| title | subtitle | author |
|---|---|---|
Handbook for Graduate Students in English |
AY 2024--2025 |
Loyola University Chicago |
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- Department Chair: Dr. Suzanne Bost
- Assistant Chair: Dr. Jeffrey Glover
- Office Coordinator: Ms. Brenda Jervier
- Director of Graduate Programs: Dr. Ian Cornelius
- Graduate Program Assistant: TBD
- Director of the Writing Center: Dr. Brandiann Molby
- Director of Writing Programs: Dr. Melissa Bradshaw
- Director of Undergraduate Programs: Dr. Jack Cragwall
- Director of the Literacy Center: Dr. Jackie Heckman
- Placement Officer: Dr. Frederick Staidum
Contact information is posted on the department website.
The English Department and the offices of most graduate faculty are located on the fourth floor of the Crown Center for the Humanities on the Lake Shore Campus. The Department can be reached by telephone at (773) 508-2240. The postal address is:
| Crown Center 402 | Loyola University Chicago | 1032 West Sheridan Road | Chicago, IL 60660
The Graduate School handles admissions and financial aid, and maintains permanent files of all students throughout their graduate careers. Primary personnel are:
- Dr. Emily Barman, Dean
- Dr. Kate Phillippo, Associate Dean for Academics
- Heather Sevener, Assistant Dean for Student Academic Services
- Tamika Toler, Awards & Budget Manager
- Emily Forestieri, Communications & Records Coordinator
Contact information may be found at the Graduate School website, under the menu item "About" > "Contact Us."
The Director of Graduate Programs is advised on all matters of policy, admissions, and student status by the Committee on Graduate Programs. One student, chosen by election, sits on the Committee. The faculty members of the Committee also serve as jury for the Clayes Award (see [Awards], below).
The English Graduate Student Association (EGSA) is made up of all graduate students in the Department. A board (normally comprising five members) is elected from among the students as positions become available. EGSA sponsors social events for students and faculty, and publishes an occasional newsletter with information about the Department, student achievements, and upcoming events.
In addition, EGSA organizes workshops on topics of interest to English graduate students at Loyola. Recent topics have included writing for publication, the academic job search, Ph.D. exam preparation, and careers in community college teaching. EGSA also serves as a forum for any special concerns graduate students may have and conveys those concerns to the Committee on Graduate Programs through the student representative.
Students in all phases of their graduate careers are warmly encouraged to participate actively in EGSA. Current board membership and additional information is posted on the EGSA webpage. A representative for the M.A. students will be elected fall semester.
ID cards, giving access to library borrowing and other privileges, are available from the Campus Card Office. For locations and details see the Campus Card Office website.
Computers are available in [The Fishbowl] and libraries.
All graduate students in English have access to a common space in Crown Center 418, better known as the Fishbowl. This is your space for studying, meetings, lunch, and socializing; however, the department is responsible for its security. You may use the room up to the start of evening classes (7 p.m.). After that, you must vacate the room and lock the door.
An account on the student email system is created automatically for each new student. Both the Director of Graduate Programs and the Graduate School will use this account to communicate with you.
It is crucial that you check your Loyola e-mail on a regular basis, or have your e-mail forwarded to an account you check regularly. If you find that you are not receiving regular and frequent communiqués from the Department, please notify the Graduate Program Assistant.
Each graduate student in the English Department is assigned a mailbox in the Department workroom in Crown Center. Memos from faculty, EGSA, and University agencies are likely to be relayed to you through this mail system; therefore, these mailboxes should be checked frequently. Since the boxes are not locked, please be careful about what you leave in your box.
If your home address, email address, or phone number change, inform the Administrative Assistant to the Graduate Program and update your records through LOCUS.
The bulletin board outside the GPD office (Crown 423) features information regarding the graduate programs---e.g., calls for papers, job offerings, fellowship opportunities. The board in the English main office has departmental notices.
In addition to teaching assignments for Graduate Assistants in the Ph.D. program (see [Graduate Assistantships]), a number of teaching opportunities are available to experienced graduate students. The University requires that instructors of undergraduate courses have the M.A. degree; the Department requires that you have taken English 402 or its equivalent. All Ph.D. students who do not already have teaching experience are strongly encouraged to take English 402 and teach at least one writing course at Loyola.
