Supervision: Incoming PhD students are assigned a supervisor as part of our admissions process. Students thus receive focused mentorship from the very start of the degree through to completion.

Courses: PhD students complete six graduate courses: five elective courses in Year 1 (click here for sample Course Outlines), and in Year 2, our cohort-building professional development focused Doctoral Research Seminar. In elective courses, students explore final paper topics and methodologies that connect course themes to their own research interests, providing breadth while simultaneously helping to consolidate directions for dissertation research.

Comprehensive Exams: PhD students in our program demonstrate comprehensive knowledge related to their specializations in Year 2 by writing a Field Paper and a Topic Paper, and by defending both in an oral examination.

• The Field Paper is designed to develop broad expertise in the wider field of knowledge the candidate’s research will engage.
• The Topic Paper describes how the candidate’s dissertation will intervene in this field and the particular contribution it will make. Writing the topic paper helps prepare students for developing the detailed thesis proposal.

Dissertation Writing: After completing their comprehensive exams, students submit a detailed thesis proposal and write a thesis (200-250 pages) to be defended in an oral examination. Students receive ongoing individualized mentorship in research and professionalization from members of their supervisory committee.

Throughout the degree, students benefit from focused opportunities for academic, pedagogical, and professional development, including:

• Further enrich the interdisciplinary ECS PhD degree with a concurrent Graduate Diploma in Gender and Social Justice or Water Without Borders Graduate Diploma
• Conferencing and Conference Organizing
  • Travel to conferences to share your research, with help from department-specific research travel awards; additional funding available by application from McMaster’s Graduate Studies Association and School of Graduate Studies.
  • Contribute to the department’s annual John Douglas Taylor conference, a collaborative venture between ECS faculty and graduate students.
• Research and Editorial Assistantships
  • Gain valuable experience through paid research and editorial assistant positions under the supervision of individual faculty members, the Centre for Community Engaged Narrative Arts (CCENA), and scholarly journals affiliated with the department (such as Early Theatre and Eighteenth Century Fiction).
• Grant writing
  • Annual workshops give you targeted feedback from peers and faculty members to use when revising draft grant applications.
  • PhD students in our department enjoy high success rates in national and international grant competitions.
• Publishing
  • In our Year 2 Doctoral Research Seminar, workshop an abstract/pitch and develop a submission for publication; learn how to navigate peer review and gain other valuable tips from faculty members who are journal editors and who hold deep expertise in public-facing scholarship.
• Teaching:
  • Teaching is an integral part of our graduate degree programs. Gain expertise in facilitating discussion, marking assignments, and developing/ implementing learning activities focused on reading and writing skills, through paid training and guaranteed TAships (Years 1-4).
  • Deepen your expertise in teaching through optional guest lecturing and additional events/resources offered by McMaster’s MacPherson Institute.
  • Develop skills and knowledge in anti-oppressive pedagogy by taking our elective course in Decolonial, Anti-Racist, and Anti-Oppressive Pedagogies or joining the department’s Anti-Oppression in Teaching Committee.
  • Once your detailed thesis proposal is approved, apply for a Teaching Fellow position, in which you will be mentored as the instructor of record for one of our departmental courses. Teaching Fellows gain valuable experience to draw on when applying for academic jobs and pursuing alt- and non-academic careers as well.
• Build your professional development skills by contributing to university governance, student organizations, and the TA union:
  • Gain experience on key student, departmental, and faculty-wide committees that work to address issues and improve graduate students’ experiences, including the ECS Graduate Caucus and the Faculty of Humanities, as well as CUPE 3906.

Our department houses a wide range of opportunities for graduate students to develop their skills, find community, and engage with faculty experts.

Learn more about life in our department:

Our Community

Tuition and Supplemental Fees

Visit Graduate Studies to learn more about tuition and supplementary fees.

Learn More

Paid Teaching Opportunities

Two types of paid teaching opportunities offer our PhD students invaluable occasions for professionalization and career development:

Teaching Assistantships:

• All full-time graduate students in our department are guaranteed paid Teaching Assistant (TA) positions, supported by paid training as well as instructor/faculty-led supervision. Our doctoral students gain a range of teaching experience as TAs over the course of their degrees. This may include working as a TA for a first-year undergraduate or upper-level English and Cultural Studies course, or outside of the department in programs like iArts, Gender Studies, Global Peace and Social Justice, and Communication Studies and Media Arts.
• TAships generally involve running weekly tutorials, grading student work, and meeting with students individually. Marking TAs do not run tutorials, but instead grade essays and may meet with students individually to discuss their work. Upper year PhD students may be assigned a senior TA position, which involves assisting the instructor and providing resources to fellow TAs in that course.

Teaching Fellowships:

• A limited number of Teaching Fellowships are available to upper year PhD students by application. Teaching Fellows serve as primary instructors for undergraduate courses, and may also supervise TAs. These fellowships are awarded based on students’ qualifications in the course subject as well as their progress toward completing PhD program requirements. PhD students are able to hold up to two Teaching Fellow positions over the duration of their studies.
• Teaching Fellows normally teach an undergraduate course in the Department of English & Cultural Studies but there may be opportunities to teach in other areas such as Gender Studies, Humanities, iArts, and Communication Studies. The number of Teaching Fellowships awarded each year varies but most of our PhD students are able to complete at least one fellowship before graduating.

