A Ph.D. degree in English at the University of Saskatchewan requires students to take six courses plus ENG 801.3: An Introduction to Textual Scholarship. Students are also required to complete a dissertation. This in-depth, book-length study contributes to a scholarly field in an original and significant way. Such work may pave the way for an academic career as a researcher, teacher-scholar, or instructor; for an academic-adjacent career, such as a research facilitator or learning specialist; and for the application of advanced research and communication skills, as well as leadership and project management experience, in a variety of career paths.

Typical Schedule Towards Completion of the Ph.D.

Year One

• Complete a total of 18 credit units of course work plus ENG 801.3 (if Introduction to Textual Scholarship or a similar Bibliography course has not already been taken).
• Satisfy requirements of ENG 990.0: Professional Development Seminar.
• Complete the online GPS 960.0 Ethics and Integrity course.
• Fulfill language requirement.
• Choose an area of study for the thesis and identify a thesis supervisor.
• Submit completed Student-Supervisor Agreement to the Chair of the Graduate Committee by 1 May.
• Begin dissertation research in the Spring/Summer term. 

Year Two

• Satisfy requirements of ENG 990.0: Professional Development Seminar.
• Complete a dissertation proposal in consultation with the dissertation Supervisor and submit to the Chair of the Graduate Committee by October 31.
• Identify a Fields Examination Reading List and arrange for an Examining Committee; study for and take the Field Examination in May.
• Continue research and begin writing dissertation, and consult with the Advisory Committee.

Year Three

• Satisfy requirements of ENG 990.0: Professional Development Seminar.
• Continue researching and writing dissertation, and consult with the Advisory Committee.

Year Four

• Deliver Works in Progress talk based on dissertation work.
• Complete the writing of the dissertation having consulted with and implemented revisions recommended by the Advisory Committee.
• Submit a Dissertation Abstract and complete the oral defence through the process described in the “Dissertation Examination” section below.
  • Note: during the school year, the time from submission of dissertation to defence is typically two to three months; after 31 May it can take much longer.
• Apply to graduate by 31 August for Fall Convocation or by 31 March for Spring Convocation).
  • Consult the April and September deadlines listed in the Academic Calendar for more information.

All requirements for the Ph.D. degree must be completed within six years of the date of registration in the first course. However, students are encouraged to complete their Ph.D. programs in four years. Students beyond the fourth year of their programs are normally not eligible for Departmental funding, though they may apply for a Teacher-Scholar Doctoral Fellowship. 

The University of Saskatchewan encourages students to spend time on campus interacting with faculty, researchers, and other students, and participating in the academic life of the university. The College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies has no minimum residency requirements. Individual graduate programs, however, are required to establish their own residency guidelines. The minimum residency for Ph.D. students in the Department of English is two years.

If you are admitted to the Ph.D. and you are new to the kind of graduate program offered at this university (or you did your M.A. more than five years ago), you will be asked to take a qualifying examination early in the first year of your program. This is not a comprehensive examination. The Qualifying Examination tests familiarity with common literary terms and critical methods, awareness of the impact of critical position on interpretation, and ability to talk about frequently discussed texts.

Towards the Qualifying Examination, the Chair of the Graduate Committee asks the Ph.D. student to choose three areas of specialization in which to be tested. The Graduate Chair then invites three faculty members (each one a specialist in an area selected by the student) to form an examining committee. Forty-eight hours before the examination begins, this examining committee gives the student a selection of three short texts (for example, an essay, a short story, a play, poems) representing at least two genres in each of the student’s chosen areas.

At the Qualifying Examination, the student discusses these texts with the examining committee. The Chair of the Graduate Committee (or a designate) presides. The Qualifying Examination lasts one hour.

If you enter the program in September and are required to take the qualifying examination, you must do so before 31 October. If you enter in January and must take this examination, it will be scheduled for February. Students who fail the examination must take it again at the next time it is scheduled; those who fail a second time will be required to withdraw from the program.