The Department Chair, in consultation with the Director of Graduate Programs, assigns all classes. Funded students will be assigned classes routinely; unfunded students should apply directly to the department chair. The chairperson will invite applications for a limited number of summer teaching opportunities. The criteria used to assign summer classes to graduate students include: experience and proven success in the classroom; good progress toward the degree; preparedness to teach the courses available; and previous summer teaching (in an effort to distribute summer courses fairly). Contact the Department Chair or Ms. Jervier for further information.
Students should take advantage of departmental and University service opportunities to build their resumes/curricula vitae and to gain experience in the day-to-day operations of an academic institution. Opportunities available include but are not limited to the following: EGSA representative, Writing Programs committee, Graduate Programs committee, Undergraduate Program committee, department meeting representative, GSAC representative, Literacy Center tutor or staff person. Calls for volunteers for these positions go out annually in the fall term.
Two six-week summer sessions are offered through the Department each year, running from May to August. At least two graduate-level courses are offered over the two summer terms. When enrollment permits, we offer four courses.
Graduate students enrolled for 8 or more credit hours or Thesis or Dissertation Supervision must have health insurance. Details and instructions for enrollment are maintained at the Bursar's Office webpage on Health Insurance.
Ph.D. students funded by assistantships will receive additional details in their annual "award letters," sent by the Graduate School. Ph.D. students who are enrolled in fewer than eight credits in the fall semester must contact the Graduate School Awards and Budget Manager if they wish to be enrolled in Loyola's health insurance plan.
Most graduate students find off-campus apartments using the ads in publicly available sources. Residence Life provides a list of suggested resources for locating housing.
See the Campus Transportation website for information on parking, the inter-campus shuttle, and 8-RIDE. Public buses and the "El" run frequently between campuses and to other points in the city. See the Chicago Transit Authority website.
Be deliberate about your choice of tools and methods for academic research and writing. Cultivate a sense of curiosity regarding the technical details of your own scholarly practice (search and discovery, reference management, file management, reading, annotation, note-taking, drafting, revision, fact-checking, proofreading, etc.) and ask your peers and professors about their ways of working. Do not assume that the particular set of tools and practices which you learned as an undergraduate, or earlier, will suffice for your present and future endeavors.
Ph.D. students are encouraged to pursue the publication of one or more journal articles during their graduate careers, generally after the first couple of years in the program. In the current job market, publication is an important means of demonstrating to prospective employers a high level of motivation and professional competence.
Three ways to prepare for this goal are 1) to read journals in your fields of interest regularly in order to become familiar with both current scholarship and the requirements of scholarly publication; 2) to review the MLA Directory of Periodicals in order to learn what different journals expect or demand; and 3) to approach seminar papers, especially those in your field(s) of interest, as potential publications, possibly even as publications targeted to a particular journal. In developing a paper for publication, students are of course well advised to work closely with their seminar instructors or faculty mentors.
Presentation of conference papers is an important part of students' professional development, and Ph.D. students in particular should aim to give at least two papers during their graduate careers---preferably including professional and not just graduate-student conferences.
Each semester the Graduate School has funds to support graduate student travel for the purpose of presenting papers or chairing sessions at conferences. Funds are limited, so students should apply promptly upon acceptance of their papers or sessions. Information is available from the Graduate School's page on Research, under "Conference Travel Awards."
The Department also has funding for attending summer seminars or conducting dissertation research at a research library outside Chicago. These are competitive awards offered each semester.
The current subvention from the Graduate School for travel is a maximum of $750. Departmental travel support, which is funded primarily from the EGSA Student Activities budget, is likely to provide a much lower level of sponsorship.
After you return from supported travel, you will be asked to supply all original receipts as well as boarding passes for your trip, and proof of attendance (conference registration receipt and program copy with your session). Ask the Graduate Program Assistant for the travel expense form, fill it out, and return it with the receipts to the Graduate School (for their funding) or to the Director of Graduate Programs (for EGSA funding).
Each year a member of the faculty is appointed to advise students in their process of finding employment post-graduation. The Placement Officer offers advice on all aspects of the job search and will arrange for mock interviews. All students who are entering the job market should contact the Placement Officer in the semester before they begin to apply for positions.
