Programmatic questions
Engagement is at the heart of the public humanities. This emergent field spans humanities disciplines and employs a range of critical theories and methodologies to develop humanities projects, often in partnership with communities and publics, beyond academic settings. A central feature of the public humanities is action; its work does something in the world.
The public humanities is a broad and varied field encompassing different theories, methods, and practices. Coursework will introduce students to this range of work while also focusing on specific areas. In many classes, students will gain practice in the public humanities by working on and/or developing engaged public projects. Coursework will cover 4 main areas:
1. Professionalization (teaching, non-profit writing, program development).
2. Writing and Storytelling (public-facing writing and public narratives, broadly defined).
3. Literature, Rhetoric, and Culture (disciplinary Public Humanities work within the field of English Studies).
4. Elective coursework (a mix of disciplinary Public Humanities work in fields outside of English Studies as well as focused work within the Department of English).
No. The Public Humanities are interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary. Projects often employ methodologies and practices from different fields to meet public needs. Because of this, our program requires elective coursework (up to 8 credits) outside of the Department of English. Students generally choose elective courses based on their own projects and interests.
Our program allows for a range of dynamic, flexible, and creative capstones. Public Humanities work engages communities/publics and responds to context specific contingencies. Because of this, Doctoral Projects allow for a range of possibilities. Our program offers 3 options for the doctoral capstone:
1. A doctoral portfolio in which a student develops a range of projects and public-facing artifacts. The projects comprising the portfolio generally stand alone yet exhibit the students’ work in the public humanities.
2. A community impact program in which a student undertakes a substantive public humanities project. While the portfolio may be comprised of several, smaller projects, the community impact program option functions as a whole.
3. A doctoral manuscript in which a student completes a book length work for academic audiences in the Public Humanities. This option aligns with a more traditional dissertation. The doctoral project is advised for students who wish to remain in academia.
Applying Faq
The application deadline is February 1.
Interested applicants should apply through the UW Admissions online application found on the UW Admissions homepage.
Letters of recommendation can be provided by academics, employers, and/or other professional references. We understand that for some applicants that it may not be possible to have letters provided by academics. If possible, at least one letter should be provided by a former professor.
No. We do not require applicants to submit GRE or other test scores.
No. Students are admitted to start in the Fall semester only.
Further questions
You do not need a degree in English to be admitted to our program. The Public Humanities PhD is an interdisciplinary program and degree seekers with other disciplinary backgrounds are encouraged to apply. You must have a Master's degree to be admitted.
The English PhD in the Public Humanities is a 3-4-year program for full-time students. Part-time students who take summer courses can complete the degree in as little as 4.5-5 years.
All admitted full-time students are fully funded for up to four years. Funding includes an annual stipend, a tuition and fee waiver, and health insurance. Full time students are awarded graduate teaching assistantships or, when available, graduate research assistantships.
Part-time PhD students generally work full-time jobs in public-facing fields and pay tuition.
Other funding opportunities are available through the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Graduate Education.
No. Currently we only offer face-to-face instruction for coursework.
If you have questions that are not answered on our webpages or on the Graduate School's webpages, please contact the Department of English Director of Graduate Studies Dr. Tracey Patton, TOPatton@uwyo.edu.
