stumbleine

So sorry for the delayed response! I haven't been on these forums in a little while. I'm certainly considering what will happen if I decide not to pursue the PhD/academic path, for whatever reason that may be. Thanks for your sound advice!

(copied from original posting on chronicle) Hey everybody, I've gotten a lot of great feedback from my last topic, which has been very helpful. In expanding my search for comp/rhet MA programs, I've come across many programs that are not exactly comp/rhet, but have at least one of the two fields, or are somehow related. For example, George Mason U's "MA in English with Professional Writing and Rhetoric Concentration" (http://writingandrhetoric.gmu.edu/programs/la-ma-engl-pwr) has the rhetorical element I seek, but it's missing the key compositional pedagogy aspect (which is important to me as somebody who's interested in working in a writing center), and emphasizes instead "workplace writing." On one hand, because I am open-minded about careers outside academia (such as writing coaching jobs in the private sector), this does seem like an appealing way to broaden my credentials in that regard. However, because my main goal still is staying in academia and therefore getting into a great comp/rhet doctoral program, I don't want an MA program that's going to severely limit me in that regard, and many programs like these don't have that distinct comp/rhet feel or focus. I've been using this list heavily, which has many of these types of writing-related but not necessarily comp/rhet fields: http://www.mdcwss.com/directory/ So, I guess my broader question is: just how particular are comp/rhet doctoral programs about the types of MAs they will generally accept? I know that some people make it in with things like linguistics MAs and other indirectly related fields, but I just don't know if I should be limiting my search to strictly comp/rhet (or programs that are clearly steeped in comp/rhet philosophy, regardless of whether they're called "writing studies" or whatever it may be). Relatedly, would an MA that focuses on classical rhetoric (such as Carnegie Mellon's) and doesn't focus much on composition limit me? Because there are so many related but highly differing options, it's hard to know just what I want to go for, and what would be most prudent... Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Wow, thank you so much everybody! This has all been so helpful. Since I got such varied responses, I'll respond to people individually. Wyatt's Terps -- You're not the first person to bang on the UMD drum, haha. My thesis advisor did the same, and it's definitely a program I'm looking into. My biggest issue is with the certificate as opposed to the MA, but if there really are dedicated comp/rhet faculty members then it may be well worth it. And I do love Maryland... klader -- Always nice talking to a fellow rhet/comper! I'm glad to know my application seems competitive. I don't really like thinking of myself in that way, but I guess it's just necessary in this game. I appreciate your encouragement! And moreover, I appreciate all of your sound advice -- I was quite uncertain about the program title thing and the benefits of reaching out etc., so your explanations are quite helpful. Wishing you the best as well! kirbs005 -- I see we're in a similar boat! I wish you all the best. I've been doing the same thing as you, haha. Googling and hoping for the best. Thanks for sharing those links! I've come across them in my searching as well, but now I'm a bit more focused on MA programs instead of PhD programs. If I may ask, how about yourself? Are you applying to master's or doctoral programs, and for what reason? Would love to talk more -- feel free to PM me if you want to exchange notes or talk about anything. A little part of me is still considering Comm too. Chadillac -- Your warm welcome and advice are much appreciated. I know I have to consider things like cost of living as well, and based on what you said I think I am going to stick to MA programs to be on the safe side (and I think that's a better idea anyway). I would certainly appreciate that PM you'd mentioned, because getting a good list down has been quite a struggle. Once again, thanks everybody! I am feeling better about everything, but any further advice from y'all are others would still be great!

Hey everybody, I am a recent college graduate, long interested in pursuing comp/rhet at the graduate level. I plan to apply this year for fall 2017 admission. Originally, at the behest of my English lit professors and advisors who didn't know any better, I thought I could go straight to the PhD. But in my own research, I've discovered that most people pursuing comp/rhet get their MAs first, so now I'm on the hunt for MA programs. Before I ask any questions, a little bit about myself: I have a plain-old BA in English from a small liberal arts college. I never took any formal classes in either comp or rhet, but I was a writing tutor, I wrote my senior honors thesis using rhetorical theory, worked with the writing center director to formulate an e-tutoring program for our center (in a for-credit independent study that included intensive research on the latest compositional pedagogies related to remote tutoring), I worked for a year as a copyeditor at a major company and am now a teaching assistant in a pre-college writing class, and I'm currently doing rhetoric-based research with the professor who mentored me on my thesis. I have a 3.9+ GPA and graduated with honors and awards in both English lit and communications, as I ran my school's literary magazine for two years and wrote/edited for the paper in a leadership position. In short, I have consistently done things related to writing and editing over my college career and in the year-plus since I've graduated. I think I will love this field. I like to think I have a competitive application despite my lack of experience in actual comp/rhet classes. My goal is to attend a fully funded master's program in something that can help me apply for comp/rhet PhD programs later on down the line. So, my main concerns are as follows: -Assuming a decent GRE score and SOP (and other common application elements), will my background likely make me a competitive candidate for funded programs? I know this is subjective and can highly vary, but unlike with more common programs (such as lit) it's harder to tell what my standing really is. -If I apply to MA programs in English with a concentration or focus in composition and/or rhetoric (as opposed to a direct Master in Rhetoric, such as in Carnegie Mellon), does this still put me in good standing to apply to Comp/Rhet PhD programs later on? Maybe this is a dumb question, but I don't want to apply to a regular English program that only has informal concentrations in comp/rhet, only to discover that no reputable comp/rhet PhD program will take it. And I guess the larger concern is what types of programs are beneficial to doctoral study later on, versus which programs are not. -Does anybody know of good MA programs in comp and/or rhet in the northeast (or within driving distance of NYC(? I've been referring to this list, http://www.mdcwss.com/directory/, but it seems somewhat incomplete and only focuses on writing specialties as opposed to rhetorical specialties (e.g., it only refers to Carnegie Mellon's MA in Professional Writing but not its MA in Rhetoric, it doesn't have Hofstra's Master's in Rhetorical studies, etc.). So far, I'm looking at Penn State, U Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon, Hofstra, LIU Brooklyn, CUNY College of NY, and Rutgers. A link to a list, or any informal recommendations, would be greatly appreciated! I'll also note that I understand I may have to broaden my horizons, so I'm researching further-away programs, in the Midwest especially (Purdue, Ohio State, etc.). -If a program offers both a PhD and an MA, and doesn't explicitly say you need a master's for the PhD, should I just apply for the PhD if that's what I ultimately want? For example, Carnegie Mellon has the MA in Rhetoric and a PhD -- should I just shoot for the PhD in the hopes I can at least be accepted into the MA? Or should I be hyper-specific and just apply for the MA if I think that's my best bet? -Should I reach out to people in the program (the director, or professors I admire) if I want to maximize my chances? If I have a particular question then I will of course, but I'm asking if it's beneficial to express interest via email well in advance of my formal application. I hear this is common in the sciences but not in the humanities, but I'm unsure. -Is a "graduate certificate" in comp and/or rhet worth anything? Specifically for applying to doctoral programs, or pursuing a writing- or editing-related field. It seems much less legit than a pure MA, but I'm not sure. And I think that's about it. I know that's a lot, but I don't have much institutional support and I am relying on these forums and my own research! If anybody has answers to these questions, or any other general advice, I would sincerely appreciate it!