phd in technical writing

Search Utah State University:

Phd in technical communication and rhetoric.

Doctoral Program

The Technical Communication and Rhetoric (TCR) PhD program at USU prepares students to work as researchers and teachers at colleges and universities. In this program you will take courses in rhetorical theory, cultural and empirical research methods, online pedagogy, and more. Our PhD students have the freedom to conduct research on topics that matter to them, such as climate change communication, professional communication in the Global South, and accessible document design for people with disabilities.  Please reach out to  Lynne McNeill , the Director of Graduate Studies, for specific programmatic questions. 

Career Application

Most graduates of the Technical Communication and Rhetoric PhD program go on to work as university professors. Our PhD program is known for addressing issues of social justice, community engagement, diversity, and service learning— education that prepares our students to be competitive in the academic job market. For examples, recent graduates have accepted tenure-track jobs at Virginia Tech, Texas State, Boise State University, and Montana State University.  

Technical Communication & Rhetoric News

March 8, 2024

Undergraduates Karli Kallas and Maren Archibald Present Research

On Friday, February 16th, two Technical Communication and Rhetoric students, Karli Kallas and Maren Archibald, presented their research at the Utah Conference of Undergraduate Research.

March 1, 2024

Hannah Stevens Publishes in Communication Design Quarterly

Hannah Stevens, PhD candidate and English Department graduate instructor, has recently published her article, “Publicly Available, Transparent, and Explicit: An Analysis of Academic Publishing Policy and Procedure Documents,” in Communication Design Quart...

January 29, 2024

Chen Chen Publishes in Technical Communication

Assistant Professor Chen Chen recently published an article in Technical Communication: “Reporting Online Aggression: A Transnational Comparative Interface Analysis of Sina Weibo and Twitter.”

Program Advisor

Lynne S McNeill

Associate Professor; Director of Graduate Studies

+1 435 797 0264 Logan (RWST 301B) [email protected]

Suggested Supplements

• English Graduate Handbook 
• Digital Writing and Publication Certificate
• Archiving and Public Programming

Scholarships & Financial Aid

•   PhD Financial Information

Forms for Graduate Students

•   PhD Program Forms

PhD in Rhetoric and Scientific & Technical Communication

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a research degree that prepares students for faculty positions in our core areas of rhetoric, writing studies and pedagogies, and technical communication and for other professional positions that require expertise in writing, rhetoric, and technology. 

The PhD curriculum is structured to ensure all students have broad foundational knowledge while offering the flexibility to build specialized expertise. Students pursue courses in methods and writing pedagogies and take seminars across our three core areas of rhetoric, writing studies, and technical communication. Students also identify a specialty area and pursue a supporting program of courses offered by other departments at the University of Minnesota related to the specialty area. The PhD is a full-time, residential five-year program. If you are considering applying for the PhD program, review our application requirements .

College Resources for Graduate Students

Visit CLA’s website for graduate students to learn about collegiate funding opportunities, student support, career services, and more.

Student Services      Career Services     Funding & Support

Rhetoric and Writing (Ph.D.)

Campus:   Virginia Tech Blacksburg Campus,  Instructions: Residential/On Campus

Program Overview

Carolyn Commer, Director, Ph.D. Program in Rhetoric and Writing

The PhD Program in Rhetoric and Writing at Virginia Tech focuses on rhetoric in society. We study language use and rhetorical activity in public, academic, corporate, and governmental settings in a collective effort to engage pressing social and cultural issues through academic discourse, public policy, and community outreach. 

Why choose this program?

• Virginia Tech’s Rhetoric and Writing doctoral program has distinguished faculty whose research attends to social problems, disciplinary questions, and the information demands of a cyberconnected world. Areas of strength include medical rhetoric, data visualization, human rights, human-computer interaction, user experience, and cultural and feminist rhetorics. 
• Virginia Tech is a top-notch research institution and the College of Liberal Arts & Human Sciences where English is housed possesses a variety of opportunities available to students which enable students to excel. 
• Our small program enables students to get individualized attention with award-winning and research active faculty. 
• We engage in rhetoric and writing research that contributes to social progress, examines how literate practices create, circulate, and prioritize societal values and the public policies based on those values, and examines how rhetoric and writing empower and control access to power in these social systems. 

