About the Program
The Critical Theory Emphasis, under the direction of the Critical Theory Committee, is open to graduate students in all departments, including M.A. and M.F.A. students who obtain permission from the Director. The Emphasis is completed in addition to the graduate degree of the student’s home department. Students who complete the Emphasis receive a letter from their Dean and from the Director of the Emphasis testifying to their fulfillment of the requirements; a copy is kept in the student’s official file.
Admission to the Emphasis may be granted by the Critical Theory Committee in response to the student's petition. The petition normally is submitted by the middle of the second year of graduate study, after completion of one Humanities 270 class, and upon the recommendation of the seminar's instructor or a faculty representative of the student's department.
To be admitted to the Emphasis, please fill out an admission petition and follow the instructions on it. If additional information is needed, please contact Sue Showler at showler@uci.edu.
Requirements
(1) a three-quarter Critical Theory Workshop (HUM 260). HUM 260 meets for approximately 30 credit hours over the course of three consecutive quarters. Normally it is conceived as a reading group, developed with the input of all participants, in which significant texts are discussed and analyzed in class. No term papers are required, and the course is graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only. Students receive four (4) units for this course only in the spring quarter. For the first two quarters, the course is 0 units and graded IP.
(2) three Humanities 270 courses offered under the supervision of the Committee. Usually eight to ten Humanities 270 courses are offered each year.
(3) participation in two mini-seminars (six to eight hours total) offered by visiting scholars (and sponsored by the Committee) on the visiting scholar's ongoing research. Usually two to three mini-seminars are offered per year.
(4) a dissertation that reflects the student's preparation in critical theory; alternatively, a research paper written under the guidance of one or more of the Emphasis faculty and submitted to the Director.
Michael and Stacy Koehn Endowed Graduate Research Assistantship in Critical Theory
Each year, this two-quarter assistantship is awarded by competition to a Critical Theory Emphasis student in the third year or higher of a Humanities Ph.D. program at UCI. An announcement of the competition and application requirements is made each Winter quarter.
The Koehn Assistantship is intended to enable the student to pursue research and/or to travel and attend academic conferences relevant to his or her chosen field of graduate work related to critical theory. The assistantship consists of one quarter of fellowship (approximately $5,000 plus fees) and one quarter of research assistantship (approximately $5,000 plus fees).
During the quarter of the research assistantship the student engages in activities related to promoting an understanding of and interest in Critical Theory among undergraduates. Usually, these activities include organizing CTE’s annual Undergraduate Critical Theory Conference and working with the Critical Theory Committee on program activities.
Criteria
To qualify for the Koehn Assistantship, applicants must be enrolled in a Humanities Ph.D. program and registered in the Critical Theory Emphasis; must have taken the Critical Theory Workshop (Hum. 260) or be registered in it for the current academic year; and must have taken at least two Humanities 270 seminars prior to holding the assistantship.
An evaluation and selection is made by CTE faculty and administered through the office of the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in the Humanities.
Application Requirements
1. A statement (no more than 3 pages in length) describing how critical theory is related to the applicant’s focus in graduate studies. (This may be, but is not restricted to, part of a dissertation project.)
2. A writing sample related to critical theory (25 double-spaced pages).
3. A letter of recommendation from the chair of the applicant’s qualifying exam committee or dissertation committee.
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