Who Can Apply?
Both students who are currently in a master’s program at UCF and students who have completed a master’s program at another institution may be considered for the fast-track to Ph.D. program. The master’s degree must have been earned at a regionally accredited institution or recognized foreign institution and the course substituted must have a clear theoretical and content alignment with the proposed usage in fulfilling program requirements, as evaluated by the Texts & Technology curriculum committee.
Currently Texts & Technology offers specialization in:
- Digital Humanities
- Digital Media
- Editing, Publishing, and Interdisciplinary Curating
- Public History
- Rhetoric and Composition
- Scientific and Technical Communication
What is Required?
Current Master’s Students at UCF
For students currently in a master’s program, the student should meet with their program director and the T&T director to discuss the desire to fast-track to the Ph.D. and seek approval for course selection that would meet requirements of both programs. Students cannot “triple-dip” a course to satisfy degree requirements. For example, if a student chooses to take ENG 6814 to satisfy the Gender Studies Certificate and it is an elective for the English MA degree, it wouldn’t be eligible for use in the Ph.D. as well.
If a student’s master’s program permits taking Texts & Technology (T&T) courses as approved electives, we strongly encourage students to do so. In addition to T&T elective courses (e.g. ENG 6939 Topics in Texts & Technology, ENG 6811 Cultural Contexts of T&T, ENG 6814 Gender in Texts & Technology, etc.) that might be appropriate in the master’s discipline, a student is encouraged to consider taking ENG 6800 Introduction to Texts & Technology and/or ENG 6812 Research Methods in Texts & Technology (core courses for the doctoral degree) as approved electives in their master’s program. Doing so will provide the student with a better understanding of the field and help them determine the appropriateness of applying to the doctoral fast-track program. While not required, current master’s students are encouraged to enroll in the thesis option of their program to give them a stronger foundation for research in the doctoral program.
Applicants with an Earned Master’s
Applicants who have received a master’s degree and are interested in submitting up to 15 credits (up to five 3-credit courses) towards electives or core courses from previous graduate work towards the Texts & Technology Ph.D. requirements should submit a letter of request to the T&T Program Director indicating which courses they believe should be considered as meeting the waiver requirement, and providing a transcript showing the courses and syllabuses for each course. The program director, in consultation with the Texts & Technology Curriculum Subcommittee, will make a decision regarding approval of the waiver proposal. Currently, these credits can be applied toward waiving either core or elective Texts & Technology requirements, or a combination of both.
When Do I Apply?
Current Master’s Students at UCF
Current master’s students should apply to the Texts & Technology Ph.D. program in the fall of their final year in the master’s program. Applications received by February 1 (or by the priority deadline of January 15) of each year will be considered for admission to the doctoral program the following fall. UCF master’s students who wish to continue into the doctoral program in the spring or summer immediately following graduation from the master’s degree must complete an application as a Non-Degree Seeking student for the relevant term. Credits used toward another degree will be eligible for waiver consideration; credits not used toward the MA will not fall under the waiver policy.
Applicants with Earned Master’s
Students who have received a master’s outside of UCF, or from UCF in the past three years, should apply to T&T in the fall of the year preceding entry into the doctoral program. The applicant should make a request in writing following notification of admission to the T&T program director of their desire to submit credits for waiver consideration. Priority deadline to apply for fall entry is January 15 with a regular admission deadline of February 1. Credits earned after admission (Spring / Summer term) will be eligible for waiver consideration.
When is the Student Notified of a Determination?
Once the student has been approved for the waiver of credit, the Texts & Technology program director will notify the student in writing. As a general rule, this will occur prior to the applicant beginning classes as matriculated student. The T&T program coordinator will then update the student’s UCF record. This is done via the online Grad eForm (eGRAD) maintained in PeopleSoft. The student’s Plan of Study will be updated accordingly.