What You'll Study

Degree requirements will include 60 hours of graduate coursework past the bachelor's degree plus 30 hours of research and dissertation. Of those 60 hours of coursework, up to 30 may be transferred from an appropriate Master's degree. Because rhetoric and writing are inherently interdisciplinary subjects, this program invites students to complete some coursework in related fields such as Language and Literature, Communication, Science and Technology Studies, Political Science, Human-Computer Interaction, Women's and Gender Studies, Science and Technology in Society, ASPECT, and Engineering Education, as well as courses in preparing the future professoriate offered by the Virginia Tech Graduate School.

Admissions Requirement

• Minimum GPA 3.0 (4 Scale)
• GRE Optional
• TOEFL/ IELTS score Required  (If Applicable)

Learn more 

Tuition and Fee

Tuition & Fee Rates

Funding Opportunities

The Department of English has a limited number of  graduate assistantships and fellowships  available for students applying for full time study on the Blacksburg Campus. Entering students can apply for such funding as part of their admissions application.  No separate application  required.

Find out what loans are available as a graduate student and other opportunities.

How to Apply

Visit this page for information on how to apply, including requirements, deadlines, and application fee.

Course List

• Course List (Blacksburg)

Applications Deadlines

Priority deadline:  January 16 for consideration for funding Final deadline:  January 16

Visit Campus

Visit Campus / Attend an Open House

Contact Program Leader

Carolyn Commer , Director, Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Writing 416 Shanks Hall  181 Turner Street NW  Blacksburg, VA 24061 [email protected]

Contact Program Specialist

Marie Trimmer Graduate Programs Coodinator 310 Shanks Hall 540-231-4659  [email protected]

Current Students

• Download Plan of Study
• Timetable of Classes

Rhetoric and Writing (Ph.D.) Faculty 

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Center for Rhetoric in Society

At the Center for Rhetoric in Society, we examine multiple rhetorics, bridging academic and public discourses to enact engagement and social change. Our mission is to investigate language use through rhetorical and narrative analysis to understand significant social problems. Graduate research assistants participate in all aspects of the Center, including grant writing, assisting faculty in research, organizing research symposia, and writing scholarly articles. 

Faculty Bookshelf

Related Programs

Creative Writing (M.F.A.)

English (M.A.)

Search Utah State University:

Technical communication and rhetoric - phd.

About This Degree

The Technical Communication and Rhetoric (TCR) PhD program prepares students to work as researchers and teachers at colleges and universities. In this program you will take courses in rhetorical theory, cultural and empirical research methods, online pedagogy, and more.

Our PhD students have the freedom to conduct research on topics that matter to them, such as climate change communication, professional communication in the Global South, and accessible document design for people with disabilities.

At a Glance

College: College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department: English Department

USU Locations:

• Logan campus

Faculty: View profiles of faculty members on the department directory .

Program Requirements

• Update this page

Career And Outcomes

Career opportunities.

Most graduates of the Technical Communication and Rhetoric PhD program go on to work as university professors. Our PhD program is known for addressing issues of social justice, community engagement, diversity, and service learning— education that prepares our students to be competitive in the academic job market. For examples, recent graduates have accepted tenure-track jobs at Virginia Tech, Texas State, Boise State University, The University of Tennessee Knoxville, Missouri University of Science & Technology, and Montana State University.

Job Outlook

Request for information and advising, lynne mcneill.

Associate Professor Email: [email protected] Office: RWST 301B

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I have not applied or been admitted, even if I've taken a USU Concurrent Enrollment course

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USU Locations

LOGAN CAMPUS

Admission Requirements

The following materials are general application materials required by the USU Graduate School:

Application Requirements:

• An electronically completed application form, available through the Graduate School website .
• A $55 application fee.
• All official undergraduate and graduate transcripts showing your GPA. The minimum requirement is 3.00 on a 4.00 scale for the last 60 credits taken.
• Three letters of recommendation, two of which must be from former teachers if you have been enrolled in school during the last five years. These letters should be sent directly to the Graduate School by the letter writers. You will enter their contact information as part of your online application to the Graduate School, and the Graduate School will contact them directly regarding how to submit their letters.
• International students must also submit an I-20 application form and a financial guarantee. The Graduate School website details these requirements.
• International applicants from non-English-speaking countries must also provide evidence of English language proficiency. The Graduate School website details these requirements.

