The Doctor of Philosophy in Literature Program aims to develop competent and responsible literary scholars and artists by providing them training in research and literary criticism, creative writing, and cultural studies; opportunities for sustained investigation of aspects of literature and literary history, particularly that of the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific; and supervision in the production of research projects that will be vital contributions to the fields of literary/cultural studies and literary production.


Students interested in literary studies may work on theory and criticism, comparative literature, regional literatures, literary history, translation studies, and textual scholarship. The program aims to equip students with the critical tools and necessary skills to rethink theoretical categories and critical practice as they relate to the study of literatures in the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific, and to contribute to the growing body of scholarship on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary explorations of literature.


The cultural studies courses complement the literature courses in its rethinking of “literature” and seek to create more opportunities for multidisciplinary / anti-disciplinary fora among Filipino scholars here and abroad. The cultural studies courses cover cultural production of arts and media, cyber technology and globalization, pop culture, gender and sexuality, language and ideology, nation/nationalism, diaspora and globalities, neo-colonial and postcolonial relations, region and ethnicity, etc. It will cover a wider range of theories and methods of inquiry, exploring interrelations and interactions among subject areas and disciplines.


The creative writing track is the department’s answer to the increasing demands for more high-level training in imaginative writing. The core courses provide writers/students with adequate background in the critical and theoretical aspects of writing, which is expected of a Ph.D. graduate and which should complement their craft and knowledge of techniques. Under the guidance of experienced writers and teachers, writers will have sufficient opportunities to hone their craft, theorize about their chosen genre, and contribute to scholarship on the genre.