Hi! I'm exploring Ph.D. and MA English Literature programs but I have a few questions that I wanted to toss out there. ( Background and area of interest )
I agree with historicappeal - a clearer idea is better than a vaguer one. At the same time, it's not a contract - you're not bound to what you put in your SoP. Maybe do some research and see what other people have done in your area of research, and see if you can tighten it up a little bit.
I have a BA in English with a second major in physics and am starting a PhD program in English this fall (in the Midwest, no less!). We should be nerd friends.
I had the same problem of feeling that my interests were too narrow or too wide in different ways. I'm interested in quantum mechanics as a philosophical theory, a subject, a source of metaphor, etc. (particularly relational interps of quantum mechanics) in contemporary poetry, which is stupidly specific, but "contemporary poetry" and "science in literature" are stupidly vague.
My SOP ended up being about my interests and my ideas in a way that was probably WAY too vague, but I did get into a good school (though I was probably saved by my recommendations and writing sample).
Take a look at IU for PhD and/or Purdue for MA. IU has an incredible Victorian department, and also several professors interested in science in lit from various periods. Purdue has a funded MA and several professors who do science in lit.
Are you set on being in an English lit department or are you open to the idea of comp lit as well?
Like others have said, a clear(er) idea is better than a vague one. The more specific you can be, the better. But, no one is going to kick you out if your research takes you in a different direction once you start classes.
I was actually thinking that History of Science or STS or a similar field might be a better fit than English. But the point is the same.
For the OP: I think that the key to remember is that much of the function of the SOP is to show that you can talk about a proper research program and identify a proper set of research questions and use the vocabulary and tools of your discipline, a more narrow set of research interests allows you to focus in on this goal more effectively. I think that your ideas are all interesting (my undergraduate degree was in the history of science and technology) and any individual one would make a solid focus for an SOP with a bit more detail. You can still include references to other related types of research you want to do as background information.
I looked at History and Philosophy of Science departments and ran into problems because I have no background in philosophy or history, so this may apply to the OP as well. I think his/her interests would fit well in the right English department (maybe the right H&PoS department as well, though).
I've been looking at the University of Chicago's Comparative Literature program which lets you specialize in comparative disciplines rather than languages/ literatures. There are a number of people there who seem to be doing a PhD in what amounts to "English Literature and Physics" more or less... it could be a good option for you perhaps?
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I had the same problem of feeling that my interests were too narrow or too wide in different ways. I'm interested in quantum mechanics as a philosophical theory, a subject, a source of metaphor, etc. (particularly relational interps of quantum mechanics) in contemporary poetry, which is stupidly specific, but "contemporary poetry" and "science in literature" are stupidly vague.
My SOP ended up being about my interests and my ideas in a way that was probably WAY too vague, but I did get into a good school (though I was probably saved by my recommendations and writing sample).
Take a look at IU for PhD and/or Purdue for MA. IU has an incredible Victorian department, and also several professors interested in science in lit from various periods. Purdue has a funded MA and several professors who do science in lit.
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Like others have said, a clear(er) idea is better than a vague one. The more specific you can be, the better. But, no one is going to kick you out if your research takes you in a different direction once you start classes.
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For the OP:
I think that the key to remember is that much of the function of the SOP is to show that you can talk about a proper research program and identify a proper set of research questions and use the vocabulary and tools of your discipline, a more narrow set of research interests allows you to focus in on this goal more effectively.
I think that your ideas are all interesting (my undergraduate degree was in the history of science and technology) and any individual one would make a solid focus for an SOP with a bit more detail. You can still include references to other related types of research you want to do as background information.
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I am jealous of you undergrad degree.
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