The Technical Communication and Rhetoric doctoral program also requires two writing samples, a curriculum vitae, and a statement of purpose. You will submit these materials as "Supplemental Items" with your online Graduate School application.

Visit the TCR PhD application page for details on supplementary items.

International students have additional admissions requirements .

The application deadline is January 15th. No applicants will be considered until all required information arrives in the School of Graduate Studies office. All application materials must be postmarked before or by the deadline.

Students must take a six-credit research internship course that is designed to immerse students in research that will lead to their dissertation.

PhD Qualifying Exams:

Students are also required to successfully complete two major exams in order to advance in the PhD program. The first of these is a portfolio (qualifying) exam, which is to be taken at the end of the first year. The second is a comprehensive exam, which is to be taken at the completion of formal coursework. Successful completion of the comprehensive exam is required before students can begin formal work on their dissertation research.

At the end of their first year in the program, students will submit an individual portfolio of their work. Professional and/or academic work may be selected for inclusion in the portfolio, though it must be work the student has completed during their first year. The portfolio must include at least four documents and their accompanying reflective statements. To proceed beyond their first year in the program, students must pass the portfolio (qualifying) exam with a grade of high pass, pass, or low pass. A grade of low pass, while allowing the student to continue in the program, does serve to indicate concern about the student's ability to successfully complete the program. There are no retakes, and decisions are final.

At the end of their formal course work, students will write a comprehensive exam. This exam is comprised of two essays. Though the comprehensive exam is taken at the completion of coursework, students should begin preparing for this exam upon starting the program. To complete the exam, students are responsible for generating a reading list from which exam questions will be formulated, which must include at least 100 items. After submitting their reading list, students should meet with the members of their committee to discuss their reading. It is from these conversations that the exam questions will be drawn. For each essay, students will be given two questions and asked to answer one. The average exam length is 15 pages per essay. In addition, each essay must also include a works cited list. Students will have 72 hours from the time they are given the exam questions to complete both essays.

Financial Aid

Graduate instructorship.

This face-to-face doctoral program prepares students for careers in academia, so PhD students are expected to receive a Graduate Instructorship (GI-ship). A GI-ship pays an annual salary of $20,000.00 in addition to a tuition waiver and benefits, in exchange for teaching a 2/2 load (two courses each semester) and performing other responsibilities.

Be sure to write a paragraph about your interests in a GI-ship in your Statement of Purpose.

A variety of funding opportunities are also available on the graduate school website .

Take The Next Step

How to apply.

View our step-by-step guide on how to become an Aggie.

Request Information

Contact the School of Graduate Studies to ask questions or receive more information.

Cost and Funding

Calculate the cost of graduate school and learn about funding opportunities.

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Move ahead with your career in professional and technical writing with a master’s degree that fits into your schedule.

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Technical Writing Graduate Academic Certificate Online

Graduate academic certificate offered by the UNT College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

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Our online Technical Writing GAC is a flexible four-course certificate offered in 8-week sessions and taught by award-winning scholars in the field of technical communication. We offer two pathways for prospective students. For students looking to change careers and become technical writers, we offer an industry-centric pathway that highlights the writing, designing, and production skills contemporary technical writers need. Students pursuing the industry pathway must have an undergraduate degree from an accredited university, but the degree does not need to be in a field related to technical writing. For students who already have an MA or a PhD in a related content area and who want additional technical writing teaching credentials, we offer the teaching-centric pathway that highlights pedagogical and writing strategies for technical writing classrooms. We offer rolling admissions, and new sessions begin every 8-12 weeks.

Employment Outlook

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Department of English

Dietrich college of humanities and social sciences, technical writing program, the technical writing program is a subspecialty of professional writing, focused on the skills for making complex, technical information accessible and navigable to both users and stakeholders..

The Technical Writing Program is a strong fit for students with dual interests in writing and STEM fields, or who wish to strengthen a primary major in STEM with the communication skills expected of team members and managers.

