A study of the Ph.D., financed by the Danforth Foundation and conducted by the Modern Language Association's Advisory Committee for the Ph.D., is based on responses to 3,623 questionnaires sent to department chairmen, directors of graduate study, graduate teachers, and recent recipients of the Ph.D. in English and American literature. Two chapters discuss both the history of graduate departments of English before 1900 and the present problems, related mainly to the increasing shortage of fully trained English teachers. Six chapters based on the data collected describe the present situation--(1) the personnel of English departments, (2) the recruiting and admission of doctoral candidates, (3) the initial training of these candidates, (4) the doctoral dissertation, (5) the professional career and its problems, and (6) the purpose of doctoral training. In conclusion 44 recommendations are made. Appendixes include extensive tables of data and the four questionnaires used. (BN)