Department of English Graduate Student and Faculty Handbook

Department of English

Graduate Student and

Faculty Handbook

It is the responsibility of each student and each member of the Graduate Faculty to be familiar

with the information in this document.

The Department of English reserves the right to alter all deadlines within this document. Any

changes that occur will be communicated promptly and directly to students.

Updated August 2023

Table of Contents

1. DOCTORAL PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION ...................................................................... 3

2. MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE ................................................................................................. 4

3. THE DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE.......................................................................... 5

3.1 Transfer Credit for Students Admitted with an M.A. degree ............................................... 5

3.2 Part-Time Status.................................................................................................................... 5

3.3 Leaves of Absence ................................................................................................................ 5

3.4 Overview of Graduation Requirements for Doctoral Students ............................................. 6

3.5 Academic Probation .............................................................................................................. 7

3.6 Course Work ......................................................................................................................... 7

3.7 The Teaching Requirement ................................................................................................. 10

3.8 The Foreign Language Requirement .................................................................................. 11

3.9 The Comprehensive Examination ....................................................................................... 12

3.9.1 The Written Examination:............................................................................................ 12

3.9.2 The Dissertation Prospectus ......................................................................................... 16

3.9.3 The Oral Examination .................................................................................................. 16

3.9.4 The Final Dissertation Proposal ................................................................................... 17

3.10 The Dissertation ................................................................................................................ 17

3.11 The Dissertation Defense .................................................................................................. 19

3.12 Time-to-Degree Limit ....................................................................................................... 20

4. TYPICAL ACADEMIC SCHEDULE AND BENCHMARKS ............................................... 20

5. FUNDING................................................................................................................................. 24

5.1 Graduate School Funding ................................................................................................... 24

5.2 College of Arts and Science Funding ................................................................................. 26

5.3 Department-sponsored Funding .......................................................................................... 27

5.4 Other Funding Opportunities .............................................................................................. 29

6. DEPARTMENTAL AWARDS ................................................................................................ 30

7. PROFESSIONALIZATION AND JOB PLACEMENT .......................................................... 31

8. ADDITIONAL CAMPUS RESOURCES ................................................................................ 37

8.1 Digital Humanities .............................................................................................................. 37

8.2 Graduate Certificate Programs ............................................................................................ 37

1. DOCTORAL PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

The Doctoral Program is administered by the Graduate Studies Committee (GSC), which

is chaired by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). The GSC is typically composed of five

English Department faculty members who are appointed (or continued) each year by the

Department Chair. Among the committee’s members is one graduate student representative

elected by the English Graduate Students Association (EGSA).

The GSC conducts all business that concerns the nature and function of the Graduate

Program. It has the following responsibilities:

• consider petitions for variances from stated regulations

• serve as the admissions committee for applicants to the doctoral program

• evaluate and recommend nominees for internal awards and fellowships

• discuss, formulate, and present to the full faculty recommendations for changes to the

program

• consider appeals from individual graduate students on matters pertaining to

comprehensive exams

• consider and present to the faculty proposals for new graduate courses

• consider requests for leaves of absence

• consider requests for funding from the departmental endowments

• conduct annual reviews of all current Ph.D. students for progress and standing.

Appointed for terms of three years, the DGS serves as a liaison between the English

Department and the Graduate School, as well as between the individual graduate students or

groups of graduate students and the Graduate School. The DGS also monitors each graduate

student's progress toward the degree; schedules and administers the comprehensive exams; if

needed, mediates conflicts between graduate students and faculty; and designs the schedule of

graduate course offerings such as to insure adequate coverage in the fields that the graduate

student body represents at a given time.

The Department of English also maintains a full-time Graduate Program Assistant (GPA)

for the Ph.D. program. The GPA facilitates all academic, administrative, and financial processes

for the Ph.D. program, including all event scheduling, student stipends, award disbursement, and

individual student credit-hour tracking. The GPA functions as a go-to resource for all Ph.D.

students and faculty, and all paperwork for the Ph.D. program, both internal department forms

and Graduate School paperwork, flows through this position.

2. MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE

The Vanderbilt English Department does not typically offer a terminal M.A. degree.

Students

earn an M.A. en route to the Ph.D. Full-time doctoral students must complete all requirements

for the M.A. by the end of the fall semester of Year Two to be eligible to continue in the program

(see Graduate School for deadlines and forms for December degrees).

First-year graduate students register for classes with the advice and consent of the DGS

and an initial faculty advisor, who will be appointed by the DGS. This advisor will make early

plans with the student about course selection, language study, long and short range preparation

for the comprehensive and oral examinations, and the dissertation. By mid-May of their first

summer, students submit an internal M.A. Thesis Registration form that confirms the preliminary

M.A. thesis title and the thesis reader/supervisor.

M.A. Thesis: Under the direction of a thesis supervisor, first-year students will rewrite a

paper from a first-year course as an article suitable for submission to a scholarly journal. The

article need not have been accepted for publication; but it does have to be professional enough to

be ready, in the opinion of the supervisor, for submission. Students should consult with the

It is at the discretion of the GSC to make occasional exceptions.

Graduate School about thesis formatting and regulations. The preliminary M.A. thesis is due to

the DGS office in mid-August following Year One. The final draft of the M.A. thesis is due to

the DGS office at the beginning of November in Year Two. At that point, the Graduate Program

Assistant works directly with the students to submit M.A. paperwork with the Graduate School.

The M.A. degree is typically conferred at the end of the Fall semester in Year Two.

In September / October of Year Two, all second-year students organize and participate

in the biannual Second-Year Conference. (Due to small cohort sizes, the second- and third-year

cohorts hold this conference together.) This conference is a showcase for the students’ M.A.

theses. Typically, one student from the first-year cohort is the point person for organizing the

conference during the summer between Year One and Year Two, working directly with the

Graduate Program Assistant to coordinate logistics.

3. THE DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE

The Ph.D. is designed to be completed by a full-time student in six years. Financial

support is limited to this time.

3.1 Transfer Credit for Students Admitted with an M.A. degree

The Department of English does not accept transfer credit for course work completed

prior to enrollment at Vanderbilt University.

3.2 Part-Time Status

Part-time status is not allowed in the Department of English.

3.3 Leaves of Absence

3.3.1 Medical and personal leaves

Students seeking a leave must do so in writing to the DGS and the GSC, explaining the

reason(s) for the request. If the GSC approves the request, the DGS will forward it to the

Graduate School. Only the Graduate School is empowered to grant leaves of absence of any sort.