As English’s only Bachelor of Science degree, the major blends coursework in writing, document design, and user experience methods with additional work in computer science, mathematics, and statistics. Students specialize further through elective courses and professional experiences, earning a concentration in either science and medical communication, or technical communication.

Technical writers are sought after for their plain language and user experience research skills by software companies, instructional design firms, hospitals and insurers, and in engineering and federal government positions.

Declare Technical Writing

Professional & Technical Writing

Explore Technical Writing

Primary major, additional major, technical writing faculty.

• Undergraduate Admissions

Questions? Reach out to Laura Donaldson, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Programs and Academic Advisor at  [email protected]

Want To Visit? Schedule a visit to the Technical Writing Program through  this form.

Spotlight: Wilson Ekern

Meet wilson. .

Wilson (Class of 2021) majored in Technical Writing in the Department of English. He also graduated with an additional major in German Studies.

What was your favorite English course and why?

Style. It really teaches you the tools for writing clearly and communicating your ideas effectively.

Learn more about Wilson!

• Faculty and Staff Resources
• Current Student Resources
• Carnegie Mellon University Press
• Arts Greenhouse
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Browse Course Material

Course info, instructors.

• Caroline Beimford
• Dr. Andreas Karatsolis
• Dr. Suzanne T. Lane
• Dr. Leslie Ann Roldan
• Dr. Jessie Stickgold-Sarah

Departments

• Comparative Media Studies/Writing

As Taught In

• Academic Writing
• Technical Writing

Learning Resource Types

Graduate technical writing workshop, course description.

This course is designed to improve the student’s ability to communicate technical information. It covers the basics of working with sources, including summarizing and paraphrasing, synthesizing source materials, citing, quoting, and avoiding plagiarism. It also covers how to write an abstract and a literature …

This course is designed to improve the student’s ability to communicate technical information. It covers the basics of working with sources, including summarizing and paraphrasing, synthesizing source materials, citing, quoting, and avoiding plagiarism. It also covers how to write an abstract and a literature review. In addition, we will cover communication concepts, tools, and strategies that can help you understand how engineering texts work, and how you can make your texts work more effectively.

This course is limited to MIT graduate engineering students based on results of the Graduate Writing Exam .

You are leaving MIT OpenCourseWare

Graduate Writing Center

Technical writing - graduate writing center.

• Citations / Avoiding Plagiarism
• Critical Thinking
• Discipline-Specific Resources
• Generative AI
• iThenticate FAQ
• Organization and Structure
• Punctuation
• Abbreviations and acronyms
• Active and Passive Voice
• Commonly confused words
• Numbers and mathematics
• Parallelism
• Prepositional phrases and concision

Technical Writing

• Writing Process
• Writing a Thesis
• Quick Clips & Tips
• Presentations and Graphics

Technical writing covers an array of complex topics, but you don't need complicated sentences to convey complicated ideas. In fact, simple sentences can help to convey technical information more clearly, so  editing for concision and clarity  is key in technical writing.

Take it from William Zinsser in his book  On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction : "Examine every word you put on paper. You’ll find a surprising number that don’t serve any purpose."

For further information on technical writing, attend the next session of our " Technical Writing " workshop. Workshops are offered in the first four weeks of each quarter; you can sign up during workshop season through  WCOnline . Alternatively, watch the video  version.

Determining how much to explain and how much technical terminology to use can trip up technical writers. Consider who your audience is and how much background information you need to provide for those readers to understand your topic.

A common consideration when writing a  thesis is to imagine your audience as other students in your field, who may not know the details of your specific research but have a significant amount of background knowledge. However, when your document is intended for an interdisciplinary audience, you will need to explain a lot more of the basic concepts than you would for a field-specific audience. 

Active or Passive Voice

While you may have heard that the  active voice is preferable to the  passive , different fields have different style conventions: some fields use passive voice to avoid referring to the author(s), while others use the first person ("I" or "we"), and still others use the third person ("the author" or "this research").

Reading articles in your field can help you determine what the preferred style is in your field; if you find inconsistencies, check with your advisor on which style to use.

