A comparative thread about Rhetoric programs

[driftlake]

Hi all,

 

I thought it might be useful to have a thread in which people can pose comparative scenarios about the programs they're entertaining and/or have been accepted to. At least for me, it's helpful to think about programs against one another rather than each alone. I get the sense that we have a pretty diverse group of people with a great deal of knowledge, so it might be nice to gather some of that in one place.

 

However, If this exists somewhere and I missed it, please ignore.

 

I am currently considering two PhD programs in particular, Michigan State's Writing Rhetoric and American Cultures and the University of Minnesota's Rhetoric, Scientific, and Technical Communication. My advisor has suggested that WRAC emphasizes production and hands-on work whereas RSTC emphasizes a more theoretical rhetoric of a given field. She also suggested that RSTC would be a stronger program for technical writing, Michigan State (possibly) for digital rhetoric.

 

I'm interested in digital rhetoric more than technical communication, but I'm also more intrigued by the rhetoric of science and memory than the production side of things. Anyone have any advice? I'm curious to know what folks here think, either specifically or generally. What do folks think of these two programs?

 

Thanks for feedback, and please feel free to post your own quandaries or scenarios as well.

 

 

[vanilla1983]

Thanks for starting this thread! I just visited MSU, an got a sense that they have a broad and inventive scope of research, so it seems you'd be able to explore both your interests there. One thing I've just started looking for is how much support students get in terms of funding for conference travel, summers, etc. MSU is incredibly well-funded, with more conference/travel grants than anywhere else I'm looking. So, you could also consider the access to summer projects / grant-funded research / conferences in your areas of interest that would be afforded by MSU.

 

The big thing I'm considering right now re: comp/rhet programs is whether they are in a stand-alone writing dept or a subset of an English dept. I was accepted to four programs, 2 in stand-alone writing depts and 2 in English depts. Right now, I'm doing an MA in a large English dept, and while it's allowed for some cool interdisciplinary work, it has its limitations -- namely, that there are only a couple of comp/rhet courses offered every semester...

[driftlake]

Agreed--MSU really does provide an amazing range of options for its students, it seems. I finished my MA last year in an English department, and I agree--it has some limitations. The lack of rhet courses is agonizing...

 

EDITED to ask: Is there a resource out there/on this forum with aggregated info on various programs? I know there are some wikis and some surveys, but nothing I've found from the last few years...

Edited February 28, 2014 by driftlake

[vanilla1983]

I haven't been able to find anything, but have compared notes with a couple people via PM. My sense is that it feels too "public" on a form to talk in-depth about the strengths and weaknesses of different programs when you're considering them...

[iExcelAtMicrosoftPuns]

I haven't been able to find anything, but have compared notes with a couple people via PM. My sense is that it feels too "public" on a form to talk in-depth about the strengths and weaknesses of different programs when you're considering them...

The Doctoral and Master Consortium's give some great info about how programs view themselves.

you could always ask the DGS.

Purdue has a nice FAQ that helps draw the picture.

I mean - yeah it's not as good as having an inside source but it is something.

[ComeBackZinc]

I haven't been able to find anything, but have compared notes with a couple people via PM. My sense is that it feels too "public" on a form to talk in-depth about the strengths and weaknesses of different programs when you're considering them...

 

I would second you on that sense. I know for a fact that a bunch of DGSs monitor this site.

[driftlake]

Interesting. I've heard only good things about both programs, which is why it's such a difficult choice. I'll do some exploring--thanks.