Making the jump: Philosophy to English

[Scream]

I'm currently finishing an M.A. in philosophy and I've decided to make the transition to english. I have found professional philosophy to be largely cloistered, and I see literature as a more successful vehicle for disseminating philosophical exchange. Specifically, I am interested in novels employing underlying philosophical themes (e.g., Sartre, Camus, Thoreau), as well as critical theory.

My main interests are in 19th and 20th century american and continental literature. My main philosophical interests are in applied ethics (i.e., environmental and nonhuman animal issues), continental philosophy (largely existentialism), and the history of philosophy. I'd like to concentrate on the amalgam of the two.

As far as a general sketch of how my application would look:

- I have a B.A. in philosophy from a solid liberal arts school, with a GPA of 3.5.

- I will have an M.A. in philosophy from a solid program, with a GPA between 3.9 and 4.0.

- I was hired on as a graduate assistant for the department (grading undergraduate papers and giving occasional lectures).

- I have published one article in the department journal (which is by invitation only), and I have another one forthcoming.

- My GRE scores are in the low 1400s (low 700s in both verbal and math).

- I have 4 good letters of recommendation

- I have just started working on a foreign language

As far as what I'm looking for:

- A funded PhD program (I can't afford to pay for another master's degree before transitioning to a PhD).

- A PhD in english - I realize I might make a good candidate for one of the philosophy and literature PhD programs, but I've heard their graduates have a harder time finding tenure track positions (and since the job market is already brutal I'd like to avoid setting myself up for future headaches).

Whereas I would know exactly what range of schools to look at for a PhD in philosophy, I am largely clueless regarding english. Given the requirements above, I'd love to hear recommendations for the range of schools I should be checking out (e.g., "there's no way you're getting funded in the top 75, check out number 75 through 100"). And while I realize rankings aren't everything, hearing your feedback would give me a helpful place to start my search!

Lastly, if there are any schools I should really check out, or any advice I should know, I'd love to hear.

Thanks!

[wreckofthehope]

You'd be a great candidate for one of the more interdisciplinary literature programs out there: Duke Lit, UCSC Lit, Berkeley Rhetoric - so you might want to look into those.

While they would probably be a nice fit for a philosophy and literature oriented person, they are by no means the only programs that would be happy to have someone working at the crossroads of disciplines and I wouldn't let your philosophy background stop you from applying to English programs at top tier schools. One thing to consider is how much English coursework you did as an undergrad, as that may factor in to whether or not schools consider you prepared enough. It would also help to do well on the English Literature GRE subject test as a good score might help convince an adcom that you have the basic knowledge required.

Rankings don't tell you much about where you'll stand the best chance - you need to look for programs that best fit your interests. A couple that I can think of, off the top of my head, that might fit your interests are: WUSTL (Steven Meyer) and probably Duke Lit.

[thestage]

Duke lit more or less requires proficiency in at least one foreign language to be considered

[Stately Plump]

I would say your "numbers" or "stats" would be competitive anywhere. Choose a range of programs, based on "rank," and see what happens. I would pay more attention to fit, however. Find programs that have faculty doing work in your proposed areas of interest. Look at current and past course offerings. Look at resources outside the university to see how they might affect your research.

I have "numbers" and "stats" in quotations because, in the final analysis, they aren't a very good judge of where you might get it. You might get in to the top programs you apply to, you might not get in anywhere. There will probably be people who get in with "numbers" that are worse than yours. It's very hard to judge. All you can do is submit the best application you can and hope for the best.

Good luck!

[Two Espressos]

Scream: your stats are good, so I wouldn't worry about your "numbers." Your GRE scores are better than a lot of people on here (i.e., mine). Weak points: "just start[ing]" on a foreign language--assuming this is your first-- is a serious disadvantage. Also, if you haven't taken many English literature courses proper, as wreckofthehope discusses above, that's something you'll need to address in some way.

Overall, though, I wouldn't worry about applying to English Ph.D. programs with a philosophy background. Philosophy has a reputation for being more rigorous anyways, so notwithstanding the two issues I delineated, you should be relatively competitive. So go for it! I'd imagine that a more or mostly philosophically oriented perspective on literature is perfectly acceptable at many places. At least that's what I'm hoping, seeing as I pretty much want to do philosophy in a literature department, more or less.

[Scream]

I really appreciate your thoughtful responses and I feel like I have a much better foundation on which to start my search. Additionally, I'm grateful you all didn't sugar coat things, instead taking the time to point out the weaknesses in my application. I plan on addressing them in greater detail now.

Again, thank you very much.