Lists, Tables, and Figures

Use lists, tables, and figures strategically. Some information is better presented as a numbered or bulleted list instead of a paragraph; list formatting tends to make the information easy to spot on the page and clearly differentiates list items. Tables are also helpful tools for presenting information in a concise, easy-to-read format, while figures help your readers to visualize information. For more guidance, see our resources on  graphics and posters .

For further information on the use of figures and tables, attend the next session of our " Illustrating Your Thesis with Figures and Tables " workshop.

Technical Writing Links

• GWC workshop video (36:11): " Technical Writing "
• Handout: " The 'Paramedic Method ,'" J. M. Gay
• Handout: " Sciences ," UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center
• GWC Video (8:25): " Achieving Concision with Prepositions "
• Video (3:46): " Technical Writing: How to Simplify Sentences ," Kristin Sainani, Stanford University
• Handout: " Preparing a Scientific Paper for Publication ," AIP Style Manual, 4th ed.
• Article: " Elements of Technical Writing Style ," Richard S. Barr
• Book:  Writing Science in Plain English , Anne E. Greene, University of Chicago Press, 2013
• Book:  Scientists Must Write: A Guide to Better Writing for Scientists, Engineers and Students , 2nd ed., Robert Barrass, Routledge

Scientific Reports Links

• Handout: " Scientific Reports ," UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center
• Handout: " Writing a Scientific Research Article ," Columbia University
• Article: " The Science of Scientific Writing ," George Gopen and Judith Swan,  American Scientist
• Online lab manual:  Descriptions - Mechanism and Process , Leo Finkelstein, Jr., General Engineering
• Book:  Style and Ethics of Communication in Science and Engineering , Jay D. Humphrey and Jeffrey W. Holmes, Morgan & Claypool Publishers
• Book:  The Craft of Scientific Writing , 3rd ed., Michael Alley, Springer

Book:  Handbook of Writing for the Mathematical Sciences , Nicholas J. Higham, 2nd ed., Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, 1998

Writing Topics A–Z

This index links to the most relevant page for each item. Please email us at [email protected] if we're missing something!

A    B    C    D    E    F    G    H    I    J   K   L    M    N    O    P    Q   R    S    T    U    V    W   X  Y   Z

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• PhD in Rhetoric & Writing

PhD in Rhetoric and Writing

We have faculty members with a broad range of interests including language diversity, second language writing, writing program administration, K-12 composition, public rhetorics, community writing, multimodal composition, and technical communication. With a limited amount of core requirements, our students are able to select courses that best suit their research and teaching interests. In addition to gaining valuable face-to-face and online teaching experience at a diverse flagship Hispanic-serving institution in courses ranging from first-year writing to technical writing and professional communication, students have the opportunity to engage in program building efforts via a variety of administrative positions connected with first-year writing, online writing instruction, and technical writing and professional communication. Please contact Program Faculty if you have any questions.

About the Degree

The PhD concentration in Rhetoric and Composition requires 51 hours of coursework, comprehensive exams in three areas, a Foreign Language requirement, and a doctoral dissertation. Typically, PhD students have recently completed a Master’s degree in English with something in excess of 30 semester hours. The English department accepts up to 24 of those hours toward the PhD degree, leaving students 30 hours of regular course work to complete from the time of matriculation.  The PhD requires a minimum of four years of extended study to master a specific subject completely and to extend the body of knowledge about that subject. Applicants should already possess a Master’s degree in English or a related discipline. 

Note: Students who did graduate work in a discipline other than English likely will not transfer the full 24 hours to the PhD program. Such students will need to complete more than 30 hours of regular course work before moving on to the dissertation. The Associate Chair of Graduate Studies (ACGS) and the Committee on Studies (COS) determine the number of hours students are able to transfer to the PhD.

Required Coursework (51 hrs)

(for complete requirements, see the Graduate Handbook)

As explained above, PhD students must take 51 hours of course work before taking the Comprehensive Examinations and moving on to the dissertation. These hours must be distributed as follows:

Core Course (3 hrs)

• Engl. 542: Major Texts in Rhetoric (3 hrs)

Distribution Requirements (15 hrs) 

Students must take 15 hours of coursework in Language, Theory, and Pedagogy, as described below.

