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CHICAGO — The University of Chicago will pause admissions for several humanities doctoral programs for the 2026–2027 academic year as part of a review of graduate education, university officials said this week.

The pause affects departments including English, Philosophy, Music composition, East Asian Languages and Civilizations, Art History, Linguistics, and Cinema and Media Studies, according to an email sent Tuesday by Deborah L. Nelson, dean of the Division of the Humanities.

"We will accept a smaller overall Ph.D. cohort across seven departments," Nelson wrote. "Other departments will pause admissions."

A university spokesperson said the measure is temporary and will not affect currently enrolled students.

"A small number of PhD and master's programs at the University of Chicago will pause admissions for the 2026–2027 academic year while divisions and schools undertake comprehensive reviews of the programs' missions and structures," the university said in a statement. The aim, the statement continued, is "ensuring the highest-quality training for the next generation of scholars."

The admissions freeze reflects ongoing efforts across higher education to balance graduate program sustainability with student support, particularly in the humanities, where job prospects for Ph.D. graduates have tightened in recent years.