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Program Stages

Overview

Students in UCLA’s PhD program move through three program stages, each of which includes unique scholarly and career development milestones. We sketch these here in general terms. For more detail, please refer to the Guide to Graduate Study.

Stage 1

Stage one begins with a focus on the coursework requirement, which consists of 14 letter-graded graduate seminars in English literature. Of these 14, at least two must be in literature prior to the year 1800, two in literature after 1800, and two focused on theory, genre, or methods.  Students entering the program with a master’s degree may petition to apply up to four English literature courses from that program toward this requirement.  Also by petition, up to three UCLA courses in other disciplines may be applied, and up to two directed study courses.

Upon completion of the coursework requirement and the language requirement, students are eligible to take the first qualifying (“Part One”) exam, which focuses on literature from three distinct historical periods (or two historical periods and one genre).  Successful completion of the Part One exam advances the student to stage two. Students who do not already hold a master’s in English or its equivalent receive the UCLA M.A. at this point. However, we do not offer a stand-alone M.A. degree.

During stage one, students will be learning, largely through observation, what it means to be a professional academic.  Students should take this time to identify their strengths and weaknesses and build a game plan for professional development.

Self-Assessment

  • To begin, we recommend all PhD students complete the Skills, Interests, and Values assessments in Imagine PhD, a free, confidential, online career planning tool, and that they revisit these assessments at least once per academic year.  Students should discuss their results with any or all of the following: the Vice Chair for Graduate Studies or Director of Professionalization in the English Department, their adviser, or a graduate counselor at the Career Center (we strongly recommend becoming familiar with and making use of the Career Center, especially their advising services and workshop offerings).
  • We recommend students use Imagine PhD’s “My Plan” feature to build a 5-7 year timeline that includes completion of their degree.  Plot degree milestones and, drawing from assessments, plot skill-building activities.
  • Build skills at this stage through coursework, teaching, volunteer opportunities (academic and non), and summer employment.
  • Stage one is an ideal time to build healthy habits that will ensure success in graduate school.  Students should make time to have fun, cultivate friendships, and attend to their physical and mental health.  UCLA is rich in such resources, and we recommend students explore offerings from UCLA Recreation, UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services, and the Graduate Student Resource Center.

Career Path Preparation

Stage 1 is the time to learn the contours of academia and lay the foundations for professional success.  We recommend students take the following steps before moving on to stage two.

  • Build an Online Presence – most students already have one, but the start of PhD work is a good time to ensure one is representing oneself professionally across platforms, and to build a presence on relevant academic platforms.  The Career Center holds regular workshops about this, and you may discuss online strategies individually with a Graduate Career Counselor.
  • Create both a cv and resumé, and be sure to understand the difference between the two.  See chapter five of the Career Preparation Toolkit for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars.  
  • Attend talks – this is an excellent way to be exposed to new ideas, to observe and absorb codes of professional, public academic behavior, and meet people.  Attending departmental events especially is a crucial aspect of collegial behavior.
  • Review academic and non-academic job ads – becoming familiar with how employers describe what they’re looking for in a future colleague is an excellent way for students to begin thinking about skill-building and self-presentation.  Links to various academic job sites can be found at the “Academic Job Search” age of the “Career Development” CCLE site; Imagine PhD pulls non-academic job listings in real time from indeed.com.  These may be found in the “Apply” section of each Job Family.

Communication Skills

  • Students should, in their first stage, continue to develop as writers through course work and publicly engaged writing and add any writing or publication goals to their timelines.
  • They should also gain familiarity with the major conferences and journals in their field.

Stage 2

Students typically advance to stage two during their third year and are required to pass the Second Qualifying Exam no later than the Spring Quarter of their 4th year. During stage two, they form their dissertation committees and also prepare and defend their dissertation prospectus by taking the second qualifying (“Part Two”) exam, an oral defense of the prospectus before the full dissertation committee. Successful completion of the Part Two exam confers the C.Phil. degree and advances the student to candidacy for the Ph.D.