Language and Theory (9 hrs) 

Students must take a total of nine hours from Language and Theory courses, at least three of which are from Language and three from Theory courses.

Language (at least 3 hrs from the following)

• Engl. 541: English Grammar (3 hrs)
• Engl. 545: History of the English Language (3 hrs)
• Engl. 547: Old English (3 hrs)
• Engl. 548: Beowulf and Other Topics (3 hrs)
• Engl. 549: Middle English Language (3 hrs)

Theory (at least 3 hrs from the following)

• Engl. 510: Criticism and Theory (3 hrs)
• Engl. 511: Special Topics: Criticism and Theory; Literacy and Cultural Movements (3 hrs)
• Engl. 540: Topics in Language or Rhetoric (3 hrs)
• Engl. 543: Contemporary Texts in Rhetoric (3 hrs)
• Engl. 610: Studies in Criticism and Theory (3 hrs)

Pedagogy (6 hrs) 

Students must take six hours of pedagogy courses from the following or from approved substitutions in other departments. (All new Teaching Assistants, including those who have previous teaching experience or similar course work elsewhere, are required to take Engl. 530, which is offered every Fall semester, in the first semester they begin teaching at UNM.)  In addition to the courses here, we also offer practica in online writing instruction and stretch/studio writing instruction.

• Engl. 530: Teaching Composition (required of all new TAs) (3 hrs)
• Engl. 533: Teaching Professional & Technical Writing (3 hrs)
• Engl. 534: Composition Theory (3 hrs)
• Engl. 592: Teaching Literature (3 hrs)

Seminars (9 hrs) 

All PhD students must take at least three seminars offered in the English Department. RW students typically take three versions of ENGL 640, which are offered at least once a year and which vary in topic. Recent topics have included New Media Literacies for the 21st Century, Teaching Diverse Student Populations, and The Sociopolitical Contexts of Writing Instruction.

• Engl. 640: Studies in Language and Rhetoric (3 hrs)
• Engl. 650: Studies in British Literature (3 hrs)
• Engl. 660: Studies in American Literature (3 hrs)
• Engl. 680: Studies in Genre, Backgrounds, Forces (3 hrs)

Electives (24 hrs) 

The required courses above total 30 hours; students who have transferred 24 hours from the MA into the PhD will have fulfilled the minimum course requirements, excluding dissertation hours, required for the degree. Students who need more course credits, should fulfill their remaining hours with approved graduate courses in English or related disciplines under the advisement of the COS and the ACGS.

All 54 regular course requirements must be completed before enrolling for dissertation hours, Engl. 699.

Dissertation (no fewer than 18 hrs)

• Engl. 699: Dissertation (3-12 hrs, no limit).

Language Skill Requirement

With the approval of the ACGS and COS, PhD students may satisfy the language skill requirement in one of three ways.

By demonstrating competency in two language skills. “Competency” can be demonstrated with a grade of B or better through a second semester, second-year level undergraduate course or through a graduate-level reading course in a language other than English. Students may use English 547 (Introduction to Old English) and 548 (Advanced Old English) to fulfill competency.

By demonstrating fluency in one language skill. “Fluency” can be demonstrated in one of several ways with a grade of B or better: through the second-semester, third-year level undergraduate course in a language other than English; or through two graduate-level reading courses in a language other than English. Students may use English 547 (Introduction to Old English), 548 (Advanced Old English), and an Old English 650 or another 548 to fulfill fluency.

By combining competency in one language skill with a similar competency in a research skill such as a computer-programming language or Statistics. Competency in the research skill can be established by the completion of a second-semester, second-year course with a grade of B or better or two graduate courses.

Competency and Fluency can be demonstrated through coursework from previous institutions, coursework at UNM, or tests administered either by UNM or CLEP. The decision as to which research skills courses such as a computer-programming language and Statistics will satisfy the Department’s language requirements will be negotiated between the ACGS, COS, and appropriate faculty from other departments; other research tools may be approved in exceptional cases in which similar provisions must be made for rigorous academic study in the subject.

Note: Course credits for classes used to complete the language skill or research requirement cannot normally be counted toward the 51 credit hours of regular course work required for the degree..