All incoming students are expected to have their course selections approved by the Graduate Chair before registering online in the July-August period. 

Ph.D. students must take the equivalent of six courses, each worth three credit units, beyond those required for the M.A. degree, for a total of 18 credit units (18cu). At least 12cu must be taken at this university. In addition to the 18cu of course work, if they have not already taken a similar course at the Master’s level, Ph.D. students must take ENG 801.3: An Introduction to Textual Scholarship.

Each 3cu course is offered over one 13-week term. During the regular session (Fall and Winter terms), these graduate seminars are held once a week for approximately three hours. During the intersession (Spring term), seminars meet several times each week.

As well as formal coursework, students will also enrol in ENG 990.0, a series of Professional Skills sessions.

Note: doctoral students must register each term for ENG 996.0 to indicate their enrolment in the Ph.D. program.

All students must maintain an average above 70% in their coursework. For a Ph.D. student, a mark below 70% is a failing grade. Students must take another course to replace a failed course, but the marks in the failed course still count toward the student's average. Students who fail two courses will be required to withdraw from the program.

The Department of English offers the following graduate classes, which are shell courses adapted by instructors in any given year to reflect specific research and teaching interests:

• ENG 801.3 - An Introduction to Textual Scholarship
  • (Note: cannot be used as part of the 18cu required for Ph.D. course work)
• ENG 803.3 - Topics in Literary and Cultural History
• ENG 805.3 - Topics in Individual Authors
• ENG 811.3 - Topics in National and Regional Literatures
• ENG 817.3 - Topics in Literary and Cultural Theory
• ENG 819.3 - Topics in Methods and Texts
• ENG 843.3 - Topics in Genres and Contexts
• ENG 898.3 - Special Topics
• ENG 899.6 - Special Topics

Each year, faculty propose particular versions of these courses. Thus, ENG 805.3: Topics in Individual Authors might one year be a course on Shakespeare, and the next a course on Emily Dickinson.

Graduate students in English may apply to the Graduate Committee to take a maximum of six credit units (6cu) per degree program outside the Department. Such an application must include a letter indicating the particular value and relevance of the course to the student's program, as well as a description (from the instructor of the course or the department in which it is taught) of readings and assignments to be undertaken to fulfil graduate-level requirements.

The experience of intellectual exchange provided by seminars is vital to graduate study. In graduate degrees in English, coursework is intended to give students an opportunity to study a range of literature and a variety of approaches, and should not focus exclusively on one area of specialization. However, in exceptional cases, where a student's completion of the program would be jeopardized without studies in a particular area—studies that cannot be pursued through the courses offered in the English Department or elsewhere—a student may propose a reading course, arranged between the student and a faculty member, in consultation with the Chair of the Graduate Committee. The Graduate Committee will evaluate the need for the proposed course and will decide whether to recommend its approval to the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Reading courses are approved only under these exceptional circumstances. Students may take a maximum of 6cu of reading courses.

The professional development requirement has three aspects:

1. All graduate students are required to attend a series of workshops regarding graduate studies and professionalization in their first year of graduate work. Several workshops will be offered each term on topics such as: preparing SSHRC applications; writing the thesis/dissertation proposal; choosing a focus for the project-based M.A.; preparing for the Field exams; writing and defending the thesis/dissertation; presenting conference papers and submitting scholarly articles; reflecting on the professional skills developed through graduate degrees; exploring career options; engaging in the academic job search.
2. All Ph.D. students are required to give a 30-45 minute “Works in Progress” presentation in anticipation of their dissertation defence. The presentation might be either a detailed synopsis of the project or a conference-style paper. The scheduling of the seminar will be arranged by the Graduate Chair in consultation with the student and Supervisor. In practice, this presentation would take place when the student's dissertation is well advanced.
3. All graduate students are required to attend the Ph.D. “Works in Progress” presentations as well as talks and events identified by the Graduate Chair.