The department has two collections of advice and information for students entering the job market:
Contact the placement officer for access to the Sakai site.
Each year the Department sponsors a competition among graduate students for the Stanley Clayes Memorial Award. Cash prizes are awarded to essays written for 400-level graduate seminars in the preceding academic year. The call for papers comes out at the beginning of fall term. For details see the [Stanley Clayes Essay Competition Submission Guidelines].
Twice a year two students are selected to receive the Gravett-Tuma Book Award, made possible by a generous donation from alumna Amber Gravett and her husband. In the fall, students eligible for this award are those who have taken ENGL 502 (Independent Study for Doctoral Qualification) the previous year; in the spring those eligible are students entering their fourth semester in our program.
Students should read the Graduate School Academic Policies. The Department of English maintains additional policies, detailed in this Handbook and elsewhere. In cases of conflict between this Handbook and a policy of the Graduate School, the Graduate School policy shall prevail.
The Director of Graduate Programs (abbreviated GPD) serves as faculty advisor for all M.A. students and for Ph.D. students prior to [Advancement to Candidacy]. Students meet individually with the GPD prior to [Registration] each semester. Students are encouraged to confer with the GPD at other times and must do so when contemplating [Withdrawal] from a course or another significant change in their studies. See also the Graduate School Academic Policies, under "Academic Advising."
Ph.D. students applying for faculty jobs are advised by the [Placement Officer].
A full-time student will usually carry three courses per semester, or, for Graduate Assistants entering the classroom as instructors, two courses and one teaching assignment. Course loads for part-time students are worked out on an individual basis. All students funded by the Graduate School are considered full time.
See also the Graduate School Academic Policies, "Student Enrollment Status," under the section "Enrollment in Courses."
Both new and continuing students must complete the process of registration before every semester in which they are either attending classes or writing their dissertations. A schedule of courses for the upcoming term is available a few months before classes are scheduled to begin.
To register for graduate courses you must first consult with the Graduate Programs Director: see [Advising]. Once your selections are approved, they will be entered into the system by the Administrative Assistant to the program, completing the registration process. Graduate students do not register for courses themselves, but you must check LOCUS to verify your registration each semester.
Students must maintain continual registration throughout their years in the program or risk having to apply for reinstatement and pay both a penalty and back fees.
For letter grades and their associated grade-point values, see the Graduate School Academic Policies, under "Grades."
Graduate students in the English Department are expected to maintain an average of not less than B (3.0). Those who fail to meet this requirement may be dismissed. No more than two grades below B and no grades of D or F may be counted as fulfilling degree requirements. See the Graduate School Academic Policies, under "Computation of Academic Grade Point Averages."
Ph.D. students who find themselves receiving primarily B's (or below) should consider whether pursuing a doctorate in English remains the most gainful use of their time.
Withdrawal from graduate seminars is uncommon; students must consult with the Graduate Program Director before dropping through LOCUS. Students should check the academic calendar for deadlines on withdrawing for full or partial refunds, and with a W or F grade. For additional details and policies, see the Graduate School Academic Policies, under "Grades." Students are responsible for withdrawing themselves from classes.
The Graduate School maintains policies on incompletes, including time limits for completion of work: see the Graduate School Academic Policies, under "Grades." The Department of English has two additional policies:
- Incompletes require the approval of the Graduate Programs Director. Students who seek an incomplete must download and fill the relevant form (see Department Links and Forms) and have it signed by the GPD.
- No more than one incomplete can be requested per semester, unless there are extenuating circumstances (e.g., a serious illness).
Official leaves of absence are intended for students who wish to discontinue temporarily their graduate studies due to special circumstances (e.g., medical, personal, or professional reasons). For details and policies, see the Graduate School Academic Policies, under "Leaves of Absence." Students who wish to request a leave of absence should first speak with the Graduate Programs Director.
For parental leave see the Graduate School Academic Policies, under "Parental Leave Policy".
It is ordinarily expected that all work for the Master's degree will be completed at Loyola. Upon the recommendation of the Director of Graduate Programs, however, and with the approval of the Dean, up to six hours of credit for graduate work at another university may be counted toward the M.A. degree. See the Graduate School Academic Policies, under "Transfer Credit."