Comprehensive Examinations

To ensure a thorough and broad knowledge of English as a discipline, the Department of English requires PhD students to take comprehensive examinations in three different fields. Under the advisement of the COS, PhD students should select their three fields of study early in the course of their doctoral program, so that they can take course work that enhances their understanding of their three fields. 

Dissertation Prospectus and Its Defense

After passing the Comprehensive Examinations, PhD students must organize a Dissertation Committee, write and submit a Dissertation Prospectus, and successfully defend the prospectus before the Dissertation Committee. The prospectus defense must be completed no later than six calendar months after passing the Comprehensive Examinations.

The PhD Dissertation

A dissertation is a formal, scholarly document, seldom less than 150 double-spaced pages and often much longer, which makes an original contribution to its field and shows a professional mastery of academic methods and materials. Few dissertations are written in less than a calendar year. PhD students who are also Teaching Assistants commonly find that the process takes two years. UNM requires that students must complete all degree requirements, including the dissertation and defense, within five years of advancing to candidacy (i.e. passing the Comprehensive Examinations). 

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Graduate Program Professional and Technical Writing

• Program Details
• Info Sessions
• Admission Details

Degree Details

• Masters (M) Total Credits 48 (mix of online, hybrid, and on-campus courses) Start Term Fall, Winter, Spring Delivery Method On campus Flexible

Learn more about our academic program delivery methods

Professional and Technical Writing Master's Degree Overview

Mix of in-person, hybrid, and online courses for maximum flexibility.

To accommodate both working professionals and full-time students, most of our courses are offered during late-afternoon or evening hours, fully online, or as hybrid courses. Our small classes encourage a personalized experience. 

We encourage applicants from a variety of backgrounds, including recent college graduates in the humanities, social sciences, and STEM disciplines, those embarking upon new careers, as well as students from outside of the US.

Professional and Technical Writing Master's Degree: Why PSU?

What can i do with a master's degree in professional and technical writing.

• Technical writer at a Portland software company
• Research consultant at a national health insurance company
• Account manager at a creative agency
• Technical content specialist for an office at PSU

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Texas Tech University’s Online PhD in Technical Communication and Rhetoric

2013, Programmatic Perspectives

Texas Tech has offered its PhD in Technical Communication and Rhetoric via distance education since 2004. Designed with the same requirements and expectations as its brick-and-mortar modality, the program has grown larger and more selective each year—our current rejection rate for applications stands at 85% and the number of students stands at approximately 55. The doctoral program (in both its modalities) emphasize five general areas: Rhetoric, Composition, and Technology; Technical Communication; Rhetorics of Science and Healthcare; Technology, Culture, and Rhetoric; and Visual Rhetoric, New Media, and User-Centered Design. In addition, the program has the most rigorous course requirements in research methods (4 courses) in the field of writing studies. The program made several institutional innovations in order to gain approval, and these innovations continue to benefit students, among them redefining “residency” to work better with both modalities and redefining “full-time” as 3 hours per semester. One of the most innovative aspects of the online program is its requirement that students attend a 2-week seminar in Lubbock—this “Nar” provides opportunities for dissertation defenses, professional development seminars, intensive graduate courses, lectures by outside scholars, doctoral annual reviews, and ample unscheduled time for students to meet with their committees

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Technological colleges are normally market-oriented. Programs offering majors in computer science and technology in general do not, by definition, place emphasis on teaching humanities. Most of those programs, however, encourage students to include non-technical courses in their academic plan of study. At one particular technological college, computer science students can enroll in a one- semester course called Communication and Expression. Topics covered include a solid review of grammar and punctuation, as well as specifics in business communications. The introduction of rhetoric in those classes has met a response far more enthusiastic than expected. Those improvements were measured in a controlled experiment: students were required to produce texts on the same subject before and after classes on rhetoric — the balance between ethos, pathos and logos was measured in both instances. The results demonstrate the whole point of teaching humanities to technologists-to-be: they will be working for corporations, environments that comprise a complex set of activities requiring human interaction. Technical sales are just one example. Furthermore, they will be — like anyone — living in society, and these tools are needed to successfully play a role in societal development.

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Utah Tech University

Technical Writing & Digital Rhetoric, M.A.