In endorsing a request for leave, the GSC will require that the student notify the

Department of English and the Graduate School well in advance of their plans to re-enter, extend

the leave, or withdraw from the program. In practical terms, this means that for leave of one fall-

to-fall academic year, the committee must be notified by December 1 of plans for the following

fall, by April 1 for a spring semester leave. The early dates of notification are primarily for

budgetary reasons.

3.3.2 Reinstatement after prolonged absence

If a student leaves the doctoral program before having completed the dissertation and

wishes to re-enter the program and the Graduate School to do so after a prolonged absence, they

must apply to the Graduate School for reinstatement. Such reinstatement is granted rarely, and

only on the recommendation of the student’s dissertation committee, the GSC, and with approval

of the Graduate School.

3.4 Overview of Graduation Requirements for Doctoral Students

• ENGL 8110, Proseminar (First Years Only)

• ENGL 8120, Pedagogy Seminar (Fall of the third year)

• At least two ENGL seminars outside of the student’s period or topic of specialization

• A translation exam (see 3.8 The Foreign Language Requirement below).

• Comprehensive written and oral examinations (see 3.9 The Comprehensive Examination

below).

• A dissertation proposal and a dissertation (see 3.9.4 The Final Dissertation Proposal and

3.10 The Dissertation below).

• Teaching a minimum of four courses as instructor of record (see 3.7 The Teaching

Requirement below).

• ENGL 8112, Project Publish (see 7.4.2 Project Publish (PP) below).

• Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). This requirement has two parts: the first one is

online (CITI), the second one is covered by ENGL 8110.

• Application for outside funding (see 7.4.4 Applying for External Funding below).

3.5 Academic Probation

The GSC may place a student on academic probation under the following circumstances:

• Low grades (see 3.6.4 Grades below)

• More than one unfinished grade of incomplete at the end of an academic year (see 3.6.5

Incompletes below)

• Failing the written comprehensive examination (see 3.9 The Comprehensive Examination

below)

• Missing more than one of the benchmarks for chapter submissions (see 4. Typical

Academic Schedule and Benchmarks below)

Anyone on academic probation is ineligible for conference travel funding for the duration of the

probation. They remain eligible for research-related travel.

3.6 Course Work

Students complete 72 credit hours in the Ph.D. program. 52 credit hours are completed as

coursework (so-called quality hours). Students take 24 hours in their first year, 24 hours in their

second year, and 4 hours during the fall semester of their third year. The majority of these

courses are graduate seminars that offer in-depth study of a particular genre, author, historical

period, or a special topic. The remaining 20 credit hours are completed through non-candidate

and dissertation research hours.

3.6.1 Courses outside of the English Department

Students are encouraged to take up to two courses outside of the Department of English

for graduate credit. A student wishing to take additional hours outside of the department must

petition the GSC, explaining the usefulness and appropriateness of such courses for their plan of

study.

3.6.2 Undergraduate courses for graduate credit

A student may sometimes find it appropriate to enroll in a 2000-level (or above)

undergraduate course for graduate credit, but only with the permission of the course instructor

and the DGS. In such cases, students will do additional work beyond the undergraduate

requirements for the course. Please note that not all 2000-level (and above) courses are open for

graduate credit.

3.6.3 Independent Studies (English 8150)

Independent studies are one-on-one tutorials in which student and professor agree on a

one-semester course of study that includes a reading list and writing assignments. They are

especially appropriate in situations where the department’s graduate course offerings in any

given term does not cover topics that a student needs for their field of specialization. Students

may take one such course in their graduate career and petition the GSC for a second course.

Students wishing to do an independent study must consult with the DGS and fill out the

necessary permission form.

3.6.4 Grades

Students are expected to earn at minimum a grade of B in all courses. Grades lower than

a C- are not computed toward fulfillment of the 24-hour required by the Graduate School.

Students who receive a C or lower in any course taken for Graduate School credit must discuss

the grade and their future in the program with the DGS.

Any student earning two Cs and/or four Bs (or lower) in graduate courses in the

Department of English will be advised to consider resignation from the program. The B- mark

represents an instructor's serious reservations about the student's capacity for or dedication to

graduate work. The concurrence of a second or third instructor in the assessment should be

interpreted as authoritative discouragement to continue in the Program. With the consent of the

Graduate Studies Committee, the DGS will invite any student with two Cs and/or four Bs to

consider withdrawal.

Students enrolling in English 8999 (Non-Candidate Research) and English 9999 (Ph.D.

Dissertation Research) will be assigned S(atisfactory) / U(nsatisfactory) grades in accordance

with the Graduate School's policy: “One U grade requires consultation between the student and

the research adviser; a second U grade triggers a locally defined program-level intervention

process involving (at least) the student, the research adviser, the student's thesis or dissertation

committee and the DGS; and a third U grade leads to de-matriculation. These steps are triggered

by the accumulation of U grades, not simply U grades in succession. Each U represents

approximately one-half of one academic year of unsatisfactory progress. No credit hours are

awarded for an enrollment that earns a grade of U.” In exceptional cases, it is possible for the

instructor, in consultation with the DGS, to award a grade of Incomplete for these courses.

3.6.5 Incompletes

The accumulation of Incompletes in any given term hinders progress toward the degree

and may imperil continuance of financial aid. By action of the Departmental Faculty, graduate

instructors may give Incompletes only in cases of illness or unusual personal circumstances, and

only with the written approval of the DGS. Students who take Incompletes in any year of study

must resolve those grades before registering for the next term.

3.6.6 Progress toward the Degree

Graduate seminars in English each earn 4 hours of credit. Note: this is not always so in

other departments, where graduate courses tend to earn 3 credit hours. If you take a course in

another department, you may have to add 1 hour of ENGL 8150 Independent Study to make up

for this deficit (form available in the DGS office).

3.6.7 Annual Faculty Evaluation of Students’ Progress

At the conclusion of each academic year, the GSC calls a meeting of the entire graduate

faculty to evaluate the progress of each graduate student. These evaluations may result in a

variety of recommendations—e.g., continued progress toward the degree, academic probation

(see 3.5 Academic Probation above), discontinuation of financial aid, dismissal from the

Program. For instance, students’ financial support may be terminated if the GSC, in its annual

review of all graduate students, finds that insufficient progress is being made toward the degree

(e.g., un-met course or language requirements, one of more “incompletes” or “unsatisfactories,”

poor academic evaluations). When necessary, the DGS will communicate such recommendations

in writing.

