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Humanities Graduate Programs

Pursue research across a wide range of critical approaches and theoretical debates in the arts and humanities.

Our graduate programs in the Humanities bring together scholars from history, philosophy, literature, creative writing, art history, film studies and the performing arts who share a commitment to transnational and interdisciplinary approaches to humanistic study and practice. The master’s and doctoral programs provide students with an interdisciplinary context in which to pursue research across all the arts and humanities.

Doctor of Philosophy in Humanities

The doctoral program in the Humanities provides both rigorous, interdisciplinary training and the flexibility to specialize in one field of study. Students in the Humanities benefit from the opportunity to work with faculty in all areas in the School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology and the flexibility to design their own course of study. Graduates from the doctoral program in the Humanities go on to pursue academic careers as well as futures in education, public service, nonprofit management, the arts, and more.

Program TypeDoctorate
FormatOn campus; full- and part-time options are available
Estimated Time to Complete5-7 years
Semester Credit Hours60
Coursework

Coursework: 42 semester credit hours

Forty-two semester credit hours of which 27 are taken as organized graduate-level courses in History (HIST), Philosophy (PHIL), Literature (LIT), and Visual and Performing Arts (VPAS).

Required Courses: 6 semester credit hours

HUMA 6300 Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Arts and Humanities1

ARHM 6310 Team-Taught Interdisciplinary Seminar

Distribution Requirements: 9 semester credit hours 

Students must take one course from each of three programs (i.e., one HIST or PHIL, one LIT, and one VPAS).

Electives: 18 semester credit hours

18 semester credit hours of organized graduate-level HISTPHILLIT, and VPAS courses

9 semester credit hours of field exam preparation under IDEA 8305, LIT 8305, and/or VPAS 8305.

Foreign Language

Students in all PhD programs in the Bass School of Arts, Humanities and Technology are expected to demonstrate intermediate-level reading proficiency in a foreign language (equivalent to two years of foreign-language study at the undergraduate level). Students must fulfill the language requirement before scheduling doctoral field examinations.

As part of its approval of a dissertation proposal, the Graduate Studies Committee will consider the appropriateness of a candidate’s language preparation for the research or creative project. Faculty members chairing field examinations and dissertations should ensure that students possess the necessary language proficiency to carry out their proposed doctoral research.

The requirement can be satisfied upon enrollment in a PhD program by demonstrating evidence of one or more of the following:

  • Completion of a second-semester, intermediate-level foreign language course or higher (e.g., an undergraduate literature course in a foreign language) with a grade of B or better. 
  • Completion of a graduate course taught in a foreign language or with more than 25% of its required readings in a foreign language. 
  • An undergraduate major, graduate degree, or certificate in a foreign language. 
  • Successful completion of graded coursework at a foreign university at which the primary language of instruction is not English. 
  • A degree in any discipline from a foreign university at which the primary language of instruction is not English. 

The requirement can be satisfied during graduate study at UT Dallas in one of the following ways: 

  • Completion of a second-semester, intermediate-level foreign language course or higher at UT Dallas or elsewhere with a grade of B or better. 
  • Successful completion of LIT 6326 Translation Workshop with a grade of B or better. 
  • Successful completion of one of the following HUMA 6330: French Workshop; HUMA 6331 Spanish Workshop; HUMA 6333 German Workshop with a grade of B or better. 
  • Passing a written translation exam in an approved foreign language at UT Dallas. 
Doctoral Field Examinations

The doctoral field examinations consist of three written sections and an oral defense. The examining committee, composed of three members of the faculty, oversees definition and preparation of the three examination fields.2 Initial committee formation must take place during the semester in which students complete 36 semester credit hours of coursework, which will typically be followed by nine semester credit hours of field exam preparation under IDEA 8305, LIT 8305, and/or VPAS 8305. Exams normally should be completed before completion of 60 semester credit hours.

Dissertation

Students are formally advanced to PhD candidacy when they have successfully completed the doctoral field examinations and received final approval for dissertation topics. Students should submit a preliminary dissertation proposal for consideration during the oral section of the doctoral field examination. After that examination, a four-person supervising committee is formed, normally from the examining committee plus an additional faculty member, to oversee dissertation work. The supervising committee must then approve a formal dissertation proposal before the student submits it to the Graduate Studies Committee for final approval.

Each candidate then writes a doctoral dissertation, which is supervised and defended according to general University regulations.

