PhD Literature in English

PhD Doctorate

The Doctor of Philosophy in Literature-in-English is a research degree of the Department of English, Faculty of Arts. It creates flexible learning opportunities that equip students with a broad knowledge base in Literary Studies while leaving room for specialisation and innovation, and it aligns the postgraduate levels (MA, MPhil, PhD) so that the School of Graduate Studies Step-Up, Step-Down policy can be applied in practice.

Aim of the programme

To produce globally competitive, self-independent researchers with in-depth knowledge and advanced expertise to conduct useful research on literary productions and to engage theoretically with the socio-cultural, political, ideological and economic contexts of those productions.

Objectives

Conduct socially responsible research on literary productions using innovative theoretical approaches to literary criticism.
Develop theoretical perspectives on the socio-cultural, linguistic, political, ideological and geo-economic contexts associated with literary productions, their dissemination and their consumption.
Contribute to theoretical discussions in Literary Studies through collaborative research and conference participation.

The programme runs over six semesters. Students entering with an MPhil begin in Year 1, while those upgraded (Step-Up) begin in Year 2, which is why the structure is expressed as Year 1/2, Year 2/3 and Year 3/4. The first year of study carries twelve (12) credits a semester: Research and Professional Ethics, Research Synthesis and Meta-analysis in English Studies and Advanced Literary Theory in the first semester, and Academic Writing for Graduate Students and Guided Study in Literary Studies in the second. The remaining four semesters carry nine (9) credits each, made up of Graduate Research Seminars I to IV and the Thesis.

Students admitted to the PhD level directly may be required to take additional core or elective courses from the MA/MPhil level if there is a deficiency in their earlier academic record, and students who took Academic Writing for Graduate Students at the MPhil level are exempted from taking it again. A PhD student is required to publish at least two papers in recognised peer-reviewed journals, or in edited volumes published by a reputable publisher, before submitting the thesis; a paper submitted and marked 'Under Review' is considered a publication.

Background

The current PhD (Literature-in-English) programme was introduced in the 2011/2012 academic year and has been running in the Department of English since. The School of Graduate Studies, UCC, introduced a Step-Up, Step-Down policy under which students admitted into MPhil programmes could upgrade to the PhD level or be downgraded to the MA level depending on their performance in the course work.

The Department has produced several PhD graduates for higher education institutions in Ghana. One limitation in the programme structure, however, was that there was no proper linkage between the different postgraduate levels (MA, MPhil, PhD), which made the implementation of the Step-Up, Step-Down policy impractical. This revised programme is designed to address that challenge.

Career opportunities

Graduates of the programme are expected to be employed in the following sectors:

1. Media. 2. Banking. 3. Commercial practices. 4. Higher educational institutions.

Requirements for graduation

Course requirements: a Postgraduate Research Student who enrols in the PhD programme is required to pass all courses taken during the course work with Grade C or better, attain a CGPA of 2.5 or better, and pass both the examination of the written thesis and an oral examination based on the thesis in order to graduate.

Credit requirements: a student who progresses to the PhD level is required to complete a minimum credit load of ninety (90) credits, comprising course work and thesis.

Publication: a student who progresses to the PhD level is required to publish at least two papers in recognised peer-reviewed journals, or in edited volumes published by a reputable publisher, to qualify for graduation. A paper submitted and marked 'Under Review' is considered a publication.

Assessment: students are required to complete all assignments, term papers and seminar presentations assigned to them, and must score Grade C or better to pass a course.

Apply to this programme

The University of Cape Coast’s general admission requirements apply to every programme in the Department.

Admissions and Entry Requirements

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Course structure

The courses mounted for this programme, by year and semester.

Level 900

First Semester

Code	Course	Type	Credits
ENG911	Language and Literacy	Core	3
ENG912	Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis in English Studies	Core	3
ENG914	Graduate Research Seminar I	Research Component	3
ENG916	Graduate Research Seminar III	Research Component	3
ENG956	Advanced Literary Theory	Core	3
ENG999	Phd Thesis	Research Component	3

Second Semester

Code	Course	Type	Credits
ENG913	Guided Study in English Studies	Core	3
ENG915	Graduate Research Seminar II	Research Component	3
ENG917	Graduate Research Seminar IV	Research Component	3
ENG999	Phd Thesis	Research Component	6
SGS801	Academic Writing For Graduate Students	Mandatory	3