3.7 The Teaching Requirement

All students in the program are required to teach at least four undergraduate courses as

instructors of record. This means that all students are required to be in residence through their

sixth year. All students will teach their first course in their third year in the spring semester that

directly follows the required Pedagogy seminar; their second and third courses in Year Four; and

at least one course during Year Six. Students may elect to teach a fifth course either in Year Six

or Year Five. We urge all students to make use of this additional teaching opportunities.

To petition for an exemption from any portion of this requirement, a student will need the

written support of their academic advisors. If a student wishes to be exempt from teaching a

course in the spring semester that immediately follows the pedagogy course, the GSC will grant

such a petition only under the condition that a member of the student’s dissertation committee

agrees to serve as a teaching mentor for that term. This is to ensure that first-time graduate

instructors have the same support that the other members of their cohort routinely receive from

the instructor of the pedagogy course, who also serves as their teaching mentor for that spring

term. Serving as a teaching mentor involves observing the student’s classes at least twice during

the term and meeting with them every two weeks during the semester to discuss pedagogical

matters and the class.

3.8 The Foreign Language Requirement

Students are required to pass a foreign language translation exam by the end of their fifth

semester. They cannot sit for their comprehensive exams until they have passed this requirement.

Students may take the exam more than once, starting in Year 1. Tests are coordinated and

administered in September and January. Students should notify the DGS's office before the

beginning of the semester as to whether or not they intend to take a translation test during that

semester. Whenever possible, members of the Department of English will conduct the tests. The

exam typically consists of excerpts from scholarly articles and books in the student’s chosen

language.

Exam details are as follows:

• There is a two-hour time limit. Each student may use one online dictionary during the

translation.

• There is no limit on re-takes, except in cases where the department has to pay for a

faculty member from another institution to create and grade the exam. This would be the

case when the language in which a student prefers to take the exam is not taught at

Vanderbilt. The limit in those cases is one retake.

• The student must show that they are able to comprehend a scholarly source text in a

foreign language. Criteria for passing are a good command of the structure of the

language; a strong understanding of the meaning of the source text at the sentence level;

and completion of a translation of at least 2/3 of the original text. Exams are created such

that a competent test-taker can complete them in two hours.

3.9 The Comprehensive Examination

Students take their comprehensive exams in their third year. All Incompletes must be

resolved and the foreign language requirement satisfied before a student may sit for their exam.

The comprehensive exam has four components:

• The written exam (administered during Spring Break in March)

• The dissertation prospectus (due by mid-April)

• The oral exam (to be completed by the end of May)

• The final dissertation proposal (due by mid-June)

3.9.1 The Written Examination

The written examination is to be completed in March of a student’s third year for that

student to be in good academic standing. The exam begins at 4:00 P.M. on the Thursday before

Spring Break and ends by 9:00 A.M. on the second following Monday (10 days).

Students choose to answer one of three questions in each examination field and will write

a conference-length paper (2,500 words, excluding foot- or endnotes) for each of the three exam

questions they select. Strong exam essays will show research skill and acumen, strong critical

familiarity with both primary and secondary texts, and the ability to state and sustain a critical

argument. The writing submitted for the exam answers must be original writing. The Graduate

Program Assistant releases the exam questions to students individually and directly. Students

return exam responses electronically in Microsoft Word format, by email, to the Graduate

Program Assistant, along with a copy of their exam questions.

3.9.1.1 The Comprehensive Examination Committee

Students must register their committees with the English Department at the end of

August in the Third Year. Committee appointment forms are available in January of each year.

The exam committee is composed of three English Department faculty and one outside reader.

The outside reader reads the written examinations but does not grade them. The outside reader

does participate in the oral examination, serves on the dissertation committee, and participates in

the dissertation defense. Students should consult with their other committee members about the

most appropriate faculty member to fill this role.

Students must register outside readers with the Department before the written

examination takes place. If the reader is not a member of Vanderbilt’s graduate faculty (meaning

that they are appointed in a program with a graduate program) or a faculty member at a

university other than Vanderbilt, the Graduate School requires the following documents from the

student: (a) a copy of the reader's Curriculum Vitae, and (b) a note from the student to the DGS

describing how the reader's scholarship contributes to the student's dissertation-writing process.

3.9.1.2 The Examination Fields

The written exam covers two major fields and one minor field. These fields may be

organized historically, generically, theoretically, or in other ways that reflect a coherent

argument. At least one field must cover a substantial historical period.

The Department does not impose numerical requirement on reading lists. The length of

each list will be determined through consultation between the student and their examination

committee members. Major lists tend to fall between 75-100 texts; minor lists tend to fall

between 50-65 items. Each student should have an early discussion with their exam committee to

sets these target numbers. Preliminary reading lists are due from second-year students in mid-

May, followed by the first tiered lists due in mid-October and the final tiered lists at the end of

January.

The minor list typically supplements the two major lists. This can work in a number of

ways. The list sometimes provides context by taking the study of a particular issue, movement,

or genre backward or forward historically. It sometimes concentrates on a sub-genre,

development, debate, or other focal group of texts. It sometimes assembles texts—theoretical,

historical, or otherwise methodological—that the student and committee members anticipate will

provide an analytic structure for the dissertation. The Department recommends that each student

conduct an early discussion with their committee about the most effective ways to use this third

list. The three fields and the reading lists are subject to the approval, first, of the candidate's

committee, then by the GSC.

3.9.1.3 Preparation for the Written Exam

The exam emphasizes the importance of a broad grounding in each field, while also

beginning the transition from general reading to targeted research. In the third year, then, the

shared project of the committee and the student is twofold: a) to make certain that the student has

a strong knowledge of their fields of study; and b) to develop a subset of each list, representing

both teaching and research priorities, on which the written exam will focus. These preliminary

lists are due in mid-May during the summer between a student’s Second and Third Years.

Students read most, ideally all, of the material on their preliminary lists during the

summer after their second year. The fall semester of the student's third year is thus dedicated to

organizing lists into levels of priority, re-reading as particular emphasis and connections develop,

and learning the relationships between a general field of knowledge and a particular intervention

in that field. The student identifies texts of greater and lesser importance (that is, tiers) to their

exams and provides a rationale that precedes each list.

Students are expected to work closely with their committee members throughout the

exam preparation process. After the beginning of September of the third year, students meet with

each of their committee members on a biweekly basis.