Ph.D. students take this examination to establish that they have sufficient understanding to do advanced research and teaching in a specific field, or area of the discipline. This examination is taken in May of the second year of the program or (at the latest) October of the third. At least six months before examination, students must inform the Graduate Chair in writing of their intention to sit the examination.

The following areas are the ones for which reading lists have been set:

• American
• Commonwealth/Post-Colonial
• Cultural Studies
• English-Canadian
• Literary Theory
• Literature by Women
• Medieval
• Modern and Contemporary British and Irish
• Nineteenth-Century British
• Renaissance
• Restoration/Eighteenth Century
• Indigenous Literature

Each Ph.D. student either selects one of the areas listed here or proposes an examination in an area for which a list is not already set. The set lists themselves are not exhaustive: each list will comprise two-thirds of the reading to be undertaken for the examination, and the final third will be drafted by the Ph.D. student in consultation with the Supervisor. At least six months before examination, this list will be submitted to the Ph.D. student’s Field Examining Committee for approval. 

If a Ph.D. student chooses to be examined in an area for which there is no list, they (in consultation with the Supervisor) will propose an area to the Graduate Committee at least twelve months before the examination is to be taken. If the Graduate Committee accepts the proposal and if three faculty members are willing to serve as examiners, the Ph.D. student (in consultation with the Supervisor) will prepare a reading list comparable in dimensions to those in areas for which set lists exist. At least six months before the examination is to be taken, this reading list is to be submitted to the Field Examining Committee for approval.

The Ph.D. student may write the examination either on one day (9:00-12:00, 1:30-4:30) or in two three-hour blocks on successive days. No less than a week and no more than two weeks after writing this examination, the student will attend an oral examination of no more than two hours' duration. This oral examination will be convened by the Graduate Chair or designate, and conducted by the three faculty examiners who set and evaluate the written portion. In this oral examination, the examiners will ask questions about the written examination as well as about the student’s own contributions to the reading list, especially as they relate to the topic of the student’s dissertation.

Students use a department laptop computer for the written componenet of the Field Examination.

The written component of the Field Examination must receive a pass before the oral component can be taken. Following the oral, an overall grade is assigned: Pass with Distinction, Pass, or Fail. If a Fail is given, the student may repeat the examination at the next time the Field Examination is scheduled with the permission of the Dean of College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. If repetition of the examination is necessary, usually both the written and oral parts are required; the Field Examining Committee has discretion to require, however, that only the oral be retaken. Once the Field Examination has been completed, the student is recognized as a Ph.D. Candidate who is ready to focus on the research and drafting of the dissertation.

Facility in a language related to one's research and area of specialization will enable advanced research and fuller participation in the scholarly life of a bilingual country and a multilingual academic community worldwide. The process of language learning cultivates a disciplined and systematic understanding of language as a complex human and social phenomenon, fosters an appreciation of diversity, and works against cultural insularity and complacency. 

We require Ph.D. students to demonstrate, at a minimum, either:

• an intermediate knowledge of two languages other than English; or
• an advanced knowledge of one language other than English.

1. Scope and Specifications

A Ph.D. dissertation in English is based upon original investigation, and it must demonstrate mature scholarship and critical judgment on the part of the candidate, as well as familiarity with tools and methods of research relevant to the topic of the research, and a clear and informed sense of the academic field to which the project of study makes a contribution.

According to the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Policies and Procedures Manual, section 4.5, the doctoral dissertation must:

1. Deal in an academically satisfactory way with a definite topic related to the major research field;
2. Demonstrate ability on the part of the candidate to do independent study and investigation;
3. Be written in good scholarly style and conform to the requirements of a style manual approved by the academic unit; and
4. Comply in presentation features with specifications of the CGPS.

When finished, the Ph.D. dissertation will be between two hundred and four hundred pages. For information on university expectations of the dissertation and its format, please consult the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies formatting guidelines for theses and dissertations.

