The Graduate Enter in British aims to supply PhD candidates having a broad understanding of the concept of British, including critical and cultural theory. Additional important skills include facility using the tools of scholarshipancient and modern other languages, bibliographic procedures, and textual and editorial methods. This program also emphasizes the opportunity to write well, to complete solid and innovative scholarly and demanding operate in a specialized field or fields, to educate effectively, and also to make articulate presentations at conferences, workshops, and symposia.

This program takes from four to seven many years to complete, with nearly all students finishing in 5 or 6 years.

Admissions Needs

The admissions committee carefully examines the general profile of every applicant, taking every aspect of the applying into account. The British Department FAQs for graduate admissions provide solutions to a lot of initial questions and also the GSAS Student Guide details program needs .

Writing Sample

The writing samples (one primary and something secondary) are highly significant areas of the applying. Candidates should submit two double-spaced, 15-page papers of a maximum of 5,000 words each, in 12-point type with 1-inch margins. The writing samples should be types of critical writing (instead of creative writing) on subjects proportional to British. Applicants shouldn’t send longer papers with instructions to see an excerpt or excerpts, but should edit the samples themselves so they submit only 15 pages for every paper. Candidates who be aware of field that they be prepared to specialize should, whenever possible, submit a principal writing sample associated with that field.

Grades

While a candidate’s overall GPA is essential, it’s more essential with an average of no less than A- in literature (and related) courses. Additionally, basically we encourage applications from candidates in programs apart from British, they have to have both requisite critical skills along with a foundation in British literature for graduate operate in British. The majority of our effective candidates possess some understanding of all of the major fields of British literary study and advanced understanding from the field that they plan to study.

Three Recommendations

You should have strong recommendations from professors who understand candidates’ academic work. Applicants who’ve been from school for quite some time need to improve connection with former professors. Additional letters from employers can also be incorporated. Recommenders should comment not just around the applicant’s academic readiness for the PhD program but additionally around the applicant’s future potential as teachers and students.

GSAS regrets that applicants cannot use Interfolio or any other recommendation dossier services recommenders must make use of the GSAS online recommendation system to submit recommendations.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

High scores within the verbal (a minimum of 166, or 700 within the old scoring system) and subject tests (a minimum of 650 in British Literature) are positive inclusions in the applying, but they are in no way the most crucial facet of one’s candidacy.

The quantitative and analytical scores carry less weight compared to verbal and subject scores. Applicants should make sure to understand the schedule of GRE testing over time to possess scores delivered to Harvard through the finish of December. Scores received after the start of The month of january might be past too far that need considering. The topic test in British Literature is really a paper-based test, only administered three occasions each year (April, October, and November), so please plan your applications accordingly. The Apply page provides more information about GRE needs .

Statement of Purpose

The Statement of Purpose isn’t a personal statement and cannot be heavily weighted lower with autobiographical anecdotes. It ought to be no more than 1,000 words. It ought to provide the admissions committee a obvious feeling of applicants’ individual interests and strengths. Applicants do not need to indicate an exact field of specialization, if they don’t know, but it’s useful to understand something in regards to a candidate’s professional aspirations and sense that belongs to them skills, in addition to the way the Harvard Department of British may help achieve their set goals. Individuals who curently have an investigation subject in your mind should outline it at length, giving a feeling of the way they plan their progress with the program. Individuals who don’t should a minimum of make an effort to define the questions and interests they anticipate driving the work they do within the next couple of years.

Languages

While there aren’t any specific prerequisites for admission, a powerful language background helps you to strengthen the applying, and students who lack it ought to be aware that they’ll have to address these gaps throughout their first couple of many years of graduate study. More details can be obtained in the Department of British.

Theses Dissertations