Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Scientific & Technical Communication

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is a research degree that will prepare you for faculty positions in our core areas of rhetoric, writing studies, pedagogy, technical communication, technology, and culture. Our core coursework leads to seminars and courses in your concentration. It is complemented with a supporting program of courses offered by other departments at the University of Minnesota related to your specialty area. The Ph.D. is a five-year program.

The Department of Writing Studies trains students to understand how people use written communication (textual, digital, and visual) to shape the world around them, emphasizing communication in scientific and technical areas. The Ph.D. program prepares students to become researchers and teachers with expertise in rhetoric, writing studies, and technical communication. Students in the RSTC program also pursue special interests in digital, textual, or visual literacies; rhetorics of science, health, medicine, law, and/or the environment; professional communication; internet studies; theories of writing; composition; and writing pedagogies.

The College of Liberal Arts is committed to intellectual freedom, the pursuit of new knowledge, and the belief that the liberal arts are the foundation of academic learning. CLA prepares students to be independent and original thinkers, be innovators in their chosen fields, create meaning in their lives and life’s work, and become productive citizens and leaders in their communities and the world.

Established in 1868, the College of Liberal Arts supports the University of Minnesota's land-grant mission as home to disciplines in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. With 31 departments on the Minneapolis campus, it is the largest college in the University of Minnesota system.