The English program enjoys a high reputation for teaching and research in both traditional and innovative areas of literary history and literary criticism. The graduate program prides itself on providing students with the advantages of studying at a Research I institution in a diversity-filled urban environment. Temple University is the only public university in the Philadelphia area offering a doctoral concentration in rhetoric and composition.
The English doctoral program offers a curriculum that provides training in broad foundational areas while also allowing for concentration in more specialized seminars and in areas of individual student interest. For students entering with an M.A., the time to completion can be five years. Students with a B.A. may need an extra year, during which adjunct teaching may be available.
Areas of Specialization: The literature faculty is unusually productive in both emerging and traditional areas of literary scholarship. The doctoral program provides options for intensive study in British, American, and Global Literatures, encompassing critical theory, cultural theory, film theory, interdisciplinary methods, minority literatures, gender studies, and rhetoric and communication. Specialty certificates may be pursued in Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies and/or in Cultural Analytics, which uses digital techniques.
Job Prospects: About 40% of graduates hold tenure-track positions at colleges and universities. A smaller number are non-tenure-track faculty, while some work in publishing, foundations, or corporate positions. Graduates have traditionally found placement in the Northeast. Increasingly, however, the program's graduates have taken jobs outside the region in Midwestern, Southern, and Western states.
September 2025
Temple University
1801 N Broad Street,
PHILADELPHIA,
Pennsylvania,
19122, United States
Master's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A master's degree is preferred.
Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A baccalaureate degree in English is required.
Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:
TOEFL iBT: 105
IELTS Academic: 7.0
PTE Academic: 72
Application Deadline: Fall: December 15
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.