Self-Assessment

Students should take time at this stage to pause and reflect.  Passing the Part One exam is a major achievement, and students should savor their accomplishment.  Students can also use this time to think and plan for their ideal outcomes. Students should be thinking, that is, about what they – not their advisers or peers – really want to be doing once they earn the PhD.  At this stage students should be staying on track to finish their degree and figuring out what kind of academic (in terms of field, institution type, and public engagement) they want to be should they choose to pursue an academic career.   We recommend students take the following steps before advancing to candidacy.

  • Students should revisit their timeline – either in Imagine PhD’s “My Plan” or some other format – regularly, at least once per academic year to ensure timely degree progress and make any necessary adjustments.
  • Students should begin exploring their career options.  The profiles in the “Explore” section of Imagine PhD’s resources for the “Faculty” job family offer a sense of what it is like to work at various institution types.  Students might also consider conducting informational interviews with faculty.  More about informational interviews can be found in chapter 3 of the Career Preparation Toolkit for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars.  
  • Now is the time to begin thinking in earnest about other areas of professional interest.  Besides being a professor, what other careers might be of interest? See chapter 2 of the Toolkit for resources to begin such exploration, be sure to complete the Imagine PhD assessments, and consider scheduling an appointment with a Graduate Counselor at the Career Center.
  • Leadership roles, collaborations (such as in teaching and event planning), volunteer positions, teaching opportunities beyond English, and administrative positions on campus are ways to begin expanding skills and experience, which is something students should pursue at this stage.
  • Students should continue prioritizing their physical and mental health.

Career Path Preparation

During stage two, students should continue …

  • Updating their online presence regularly.
  • Reviewing job ads (academic and non)
  • Attending talks

Communications Skills

  • At this stage students should know what the major CONFERENCES in their field are and begin thinking about attending them.  Students should, with guidance from their adviser and the Director of Professionalization, be strategic about conference attendance in order to derive the most benefit from the effort and money it takes to attend one.  The Graduate Writing Center offers workshops on preparing conference papers, and you can access video from an English Department workshop on attending conferences on the “Workshops” page of our Career Development CCLE website.
  • Stage two is also a good time to think in concrete terms about PUBLISHING.  By now, students know the major journals in their field and can begin thinking about what kinds of articles they’d like to place where and when.  As with conferences, some strategic planning is in order when it comes to publication. Students should confer with their advisers, watch the English Department workshop about publications on the “Workshops” page of our Career Development CCLE website, and avail themselves of resources at the Graduate Writing Center.
  • While an article looks wonderful on a CV, so does a grant, especially one from beyond UCLA.  Stage 2 is an excellent time to explore EXTERNAL FUNDING.  Students can use the UCLA GRAPES Database (Graduate PostDoc Extramural Support) to search for funding opportunities and should watch the English Department workshop about funding on the “Workshops” page of our Career Development CCLE website.

Stage 3

Students normally begin the third stage by the beginning of year five. During this stage, the focus is on the research, writing, and completion of the dissertation project. The department does not require a dissertation defense. Upon successful filing of the dissertation, the Ph.D. is conferred. Standard time for degree completion is two years from the date of advancement to candidacy.

In this last stage of the PhD students should strategize for a strong finish and begin planning for life beyond UCLA.

Self-Assessment

  • Review and finalize timeline for degree completion and update regularly
  • Review job search goals, revise as needed and update action plan; this review and revision can be done in conversation with the student’s adviser, the Director of Professionalization, and a graduate counselor at the Career Center.
  • Stay healthy with rest, exercise, diet, and recreation.
  • Maintain a competitive edge by finishing their dissertation and professionalizing their wardrobe.

Career Path Preparation

  • Make sure online presence is up to date and tailored to specific roles the student is targeting
  • Finalize application materials, including references, and tailor as needed. See chapter 5 of the Career Preparation Toolkit for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars to get started, and be sure to watch the series of workshops on the “Academic Job Search” page of our Career Development CCLE website.
  • Search for and apply to job openings and postdoc positions

Communications Skills

  • Complete the dissertation and continue submitting work to journals
  • Schedule a mock interview with the English Department and at the Career Center
  • Continue to engage diverse audiences through presentations, teaching, or community involvement.