Nov 15, 2023 spring semester deadline, apr 15, 2024 fall semester priority & graduate assistants, jul 15, 2024 fall semester deadline.

This 30-credit graduate program offers courses in technical writing, digital rhetoric, and writing technologies and provides opportunities for hands-on experience, advanced scholarship, internships, and professional development. Students can complete program onsite or online.

Tuition & Fees

$345 per credit plus student fees for Utah residents

Have A Question?

Ready to apply, careers & benefits, english department.

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 435-652-7815

Office: Holland 465

Mike Peterson, Ph.D.

Department chair.

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 435-879-4373

Office: Holland 446

Joy McMurrin, Ph.D.

Technical writing & digital rhetoric m.a. program coordinator.

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 435-879-4294

Office: Holland 448

Lillian Minar

Administrative assistant.

Email: [email protected]

Technical Communication

• Academic Programs
• Online Graduate Certificate

Graduate Academic Certificate in Technical Writing

Two options available to obtain a graduate academic certificate in technical writing..

We offer two different paths towards a Graduate Academic Certificate in Technical Writing (12 hours).

College teachers whose graduate studies are in another content area (such as composition/rhetoric, literature, creative writing, and cultural studies) and who want more credentials in teaching technical writing should take these four courses:

• TECM 5195: Editing Technical Documents
• TECM 5200: Digital Content Strategies for Communication Professionals
• TECM 5280: Designing Technical Documents
• TECM 5550: Studies in the Teaching of Technical Communication

Students interested in learning more about technical communication and possibly pursuing a career in the tech comm field should choose four of the following courses, depending upon their career goals:

• TECM 5170: Grants and Proposals
• TECM 5191: Digital Literacies
• TECM 5200: Digital Content Strategies

We realize that incoming students may have different goals for this program, and the director of graduate studies will work with you to structure a four-course series that makes sense for you.

Why should I get a technical writing certificate at UNT?

At UNT, we've structured our certificate program around student needs. Have a full-time job? Taking care of children or elderly family? Live eight time zones away? Whatever your situation, UNT's technical writing certificate can work for you.

Our program offers

• Online asynchronous classes, which means you can decide when you will complete your work each week
• 8-week sessions, which allow you to focus on one content area at a time
• Award winning faculty who are renown scholars in the field of technical communication
• A reasonable completion timeframe. Most students complete the certificate in fewer than 9 months, though some can complete it in as little as 4 months.

Who do I talk to?

Graduate advising is by appointment only. Please email [email protected] to schedule an appointment with Dr. Erin Friess , Director of Graduate Studies.

Thinking about UNT?

It's easy to apply online. Join us and discover why we're the choice of over 46,000 students.

Advice for surviving your PhD dissertation

Tips for each step of researching, writing and refining a PhD dissertation

From initial research and writing to revision, defence and award, the journey to completing a PhD is often described as a marathon. Here, academics offer their insight on each step towards producing an original work of scholarship. Starting with choosing a supervisor and establishing healthy habits, the advice goes on to cover how to structure a PhD dissertation, establish a writing routine, write an abstract, prepare for a viva and beat procrastination when motivation flags.

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The London School of Economics and Political Science

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Campus team

Department of English

Learn more about our writing, design and technical communication specialities below by seeing what our past and current students have done in our courses.

Learn Outside the Classroom with an Internship

In addition to the courses, our degree strongly emphasizes internships in rhetoric, technical communication, and workplace or professional writing. We work with each interested student to locate a suitable workplace to develop workplace experience to aid in post-graduation careers. For more information about our internship program as well as where recent students have interned, please visit our internship website .

Complete Your Degree Online

All online students in our program will be enrolled in the same courses as our onsite students, with the same professors, and will earn the same quality of degree. Learn more about our Online BA in Writing, Design, and Technical Communication .

The Minor and Writing Certificate

A minor in Technical Communication can help you learn the writing and design skills you need to succeed, no matter where your professional life takes you. Minoring in TC will also complement every major that works with technology or specialized forms of information. For more specific information, see Minor Requirements , or contact Diane Johnson  ( [email protected] ). 

We also offer a convenient 5 course writing certificate that allows writers and designers to improve their technical and creative writing abilities. You can learn more about the writing certificate here .

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