Applicants should have an MA in a relevant field and prior teaching experience. Teaching experience may include work at the college or secondary school level, and it may also include running training programs in business or working in tutoring programs. The interdisciplinary nature of the Ph.D. Program in English and Education provides for flexibility in course selection and specialization. Approximately 36 hours are required beyond the master's degree. Students are encouraged to fulfill the language requirement as early as possible after enrollment in order to gain its maximum educational benefit.
Students take three major qualifying examinations.
These are based on reading lists in English and education constructed by the students in consultation with two or more faculty members. A fourth examination, completed after candidacy is achieved, is the teaching portfolio. Examinations are flexibly scheduled as is consistent with each student's plan for study and progress. However, recommended guidelines for scheduling can be obtained from the program office. Students focus on a variety of areas ranging from topics in rhetoric and composition to theories and pedagogies of literacy to professional concerns.