Prospective Rhetoric/Comp PhD

[Coffee_Bean]

Hi all,

This is my first time on these forums. I'm a senior in undergrad (English Lit at a very good school) considering applying to Rhetoric and Comp PhD programs. I have a few questions about the field in general and specific programs.

1) Do you think the job market will continue to be better for Rhet & Comp PhDs than for literature PhDs?

2) Are most of the jobs geared towards composition-focused dissertations? I would love to research rhetoric of the Renaissance, religion (Renaissance and contemporary), etc. I'm sure pedagogical theory is interesting, but I love literature and want to focus more on the rhetorical side. I DO want to contribute to the discussion of literature, albeit from a different angle than most English Lit PhDs.

3) What are the top programs? Wisconsin-Madison seems like a good fit for me because they allow you to get an MA in Literary Studies first. What are, in general, the "top 8" (or so) schools? Although I don't want to get into specifics, I have some research experience and tip-top GRE, GPA, and recs. I do not, however, have anything mind-blowing for an undergrad.

Thank you so much!

[Coffee_Bean]

Forgot to say--One reason I am attracted to these programs is a desire to teach, and I like the strong pedagogical emphasis (even if I am dismayed by what seems to be a focus on the theory-of-the-week). But does that mean I should look for schools with more of a composition focus?

[ProfLorax]

Another Rhet/Comp applicant on the boards! How exciting! I don't have answers to all of your questions, but if you peruse through these boards, you'll find a beginner's kit for rhet/comp folks that answers most of your questions. If you have questions about the job market, perhaps www.chronicle.com would have that data. I will say that the measure of a job market shouldn't be how well it does compared to another field. Rather, ask about job placements at each school to which you are applying. You'll find that many rhet/comp programs (Purdue, Arizona, Miami) boast of a 95% or higher job placement rate in tenure-track positions.

As of ranking, you'll quickly discover that there are no official rankings for rhet/comp programs, just opinions among rhet/comp scholars about which are better. The best advice I received is to look for programs that fit my interests and have a high job placement rate. These websites can help you start:

Doctoral Consortium in Rhetoric and Composition: This lists pretty much all programs that offer rhet/comp degrees, emphases, and minors at the PhD level.

2007 Rhetoric Review Survey of Rhetoric and Composition: This list was critical in my research. It includes information about program strengths, challenges, recent dissertations (this will be of interest to you to see what programs encourage interdisciplinary dissertations and such), admissions rates, and more.

Lastly, it seems that all rhet/comp programs have a strong pedagogical emphasis. All of the programs to which I am applying offer GTA's to ALL of their PhD students, as well as coursework and mentorship to help grad students develop their teaching craft.

Hope that helps!

Edited October 19, 2012 by proflorax

[dwasa]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Proflorax.

I'm a junior in Rhetoric and I've just started narrowing down my graduate school search: which is to say I've stopped daydreaming and started researching schools.

I'm familiar with the consortium- but the 2007 survey is brand new to me.