For students entering the Ph.D. program with prior graduate work, up to thirty hours of credit may, with the Department's recommendation and the Dean's approval, be counted toward a Loyola Ph.D. The precise number of hours credited toward advanced standing is worked out by the Director of Graduate Programs during a student's first year in the program. See the Graduate School Academic Policies, under "Advanced Standing Toward the Doctoral Degree."
The Department of English abides by the policies on academic integrity set forth in the Graduate School Academic Policies, under "Academic Integrity." Although academic dishonesty can take many forms, in our field it manifests primarily as plagiarism, defined by the Graduate School as "the use of ideas, language, or work of another without sufficient public acknowledgement that the material is not one's own." Students who have questions about this policy should consult the Director of Graduate Programs or another faculty member.
The penalty for an instance of plagiarism is, at a minimum, failure on the assignment, which may well be tantamount to failure in the course. A serious breach or a pattern of dishonesty can lead to expulsion from Loyola. Although extremely rare in our department, cases have occurred in the past and have resulted in dismissal.
Students, faculty, and administrators are strongly encouraged to resolve any problems they encounter in the academic process through informal discussion. If you are unable to resolve a problem with a member of the staff or faculty, or if you wish to lodge a formal complaint, you should first meet with the Director of Graduate Programs to discuss the matter. If the problem cannot be satisfactorily resolved by the GPD, it will be taken up by the Department Chair who, if necessary, will refer it to a departmental grievance committee. The decision of that committee can be appealed to the Graduate School. Students wishing to initiate a grievance must do so in writing to the Dean. See the Graduate School Academic Policies, under "Academic Grievance."
Loyola confers degrees three times each year: May, August, and December. A student graduates when they have completed all degree requirements and submitted an application for the degree. Applications for degree are due approximately six months before degree conferral: typically December 1 for a May degree, February 1 for an August degree, and August 1 for a December degree. These dates are set by the Graduate School: see the list of Key Dates and Deadlines. Applications for degree are submitted through LOCUS. Late applications are not accepted: students who miss a deadline must apply for a subsequent graduation date. See the Graduate School Academic Policies, under "Degree Conferral/Graduation."
As students "walk" only at the May graduation, August and December degree students may walk in the May ceremony the following year.
Students in the M.A. program complete course requirements and a qualifying exam. The authoritative statement of program requirements is the university's Academic Catalog Full instructions on the M.A. Exam are supplied in the Appendix.
The M.A. is designed so that a full-time student can complete requirements in a year and a half of study --- Fall, Spring, one summer course, and the following Fall with a degree conferral in December.
Part-time students must complete all requirements for the degree within four years. After five years, the student may continue only by special action of the Dean of the Graduate School. See the Graduate School Academic Policies, under "Time Limit for Completion of Degree Requirements."
Ph.D. students complete general course requirements and course requirements of their specialization, pass a Ph.D. qualifying exam, and meet other program requirements, as detailed in the following sections and in the university's Academic Catalog.
For course requirements, including field-specific requirements, see the Academic Catalog.
For basic information about the Ph.D. qualifying examination, see the Academic Catalog, under "PhD Qualifying Examination." Full instructions are supplied in the Appendix.
Ph.D.-level research in literary studies presupposes skills (or 'research tools') not taught in ordinary graduate-level coursework in a Department of English. In view of the multilingual character of humanist study, scholars of literature must often read text in a language other than their principal one. For these reasons, as fulfilment of the discipline's research tool, Ph.D. students in the Department of English are required to demonstrate reading proficiency in a language other than English. This may be done by (a) passing a translation examination or (b) receiving a grade of B or higher in a graduate-level course in a language other than English. Exams and coursework at other institutions will usually be accepted, subject to review by the Director of Graduate Programs. Under special circumstances priority may be given to another research tool: for instance, a computer language, statistical analysis, or protocols for research with human subjects. Students are encouraged to discuss completion of this requirement with the Director of Graduate Programs soon after entering the program.
Courses in French, German, Latin, and Spanish for reading are offered by Marquette University and St. Louis University in on-line modality during summer sessions.
