Doctor of Philosophy in English - Writing, Rhetorics and Literacies

The PhD in English with a concentration in writing, rhetorics and literacies promotes the study of rhetorical strategies, production, distribution and interpretation of oral, written, digital, visual, discursive, material and symbolic texts.

Students study the history, theories and methods of inquiry as well as pragmatic and social actions of writing, rhetoric and literacies. With theories and methods from both historical and contemporary contexts, students learn strategies for inquiry, the ways in which communication creates knowledge and action, and how communication is constructed, circulated, reacted to and repurposed over time and across space. Program requirements are designed to encourage a full understanding of theoretical and applied aspects of writing studies, rhetorical studies and literacy studies. Students also are provided many opportunities to explore the intersections and tensions that exist within and between the three different areas of inquiry.

The program encourages transdisciplinary study, and its flexible requirements enable students to pursue those aspects of the disciplines that interest them the most. The program prepares students for working lives as teachers, scholars and communications professionals.

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants with bachelor's or master's degrees in fields such as anthropology, applied linguistics, cognitive science, communication, comparative languages and literatures, English literature, education, history, law, linguistics, modern languages, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, rhetoric, composition, sociology, and speech and hearing science will be considered.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00= A) in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 (scale is 4.00= A) in an applicable master's degree program.

All applicants must submit:

graduate admission application and application fee
official transcripts
statement of purpose
resume or curriculum vitae
three letters of recommendation
academic writing sample relevant to the field
proof of English proficiency

One of the following results on a standardized English proficiency test- (a) 100 or higher on the IBT, (b) 7.0 or higher on the IELTS.