nyu english literature phd

English and American Literature

• Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, and Histories
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Using BobCat to Find Literature Journals

One of the best methods of staying current with your field is by browsing the journal literature. Literature journals help you keep up with the latest scholarship and provide potential venues for publishing your own research. The numerous online databases available to you through the library allow you to search through the contents of these journals (and many others), but browsing through an individual journal will allow you the opportunity for more specific topic research.

You can use the advanced search options in BobCat , the NYU Libraries' catalog, to limit the material type to "Journal" while searching for a subject or keyword of your choice. Here are some sample subject searches, limited to journals:

• American literature
• Comparative literature
• English literature -- History and criticism
• Language and literature

Try adding in additional terms to narrow your search down, or use the "Tweak my results" options on the left side of the page if you're getting too many results.

If this method doesn't work for you, you may want to look at a more specialized list of journals (see "Using the MLA Directory of Periodicals" below).

Using the MLA Directory of Periodicals to Find Literature Journals

If you want to look at a list of journals for any topic within literary studies, try the MLA Directory of Periodicals (DOP). Each entry in the DOP provides information about the journal's scope, subject matter, publication schedule, editors, submission guidelines, peer review status, and more. You can access the DoP from within the MLA International Bibliography database, or directly through its own link (below and in the library's Articles & Databases portal).

The video below, from the Modern Language Association, explains the basics of using the DoP.

• MLA Directory of Periodicals This link opens in a new window The MLA Directory of Periodicals provides detailed information on journals and book series that cover literature, literary theory, dramatic arts, folklore, language, linguistics, pedagogy, rhetoric and composition, and the history of printing and publishing. Articles published in works listed in the directory are indexed in the MLA International Bibliography. The directory is a valuable resource for scholars seeking outlets to publish their work

What Is the MLA Directory of Periodicals? (on EBSCO) from Modern Language Association on Vimeo .

Closed captioning is available through the Vimeo platform. No transcript is available.

This video is one of many MLA International Bibliography tutorials available on the MLA's own website.

A Sampling of Literature Journals

Here is a small sampling of the literature journals available to you through the library:

• Book History Book History is devoted to every aspect of the history of the book, broadly defined as the history of the creation, dissemination, and reception of script and print. It publishes research on the social, economic, and cultural history of author- ship, editing, printing, the book arts, publishing, the book trade, periodicals, newspapers, ephemera, copyright, censorship, literary agents, libraries, literary criticism, canon formation, literacy, literary education, reading habits, and reader response.
• Contemporary Literature Contemporary Literature covers the whole range of critical practices, offering new perspectives in contemporary literary studies. CL features in-depth interviews with significant writers, broad-ranging articles written by leaders in the field, and book reviews of important critical studies.
• Critical Inquiry In CI new ideas and reconsideration of those traditional in criticism and culture are granted a voice. The wide interdisciplinary focus creates surprising juxtapositions and linkages of concepts, offering new grounds for theoretical debate. In CI, authors entertain and challenge while illuminating such issues as improvisations, the life of things, Flaubert, and early modern women's writing. CI comes full circle with the electrically charged debates between contributors and their critics.
• ELH Since 1934, ELH has published superior studies that interpret the conditions affecting major works in English and American literature.
• Journal of Victorian Culture Journal of Victorian Culture is essential reading for scholars of the Victorian period. It provides an international forum for discussion and debate on all aspects of Victorian history and culture in a diverse range of formats, including articles, perspectives, roundtables and a section of substantial reviews.
• New Literary History New Literary History focuses on questions of theory, method, interpretation, and literary history. Rather than espousing a single ideology or intellectual framework, it canvasses a wide range of scholarly concerns.
• Publications of the Modern Language Association of America (PMLA) PMLA is the journal of the Modern Language Association of America. Since 1884, PMLA has published members' essays judged to be of interest to scholars and teachers of language and literature.
• SEL: Studies in English Literature 1500-1900 SEL focuses on four fields of British literature in rotating, quarterly issues: English Renaissance, Tudor and Stuart Drama, Restoration and Eighteenth Century, and Nineteenth Century. The editors select learned, readable papers that contribute significantly to the understanding of British literature from 1500 to 1900.

Need to find out if a journal is peer-reviewed? Use Ulrichs

• Ulrichsweb This link opens in a new window Ulrichsweb is an authoritative source of detailed information on periodicals of all types -- academic and scholarly journals, Open Access publications, peer-reviewed titles, popular magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and more from around the world.
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• Last Updated: Apr 2, 2024 1:13 AM
• URL: https://guides.nyu.edu/english-and-american-literature

Search NYU Steinhardt

Doctor of Philosophy English Education

Develop the research and writing skills you need to become an academic researcher or teacher educator in the field of English education. This doctoral program prepares you to build a career as a university researcher, English curriculum specialist in governmental and nonprofit educational organizations, or English teacher educator in post-secondary school systems.

Degree Details

Official degree title.

PhD in English Education: Secondary and College

New York City as Your Research Setting

Based in one of the most diverse urban settings in the world, NYU Steinhardt is an ideal location to conduct educational research. We partner with schools across New York City to provide opportunities for fieldwork, giving you a wide range of potential sites for conducting research. 

