Department of English
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Renaissance Literary Studies
Graduate students in English or Comparative Literature interested in Renaissance and Early 
Moderm Literature can take the following core courses: 533: English Literature of the Sixteenth Century; 534 English Literature of the Early Seventeenth Century, 537: Early Modern English Drama, as well as 542: Shakespeare, and 544: Milton.
Faculty members in the Renaissance also offer a wide number of special topics seminars. In the last few years there have been seminars on Epic and Empire; Marlowe, History, and Sexuality; Shakespeare: New Critical Perspectives; Spenser and the Romance Tradition; John Donne; Ben Jonson; and Milton. For activities, opportunities, and events that foster interdisciplinary Renaissance studies, please visit Purdue's MARS website.
Ph.D. students in the Renaissance area are encouraged to take appropriate classes in other departments, such as History, Philosophy, Comparative Literature, and Foreign Languages and Literature. Latin, French, Spanish, and Italian are recommended for students, and students are given guidance about the selection of a secondary area of study within English. Medieval literature and Eighteenth-Century literature are highly recommended secondary areas.
Ph.D. students have pursued dissertations on many figures and in many areas of Renaissance studies. Some of the major figures include Francis Bacon, Robert Burton, Abraham Cowley, John Donne, George Herbert, Robert Herrick, Andrew Marvell, Milton, Thomas Nashe, Shakespeare, Spenser, and Jeremy Taylor.
In addition to a substantial critical collection, the Purdue library has the complete STC collection on microfilm and online, as well as many other historical materials. Purdue is also a member of the Newberry Consortium, so students have access to the holdings of the Newberry Library and can participate in the many Newberry seminars, meetings, and activities.