Academic Programs Catalog

The Master of Arts Degree in Rhetoric and Writing is an innovative, flexible degree program focused on educating the next generation of humanities leaders and thinkers who will engage their work in both academic and professional contexts. The degree serves both as a professional degree for students interested in technical and professional writing and a career track in industry, nonprofits, or in non-faculty roles in educational institutions, and as a preparatory degree for doctoral work in rhetoric, writing and composition studies, communication studies, or technical communication.

The program provides students with a theoretically grounded yet practical experience in rhetoric and writing, and offers concentration areas for students to select from: Professional Writing and Technical Communication, Composition Studies and Writing Pedagogy, Digital Rhetorics, Cultural Rhetorics, and Custom Emphasis.

Admission

To be considered for admission to the Master of Arts degree in Rhetoric and Writing an applicant must:

1. Include in the letter required by the college, a statement that addresses the applicant’s goals in pursuing the degree.
2. Submit two writing samples demonstrating your ability to engage in graduate-level study.
3. Three letters of reference.

To be admitted to the program on regular status, an applicant must have a baccalaureate degree in humanities, writing, communications or a related field and have a minimum grade-point average of 3.25.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and the College of Arts and Letters, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Rhetoric and Writing

The program is available under either Plan A (with thesis) or Plan B (without thesis). A total of 30 credits, of which no more than 12 credits at the 400-level, is required for the degree. The student’s program of study must be approved by the program director. The student must meet the requirements specified below:

Requirements for Both Plan A and Plan B:
1.	All of the following courses (9 credits):
	WRA	805	Rhetoric Theory and History						3
	Or
	WRA	882	Contemporary Theories of Rhetoric						3
	WRA	810	Writing, Composing, Designing, Making						3
	WRA	886	Master’s Research Colloquium						3
2.	One of the following concentrations (21 credits):
	Professional Writing and Technical Communication
	1.	All of the following courses (12 credits):							3
		WRA	420	Content Strategy					3
		WRA	453	Grant and Proposal Writing
		Or							3
		WRA	483	Community Publishing					3
		WRA	841	Professional Writing Theory and Practice					3
		WRA	893B	Internship in Professional Writing
	2.	Complete a minimum of 9 additional credits selected in consultation with the program director.
	Composition Studies and Writing Pedagogy
	1.	All of the following courses (12 credits):
		WRA	870	Research Methodologies in Rhetoric and Writing					3
		WRA	878	Composition studies: Issues, Theory and Research					3
		WRA	888	Methods in the Teaching of College-Level Writing					3
		WRA	891	Special Topics in Rhetoric and Writing					3
		Or
		WRA	889	Writing Center Theory and Administration					3
	2.	Complete a minimum of 9 additional credits selected in consultation with the program director.
	Digital Rhetorics
	1.	All of the following courses (9 credits):
		WRA	415	Digital Rhetoric					3
		WRA	841	Professional Writing Theory and Research					3
		WRA	860	Multimodal Composing Theory and Practice					3
	2.	Complete a minimum of 12 additional credits selected in consultation with the program director.
	Cultural Rhetorics
	1.	All of the following courses (12 credits):
		WRA	882	Contemporary Theories of Rhetoric					3
		WRA	848	Cultural Rhetorics Theory and Methodology					3
		WRA	891	Special Topics in Rhetoric and Writing					6
		WRA 891 should be completed in two different offerings.
		WRA 882 may not be double-counted in the core requirement.
	2.	Complete a minimum of 9 additional credits selected in consultation with the program director.
	Custom Emphasis
	Students will complete 21 credits determined in consultation with the student’s advisor.
	Elective Courses Available for Concentrations
	WRA	401	Rhetoric, Leadership, and Innovation						3
	WRA	410	Advanced Web Authoring						3
	WRA	415	Digital Rhetoric						3
	WRA	420	Content Strategy						3
	WRA	441	Social Justice as Rhetorical Practice						3
	WRA	453	Grant and Proposal Writing						3
	WRA	455	Portfolio Seminar						3
	WRA	471	Rhetoric of Grammar						3
	WRA	480	Publication Management						3
	WRA	482	Information and Interaction Design						3
	WRA	483	Community Publishing						3
	WRA	484	Ethics in Writing						3
	WRA	491	Special Topics						3
	WRA	495	Advanced Studies in Writing and Tutoring Pedagogy						1
	WRA	805	Rhetoric Theory and History						3
	WRA	841	Professional Writing Theory and Research						3
	WRA	848	Cultural Rhetorics Theory and Methodology						3
	WRA	853	Workshop in Rhetoric and Writing						3
	WRA	860	Multimodal Composing Theory and Practice						3
	WRA	870	Research Methodologies in Rhetoric and Writing						3
	WRA	872	Methods of Research in Rhetoric and Writing						3
	WRA	878	Composition Studies: Issues, Theory, and Research						3
	WRA	882	Contemporary Theories of Rhetoric						3
	WRA	888	Methods in the Teaching of College-Level Writing						3
	WRA	889	Writing Center Theory and Administration						3
	WRA	891	Special Topics in Rhetoric and Writing						3
	WRA	893B	Internship in Professional Writing						3
	WRA	893D	Internship in Literacy and Pedagogy						3
	WRA	992	Seminar in Literacy Studies						3
	Additional 400- or 800-level course work outside the department may be available with approval of the advisory committee and the Director of Graduate Studies.
Additional Requirements for Plan A
1.	Complete 4 to 6 credits of WRA 899 Master’s Thesis Research.
	These credits will count towards the credits for the concentration.
2.	Pass a final oral certifying examination in defense of the thesis and course work.
Additional Requirements for Plan B
1.	Complete an additional 3 to 6 credits of course work from the list of electives above. These credits will count towards the credits for the concentration.
2.	Pass a final certifying examination on the course work or complete a final portfolio and pass a final oral examination on the portfolio.