3.9.1.4 Lists and Tiers

Each exam list is divided into two tiers of priority through this process of continued

reading and regular consultation. Final lists, with a two-tiered structure, that is, texts of primary

and secondary significance to the student's three fields, MUST be approved by the committee and

submitted to the DGS office by the end of January of the student's third year. While the written

exam focuses primarily on the first-tier lists, the second-tier lists also remain important: they will

continue to provide context for discussions between student and committee members, and will

contribute to the student’s credentials as a scholar and a teacher in their fields.

If committee members have reservations about a student’s preparation, they may decide,

as a group, not to let the written exam go forward. If this occurs, the student must take the

written exam by the last day of classes in their third year. See also Postponements below.

3.9.1.5 Post-Examination Meetings

After the written exam, each student schedules formal meetings with ALL members of

their committee. These discussions will address strengths and weaknesses of the exam, as well as

areas for further development. They also serve as preparation for the oral exam (see 3.9.3 The

Oral Examination).

3.9.1.6 Postponements

Postponements (usually only until the following semester) are very rarely granted and

only in cases of unusual hardship. A request for postponement must be made in writing to the

GSC. Failure to take the written exam on schedule without an authorized deferral constitutes

unsatisfactory progress toward the degree and will result in the termination of financial aid.

3.9.1.7 Failure to Pass the Written Exam

If a student fails all or part of the written exam, they have one opportunity to retake the

examination in early August of the same year. They will, however, be ineligible for the renewal

of their UGS or PGF during the spring term of their third year and will be placed on academic

probation until they retake exam.

Failure of all or part of the retake will result in dismissal from the Graduate Program. If

the student passes the retake, they will submit a preliminary dissertation prospectus to the

committee not later than mid-September; sit for the oral examination not later than mid-October,

and submit the final dissertation proposal not later than mid-November.

3.9.2 The Dissertation Prospectus

The dissertation prospectus (at least 10 pages plus a working bibliography) is the initial

working draft of the formal dissertation proposal, which presents the student’s dissertation

project in the most precise terms available at this stage. The student draws on the experiences of

focusing the exam lists and writing the exam essays, linking the prospectus closely to the

development of ideas fostered by those earlier stages. The prospectus will concentrate on

argument, contribution to the field, research plans, and methodology. Although a list of chapters

may be included at this stage, the prospectus should not be dominated by detailed chapter

descriptions. The prospectus has two major purposes, then: a) to distill the student's plans for the

dissertation, and b) to provide a focal point for the oral exam. The dissertation prospectus must

be submitted to the committees and the DGS office in mid-April of the Third Year.

3.9.3 The Oral Examination

Once the student has passed the written exam and has submitted an approved dissertation

prospectus, the two-hour oral exam takes place around the middle of May in the third year. The

outside reader participates in the exam, if necessary via Zoom or telephone. While the oral exam

may engage questions from the written exam, it prioritizes the dissertation project as represented

in the dissertation prospectus. The oral exam leads to the final dissertation proposal and toward

the dissertation itself.

If the dissertation committee does not find the discussions that precede the oral exam

satisfactory, they may decide, as a group, not to let the oral exam go forward. If this occurs, the

student must petition to take the exam later, by which date the student must obtain the committee

members’ consent to proceed. The petition, which specifies the date, must be approved by the

student’s committee and by the GSC. If the student does not pass the oral exam by the new set

date, they are allowed one retake of the oral exam before losing their standing in the Program

(see below).

3.9.3.1 Retaking the Oral Examination

If a student fails the oral exam, they are allowed one retake. Failure of the retake will

result in dismissal.

3.9.4 The Final Dissertation Proposal

The final dissertation proposal includes an overview of the project—argument,

contribution to its field, research plans, and analytic methodology—a description of each

chapter, and a detailed working bibliography. It is typically about 20 pages long (plus

bibliography). The proposal must be approved by the student’s dissertation committee and

submitted to the DGS office by mid-June of the third year. The submission must include a cover

sheet signed by the student’s dissertation director(s), indicating the committee’s approval of the

proposal as presented. After this approval has been received, the student will be officially

admitted to candidacy. Please note that all approved dissertation proposals will be made

available to the department’s graduate faculty.

Students will enter Year Four fully prepared a) to apply for dissertation-year fellowships

(both internal & external) and other research grants, and b) to participate successfully in Project

Publish (see below).

3.10 The Dissertation

After approval of the Final Dissertation Proposal, each student begins to draft a

dissertation chapter. An initial draft of 20–25 pages is due to the dissertation committee by early

September of the third year. A complete version of one chapter is due for submission for a

departmental award in mid-December. Students should confer closely with their committee

about which chapter to write first.

3.10.1 The Dissertation Committee

Except in unusual cases, which must be approved through a petition process, the

Graduate School requires that each Dissertation Committee include at least three English

Department faculty members, and limits total dissertation committee size to five faculty

members. For most students, the dissertation committee is the same as the committee they used

for their exams: it includes a dissertation director (or two co-directors), two additional English

Department faculty (one in the case of co-directors), and an outside reader. Students must keep

each member of the committee informed of the progress of the dissertation and usually submit

portions of their work as it progresses for comments and corrections. Students also need to be

aware of the schedule the Department and the Graduate School set each term for submission of a

final dissertation draft to the committee and a final copy to the Graduate School.

3.10.2 What is a Dissertation?

Writing a dissertation is the most demanding project a doctoral candidate undertakes.

Students produce a considerable amount of scholarly writing during course work. When

appropriate, some of that writing can, usually with extensive revision, be incorporated into the

dissertation. Beginning with the 2019-2020 academic year, the Graduate School began filing all

electronic theses and dissertations in VIREO.

While there are no rigid, quantitative guidelines for dissertations, the English department

expects a dissertation to demonstrate breadth of familiarity with the scholarship in the field; a

well-defined and sharply focused approach to a problem in that field; a high level of

effectiveness in scholarly discussion; and clear potential for the candidate’s independent research

in the field after graduate school. Further, the Department considers the dissertation to be a book-

length thesis of original, independent scholarship that seeks to make a key contribution to the life

of the scholarly community in our fields. The dissertation consists of at least four substantial

chapters plus an introduction and a conclusion. The Department encourages students to publish

in professional journals prior to the dissertation.

The dissertation committee evaluates the dissertation according to the following criteria:

freshness of contribution to existing scholarship and/or theory; quality of critical insight; both

range and depth of scholarship; soundness and appropriateness of method; organization and

style. A good dissertation should constitute a significant step toward the writing of a publishable

book. (On the transition from dissertation to book, one good source is William Germano, From

Dissertation to Book, 2nd ed. [2013].)

