Graduate Overview

The Ph.D. Program in English supports students in all fields of literary and cultural studies including students with a strong background and interest in Irish literature, culture, and history. Each semester our Irish Studies faculty, based in the English Department, endeavor to contribute at least one or two course offerings to the graduate student course atlas. In addition to the Department of English course offerings, there are often Irish Studies-adjacent graduate courses cross-posted by other humanities departments within the Laney Graduate School. Given the breadth and scope of Ireland's political and cultural impact it is not unusual for Irish Studies graduate students to enroll in courses offered by humanities departments outside of English. 

Please see the English Department Ph.D handbook for more information on degree requirements. 

Of particular interest to prospective graduate students are the vast Irish literary and historical archival holdings in the Stuart A. Rose Library. Emory University is one of the only U.S. Institutions with major holdings in contemporary Irish poetry including the largest and most complete collection of Heaney papers anywhere outside of the National Library of Ireland. Over the course of their individual research and their departmental teaching our faculty and graduate students have published and taught widely from the Irish Literary collections and the Raymond Danowski poetry library. Please see our Faculty and Graduate Research pages for more information on individual research. 

In addition to a robust academic calendar of Irish Studies sponsored guest lectures and poetry readings the Irish Studies Program works closely with faculty and students in the wider Atlanta academic community as well as the Consulate General of Ireland in Atlanta in order to take advantage of the unique Irish history of the American South. Graduate students in the Irish Studies program often become active members of the Irish Community in Atlanta and are thus able to further add to their intellectual and personal education in Irish literature, history, and culture.