Should I apply straight for Ph.D. or go the Masters then Ph.D. route?

[TeaOverCoffee]

I'm an undergraduate at a small public school in the South, and I'm obtaining a B.A. in English. I want to apply to doctoral British Literature programs, but I was told that typically STEM majors are the only ones who receive an opportunity to go straight to a Ph.D. program, while the rest of us must go through a Masters then Ph.D. I have not heard of many programs that fully fund British Literature students in a Masters program, though. I am a little worried that I will need to take out a hypothetical mortgage for a house in order to receive a Masters degree. Then I, of course, will still go on to receive a Ph.D. I know Ph.D. programs are often funded in comparison to Masters, which is the main reason I'd like to bypass the entire Masters process. Does anyone know if there are programs within the northeastern region that will accept a student straight into a Ph.D. program without a Masters degree?

[EccentricAcademic]

There probably are. It's not my field, but I've learned that you don't take "typically" for an answer. One thing to consider - I was like you, trying to get into PhD. programs straight from an undergrad degree. I very well might (waiting to hear from two) but I've learned that while one might feel ready for a Ph.D., getting into any PhD program is difficult as an undergrad simply because most programs take people with experience (through a Master's) more seriously.

But, don't take my "typically" for an answer. Go for it. You and I might get into Ph.D. programs from a BA. 

 

And, if you're competitive enough, try Oxford or Cambridge (in the UK). There are theoretically full-scholarships for people seeking a Master's in the field, (they won't let you do a PhD there without a Masters). You could go to Oxford or Cambridge, possibly fully funded, then go to a Ph.D. program that's fully funded later. Other foreign schools offer a good degree program in your area, especially the UK, which may be able to offer you funding. It's a long shot but an idea nonetheless.

[engphiledu]

I know of several people who are in your interest area (English, at least) and have gone straight from B.A. to PhD (accepted, with funding/TA). Those people are few, and their backgrounds are pretty stellar. So, I would say it's entirely possible, that there is no reason to not go for it, especially if that's what you want to do. However, here's what I've seen/heard.
You have to have kick-@ss credentials, most of the time. Stellar GRE scores, a great undergrad GPA, and, of course, convincing SOP and recommendation letters. But, don't you want that for any graduate school application? Of course, but going straight from a B.A. to a PhD and competing with those students who have already received their M.A. makes it extra difficult, unless you choose to go to smaller schools, not as highly ranked schools, and schools which, as a result, typically have less funding. As I said, people have done it, and these friends of mine are going to do amazing things, I'm sure.
On the other hand, I applied to only English M.A. programs. However, I applied only to programs which explicitly stated that they have funding available for PhD and M.A. students. Now, the number of M.A. students admitted with funding is a pretty small margin, but no less of a margin than getting accepted into a PhD program. Granted, I haven't heard back from any of these programs yet, so I cannot attest to how successful this course of action will be. I know it has been successful in the past, however, with other people, and you don't have to necessarily be on the top of your game during the application process. Doing the M.A. first will give you some time to improve your credentials and maybe get some publishing/presentation experience.
I think the most successful route, from what I have seen, is to apply to both M.A. and PhD. If you have the money to shell out for the recommended 8 to 15 applications (or more, depending on who you talk to), you can split the number of M.A. program and PhD program applications. This way, if you get a fully-funded offer for an M.A. but get turned away from all your PhD programs, you have a back-up plan, and you know that you can improve your applications through your M.A. for applying to a PhD program. If you get accepted to a PhD program but get no funding from M.A., then you can decide between the potential challenge that lies ahead for PhD and the debt that will incur if you turn away the PhD for an unfunded M.A. 
I hope this helps! If you have more detailed questions, feel free to ask! 

[hj2012]

It's actually very common for people to go straight from B.A. to Ph.D. in English Literature if you already have the proper qualifications. (Case in point: me.) In fact, some English doctoral programs prefer applications without master's degrees. All the top schools in New England routinely accept students straight from undergrad.

However, if you feel that your application is subpar for whatever reason - poor GPA, lackluster letters of recommendation, unsophisticated writing sample - an M.A. can help correct those deficiencies. But you certainly don't need to take out debt to get your master's. Georgetown's M.A. program, for example, typically provides funding via graduate assistantships. If your area of interest is British Lit, you could apply for Fulbright and get your master's in the UK. Basically, you have a lot of options!

Good luck!

[TeaOverCoffee]

Thank you so much, everyone. These were really useful comments. This time next year, I'll keep everyone updated on how it actually turns out.

[juilletmercredi]

One other thing, TeaOverCoffee - unless you have a specific reason for your geographic constraints beyond preference (like small children in the area, elderly parents you need to care for) you should really consider looking outside of the Northeast.  The best program(s) in your field for you may be outside of the Northeast, and if you give yourself more locational flexibility earlier in your career (PhD program) then you may have more choice in the latter part of your career.  I'm sure there are a myriad of great programs in the Northeast, too, but there's also places like Stanford, Michigan, Vanderbilt, Arizona State, Chicago, Duke, Northwestern, a couple of UCs, Emory... (I don't know, I'm just listing places that are well-reputed per the NRC, lol.)