To view completed dissertations submitted by Ph.D.s of English at the University of Saskatchewan, doctoral students are encouraged to search HARVEST, the university’s Repository for Research, Scholarship, and Artistic Work.

2. The Dissertation Supervisor

Students will identify a prospective dissertation Supervisor in consultation with the Graduate Chair in the first year of the doctorate. A Student-Supervisor Agreement form will be completed and submitted to the Chair of the Graduate Committee by 1 May of year one.

3. The Dissertation Proposal

A dissertation proposal must be completed by October 31 of the second year and submitted to the Graduate Chair along with a dissertation proposal form filled out in consultation with the Supervisor.

Click here for PhD Dissertation Proposal instructions and form.

4. Guidelines for the Writer and the Supervisor(s) of the Dissertation

The principal role of the doctoral dissertation Supervisor or co-Supervisors is to help students achieve their scholarly potential. In doing so, the Supervisor is a committed, accessible, stimulating, respectful guide but also a consistent and rigorous judge. After all, the student's work must meet the standards of the university and the discipline. It is unusual, though not impossible, for a student to change Supervisors part way through a dissertation project. Should a situation arise which may require a change in dissertation supervision, either the student or the Supervisor, or both, should consult the Chair of the Graduate Committee.

What can a student expect of a dissertation Supervisor?

• to help select and plan a suitable and manageable research topic;
• to help set and maintain a schedule of work;
• to be familiar with the specific area of research or willing to gain that familiarity;
• to be available for consultation with the student about the project; depending on the project itself, and particularly on the student's stage of work on this project, such meetings may take place once a week, once a month, or once a term;
• to consult with the Chair of the Graduate Committee on selection of Advisory Committee members for the dissertation;
• to respond expeditiously, thoroughly, and constructively to the student's drafts of the dissertation;
• to consult with the student and the Chair of the Graduate Committee about continuity of supervision before leaving for extended periods;
• after approving the complete dissertation, and having determined that its presentation of text is correct and consistent, to provide a finished copy of it to the Graduate Chair, to be passed on to the Examining Committee; by saying the dissertation is ready for examination, the Supervisor does not commit the Department to accepting the dissertation;
• to advise the student about any changes required in the dissertation by its examiners; and
• to consult with the student regarding an appropriate External Examiner for the oral defence.

What can a Supervisor expect of a student?

• to show commitment in learning what is needed to design and carry out the project;
• to develop a plan for completion of all stages of the project, and to adhere to that plan;
• to meet with the Supervisor and Advisory Committee at least annually and/or when requested, and to report fully and regularly on progress;
• to maintain registration in the program and (for international students) to keep any necessary visas and immigration documents up to date;
• to maintain an available current address;
• to consider seriously and respond to advice and criticism;
• to meet the requirements of the University, College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, and program, including those pertaining to deadlines and dissertation style;
• to recognize that the Supervisor and Advisory Committee have other teaching, research, and administrative obligations which may take precedence over consultation on the dissertation project; and
• to be scrupulous in acknowledging sources of assistance or information.

Each graduate student has an Advisory Committee. Committee membership is established in consultation with the Supervisor and the Chair of the Graduate Committee. The student consults with and reports to this committee about progress towards completion of the requirements of the degree. The Advisory Committee offers expertise to the student relating to the material under study, the scholarly context for the dissertation, the methodologies and critical framework being used, and/or the process of researching, drafting, and revising the dissertation.

As of May 2022, Doctoral Advisory Committee structures were altered. Ph.D.s who began their program prior to May 2022 will be contacted so that their committee reflects the current Committee composition structure.

Yearly Advisory Committee Meetings

The student meets annually with this committee, usually in the Spring, to report on progress towards completion of the requirements of the program. The discussion is represented in the annual GPS 210: Graduate Student Progress Report form, which is completed by the Chair of the Graduate Committee or their designate and submitted to the ASG Graduate Programs Administrative Coordinator (asg.graduateprogrames@usask.ca). Either the student or the Advisory Committee can ask for additional meetings.

