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Recommended Timeline for the Ph.D.1st Year During the first semester in the program, students are advised to take the Proseminar in Graduate Studies along with two other courses (a total of nine credit-hours, the typical load for full-time graduates). Since it is a course-requirement in the program and many entering students will be taking it as well, the Proseminar is highly recommended for the first semester. Students should figure out which track they wish to pursue as soon as possible. (There are three options in the Purple Book: Literary Studies, Writing and Culture, and Linguistics). Knowing your track will speed up discussions with your Program of Study committee and also help you weed through courses each semester as they pertain to your research and program interests.
2nd Year
For students enter without a Master’s degree, this year will be similar to the last: coursework. The second semester, students
should create a committee and hold qualifying procedure, which is the equivalent of a Master’s exam. Some students consider taking
a summer class, particularly for the language requirement. Remember, students need to publish, and they have four years left.
3rd Year Most students begin reading lists in their third year! These are three lists of 30 to 45 works each. Read, read, read. In addition to reading, students also work on revising and sending papers out for publication. 4th Year Many student are still reading, but not necessarily. Exams are intimidating, but students should take them before their fifth year to have two solid years for dissertation writing. Consider using your exam essays (three at fifteen pages each) as possible publications. 5th & 6th Year Dissertation writing time. Remember to keep the job-market in mind as you finish at LSU.
Ph.D. Teaching Responsibilities (from a First-Year Student’s Perspective)If you enter with a Master’s, you will begin by teaching ENGL-1001. At the same time, you will be taking Irvin Peckham’s Practicum on Teaching Writing (ENGL-7915). Some incoming students may have taken an equivalent course at another university. If so, you may be exempted from ENGL-7915. Regardless, you will be teaching ENGL-1001 during your first semester at LSU. However, if you are one of the students who enter without a Master’s, you will start as a teaching assistant for a large lecture course during your first year (i.e. Shakespeare, American Literature, and so on). This choice may seem strange at first, but the experience is an excellent transition into the Ph.D. program at LSU: not only does it allow you to enter teaching with mentoring and assistance from seasoned LSU faculty, but it also offers a more comfortable teaching schedule where you conduct large group discussions among students instead of lecturing and conducting discussions during weekly classes. As a new teacher at LSU, it is likely that you will be an enthusiastic teacher. However, many LSU faculty and graduate students will offer the same advice: don’t let your enthusiasm for your teaching position overrule your responsibilities as a Ph.D. student in the program. Utilize peer and group resources listed on the EGSA Pedagogy website for ideas and lesson plans. |
Students will need to schedule a “Program of Study” meeting during their first year. This meeting is a key time for students
to figure out which classes from other institutions transfer in for their current degree requirements and which do not; how
much course work is required; and the focus of their degree program. Minors and language requirements are also discussed during
this meeting. For more information, consult the English Department’s “Purple Book.”
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English Graduate Student Association |
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