The form of the dissertation may vary according to the intrinsic logic of the project and

the career aims of the writer. For students aiming for a tenure-track job in higher education that

requires both teaching and research, the dissertation must be a book-length thesis of original

scholarship. Given that long-term success in such positions typically requires the publication of a

scholarly monograph, a strong dissertation for those seeking tenure-track employment will

constitute a significant step toward the writing of a publishable book. At the same time, some

book-length theses in this category may include alternative modes of scholarly communication

(e.g., images, moving images, interactive text, or other digital formats).

3.11 The Dissertation Defense

Students are required to participate in a defense of their dissertation during the late spring

or early summer of their sixth year. The final draft of the dissertation must be in the hands of the

entire committee at least one month prior to the scheduled date for defense. The Department will

not usually schedule a dissertation defense with less than a month’s notice.

3.12 Time-to-Degree Limit

By regulation of the Graduate School, a student has four years after passing the

comprehensive examination to complete their dissertation. During this time, a student must

maintain continuous registration with the Graduate School, even if they are not in residence (a

minimal fee is charged each term). A student who does not complete the dissertation within the

allotted time is terminated from the program and, with the support of the dissertation committee

members and the DGS, may apply to the Dean of the Graduate School for an extension of

eligibility or for readmission at a later point.

4. TYPICAL ACADEMIC SCHEDULE AND BENCHMARKS

(Please consult the AY departmental academic calendar for doctoral students for the exact dates

for Intent to Graduate Forms and the submission of M.A. theses and dissertations.)

Six-Year Schedule (*required coursework)

Year One

1. Fall Semester: 12 hours of coursework (3 courses), including ENGL 8110 Proseminar*

2. Spring Semester: 12 hours of coursework (3 courses)

a. Mid-May: M.A. Thesis Registration Form due

3. Summer

a. Mid-August: Preliminary M.A. Thesis due

b. Attend longer summer institutes: IWL and SCT

Year Two

1. Fall Semester: 12 hours of coursework (3 courses)

a. September/October: Participation in 2

Year Conference

b. Early November: Final M.A. Thesis due

c. End of October: Submit all M.A. paperwork for December graduation to DGS

office

2. Spring Semester: 12 hours of coursework (3 courses)

a. Mid-May: Preliminary Comprehensive Reading Lists due

3. Summer: Read for Exams; attend a shorter summer institute.

Year Three

1. Fall Semester: 4 hours of coursework (ENGL 8120, Pedagogy Seminar*) and 8 hours of

ENGL 8999 (non-candidate research) with the DGS

a. September: Comps/Ph.D. Committee Appointment Forms due to DGS

b. Mid-October: First Tiered Comprehensive Exam Reading Lists due to committee

2. Spring Semester: 5 hours of ENGL 8999 (non-candidate research) with the DGS

a. Teach one undergraduate course as Instructor of Record*

b. End of January: Final Tiered Comprehensive Exam Reading Lists due to

committees and DGS

c. Spring Break: Written Comprehensive Exams

d. Mid-April: Preliminary Dissertation Prospectus due to committees and DGS.

3. Summer

a. May: Complete Oral Exams. Begin the dissertation phase; attend shorter summer

institute if desired.

b. Mid-June: Final Dissertation Proposal and approval form due to committees and

DGS office.

Year Four

1. Fall Semester: 5 hours of ENGL 9999 (dissertation research) with dissertation chair

a. Beginning of September: Preliminary First Chapter Draft due to committees

b. Meet with full dissertation committee

c. Project Publish*

d. Teach second undergraduate course as Instructor of Record*

e. Mid-December: Final version of First Chapter due to committees and DGS

(deadline for Myers First Chapter Awards)

2. Spring Semester: 5 hours of ENGL 9999 (dissertation research) with dissertation chair

a. Teach third undergraduate course as Instructor of Record*

b. Meet with full dissertation committee

c. End of April: second dissertation chapter due

3. Summer: continue to work on dissertation; attend shorter summer institutes if doing so is

useful for the dissertation.

a. End of August: third dissertation chapter due

Year Five

1. Fall Semester: 5 hours of ENGL 9999 (dissertation research) with dissertation chair

a. Instructor of Record teaching option (one course)

b. Meet with full dissertation committee

c. Mid-December: Fourth dissertation chapter due

2. Spring Semester: 0 hours of ENGL 9999 (dissertation research) with dissertation chair

a. Revise dissertation chapters and write introduction

b. Meet with full dissertation committee

c. June 1: Draft of complete dissertation due to committees and DGS office

d. Attend all meeting of the Job Placement Committee in preparation for entering the

job market in the fall.

3. Summer:

a. Start revising full dissertation draft and work on materials for jobs and post-

doctoral fellowships.

Important: Any student who fails to meet these conditions will be ineligible for

departmental research and conference funding in year six.

Year Six

1. Fall Semester: 0 hours of ENGL 9999 (dissertation research) with dissertation chair

a. Revise the dissertation for submission and to turn it either into articles or a book

manuscript.

b. Teach fourth undergraduate course as Instructor of Record*

c. Conduct a full-scale job search with the assistance of your committee and the Job

Placement officers.

d. Meet with full dissertation committee

2. Spring Semester: 0 hours of ENGL 9999 (dissertation research) with dissertation chair

a. Continue with dissertation revisions as needed and focus on turning it either into

articles or a book manuscript.

b. Meet with full dissertation committee

c. Teach fifth undergraduate course as Instructor of Record (optional)

d. May/June: defend dissertation (check deadlines for Intent to Graduate and other

needed forms) and submit all materials for graduation by mid-July (check exact

deadline).

Summary of Important Benchmarks for dissertation writers:

Year Three

• Mid-June: Final Dissertation Proposal and approval form due

Year Four

• Beginning of September: Preliminary First Chapter Draft due

• Mid-December: final version of initial chapter due

• End of April: second dissertation chapter due

• End of August: third dissertation chapter due

Year Five

• Mid-December: Fourth dissertation chapter due

• June 1: Draft of complete dissertation due

Year Six

• May/June: defend dissertation

All chapter drafts must be complete and not partial drafts. They must be sent to all members of

the dissertation committee at the same time unless the committee has made other arrangements.

We expect of all committee members that they return feedback on the submitted chapter drafts

within one month of receipt. Each dissertation student is required to meet with their full

committee once a semester. The Graduate Program Assistant will be happy to facilitate

scheduling these meetings.

