The English Literature major at Pitt offers excellent preparation for students who pursue MA or PhD degrees after they graduate. The period courses required by the major ensure that students undertake substantial work in a number of literary historical periods, work that is usually organized by specific aesthetic, historical, ethical, and political questions. Englit 500, “Introduction to Critical Reading,” and Englit 505, “Lectures in Literature,” give students the opportunity to explore and try out a range of intellectual approaches to literary studies. Junior seminars, in which students write substantial essays drawing on independent research, typically produce student writings that are appropriate for use as writing samples in applications to graduate programs. Finally, senior seminars allow students to do focused work in an area of interest, taking up literary problems and explorations at an advanced level to provide a capstone experience.
Although any English Literature major who has done well in her or his courses is likely to be a good applicant for graduate study, there are additional ways in which English majors can prepare themselves:
Use English Electives Wisely
Elective courses such as “The History of Literary Criticism” (Englit 1020) and “Contemporary Critical Theory” (Englit 1023) can help you attain the working familiarity with important critical perspectives and theories that most graduate programs in English will expect. Also, be alert for topics courses and junior and seminars that focus on particular kinds of literary criticism or literary theory. Elective courses focusing on literary movements, genres, or periods (usually more narrowly-focused than period courses) also provide excellent ways for students to become gain deeper, more specific forms of expertise. Because graduate programs (especially PhD programs) usually expect students to propose (provisionally) certain specific areas of study in their applications, any courses that help you formulate specific interests, questions, and concerns about literary matters will help you write a better application and enter graduate study on a surer footing.
Keep Copies of Your Work
Be sure to get your papers and exams back from faculty members (including final essays and exams, which students sometimes fail to pick up). The work you have done may be useful to show your recommenders (especially the work you did in a recommender’s course) or to revise and use as a writing sample.
Take Foreign Language and Literature Courses
Many graduate English programs require students to demonstrate proficiency in at least one language other than English through completing graduate coursework or a translation exam in the language. Some programs prefer students to have proficiency in at least one foreign language before admission. Consider taking courses in foreign languages and literatures beyond the requirements of your English Literature degree as part of your preparation for graduate school.
Participate in Organizations and Events that Provide Academic Benefit
Pitt and its English Department also offer opportunities outside of coursework for learning experiences that contribute to students’ preparation for graduate studies. Think about getting involved in a student club such as the Fantasy Studies Fellowship or a department organization such as the Literature Program Committee. The English department also continually brings academic speakers to campus to present work-in-progress, as do the Cultural Studies Program, the Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies Program, and other language and literature departments. Check the bulletin boards on the 5th floor of the Cathedral of Learning (where the English department office is located) and the English department web calendar of news and events to find out about speakers, symposia, conferences, and readings you might wish to attend.
Get Experience Teaching
Students who wish to go into primary and secondary teaching and students who wish to become college teachers all benefit from opportunities to teach as undergraduates.
- ENGLIT 505 UTA Opportunities: An especially valuable opportunity for English majors is the chance to be an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (UTA) for Englit 505, “Lectures in Literature.” UTAs for 505 work closely with a faculty coordinator and with graduate student Teaching Fellows to assist in leading discussion sections, answering students’ questions at a help desk, and offering students help with their papers. UTAs for Englit 505 enroll in a separate course offering them course credits for their work on the basis of writing assignments and group discussions supervised by the faculty coordinator for Englit 505. The Literature Program Director solicits applications for these UTA positions in February or March for the following academic year.
- Other UTA and UTF Opportunities: The Office of Experiential Learning, the Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies Program, and the Honors College also sponsor teaching internships for undergraduates who arrange to work as a UTA for a course they have already taken. The OEL and WSP teaching internships are individually negotiated between potential UTAs and instructors with whom they would like to work, but the internships (which usually require students to produce writings or projects reflecting on their experiences) are monitored by the Office of Experiential Learning or the Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies Program. The internships provide course credits, and for some students they can be organized as work-study hours. The Honors College offers Chancellor’s Undergraduate Teaching Fellowships for which faculty members and students make applications. Students awarded the fellowships receive a cash stipend. Information about these options can be found at the Office of Experiential Learning website; the Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies Program website; and the Honors College website.
- Peer Tutoring: The Writing Center at Pitt also offers opportunities for undergraduates to work as peer tutors. Prospective peer tutors must first complete the course “Tutoring for Peer Writers” (EngCmp 1210), then make an application to the Writing Center. Successful applicants receive course credits and a stipend. For more information, see the Writing Center website at www.writingcenter.pitt.edu/undergraduate-services/peer-tutoring.
- Young Writers’ Institute: The Western Pennsylvania Writing Project (WPWP) offers summer internships for Pitt undergraduates who would like to work at the Young Writers’ Institute.
Get Experience Doing Research
Another experience that is valuable as preparation for graduate study (as well as in itself) is the opportunity to participate in academic research as an undergraduate.
- Brackenridge Fellowships: Brackenridge Fellowships allow Pitt undergraduates to undertake independent research projects during the summer, supervised by a Pitt faculty member.
- Research Internships: The Office of Experiential Learning and the Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies Program sponsor research internships that allow undergraduates to assist Pitt faculty members in their current research projects. For more information, consult, the OEL website or the WSP website.
- Essay contests: English majors can apply to a number of essay contests sponsored by the English Department and Pitt’s Writing Board. For most of these contests, students submit revised versions of papers initially written for courses at Pitt. The contests offer financial prizes, and they also count as honors that can be listed in graduate school applications. Check out the list of Pitt prizes. You may also wish to investigate national essay contests such as the Norton Scholar’s Prize.
- Double Majors, Joint Majors, Minors, and Certificate Programs: Consider enhancing your degree. Applying for a double major, a joint major (including the joint major in English Writing and English Literature and the Africana English Literature joint major), a certificate program, or a minor will allow you to develop and signal additional ranges of expertise. The Honors College at Pitt also offers a Bachelor of Philosophy degree (Bphil) for which each student writes an honors thesis within a field of her or his departmental major.
- Independent Research: Talk to faculty members outside of class. Faculty members in Pitt’s English Department are usually willing (indeed, happy) to talk to students about books, ideas, and the academy. If you are interested in ideas and works that have come up in class, try to meet with your professor to learn more and to find out about further reading you might do. A busy faculty member may have to negotiate a time for a far-reaching conversation, but faculty members usually enjoy helping students formulate and follow their intellectual interests. These conversations and the additional reading you do as a result of them may help you discover interests you would like to pursue in graduate study.