What can a student expect of an Advisory Committee?

• to provide constructive criticism of the student's ideas as the program develops;
• to be reasonably accessible to the student for consultation; and
• to participate in the annual Advisory Committee meeting towards supporting the student’s progress towards degree completion.

When the Supervisor of the dissertation has agreed that it is ready to proceed to the next stage of the doctoral program requirements, the two other readers are sent the dissertation. When a majority of the Advisory Committee agrees that the dissertation is ready for defence, CGPS is notified and an additional two examiners are identified, constituting the Examining Committee.

As of May 2022, Doctoral Examining Committee structures were altered. Ph.D.s who began their program prior to May 2022 will be contacted so that their committee reflects the current Committee composition structure.

When the Supervisor has agreed that the dissertation is ready to go forward, the student will supply a copy to the Chair of the Graduate Committee, who will forward the dissertation to the Specialist and Cognate readers. After any revisions have been completed and the Advisory Committee has agreed that the dissertation is ready for defence, the final draft of the dissertation will be submitted to the Chair of the Graduate Committee who will forward it to ASG Graduate Programs Administrative Coordinator.

The dissertation will then be forwarded to CGPS at least five weeks before the desired oral defence date. It will be forwarded along with the name of the University Examiner (a faculty member from either the Department of English or another department who is at arms-length from the dissertation research), and the name and c.v. of the proposed External Examiner (a faculty member from another university who is an expert in the field of the dissertation research). After the External Examiner has been approved by CGPS and has agreed that the dissertation is ready for defence, the oral examination date is arranged.

NOTE: The Ph.D. Candidate and Supervisor should consult on at least two possible External Examiners. Either the Supervisor or the Chair of the Graduate Committee may contact a prospective External Examiner to confirm their interest and availability, and to obtain their c.v..

The duties of each examiner are outlined here.

• Specialist Reader: to read the dissertation in its proposed final form, paying attention to its quality of argument and claims, its professional maturity, its engagement with the material and the scholarly field in question, and its structure, format, and readability. This process normally takes three to four weeks. In a report written to the Chair of the Graduate Committee, who will pass it along to the Supervisor, the committee member would state whether or not the dissertation is ready for examination and is entitled to request revisions and to review revisions, if they deem it necessary. If there are serious concerns about the acceptability of aspects of the dissertation, the written report will indicate them. In reporting that a dissertation is ready for examination, the reader does not commit the Department to accept it at the examination. At the oral examination, the Specialist will ask questions to draw out and to assess the candidate’s understanding of their research and its implications. 

• Cognate Reader: to read the dissertation with attention to the way it refers to the area of their own expertise, and to consider the general persuasiveness of the dissertation for an audience not familiar with the discipline of English. Normally the Cognate Reader takes three or four weeks to respond to the dissertation and to indicate whether it is ready for examination. A (potentially brief) report would be submitted to the Graduate Chair to be forwarded to the Supervisor. The Cognate Reader would state in that report whether or not the dissertation is ready for examination, and would be able to request revisions and to review revisions, if they deem it necessary. In reporting that a dissertation is ready for examination, the reader does not commit the Department to accept it at the examination. During the defence, the Cognate participates in evaluating the dissertation and the student's responses, posing questions in order to assess the candidate’s comprehension of both the project and its contribution. 

• University Examiner: to read the dissertation with attention to the overall quality of the argument of the dissertation, its analyses and engagement with the topic, its structure and style, and its accessibility to readers who are not overly familiar with the specialized topic or material under consideration. This arms-length examiner may be a faculty member of the Department of English or may be from another department within the university, and will not have been directly involved in the student’s dissertation research. Normally, the University Examiner will have three or four weeks with the thesis before the oral defence. If they feel that the thesis is not acceptable for oral defence, the University Examiner must contact the Associate Dean, CGPS immediately. Otherwise, at the oral examination, the University Examiner would ask questions to assess the student’s understanding of the substance, scope, and significance of their research project. 