Transitioning to the Six-Year Model: All students admitted prior to Fall 2023 are considered in

transition. This means that they are eligible for a sixth year of funding (please note that CMAP

students are not eligible for a seventh year of funding) and that their schedules for the fifth and

sixth years follow the above requirements and deadlines, with two exceptions: (1) they will have

to teach one (not two) courses to remain eligible for departmental research and conference

funding, and (2) they do not have to apply for external funding as a graduation requirement.

5. FUNDING

5.1 Graduate School Funding

5.1.1 Graduate Fellowships

All students admitted to the doctoral program receive full tuition and a base stipend of

$34,000 and full health insurance coverage. Beyond this, Vanderbilt University's Graduate

School offers a number of Graduate Honor Fellowships (formerly so-called topping-up awards),

all of which are merit-based and competitive (see below). Qualifying students are nominated at

the admissions stage. Amounts and conditions for each of these additional stipends varies.

Stipends are paid out on a 12-month schedule (beginning in July) and are limited to a period of 6

years. Because all of our students receive full-time support, they may not accept any additional

employment beyond working as a Research Assistant when they are not teaching (with

permission of the DGS).

5.1.2 Graduate Honor Fellowship Awards (Topping-Up Awards)

There are two such awards:

• The University Graduate Fellowship (UGF) is a $5,000 three-year topping-up award.

This award is given to students entering the doctoral program and is renewable for up

to three years on a competitive basis, then with continued success in the program it is

renewable for two more years as the Harold Stirling Vanderbilt Fellowship. Its

continuance is contingent upon satisfactory progress toward the degree. UGF awards

are competitive among applicants to all graduate programs at the University.

• The Provost's Graduate Fellowship (PGF) is a $10,000 annual topping-up award that

supplements the student's base stipend for up to five years. The PGF is merit-based

and recognizes students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds.

5.1.3 Travel and Research Grants

• Graduate School Travel Grants: Students may apply for three Graduate School

Travel Grants (maximum one per year) over their six-year tenure in the program.

Grants are limited up to $1,000 per trip for foreign or domestic travel. The applicant

must be the sole presenter of research at a major regional, national, or international

conference. All doctoral students are expected to apply for these grants before

seeking departmental funding.

• Russell G. Hamilton Graduate Leadership Institute: The GLI Professional

Development & Training Grant provides up to $1000 of support for graduate students

seeking opportunities to further their professional and/or academic development, for

which funding is commonly unavailable. Students are allowed one GLI PD&T grant

per academic year. This funding is separate from the standard Graduate School

Travel Grants (see above) and funds awarded through that program do not count

against eligibility for GLI grants. First-year doctoral students are not eligible. All

other doctoral students are expected to apply for these grants before seeking

departmental funding. Annual application deadlines in November and May for

Spring/Fall funding cycles.

• Russell G. Hamilton Graduate Leadership Institute: The GLI Dissertation

Enhancement Grants provides up to $2,000 for research expenses related to a

student’s dissertation. Annual application deadlines in November and May for

Spring/Fall funding cycles.

• Russell G. Hamilton Graduate Leadership Institute: The GLI Graduate Student

Programming Grant provides up to $2,000 to support student-organized programs and

events that will enhance the graduate student experience at Vanderbilt.

5.2 College of Arts and Science Funding

5.2.1 Summer Research Awards (SRAs)

The SRA program assists graduate students with outstanding potential to accelerate

progress on their research. SRAs provide funds for research expenses related to the doctoral

thesis, other advanced research projects, or scholarly activities that significantly advance

professional development. Doctoral students in good standing are eligible for the SRA. A student

may receive this award no more than twice during their career at Vanderbilt. SRAs are granted

on a competitive basis. Students may request awards of up to $5,000. In determining the amount

of each award, the Committee on Graduate Education will consider the degree of need

demonstrated by the proposal and budget, the number of successful applications, and the total

available funds. Award funds will either be provided directly to vendors upon receipt of an

invoice or will be provided to award recipients in the form of reimbursement for expenses.

Application materials: 2-page maximum CV; 1-2 page proposal; detailed budget (which

the applicants submits to the DGS office as a single PDF); two 1-page letters of support, one

from a faculty member who will supervise the proposed research (to be submitted to the DGS in

advance of the deadline); SRA Cover Sheet filled out by the DGS. Because the GSC nominates

SRA applicants and the DGS forward applications to the Dean’s office, all applicants must

contact the DGSs well in advance of the deadline, note an intention to submit an application, and

request a date by which to submit their materials to the committee.

5.2.2 Summer Language Training Grants (SLTs)

The SLTG program provides awards for “language training” broadly conceived,

including skills such as paleography or instruction in computer/technical languages. Availability

of these grants varies from year to year.

5.3 Department-sponsored Funding

The English Department has several endowments dedicated to supporting doctoral

students intellectually and financially. Deadlines for funding requests are mid-October, early

January, and mid-March. To apply, students submit a description of the proposed project, a

rationale that situates the project in relation to the overall development of teaching, scholarship,

or professional development, and a detailed budget to the Graduate Program Assistant (see

Budget template). Part of the application must be an explanation of how the applicant has

pursued other funding avenues, be they internal or external.

Approved requests are taxable and will be disbursed in advance of travel. In addition to

writing a one-page report about their experiences, each student who receives departmental

funding for any purpose is also required to account for the use of these funds by submitting

receipts to the Graduate Program Assistant. Both the report and the receipts are due within a

month of returning to Nashville.

5.3.1 The Drake Series:

The annual endowed Drake Series, which typically occurs in April, is designed to give

graduate students extended contact with world-class scholars in diverse fields. Drake speakers

are in residence for 4–5 days, during which time they deliver one formal public lecture and meet

with graduate students in more informal settings. Drake visitors usually meet with groups of

students in two workshops to discuss the students’ scholarly interests and conduct a seminar

either on their own work-in-progress or a published essay (circulated in advance).

5.3.2 Summer Institutes

The English Department regularly funds students’ participation in several summer

institutes with which we are affiliated. Interested students submit the following electronically to

the Graduate Program Assistant for each institute they wish to attend: a one-page description of

how attending one of the institute would benefit their graduate career, a CV, and a detailed

budget. The Department will release calls for interested participants as the institutes announce

them throughout the fall term and will set internal application deadlines. In the case of multiple

applicants, the GSC will make a selection based on plausibility and merit of the proposal.

• The School of Criticism and Theory (SCT)

• The Institute of World Literature (IWL)

• Dickens Universe

• The Folger Institute at the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C. The Folger

programs tend to be highly competitive. However, if you are admitted, you will

automatically receive a Grant-in-Aid to subsidize travel and lodging costs.

