Graduate Program

Penn State’s graduate program in English offers students access to an extraordinary faculty of award winning scholars with national and international reputations in their fields. We offer small seminars with close interaction between faculty and students across the full spectrum of areas that define contemporary studies in literature, culture, rhetoric, and writing.  The students we produce are the future leaders of the profession and we take the job seriously. 

Our PhD Placement Record
We have an exceptional graduate placement record that puts us in the top tier of research universities nation wide.  Each year, 90% of our students find academic employment.

Between 1998 and 2008, Penn State placed more graduate students in jobs at Carnegie Foundation designated “Research Very High” universities than any other institution in our university cohort.

A Distinguished Tradition of Graduates

Who Publishes our Grads?

Graduate Student Accomplishments

How We Train and Place our PhD Students

Areas of Specialization/Research:

Medieval
Renaissance
18th century British Literature
19th century British Literature

American Literature
African American Literature
Latino/a Literature

Modernist Studies

Contemporary Literature

Rhetoric and Composition

Theory and Cultural Studies

Creative Writing

Visual Culture

Funding and Support

Teaching

Graduate Student Life

________________________________________________________________________

Mark Morrisson
Director of Graduate Studies