At Marquette University the relevant course numbers are FREN 6204, GRMN 6204, and LATN 6204. At St. Louis Univeristy the relevant course numbers are SPAN 5010 and FREN 5010. All these courses are specially designed for graduate students in humanities disciplines. The teaching objective is literacy for research purposes.
To enroll in a course run by Marquette University, complete Marquette's Exchange Application.
Ph.D. students in the Medieval and Renaissance Studies track should watch for announcements from the Newberry Library's Center for Renaissance Studies (CRS), which runs courses and workshops on research tools needed by specialists in these fields. For funding queries, contact Loyola's Faculty Representative to the CRS Consortium.
The format and ground rules of language exams are set by examiners and should be communicated to students in advance. The Graduate Programs Committee has made the following general recommendations: exams are usually one hour in length, handwritten, with the aid of a bilingual dictionary.
The skill tested is translation into English. Some exams consist of a single passage for translation, others of two passages, with or without choice.
Grades are "Pass" and "Fail". The standard is usually comprehension, not an unerring performance in rendering of grammar and idiom. On account of variation in linguistic difficulty within and between languages, we make no recommendations regarding the number of errors allowed. The examiner's decision as final.
Students who fail the exam may take another exam in the same language at a later date. In such cases, the GPD will usually transmit advice from the examiner to the student, regarding the kind of study recommended.
The Graduate School requires all Ph.D. students to attend one of its workshops on Responsible Conduct in Research and Scholarship (RCRS) prior to completing the dissertation or thesis. Ph.D. students are encouraged to wait until their third or fourth year to fulfill this requirement. Workshops are offered throughout the year by the Office of Research Services. Details are posted on the RCRS webpage.
You become a Ph.D. candidate when you complete all course requirements (including [English 502]), fulfill the research tool requirement, pass the Ph.D. Examination, establish a dissertation committee, and have your dissertation proposal approved (ideally within 6 months of completing the comprehensive exams).
The selection of dissertation topic, director, and committee (two additional faculty "readers") is made in consultation with the Graduate Program Director. Once these decisions have been made, you must obtain a copy of the Graduate School's forms regarding the dissertation (available on line), and then prepare a proposal for the approval of your committee. After your proposal and committee are approved, you are considered ABD. Your progress now will be monitored by your dissertation director, who will report on your work to the GPD. (Note: You do not need to have the proposal approved by the entire committee to complete 502.)
When your dissertation is completed, you will give a "Final Public Presentation and Defense" of your project, followed by a question-and-answer session led by your dissertation committee. Reader's copies are due to the committee one month prior to the defense, with a reader's ballot for each member (see Department Links and Forms). Once these ballots are submitted, the Graduate Programs secretary will announce the defense publicly. At the defense, students present the chair of the committee with the Graduate School ballot for approval of the dissertation. See the Graduate School's downloadable forms.
Students should check the Graduate School's calendar of Key Dates and Deadlines for deadlines on format check and submission of the dissertation (now done electronically).
Additional information:
English 501 ("Directed Readings") is an elective "independent study" course which may be taken at most twice in the Ph.D. program. If you are interested in this option, you must first find a faculty member willing to direct it. You must then fill out a departmental form (see Department Links and Forms) and submit the form to the Director of Graduate Programs for approval in the semester prior to the course.
Proposals for 501 courses will not be approved if the material to be covered is regularly offered in existing graduate seminars. 501 requires a minimum of 12 contact hours between faculty and student (approximately 1 hour every week) and a minimum of 25 pages of writing.
In English 502 ("Independent Study for Doctoral Qualification") students prepare for the [Ph.D. Qualifying Examination] and write a draft their dissertation proposals, or at least a literature review, under the supervision of their eventual dissertation directors. Graduate School and English Department forms must be approved by the Director of Graduate Programs in the semester prior to the course.
English 502 explicitly couples the drafting of a dissertation proposal---and thus the earliest stages of dissertation research, the formation of a core bibliography, and the definition of the project itself---with the student's preparation for the Ph.D. Exam. The Department believes that these tasks are closely related, that they can and should be accomplished together, and that neither should supercede or delay the other. 502 requires a minimum of 7 contact hours between faculty and student (approximately 1 hour every two weeks) and the submission of a draft of the proposal or substantial progress toward that proposal, such as a literature review.