5.3.3 Myers Funding

The Department’s Robert Manson Myers Endowment Fund supports professional

development, including the attendance of summer institutes. This funding is meant to supplement

the opportunities available from the Graduate School, such as Travel Fellowships and Summer

Research Awards (see above), to which students should apply first, unless they are not yet or no

longer eligible. Grants from this fund may support visits to archives, summer institutes,

pedagogical development opportunities, specific research toward your dissertation or a

publication, conference attendance not covered by existing resources (see above), or other

projects that advance scholarly, pedagogical, or professional goals. Proposals that clearly

advance a student’s dissertation project will receive priority.

5.3.4 Research Assistantships (RAs)

Beginning in the second year, graduate students who are in need of extra money may,

with the authorization of the DGS, earn an hourly wage as an RA for a faculty member during a

summer or during a semester when they are not teaching.

5.3.5 Academic Job Search Support

Through the Job Placement Committee (see below), the Department of English has

developed a thorough program of mentoring and advising students seeking academic

employment. This includes a grant to support travel and lodging at the annual MLA conference,

if a candidate has been invited to job interviews there.

5.4 Other Funding Opportunities

• The Center for Teaching offers a one-year Graduate Teaching Fellows Program. Deadline

in the fall.

• The Writing Studio offers paid consultantships for eligible graduate students.

6. DEPARTMENTAL AWARDS

Each year, the English Department, through the GSC, bestows the following awards for

outstanding graduate student work. The GSC may decide whether, in any (or all) of these

competitions, to split awards or offer no award at all for the year.

6.1 The Robert Manson Myers Distinguished Graduate Student Award

This award honors the graduate student who has demonstrated the highest standards of

achievement and promise for the future. The DGS solicits nomination letters of sixth-year

graduate students from the graduate Faculty, and the Graduate Committee evaluates the

nominees. The evaluation process takes into account nominating letters from the students'

dissertation committee, course work, performance on the comprehensive examination, teaching,

conference participation, publication(s), and service. This award is funded by Vanderbilt alumn

and author Robert Manson Myers.

6.2 The Thomas Daniel Young Award

This award honors superior classroom teaching by a graduate student. Any doctoral

student who has taught at least four courses at VU as instructor of record will be considered for

this annual award.

6.3 The John M. Aden Award

This award is for the best essay written by a graduate student in the context of a graduate

course. Students may self-nominate and/or are nominated by members of the faculty. The GSC

reads the papers anonymously and delivers its recommendation to the DGS.

6.4 The Robert Manson Myers First Chapter Award

This award is awarded to all fourth-year graduate students who submit their first

dissertation chapter by the December deadline (specific deadlines announced annually). The

chapter can be any chapter from the dissertation; it need not be the first chapter in either

sequence or chronology.

6.5 The Robert Manson Myers Dissertation Award

This award is given to the sixth-year graduate student who has written what the GSC

deems the year’s most distinguished dissertation. All those who meet the Graduate School

deadline for an August 31 graduation in their fifth or sixth year will be eligible for the award.

7. PROFESSIONALIZATION AND JOB PLACEMENT

In concert with the Graduate School, the doctoral program aims to provide training and support

in the following areas:

7.1 A Comprehensive Sense of the Profession

All first-year students enroll in a Proseminar designed to help them to become familiar with

various aspects of our rapidly changing profession. In addition, the DGS and the EGSA may

arrange a series of plenary events designed to help students with different aspects of the

profession. Over the past few years, we have had sessions on the hiring process, featuring a panel

of discussants composed of members of Vanderbilt's most recent hiring committee; on

collegiality; grant writing; and on the transition from graduate student to departmental colleague.

We also devote considerable attention to research and publication (see Project Publish) to

undergraduate teaching and broad humanistic education; and to new developments and changes

in the field.

7.2 Directed Information and Guidance

Our graduate program provides extensive guidance along the way, through individual faculty

mentor and regular cohort meetings with the DGS to discuss everything from the first-year M.A.

thesis to preparing for comprehensive exams; assembling dissertation committees; applying for

inside and outside fellowships and grants; to going on the job market.

7.3 Job Placement Services

The English Department’s Job Placement Committee typically consists of three faculty

members who help guide students through the application process, from the drafting of

application letters and curriculum vitae to conducting practice interviews and practice job talks.

This process begins during the summer preceding the fifth year and picks up in intensity in the

early fall before the first job listings are advertised. Students who receive campus callbacks have

the opportunity to practice the talk, Q & A, and receive extensive feedback on their performance.

Each year, beginning in mid-September, the Modern Language Association (MLA)

publishes a Job List on their website, which is available as an electronic database or as a

printable pdf file. The MLA Job List is the recognized professional source for announcements

and full-time faculty positions available in the fields of English and foreign languages in North

American colleges and universities (and often beyond). The database allows job-seekers to

search by field, language, geographic region, key word(s)/ phrase(s) in a job description (e.g.,

"women's studies", "romanticism", "drama"), and by rank. The site is free to candidates, and no

log-in is required to search. The Job Placement Committee will help guide students through the

application process.

The English Department usually maintains an active online resource page through

Vanderbilt’s course management tool, Brightspace. Central to the Ph.D. Student Brightspace

page is the Job Board module. The Job Board contains job postings in English writ large, sourced

by the Graduate Program Assistant across five job sites: Higher Ed Jobs, H-Net Job Guide,

Chronicle Vitae, Inside Higher Ed, and jobs.ac.uk. While not exhaustive, the list strives to

provide a wide cross-section of current postings.

7.3.1 Some Nuts and Bolts

Dossiers are typically handled electronically these days (most through Interfolio). The

dossier should include a CV and at least three letters of recommendation. Other documents, such

as award citations, may also be included. Students should update their dossier periodically.

Dissertation and Job Placement Committee members and the DGS are happy to work with

students on the format and content of their CVs. The Graduate School also offers regular

workshops on this and other job-search related topics. Students should also discuss their job

search with as many members of the faculty as possible. Most English Departments require a

completed and approved dissertation from each job applicant. Moreover, publications have

become increasingly important for successful applicants. It is, therefore, advisable to consider

each seminar paper as an opportunity to contribute to an ongoing conversation in hopes, ideally,

of publishing a revised version before entering the job market.

Students should apply for post-doctoral fellowships concurrently with the job search.

There are many more post-doctoral fellowships in the humanities than there used to be. There are

many opportunities to apply for external postdoctoral fellowships in the humanities. For more

information, see the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs in the Graduate School.

