Postgraduate Doctorate Doctor of Philosophy Comprehensive

PhD English Language

Department of English 3 years Regular

How to Apply

Getting In

The Programme

The People

Programme Details

MBA/MSC/MPHIL/MED/MA/MN/etc Entry

Level 900

About This Programme

The Doctor of Philosophy in English Language is a research degree of the Department of English, Faculty of Arts. It creates flexible learning opportunities that equip students with a broad knowledge base in English Studies while leaving room for specialisation and interdisciplinary innovation, and it aligns the postgraduate levels (MA, MPhil, PhD) so that the School of Graduate Studies Step-Up, Step-Down policy can be applied in practice.

The programme runs over six semesters. Students entering directly with an MPhil begin in Year 1, while those upgraded from an MPhil programme (Step-Up) begin in Year 2, which is why the structure is expressed as Year 1/2, Year 2/3 and Year 3/4. The first year of study carries eighteen (18) credits a semester: Research and Professional Ethics and Research Synthesis and Meta-analysis in English Studies in the first semester, and Academic Writing for Graduate Students and Guided Study in English Studies in the second, each semester alongside twelve credits of Thesis. The remaining four semesters carry fifteen (15) credits each, made up of Graduate Research Seminars I to IV and the twelve-credit Thesis, which runs from Semester I to Semester VI for a total of seventy-two (72) credits.

Students admitted to the PhD level directly may be required to take additional core or elective courses from the MA/MPhil level if there is a deficiency in their earlier academic record. A PhD student is required to publish at least two papers in recognised peer-reviewed journals, or in edited volumes published by a reputable publisher, before submitting the thesis; a paper submitted and marked 'Under Review' is considered a publication.

Since 2020 the Department has combined online resources with face-to-face interaction in delivering content, and continues to integrate videoconferencing, learning management systems and social media into its modes of delivery.

Programme Aim

Aim(s)

To produce globally competitive and self-independent researchers in English Language Studies with knowledge and expertise to conduct research with high impact for the development of Ghana, Africa and the world.

Programme Objectives

Objective(s)

Critically review and contribute to theoretical discussions in English language studies.

The PhD (English Language) programme was introduced in the 2011/2012 academic year and has been running in the Department of English since. One development since 2011 is that the School of Graduate Studies introduced a Step-Up, Step-Down policy, under which students admitted into MPhil programmes could upgrade to the PhD level or be downgraded to the MA level depending on their performance in the course work.

Through the PhD programme the Department has produced several PhD graduates for higher education institutions across Ghana. A few limitations have also been recorded: there was apparent duplication and overlapping of courses among the various programme levels, putting pressure on limited human resources and affecting efficiency and effectiveness, and there was no proper linkage between the different postgraduate levels, which made the implementation of the Step-Up, Step-Down policy impractical. This revised programme is designed to address those challenges.

Entry Requirements

A research master's degree in English Language, Literature-in-English, or a closely related discipline (e.g. African Studies with specialisation in African Literature).
A non-research master's degree in English Language, Literature-in-English, or a closely related discipline with a CGPA of 3.5 or better, with not more than one grade C+ or lower, and B+ or better in Research Methods.
A BA or BEd degree in English with First Class Honours or a CGPA of 3.6 or better, with evidence of advanced research abilities (for example through publication or conference presentations in internationally prestigious journals or conferences).

Grade	Numerical Value
A1	1
B2	2
B3	3
C4	4
C5	5
C6	6

Grade	Numerical Value
A	1
B	2
C	3
D	4

Code	Title	Credits
ENG911	Language and Literacy	3
ENG912	Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis in English Studies	3
ENG914	Graduate Research Seminar I	3
ENG916	Graduate Research Seminar Iii	3
ENG999	Phd Thesis	12
Total credit hours	24

Code	Title	Credits
SGS801	Academic Writing For Graduate Students	3
ENG913	Guided Study in English Studies	3
ENG915	Graduate Research Seminar Ii	3
ENG917	Graduate Research Seminar Iv	3
ENG999	Phd Thesis	12
Total credit hours	24

Code	Title	Credits
SGS801	Academic Writing For Graduate Students	3
Total credit hours	3

Code	Title	Credits
ENG911	Language and Literacy	3
ENG912	Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis in English Studies	3
ENG913	Guided Study in English Studies	3
Total credit hours	9

Code	Title	Credits
ENG914	Graduate Research Seminar I	3
ENG915	Graduate Research Seminar Ii	3
ENG916	Graduate Research Seminar Iii	3
ENG917	Graduate Research Seminar Iv	3
ENG999	Phd Thesis	12
Total credit hours	24

Graduation Requirements

Course Requirements: A candidate for the BCom (Accounting) degree must pass all courses taken, meet Inter-Faculty course requirements.
Credit Requirements: A candidate must accumulate a minimum of 140 credits (including Advance Credits).
Additional Requirements: The candidate must attain a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 1.0. In addition, the candidate must have settled financial and other obligations to the university.