The draft proposal is usually completed after taking the exams, which often means that it is necessary to take a temporary I grade for the course. If a student takes an Incomplete in English 502, the course must be completed the next semester after the semester of registration. (See [Incompletes], above.) A student who does not complete English 502 within the specified time will have to retake the course at his or her own expense.
Students who have completed their course work should register for ENGL 610. After two semesters in ENGL 610, or once you have gained ABD status (see [Advancement to Candidacy]), you should register for ENGL 600. Students must maintain continuous registration in English 600 until they complete their degree. Both courses require a minimum of one contact hour monthly with the dissertation director and substantial writing (preferably a chapter draft) every 3 months.
Students do not need to register for 600 or 610 during the summer months. However, those on government loans who must show they are registered for classes over the summer can register for a "dummy" course, either GSSM S61 (if they are in 610) or S60 (for 600). Students must register for these courses themselves and will pay a nominal fee.
Because first-year Ph.D. students must register for fall classes before taking the M.A. exam, the department has instituted a portfolio review for all first-year Ph.D. students whose GPA for the fall and spring semesters is below 3.5. Those students must submit a portfolio of three essays (totaling at least 30 pages) to the Director of Graduate Programs the week after spring semester final exams. The portfolio must contain a letter to the GPD explaining the challenges the student faced the first year and how the student has responded to those challenges. Members of the Graduate Programs Committee will review the portfolio and make a recommendation to the GPD. Even if the student is advised not to continue for the Ph.D., he or she will take the M.A. exam in August to complete the M.A. degree.
The Ph.D. must be completed eight years from the time a student begins course work applicable to the degree. Ph.D. students who entered with an M.A. have six years from the time of beginning course work for the Ph.D. See the Graduate School Academic Policies, under "Time Limit for Completion of Degree Requirements."
A student may request an extension of the time limit in GSPS, as described in the Graduate School Academic Policies. The GPD reviews the request before it is sent on to the Graduate School. Extensions are not routine; students must demonstrate that they are making progress toward the degree.
Ph.D. students are typically funded for five years by assistantships, the terms of which are set by the Graduate School: see the Graduate School webpage on Financial Assistance and Funding, under "Assistantships."
In the English Department Ph.D. students on assistantships have a sequence of assignments, one per semester, designed to support their development as teachers and researchers:
- First year, both semesters: Assistants are usually assigned to the Writing Center, where they work two shifts per week, gaining experience tutoring undergraduates.
- Second year, fall semester: Assistants work with a faculty member in a mentorship program that allows them to assume some grading and instructional duties within the mentor's composition class.
- Second year, spring semester: Assistants teach one composition course, receiving support and guidance from the mentor of the previous semester.
- Third, fourth and fifth years: Assistants normally serve as a teaching assistant in a literature course, primary instructor in a literature or composition course, or research assistant to a member of the graduate faculty. Students may serve instead as Assistant Director of the Writing Center. Fifth-year students may be assigned to cover a shift in the Writing Center each semester.
The appendices to this handbook supply Guidelines for Teaching Assistants and Guidelines for Research Assistants.
All third, fourth, and fifth-year graduate assistants who are not serving as instructors-of-record also take courses for faculty who must miss a class because of professional conferences, previously scheduled speaking engagements, or for other occasions as approved by the chair. Students serving as substitutes in a given semester cannot turn down a request to take a faculty member's class unless they are in class themselves or attending a professional conference. In turn, the department makes every effort to distribute the workload equitably among the students serving in this capacity. Students should be called upon to cover a class no more than 5 times in the course of a semester.
Because the students are not necessarily trained in the content area of the faculty member's course, faculty members must devise assignments with this in mind. Substitutes may show a film, conduct a writing workshop prepared by the faculty member, or proctor an exam. Substitutes must not be asked to prepare the course themselves.
Students who have completed the term of their Assistantship and advanced to candidacy are eligible to apply for three fellowships:
- Arthur J. Schmitt Leadership Scholars Fellowship
- Teaching Scholars Fellowship
- Crown Fellowship
For details see the Graduate School's page on Financial Assistance and Funding, under "Fellowships & Scholarships."
Another source of funding is the graduate assistantship with the Midwest Modern Language Association. A call for applications will be circulated by email when the position becomes available.
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