7.3.2 Careers Outside of Academia

Increasingly, the MLA and graduate programs have come to acknowledge that, given the

shortage of tenure-track jobs nation-wide, doctoral students also need counsel regarding

alternative academic careers and non-academic options for employment. To this end,

Vanderbilt's Graduate School has a Career Development program. The English Department also

gathers information about the variety of paths our own Ph.D.’s have taken over the years. The

MLA website also contains some useful links for those seeking non-academic careers.

The Job Placement Committee seeks to maintain active relationships with ENGL alumni

who have transitioned into careers both within and without academia. Graduates from the

program have successfully moved into careers in the community college sector; library sciences

and arts administration; freelance editing and writing; small business ownership; and investment

futures.

7.4 Professional Development Programming and Requirements

7.4.1 Career Mentoring

Our doctoral program supplies several layers of mentoring for students. First-year students have

the benefit of two mentors: (a) a current graduate student mentor assigned by the EGSA (see

below) and (b) a faculty mentor assigned by the DGS. Once a student selects a committee for

comprehensive exams and dissertations with the guidance of the DGS, committee members take

on the role of mentors.

7.4.2 Project Publish (PP)

Project Publish is a year-long program that prepares students to submit an article for publication.

The submission of one article to a peer-reviewed journal by the end of the fourth year is a

program requirement. All fourth-year students are required to participate. Students in their third

year may participate if (a) a faculty member has told them that one of their seminar papers is

potentially publishable, or (b) they receive permission from their comprehensive exam

committee and from the DGS. The following is an outline of PP:

Fall Semester: three workshops with coordinated assignments.

• Introduction and Editorial Survey: The main focus is on how editors think about article

submissions.

• Journal Review: Discussion of targeted journals. Students report on one or two journals

that seem appropriate for their article. Invited faculty members participate in facilitating

discussion of writing for particular journals.

• Getting Started: Discussion of openings of published article distributed in advance.

Students discuss ways of engaging the reader, setting up arguments, and distributed

openings. They submit their own openings (3–4 pages) by early November. These

openings will receive feedback from all students in this workshop and the PP leader, who

may also invite a faculty expert in one of the fields.

Spring Semester: The focus of the work shifts to peer reading groups and dissertation

committees. Deadlines are set over the course of the semester for meeting with peer reading

groups to discuss initial drafts of entire articles and for meeting with dissertation committees to

discuss revised drafts.

7.4.3 Graduate Student Conferences

a. The Second-Year Conference: Organized every other fall term by the second- and third-

year cohorts, this conference gives our students a valuable opportunity to practice their

conference skills, with feedback from fellow students and faculty across the department

and from other departments.

b. The Dissertation Conference: Organized every other year in the fall by the sixth-year

cohort, this conference showcases the work of those students who have completed a full

dissertation draft and are actively searching for jobs and postdoctoral fellowships.

Students will now hone their conference skills and prepare for the interviews and on-

campus talks that are part of the job search.

7.4.4 Applying for External Funding

An application for external funding by the end of the fourth year is an additional graduation

requirement. A successful application will be rewarded by a bonus from the dean’s office and/or

the Graduate School. But even an unsuccessful application will fulfill this requirement.

International students are often not be eligible to apply to U.S. funding sources and may fulfill

this requirement by writing a practice application. Please note: This requirement does not apply

to Students in Transition.

7.4.5 English Graduate Student Association (EGSA)

Each year, the EGSA hosts an array of events for graduate students aimed at developing

research, pedagogical, grant applications, and paper performance skills. It also keeps an up-to-

date database of job application materials – from CVs and application letters to teaching

philosophy statements – to support students as they begin to prepare for the job market.

7.4.6 Writing Support

The Writing Studio at Vanderbilt supports graduate students in different ways. The primary way

that the Writing Studio can support graduate students looking to improve their writing is through

one-on-one consultations, which are scheduled through the Writing Studio's website. Most

graduate students who seek out an appointment are proactive about choosing to work with one of

the Studio’s graduate consultants, our Postdoctoral Associates, or one of the three Academic

Support Coordinators (who have doctorates in a variety of fields). John Bradley, the Director of

the Writing Studio, is always happy to help facilitate an effective referral. Whether they are

looking for a source of external accountability for their writing, a regular opportunity to discuss

and reflect on their ongoing projects, or sustained individual support for writing challenges,

many of the graduate students who seek out the Writing Studio come back to meet with the same

consultant on a regular and ongoing basis throughout the semester.

For students in the dissertation phase, the Writing Studio offers extended two-hour

appointments. The process for setting up an extended appointment is found here:

https://www.vanderbilt.edu/writing/about/faq-and-policies/. For graduate writers who primarily

want structured time to write, the Writing Studio also offers a series of Dissertation Writers

Retreats throughout the year. The Studio hosts a weeklong Dissertation Writers Retreats in the

summer (often in May) and then two-day mini retreats over fall break and spring break.

8. ADDITIONAL CAMPUS RESOURCES

8.1 Digital Humanities

Below is a gathering of information about various things digital at Vanderbilt University and

beyond that should be of particular use to graduate students. If you have a digital project in mind,

below you will find a variety of resources.

a. The Center for Digital Humanities at Vanderbilt.

b. Digital Scholarships & Communications at the Jean and Alexander Heard Library

conducts workshops to introduce students, faculty, and staff members at Vanderbilt to

new tools and techniques in the fields of scholarly communications and digital

scholarship.

c. Consult with Felekech Tigabu, Assistant Director of Instructional Technologies at the

Vanderbilt Center for Languages.

8.1.1 Support for Digital Work at Vanderbilt University

a. VIDL: the Vanderbilt Institute for Digital Learning (“VIDL” is meant to rhyme with

“vital”) is at the heart of digital training at Vanderbilt.

b. The Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy.

c. The Wond’ry: Vanderbilt’s Innovation Center

8.1.2 Outside Opportunities for Digital Training

a. Digital Humanities Summer Institute (DHSI) at the University of Victoria: There are

three week-long programs, each of which offers numerous courses. Scholarships are

available and the application process opens in early fall.

b. Digital Humanities at Oxford Summer School

8.2 Graduate Certificate Programs

• African American and Diaspora Studies

• American Studies

• Asian Studies

• Center for Teaching:

o Certificate in College Teaching (CiCT)

o Certificate in Humanities Teaching & Learning (CHTL)

• Gender and Sexuality Studies

• Global Health

• Jewish Studies

• Latin American Studies

• Latino & Latina Studies

• Medicine, Health & Society