• External Examiner: The College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies forwards a copy of the duties of the external examiner at the time of appointment. The student should have no contact with the External Examiner before the examination. On reading the dissertation, this examiner submits a written report, which forms part of the grounds for the decision of the Examining Committee. The External Examiner is offered four to six weeks in which to read and complete the written assessment of the dissertation.

The Oral Examination or Defence
Given the difficulty of scheduling dissertation examinations between 1 June and 31 August, students must complete the dissertation well before deadlines. The time from initial submission to examination for a Ph.D. dissertation is normally about two to three months; during the summer, arrangements for the defence can add to that time.

A dissertation examination or oral defence is governed by the following regulations:

• A Dissertation Abstract is distributed to the Examining Committee at the time of the examination. It is the responsibility of the candidate to prepare this Abstract and to submit it to the Chair of the Graduate Committee at least one week before the examination.
• All faculty of the Department of English are invited to attend the Oral Defence; the candidate may also request that the Department invite interested graduate students and members of the community.
• The Chair of the Graduate Committee or designate will chair the examination.
• The Supervisor is neither an examiner nor the chair of the examination, but normally attends the examination and remains during the Examining Committee's deliberations.
• At the outset of the examination, the candidate speaks for ten-fifteen minutes about the issues, approaches, conclusions, and significance of the dissertation.
• The examiners question the candidate for about twenty minutes each, and then have the opportunity for one or two further questions; subsequently, any other faculty present may ask one question each, including the Supervisor. Normally, the examination itself will not exceed two hours.
• After the questioning, all but the Chair and the examiners withdraw while the examiners deliberate their decision. That decision will be one of the following five recommendations:
  • Recommendation 1:dissertation acceptable, with or without minor revisions (to be completed within two weeks); oral defence acceptable.
  • Recommendation 2:dissertation requires re-submission (within six weeks); underlying research adjudged to be sound, but dissertation in need of recasting with addition of illustrative material or limited additional data; oral defence acceptable.
  • Recommendation 3:dissertation acceptable; oral defence unacceptable; second attempt at oral defence should be completed within three months of the date of the initial examination (only one re-take allowed).
  • Recommendation 4:dissertation unacceptable; oral examination re-take; dissertation does not meet minimum standards, but committee believes that further research and/or revision may bring it to an acceptable standard or dissertation defence is unacceptable but the committee agrees that the candidate has the potential, with additional preparation, to be able successfully to defend work; re-submission of dissertation and second attempt of oral defence no sooner than six months and no later than twelve months after the original defence.
  • Recommendation 5:clear fail; dissertation does not meet minimum standards and committee considers that no reasonable amount of additional research or revision is likely to bring it to an acceptable standard or oral defence of dissertation is completely unacceptable and committee agrees that the candidate does not have potential to be able to successfully defend the work; committee recommends candidate be required to discontinue from the College of Graduate Studies.

No later than a week after the examination, the examiners must provide a written copy of any requirements they have for the dissertation to the Chair of the Graduate Committee. The Supervisor and the Chair of the Graduate Committee are responsible for seeing that the candidate carries out the changes, but the examiners have the right to approve them. If the Supervisor declines to see the changes carried out, the Chair of the Graduate Committee appoints one of the examiners to do so in the Supervisor's place. All these things are to be agreed upon before the examination meeting ends.

Any required recommended revisions are to be completed and confirmed by the Supervisor or designate before the dissertation is considered complete. The finished document must conform to the requirements of the current editions of either the MLA Handbook or the Chicago Manual of Style as well as the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies formatting guidelines for theses and dissertations.

Candidates will submit a copy of the finalized Ph.D. Dissertation to the Chair of the Graduate Committee as well as to the submission site for Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Please consult the CGPS site on thesis and dissertation submission for more information.