Scholarships and Funding

All full-time MA and PhD students receive scholarship funding from McMaster University. The McMaster Graduate Scholarship (MGS) is the most common form of scholarship support available to graduate students across the Faculty of Humanities. The MGS ensures that students receive a guaranteed minimum level of scholarship support. Adjustments to the MGS will depend on other available scholarships; please see the Faculty of Humanities Adjustments guidelines policy for additional details.

ECS graduate scholarship funding offers are competitive with those of other major programs in Canada, and applicants to the Department of English and Cultural Studies are often awarded named internal scholarships such as the Harry Lyman Hooker Senior Fellowships, the Harvey E. Longboat Graduate Scholarships for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Students, the Ontario Trillium Scholarship (OGS), and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS).

Our department prioritizes mentorship for in-program students who apply for additional internal as well as major external awards. This support includes information sessions, draft workshops, and one-on-one consultations with supervisors and the graduate chair. Our graduate students have an excellent track record in securing prestigious external awards such as Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS), SSHRC Doctoral fellowships, CGS-Master’s awards, and Vanier scholarships, as well as generous in-program scholarships such as the Townsend, Ogilvie, Goellnicht, and Wilson Leadership awards.

Admission to the PhD in English & Cultural Studies requires an MA in English, Literary Studies, Cultural Studies, or a related field, with marks of at least A- in two thirds of the applicant’s Masters level courses. In recent years, successful candidates have typically achieved an average of A (at least 85%) in upper-level undergraduate and MA coursework. Our admissions committee gives consideration to matching candidates’ proposed projects with the research expertise of available faculty members.

Applicants who do not hold a post-secondary degree whose language of instruction was English, are required to provide an official record of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A TOEFL score of 600 on the paper-based test, 250 on the computerized test, and 100 on the Internet-based test is required. If you are submitting the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test, a score of 7 is required. Please note that achieving the minimum required score on these tests is not always sufficient for admission.

Applications for the PhD program should reach the Department of English & Cultural Studies at McMaster no later than JANUARY 14^th. Applications and supplementary documentation must be submitted through the application portal – open November 1st.

Only completed applications, which include all required supporting documentation, will be reviewed. Application fees are non-refundable. Please read the information below before beginning your application. For questions regarding the application process, please email us at englgrsc@mcmaster.ca.

Required Documentation

You must compile the following required materials for the PhD program application. Please ensure that these required documents are uploaded when the online application form asks for the Statement of Interest and the CV.

Statement of Interest

The statement of interest (500 words) is an opportunity for students to outline the research project they wish to undertake. The statement of interest should indicate both the critical or theoretical debates and the primary texts students will engage. We invite applicants to situate their proposed project within relevant critical conversations, previous research, and/or lived experience. Securing a supervisor is not required before you submit your application; however, the admissions committee appreciates when applicants include suggestions of faculty members working in related fields to the proposed project. Learn about faculty whose areas of research align with your interests by consulting this guide to Our Research Clusters. Please note: additional supervisors may be available. Contact the program at englgrsc@mcmaster.ca for more information.

Writing Sample

A sample of your written work (15-22 pages). Choose a sample that demonstrates your strengths as an academic writer (eg. a paper written for a graduate course or a section of your MA thesis/project).

CV/Resume

Please list research, teaching or work experience related to your proposed area of specialization, such as:

• Scholarships, honours/prizes, awards, and bursaries received during your academic studies (include title of the award, duration, and brief description of significance)
• Conference presentations (title of paper, name of conference, date)
• Publications (scholarly, creative, public-facing)
• Community-engagement initiatives; service positions within educational and volunteer settings

Applicants who wish to be considered for the Don Goellnicht Memorial Award should include evidence demonstrating a commitment to humanitarianism and social advocacy. Please search for this scholarship on McMaster’s Graduate Studies website (select the “Internal” award category) for more information.

One original transcript per institution attended

Upload a scanned copy for each university and post-secondary institution attended and each program in which you have studied, including both undergraduate and graduate degrees and course work (including any transfer and exchange credits). Note: If your application is accepted for admission to the program, you will be required to submit original, paper transcripts.

Two confidential letters of recommendation

Letters should be from instructors most familiar with your academic work: McMaster University uses the Electronic Referencing System. By entering the email address of your referee through the online application, the system will automatically send an e-Reference request on your behalf. If for some reason you/or your referee are unable to use/access the Electronic Referencing System, please contact the department for help (englgrsc@mcmaster.ca).

International Students

Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to provide an official record of the Test of English as a Foreign Language. A minimum TOEFL score of 100 (iBT), 600 on the regular test and a score of 250 on the computerized test are required. If you are submitting the IELTS test, a minimum score of 7 is required.

Application Fee

To finalize the application, applicants must agree to the online terms and conditions, and pay the required $110 (CND) application fee. This fee is non-refundable and must be paid in Canadian dollars by means of a debit or credit card payment. Your application will not be considered for admission until your application fee has been received. Please see the Student Accounts & Cashiers website for information about acceptable methods of payment.