Minttrope

I would also like to hear if anyone has insights into the culture of the program or has any further information that can't be easily gleaned from their website, especially since I've just started my research into English programs. I'm definitely interested in CUNY will likely apply because of their emphasis on cultural studies (as bpilgrim pointed out). It also helps that Wayne Koestenbaum and Robert Reid-Pharr are there, both of whom are essayists (part of me wonders if it's possible to squeeze in some creative writing critique time with them). Further, I believe SUNY Stony Brook is also a part of the consortium, and they have a pretty continental-heavy philosophy department (at least last I looked into them, which was awhile ago; their faculty/specialization makeup may have changed since then), which is of potential interest for me.

Thanks for the helpful research pointers, @CulturalCriminal. I feel you on being a planning fiend—it was like charts on charts for my MFA apps (I one time had a friend who got an MFA—not CW but photography—tell me that he only applied to the few schools a teacher recommended to him and did no further research than that; I was shocked), and I'm already four docs deep into micro-categorizing everything, and I just started, hah.

Yeah, I'm getting the sense that figuring out the specific difference is more a matter of talking to people. Also, I'm now wondering how the ongoing shift in English departments toward innovative/interdisciplinary is affecting the job market (especially since my knowledge of the job market is, I think, pretty surface-level). Like, in looking at Stanford MTL's record of placement, and I'm sure part of that is simply due to its ranking as an interdisciplinary program and what work is coming out of there, but I also wonder if there's a growing demand (perhaps not just in English departments) for people to fill these in-between niche specializations? Not posing this because I'm explicitly seeking and feel I need an answer, just that the thought struck me. Although, if you or anyone has thoughts, I'm certainly all ears, particularly since I could use some further, more specific thoughts on the job market.

Yes yes yes—I'm also in the feminist theory, queer theory, and biopolitics boat. I feel the same, re: considering English as a "home base." And for the reason you're saying, I'm still interested in English PhDs, especially ones that allow for minors, even though explicitly interdisciplinary programs (that Crow T. pointed out) are, I think, becoming a big draw for me. I'll have to look into IU Bloomington then, thanks!

Everything you said in your first point is amazingly helpful, thank you so much. I was just messaging another person here in GC and that helped me to see that I'm likely looking for both explicitly interdisciplinary programs and innovative/interdisciplinary English programs, depending upon faculty and other factors (though probably primarily the explicitly interdisciplinary programs). I'm very much a theory-loving person, am interested in the ways conceptual frameworks across a variety of contexts and archives, and how schools of thought have influenced one another--all of that. I had yet to learn about programs like Stanford MTL and the other schools you've mentioned, so I'll definitely be looking into those. I only just learned of Carnegie Mellon's Literary and Cultural Studies program, and so far it's a very appealing program in my eyes. And that's very helpful to know, in regards to your mention of interdisciplinary programs' rankings. So, now that I've got a better radar for schools/programs, I guess I can begin to ask folks here: what English PhDs out there would you say are closer on the spectrum to programs like Standford's MTL? I've yet to more thoroughly know what lists of schools typically get circulated as being quite innovative/interdisciplinary, and I want to make sure I'm looking in all the relevant places, regardless of program type, for what I'm looking for. One school that had been suggested to me by a mentor is CUNY Grad Center, and so they've certainly seemed appealing (last I looked around their website). Still, I do get the sense that the explicitly interdisciplinary programs are going to be more of interest to me, so I guess we'll see how this initial school-list-compiling step goes.

Thank you, Warelin! Would love to hear from you, @FreakyFoucault

Thanks for this; it helps to hear about the programs you tossed out regarding a focus on theory. However, I'm not quite asking for the logical next step in my process or for program recommendations based on my (yet-to-be-stated) interests. I left it open-ended because I'm curious to know how people would, starting from a blank slate, characterize how English departments are currently, typically set up as well as how they've changed over whatever period of time this purported shift occurred. So, basically, I'm asking for insider knowledge and a little bit of history, and not trying to pose a roundabout or vague query that elides the fact that I'm actually looking for program recs (I may do that at some point, but this isn't that).

Hi everyone, I'm very new here to GradCafe, so apologies if I might break with normal protocol or decorum (and let me know how things work if I do slip up!). I've just begun the process of looking into English PhDs, though I'm not aiming to apply this fall (likely fall 2019). For some background, I recently graduated from a Creative Writing MFA and majored in both English and Philosophy in undergrad. I've told previous teachers of mine that, were I to do an English PhD, I don't think I would want to be in a traditional English PhD program, to which one teacher responded that most programs aren't very traditional anymore. However, if I'm being honest with myself, I don't totally know how to track the specific differences between a program that is more "traditional" versus one that is not (or rather, more interdisciplinary). So, basically, I'm curious to know how folks here would characterize the difference between traditional departments &/or PhD programs and ones that are not. I feel like the better I understand the differences, the better I can express how I would situate myself and my research to a given school/program in an SoP. (Or at least that's my logic; if this feels like a wrongly- or ill-informed approach, I would also be grateful to know.)