700, or 800 level beyond the Honours BA or three full-course equivalents in English beyond the MA
b) English 696 or its equivalent
c) A reading knowledge of a language other than English
d) A Minor Field Examination
e) A Major Field Examination

Second Language Requirement
The Department of English requires, for both the MA and PhD, knowledge of one language other than English. Students are encouraged to establish competency in a language that contains a body of texts relevant to their program of study. This requirement can be met in the following ways:

a) A minimum grade of "B" in a full course or each of two half courses at a senior (300) level

b) Passing the department reading exam. Computer-based courses in French (French 235 - French 237 and French 335 - French 337) and German (German 201 - German 213) are available and would be helpful in preparing for the department set exam.

c) Documentation establishing native proficiency in a language other than English

It is the responsibility of the student to supply evidence of native proficiency or evidence that course work in a language at another university meets the requirement spelled out in this guide. Students who do not meet the requirement upon entry should consult with the Associate Head (Graduate Program) no later than the week before classes begin about the best approach to take.

Master of Arts (thesis-based)
By March 1 of the first year, each student must submit a proposed field of research, and the name of a proposed supervisor to the Graduate Executive Committee for approval.

Master of Arts (course-based)
By March 1 of the first year of study, each student must submit the name of the proposed supervisor to the Graduate Executive Committee for approval (August 15 for part-time students).

Doctor of Philosophy
By April 1 of the first year, each student must submit the name of the proposed supervisor and the proposed areas of the major and minor field examinations to the Graduate Executive Committee for approval. By September 30 of the second year, the supervisor, following consultation with the student, will submit the names of the proposed supervisory committee to the Graduate Executive Committee for approval.

Doctoral Candidacy Examinations

Before formally embarking on the writing of the PhD thesis, all students must pass the following:

1.  A written Minor Field Examination based on one of the Department’s Field Reading Lists and distinct from the Major Field.

2.  A Major Field Examination that forms the basis of the candidacy oral. The written Major Field Examination is based on one of the Department's Field Reading Lists. Prepared by the Supervisory Committee, the examination consists of three parts, each requiring the student to answer one of two questions (for a total of three of six questions).  The Major Field Examination forms the basis of, and must be completed no less than ten working days before, the Candidacy Oral Examination.

The Candidacy Oral Examination is a formal oral examination scheduled by the Faculty of Graduate Studies no later than 28 months after the student's initial registration in the program (for those who entered the program with an M.A. degree).

This oral examination should address issues arising from the written examination. Examiners are asked to record their assessment of the written component by commenting on the use of relevant literature and techniques, organization, literary competence, originality, argumentation leading to the conclusions, and anything else they consider important.

At the end of the Candidacy Oral Examination, the examiners judge the student's performance, including written and oral components, Pass or Fail. Questions on the Research Proposal will not  be included in the Oral Examination.

Consult the Department website for details.
Final thesis oral examinations are open.

Master of Arts (thesis-based)
By May 1, no later than eight months after initial registration, each student must submit a thesis proposal on the form Registration of MA Thesis Topic to the Graduate Executive Committee. Further details are available from the department.

Doctor of Philosophy
By September 30 of the second year, each student must submit a thesis proposal on the form Initial PhD Thesis Research Proposal and Supervisory Committee to the Graduate Executive Committee.

The student must submit a Final PhD Thesis Proposal and Bibliography form along with a final thesis proposal and bibliography to the doctoral supervisory committee within three months of successful completion of the candidacy examinations. Further details are available from the department.