Prior to 1998, and in line with the British model which we inherited, graduate study was seen at UWI largely as an exercise in self_motivated research whereby students were mostly left to their own devices and expected to figure out, almost entirely on their own, both what they needed to read and how to put it all together in order to write their thesis. However, in 1997, after much research and careful consideration, the Department of Language, Linguistics and Literature put together a new graduate programme, the structure of which is applicable to each of the three constituent disciplines of the department (Linguistics, Literatures in English, and Modern Languages).

In addition to research culminating in the production of a thesis (which remains the ultimate goal of graduate studies in the department), the department instituted:

• compulsory course work for all MA candidates and those MPhil candidates without any experience of graduate courses, and

• compulsory Reading Fields for MPhil and PhD candidates.

Compulsory course work for students straight out of the undergraduate programme is the norm at universities the world over because of its obvious benefits: students consistently report that both the content of the courses and interaction with other students have proved to be extremely enriching.

Reading Fields (sometimes called Qualifying, Candidacy, or Comprehensive Exams in other universities) are norms at every major North American institution. They consist in lists of prescribed texts designed to acquaint candidates with the key readings in areas of research directly related to their dissertation. For example, a candidate writing a dissertation on Walcott's poetry, might choose to do reading fields in 'West Indian Literature' and 'British and American Poetry.' Successful completion of the fields may also function to demonstrate a candidate's competence to teach courses in the areas in question at the tertiary level. Students should note that the reading fields represent only surveys of the key readings in the areas in question and are not a substitute for the topic-specific readings necessary for producing a dissertation. Students consistently report that the experience of doing the fields has been an immensely rewarding one, forcing them to engage with texts they might not otherwise have even considered, deepening the knowledge of particular fields which they thought they possessed, and in many cases significantly altering how they initially conceived of their projected research. 

Most universities which have inherited the British approach to graduate education tend to leave graduate students to pursue their own research and, thus, largely to sink or swim on their own. Little formal guidance as to what one should read in particular fields is given. By contrast, almost all North American universities, cognizant that graduate students need guidance as to what constitutes the key readings in their chosen fields of research, require candidates to take qualifying or candidacy exams of the sort described above. Indeed, as their very name indicates, such exams in those systems are hurdles that demonstrate whether or not a student is prepared and, thus, will be allowed to undertake the complex, intensive research required to produce a dissertation at this level.

The MA Degree in Post-colonial Literatures in English: the MA degree is largely a taught degree with a relatively small component of research.  In many respects, it represents a continuation of work begun at the undergraduate level this time, however, with a specialisation of focus: the study almost entirely of Post-colonial and diasporic literatures, the area in which faculty expertise and student interest are mostly concentrated.

The MPhil Degree in Post-colonial and Other Literatures in English the MPhil degree is largely a research degree with, for those without a MA, a relatively small component of coursework.  The MPhil is most often viewed as a bridging degree between the taught MA and the research-based PhD.  Because it is more oriented towards research, the focus is slightly expanded to include not only Post-colonial but also other literatures.  However, because the area in which faculty expertise and student interest are mostly concentrated

Candidates for the MPhil may, upon completion of their reading field and if satisfactory progress has been made in the research and writing of their thesis, apply to upgrade the status of their registration to PhD level.

The PhD Degree in Post-colonial and Other Literatures in English: the PhD degree is a research degree.  The focus includes not only Post-colonial but also other literatures.  However, because the area in which faculty expertise and student interest are mostly concentrated

For further details on the requirements for the PhD degree, click here.

COURSES

Courses are regularly offered in the following areas.  To access course descriptions, please click on the links below:

E60 Series: Critical Theory:

• E60A Modern Critical Theory

• E60B Contemporary Critical Theory: Post-Structuralisms and Post-colonialisms I

• E60C Contemporary Critical Theory: Post-Structuralisms and Post-colonialisms II

• E60D Caribbean Poetics

E61 Series: Post-colonial Literatures:

• E61A Readings in Post-colonial Literatures I: the Indian Subcontinent

• E61B Readings in Post-colonial Literatures II: Australia and New Zealand

• E61C Readings in Post-colonial Literatures III: Canada

• E61D African Narrative in Film and Text

• E61E Postcolonial Literatures and Theories I
• E61F Postcolonial Literatures and Theories II

E62 Series: Diaspora and Gender:

• E62A Women's Writing and Feminist Theory

• E62B Women, Fiction and Gender
• E62C Women, Poetry and Gender

E63 Series: Post-colonial Genres:

• E63A Post-colonial Drama

• E63B Post-colonial Cinema

E64 Series: Colonial Discourse:

• E64A Literature and Empire

• E64B The West Indies in the Colonialist Text

• E64C Postcolonialism and Shakespeare Criticism

• E64D Myths of Otherness

E65 Series: West Indian Literature:

• E65A Special Topics in West Indian Literature

• E65B West Indian Literature: Special Author Seminar

It should be noted that not all courses listed are offered each year.