Hello everyone— it’s so exciting to see so many applicants! I have to leave this meeting early at 12:30, so before I go, I’d like to mention that Anh Nguyen and I are this year’s PhD student representatives. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions that you may have. My email is mm9659@nyu.edu :)

Will the recording be made available ?

Hi everyone. This is Keerthana from India. I am having trouble staying connected due to low connectivity. The time difference between NYC and India is also a bit problematic for me. I might get cut off any second. I request the organizers to please share the recording with me. My email id is - keerthana.krishnan22@gmail.com

Okay, thank Keerthana. We can share the recording to anyone who emails Wendy or Lissette.

Here’s a link to this year’s doctoral handbook too, for what its worth (full of info): https://as.nyu.edu/content/dam/nyu-as/english/documents/PhD%20Handbook%202021-22%20FINAL.pdf

We're planning to upload the recording of today's meeting to the NYU English Department website

Great, thank you

We'll post the recording to this page: https://as.nyu.edu/english/graduate/information-for-prospective-phd-students.html

Thank you everyone for your time! Are there any upcoming planned faculty sabbaticals?

yes - sorry, my background is loud right now. Okay, thank you!

I'm interested in medieval literature. Which medieval languages are taught? Are there any opportunities to learn Middle or Early Modern Irish?

Most faculty take single-semester sabbaticals every 3-4 years, so a sabbatical isn't normally a big problem.

Consortium universities: Columbia, Rutgers, Fordham, Princeton, and CUNY Graduate Center.

Thank you very much for your message! Onf of our colleagues, Professor Carolyn Dinshaw, works on queer theory. We are also very close to the Department of Siicial and Cultlural Analysis, where there are many faculty members and wtudents workng on gender study and queer theory.

https://gsas.nyu.edu/content/nyu-as/gsas/academics/inter-university-doctoral-consortium.html

How many students are you planning to admit this year?

Re: Queer Studies…There was also a course in Performance Studies (which you can take while in the English dept.) that was very popular last Fall.

We don’t have the exact # of our next cohort yet. 8? 7? Past cohorts have varied between 4 and 11 . . .

Thank you!

https://gsas.nyu.edu/bulletin/complit/AdvancedCertificate.html

@Rory Yarter: For Irish, see https://as.nyu.edu/content/nyu-as/as/research-centers/irelandhouse.html. In English, Hal Momma teaches courses on medieval languages :)

Thank you!

https://as.nyu.edu/content/nyu-as/as/departments/complit/graduate/certificates/poetics-and-theory.html

^Poetics and Theory Certificate info!

@Rory Yarter: [More on language study] There are also funding opportunities to study languages. I’m not sure about the specifics for medieval languages, but I have received a grant to study Latin.

Thank you! Latin is definitively an important language for studying the medieval period.

Will the personal history statement be considered as well as the statement of purpose?

Hi! I’m just wondering when we will receive a decision about whether or not we’ve gotten admitted into the program!

Great to speak with you all! I have to run but if you have any questions, feel free to email me at Aida.gureghian@nyu.edu

Thanks everyone, really exciting stuff!

Expectations for students in terms of publications?

Thanks so much everyone! I’d really like to learn more about the print culture working group?

Hi! Thank you so much for hosting this. I have two brief questions:

@Safia: Lots of faculty in English work comparatively, so even though NYU has two separate departments (English // Comp Lit), I think one way to decide is to look at who you might want to work with, and where you want your home department to be.

Perfect, thanks Tanya!

Are there any low-residency/distance learning options after we have completed our coursework and fields exams?

1 - How many years does the average student take to complete the program? And 2 - for the 20-25 page writing sample, should it be a standalone piece, or could we use, for example, a chapter of an undergraduate thesis?

Are there opportunities for students to take courses in creative writing?

Public Humanities initiative:

https://as.nyu.edu/public-humanities-initiative/doctoral-fellowships.html

@Chelsea: Good question! Publication is not required for the degree, but depending on your goals for the program, publication might be strongly encouraged. The department hosts workshops on publication, and faculty are great resources for helping students navigate publication ideas.