Small Classes and Doctoral Seminars

Courses in this program prepare you to conduct independent research in your area of interest. You'll design research proposals, implement a research agenda, and disseminate findings. You will also attend doctoral seminars that foster deep conversations on relevant texts and issues in the field. 

Work Closely with Our Renowned Faculty

Our faculty members are leading efforts in educational reform, and conducting research on issues like barriers to literacy acquisition and the relationship of public schooling to social, political, and economic contexts. With the guidance of your faculty mentor, you will research and prepare a doctoral dissertation.

Upon completion of your doctorate, you’ll be prepared for a career as a university researcher, Teacher educator in post-secondary school systems, and English education specialist in governmental and nonprofit educational organizations.

Funding for Full-Time PhD Students

NYU Steinhardt offers a competitive funding package for PhD students who study full time.  Learn more about our funding opportunities .

Online Info Session

In this session, NYU faculty share information about the PhD programs in the department of Teaching & Learning, including the PhD in Teaching & Learning, PhD in English Education, PhD in Bilingual Education, and PhD in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Faculty provide an overview of the programs and answer questions from potential applicants.

If you have any additional questions about our degree, please feel free to contact Sarah W. Beck, Program Director at  [email protected] .

Take the Next Step

Advance your personal and professional journey – apply to join our community of students.

Published November 08, 2019

This or That: English vs Comparative Literature

David Querusio

Assistant Director, NYU Admissions

If you like poetry readings, getting lost in used bookstores, and asserting that the book is always better than the movie, then pursuing a major focused on reading and writing might be the path for you. While majoring in English might be the obvious choice, Comparative Literature is another great way to explore these passions. But what, exactly, is the difference between the two programs? 

To grasp the difference between the two, it’s important to break down the mission statements of each department.

“A Dynamic Traversal”

NYU’s Comp Lit program has an interdisciplinary approach to the field, which they refer to as a “dynamic traversal.” The curriculum infuses literary criticism with a variety of theories and disciplines. It is common for Comp Lit majors to incorporate anything from philosophy to linguistics to music theory into their criticism. These approaches are typically framed through a transnational lens. Course offerings include Life in Chinese Lit and Film and Middle Eastern Anglophone Literature.

Because of this international and, yes, comparative , approach to literature, Comp Lit majors often align their studies with translation work and cultural analysis. Graduates often go on to pursue academic careers in graduate studies. Other Comp Lit students work in positions ranging from online poetry journal start-ups to news outlets. 

The Next Great Novelist or Critic

The English department, on the other hand, investigates how we classify literature and the methods we use to analyze it. English majors immerse themselves in close reading, archival research, and the digital humanities . While English departments tend to focus more on historical and archival approaches, English majors are hardly traditional. As with Comp Lit students, English majors like to push the boundaries of how we classify “literature.”

The department’s mission statement explains that they see literature as “writing in all media.” Students investigate “all the ways in which texts have been produced, reproduced, circulated, and read.” In other words, English majors ask how we classify, write, and publish literature across history.

If you are less of a critic and more of a creative writer, then the English department’s concentration in creative writing might appeal to you. The concentration offers seminars and workshops focused on peer review with top writers. You can finally finish that novel or poetry collection you’ve been drafting in your phone’s Notes app.  

Comparing the Course Catalog

Whether you end up in Comp Lit, English, or something else entirely, NYU has ways to satisfy your inner bookworm. The comp lit department sponsors the student-published brio literary journal to showcase undergraduate talent.  The English department houses reading groups where students with similar research interests share resources and texts. Finally, the Creative Writing Program hosts the ever-popular Reading Series . These “salons” give students the chance to hear from their favorite writers in informal discussions. 

Ultimately, both Comp Lit and English majors have too many books to read and not enough time. Pick the curriculum that’s most exciting to you so you actually read  what you want. That way, you (hopefully) avoid the conundrum depicted below. 

David Querusio is an Assistant Director with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at NYU. He especially loves sharing stories of how NYU students think outside of the box to define their own academic paths. When he’s not on the road meeting with students or in grad class at NYU Steinhardt, he can be found searching the city for the best cup of coffee.

More from David:

This or That: Psychology vs Applied Psychology

You know you want to study the mind but there are two paths you can take at NYU. Find out which Psychology program is the right fit for you and your goals.

Liberal Studies vs Global Liberal Studies

You keep hearing about Liberal Studies and Global Liberal Studies, but what are they? Izzy, GLS ’22, explains the difference from a student perspective.

This or That: Drama vs Performance Studies

Interested in the performing arts but don’t know if you’d rather be in the spotlight or write about it? Find out which Tisch major is right for you.

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Class of 2024 Graduate Convocation

NYU Shanghai will hold its fourth Graduate Convocation on Sunday, May 26, 2024 at 14:00 (GMT+8, China Standard Time) to honor the accomplishment of close to 150 graduates from nine programs: Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics , Doctor of Philosophy in Neural Science , Doctor of Philosophy in Transportation Planning and Engineering , Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), Master of Arts in Interactive Media Arts (IMA), Master of Science in Data Analytics & Business Computing (MSDABC),  Master of Science in Quantitative Finance (MSQF) , Master of Science in Marketing and Retail Science (MSMRS), and Master of Science in Organization Management and Strategy (MSOMS).

The Graduate Convocation will take place on NYU Shanghai’s New Bund Campus and will be livestreamed to audiences worldwide. Stay tuned for more information.

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