Department of Writing Studies, 215 Nolte Center, 315 Pillsbury Drive, S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612-624-3445; fax: 612-624-3617)

Applicants for the Ph.D. must have a master's degree either completed, or in progress with plans to complete it before the start of the Ph.D. program. As part of their application, graduate students are asked to discuss their interests and explain their master's program and how the Ph.D. will build upon it. The primary purpose of the Ph.D. program is to prepare graduate students to do research in areas related writing, broadly construed, and to publish the results of that research. Working in collaboration with faculty mentors, other students, and material resources, such as the library and the internet, graduate students will become expert in a specialized field of knowledge, developing the scholarly and research skills needed to make a new and original contribution to research in rhetoric, composition, writing studies, literacy, or technical/scientific communication. Graduate students build their expertise and skills in the core areas of rhetoric, theory and history, writing studies and pedagogy,and technical communication and technology and culture.They also develop and refine knowledge and skills through departmental seminars and a supporting program of courses outside the department. The dissertation--an original, systematic, and significant program of research--will allow graduate students to join scholarly conversations and contribute to knowledge and theory within the field. This project, and the mentoring students receive as they complete the project, will stand students in good stead to continue to make important research contributions in their academic careers as they unfold. Preparing graduate students to teach first-year writing, scientific and technical communication, and other courses related to their expertise is an important part of the program because the expectation is that graduates will teach at the college level. While most of graduate students have entered college teaching, a few have preferred to work in industry in scientific and technical communication. Graduate student faculty advisers help graduate students with all parts of the degree, by articulating a coherent plan of coursework, leading a preliminary examination committee, and guiding them in developing a dissertation project.

Masters in a related discipline, e.g., rhetoric, technical and professional communication, English, communication studies.

Scores from the General Test of the GRE that are less than five years old are required of students with baccalaureate degrees from U.S. institutions. International students are encouraged to take the General Test of the GRE and to have those results forwarded to the University. Nonnative speakers of English are required to take an appropriate test with satisfactory scores. All applicants must submit three letters of recommendation, two writing samples, and a professional objective statement. All M.A. and Ph.D. applicants begin in the fall semester and should apply by the January 5th application deadline.

Ph.D. students in rhetoric and scientific and technical communication are required to earn a minimum of 42 credits in seminars and courses. The requirement includes a research core, five courses in three core areas, and at least three in a specialty area (a concentration). The first is two courses in research methods in writing studies and technical communication (WRIT 8011 and 8012, 6 cr). Students take one Writing Studies course or seminar in each of the core areas: rhetoric theory and history, writing studies and pedagogy, and technical communication and technology and culture, as well as two others from any of the three (15 cr). Examples of specialty areas include digital literacies, internet studies,professional and technical communication, theories of writing, writing pedagogies, rhetorics of science, medicine, or law, and rhetorical theory (9 cr). Elective courses or a formal doctoral minor from another program are needed in order to fulfill the supporting field requirement. The written preliminary examination covers three areas: one in rhetoric, one of the other core areas, and the specialty. The first two are based partly on fixed reading lists and coursework in the areas. The preliminary oral examination is built around the written examinations. Twenty-four thesis credits are also required.