 

The doctoral degree in Rhetoric and Writing prepares students to conduct research and teach courses in writing studies, digital rhetoric, experience architecture, and technical and professional communication. Students learn to do this work by engaging with scholarship, learning with faculty, collaborating on research teams, producing multimodal content for organizations, understanding people-focused experiences, teaching in our programs, and working with local and global communities. Through these experiences, students examine issues of accessibility, ethics, literacy, and storytelling through writing, composing, and making. Central to this work is applying and developing theories and methodologies to be a positive force for structural change, growth, and innovation with an emphasis on culture, context, and access.

This degree prepares students to lead in various workplaces, including academia, civic, corporate, government, and nonprofit organizations. Our students go on to administer programs in academia, conduct user experience research for organizations, design products and services in industry, manage international projects, publish in academic and trade journals, and research and teach in higher education contexts.

Admission

To be considered for admission to the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Rhetoric and Writing an applicant must:

1. Specify the concentration the applicant wishes to pursue.
2. Include in the letter required by the college, a statement of purpose and a statement of instruction philosophy.
3. Submit two writing samples (major research paper, summary of master’s thesis, or digital documents).

To be admitted to the program on regular status, an applicant must have a master’s degree or the equivalent, a minimum grade-point average of 3.5 in graduate-level courses, and at least three letters of recommendation from persons qualified to assess the applicant’s ability to pursue advanced graduate study.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and the College of Arts and Letters, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Rhetoric and Writing

The student must:

1.	Complete a minimum of 27 credits of graduate course work. No more than 6 credits of 400-level course work will count toward the degree.
2.	All of the following core courses (18 credits):
	WRA	805	Rhetoric Theory and History				3
	WRA	853	Workshop in Rhetoric and Writing				3
	WRA	870	Research Methodologies in Rhetoric and Writing				3
	WRA	878	Composition Studies: Issues, Theory, and Research				3
	WRA	882	Contemporary Theories of Rhetoric				3
	WRA	885	Research Colloquium				3
3.	Concentrations.
	Complete at least three courses, a minimum of 9 credits, in one of the following concentrations:  Critical Studies in Literacy and Pedagogy, Cultural Rhetorics, or Digital Rhetoric and Professional Writing. A list of courses eligible for each concentration is available from the program director. Courses used to fulfill core requirements may not be used to satisfy concentration requirements. Other concentrations may be approved the student’s guidance committee.
4.	Complete the language requirement through one of the following:
	a.	Demonstrate second-year proficiency in a foreign language including American Sign Language.
	b.	Complete two courses in language variation. These courses can not be courses used to fulfill the core or concentration requirements.
	c.	Complete two courses in African American vernacular English and rhetoric. These courses cannot be courses used to fulfill the core or concentration requirements.
	d.	Complete two courses in teaching English to speakers of other languages. These courses cannot be courses used to fulfill the core or concentration requirements.
	e.	With the approval of the guidance committee and as appropriate to the student’s research interests, demonstrate proficiency in a specialized symbolic system, such as a computer language, statistics, etc.
5.	Pass two written comprehensive examinations: one on the core and one on the areas of concentration.
6.	Pass a pre-dissertation examination consisting of an oral examination based on a written prospectus and a preliminary bibliography for the dissertation project.
7.	Pass a final oral examination in defense of the dissertation.

Academic Standards

A student must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.5 in all graduate courses.

A student may count toward the degree only those courses in which the student has received a grade of 3.0 or higher.

A student may accumulate no more than 6 credits with a grade below 3.0 in rhetoric and writing courses taken for the purpose of satisfying the degree requirements.

A student who fails the comprehensive examinations, the pre-dissertation examination, or the final oral examination in defense of the dissertation, may repeat that examination only once, during the following semester.