Master of Arts in Humanities

The Master of Arts in Humanities degree program is designed both for individuals wishing to enhance their knowledge and academic skills and for students intending to pursue a doctorate in a humanistic field. Students seeking the MA in Humanities may elect a professional option or a research option. Students with plans for doctoral study should choose the research option. The research option requires students to demonstrate proficiency in an approved foreign language and to complete a thesis.

Students may concentrate within one of the three main areas of study:

  • History of Ideas, which concentrates on history and philosophy.
  • Literature, which concentrates on literature, language, rhetoric, translation studies and creative writing.
  • Visual and Performing Arts, which concentrates on visual and performing arts, art history and film studies.

All students must take at least one seminar in each of these three main areas of study.

Program TypeMaster’s
FormatOn campus; full- and part-time options are available
Estimated Time to Complete2-3 years
Semester Credit Hours33
Coursework

Coursework: 33 semester credit hours

Thirty-three semester credit hours of which 27 credit hours are taken as organized graduate-level courses in History (HIST), Philosophy (PHIL), Literature (LIT), and Visual and Performing Arts (VPAS).

Required Courses: 6 semester credit hours 

HUMA 6300 Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Arts and Humanities1

ARHM 6310 Team-Taught Interdisciplinary Seminar

Distribution Requirements: 9 semester credit hours 

Students must take one course from each of three programs (i.e., one HIST or PHIL, one LIT, and one VPAS).

Electives: 18 semester credit hours

18 semester credit hours of organized graduate-level HISTPHILLIT, and VPAS courses

Professional Option

Students in the professional option must complete 33 semester credit hours of coursework. They are not required to complete a portfolio or meet the foreign language requirement.

Research Option

Students in the research option must complete 33 semester credit hours of coursework, fulfill a foreign language requirement, and complete a portfolio.

Foreign Language

The research option MA degree requires demonstrated proficiency in an approved foreign language. The requirement can be satisfied upon enrollment in the MA program by demonstrating evidence of one or more of the following:

  1. Completion of a second-semester, intermediate-level foreign language course or higher (e.g., an undergraduate literature course in a foreign language) with a grade of B or better. 
  2. Completion of a graduate course taught in a foreign language or with more than 25% of its required readings in a foreign language. 
  3. An undergraduate major, graduate degree, or certificate in a foreign language. 
  4. Successful completion of graded coursework at a foreign university at which the primary language of instruction is not English. 
  5. A degree in any discipline from a foreign university at which the primary language of instruction is not English. 

The requirement can be satisfied during graduate study at UT Dallas in one of the following ways: 

  1. Completion of a second-semester, intermediate-level foreign language course or higher at UT Dallas or elsewhere with a grade of B or better. 
  2. Successful completion of LIT 6326 Translation Workshop with a grade of B or better. 
  3. Successful completion of one of the following: HUMA 6330 French Workshop; HUMA 6331 Spanish Workshop; HUMA 6333 German Workshop with a grade of B or better.
  4. Passing a written translation exam in an approved foreign language at UT Dallas.
Portfolio

Two research papers or a creative project plus a scholarly essay originating in or completed for graduate courses are revised and presented in a portfolio for evaluation by a master’s committee.

Program Highlights

Students reading books

Research Opportunities

Our graduate students conduct and present research national and internationally. See our graduate students’ accomplishments.

Faculty Mentors

Our faculty members will help you gain the knowledge, skills and support you need for a rewarding career. Meet our faculty.

Dr. Theresa M. Towner, Ashbel Smith Professor of literary studies in the School of Arts and Humanities

Dr. Theresa M. Towner

Ashbel Smith Professor of literary studies

“I tend to do two types of teaching: One is with texts that students know are very difficult, inaccessible and complicated — ones they’re afraid to tackle. And the other is the kind of texts that students think they know really, really well, but then they are surprised that they can learn so much more.”

Contact Information

Shilyh Warren
Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Program Head
Phone: 972-883-6316
Email: shilyh.warren@utdallas.edu
Office: JO 4.510A

Pia K. Jakobsson
Graduate Academic Advisor
Phone: 972-883-4706
Email: pia.jakobsson@utdallas.edu
Office: JO 4.128

Graduate Advising
Bass School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology
The University of Texas at Dallas, JO31
800 W. Campbell Road
Richardson, TX 75080-3021
Phone: 972-883-4706
Email: ahtgradvising@utdallas.edu

Office of Admission and Enrollment
800 W. Campbell Road
Richardson, TX 75080-3021
972-883-2270 or 1-800-889-2443
admission@utdallas.edu
utdallas.edu/enroll

Next Steps

Explore

Reach out to us to get more information about your program of interest.

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Review the Bass School’s graduate application process and requirements.