Can the interviews take place online, or will they be in person?

About the certificate programs: I’m a graduate student at NYU and would like to know that if I take classes which apply to one certificate program now (as a masters) could I apply that class to the certificate program later, as a PhD candidate? I would like to earn a few certificates so this may help me to take classes and work towards this certificate now.

I’m going to hop off, but I’ll just say that it’s very important for international students to keep in contact with OGS (Office of Global Studies). They have a lot of useful information. I thought it important as there are, for instance, some relation between the number of credits one is pursuing in a semester and their F1 / J1 status etc. (I’m thinking about this in relation to the transfer of credits, however it is generally really good to visit their website and talk to them and keep in contact with them. They’re really great and helpful.)

Sophia, the Departments of English and Comp lit are not connected at NYU, but we work very closely and there is a lot of overlap between the departments in terms of faculty. Zakir Paul and Mark Saunders, for instance, are Associated faculty, meaning that they can direct dissertations in our department.

Writing sample advice: any significant writing. If it’s part of something larger, tell us

I second Sarah's question about using chapters/pieces of longer works for the writing sample.

Thanks, Tanya!

Bye! And all the best!

Thank you for organising this! Can we request an extension in deadline for the submission of application?

If your writing sample is is part of a larger project please put it in context for us!

Thank you! Would a brief cover letter suffice for contextualization?

Sadly the Grad School Admissions office handles incoming apps first, so extensions unlikely. Ask the Admissions folks, see what they say

The deadline is December 1. We do not give deadline extension.

Yes, Thank you!

I’ve heard we receive a decision by March (regarding whether or not we’ve been accepted into the program). Is this BY March? Or does everyone hear back in March? Thank you!

Yes! A cover letter (even brief paragraph) will help us understand the writing sample and where it might fit in your larger project.

Thank you!

Echoing Olivia’s question from above - the third step with interviews - Can the interviews take place online, or will they be in person?

To contextualize the writing sample: I have used an excerpt from my MA thesis, and just use a page at the beginning to provide context, where it fits in the larger project, etc.

Online interviews, very brief

thank you!

I have to hop off but just wanted to wish everyone good luck! feel free to stay in touch mgj259@nyu.edu

Thank you

@ucleees: Here’s the list of our current working groups: https://as.nyu.edu/english/about/working-groups.html

The English department did support a Print Culture Working Group but I’m not sure that it’s happening this year. Lisa Gitelman might be able to add more?

There are *lots* of book history things going on right now, not a formal working group: opportunity knocks

And you can organize your own working group!

I am not sure who asked the question about a Print Culture working group, but this is one of the English Department’s strongest areas of study! Many of us would be interested in gathering!

thanks everyone for your time - this was so helpful. I’m looking forward to applying!

Can any piece of the writing sample be fiction? I’m in my last semester of an MFA in creative writing and so the majority of my thesis is fiction. It includes a short critical introduction about my genre, which is what I’d like to study more in-depth for my dissertation, but the introduction is less than 10 pages.

Thank you!

Thank you so much for this. I’m excited to apply!

Thank you all!

Where can we find the recording for this meeting?

Your writing sample should be a piece of critical writing, rather than creative writing.

Good to know. Thank you!

@Sandra Lau: I believe, yes!

https://as.nyu.edu/english/graduate/information-for-prospective-phd-students.html

Thank you Tanya!!

Thank you for the informative session!

Thank you!

Thank you everyone! It sounds like a wonderful program and you all are lovely!

This has been very informative and clarifying, thank you everyone for taking the time to hold this!

Thanks, everyone, for coming!

Thank you for the session!

Thank you all! It was great to learn more about the program.

Thank you!

Thank you for organizing this— this was very informative, and I am looking forward to applying!

!Thank you

Thank you so much

Thank you !!

Thank you everyone!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you all!