Rhet/Comp & Tech Comm 2015

[heja0805]

Hello all!

I'm not an applicant anymore, but I'd like to start a new thread specifically for those who are hoping to apply for graduate programs in rhetoric & composition, professional & technical communication, writing studies, and related fields.

Are you applying for a certificate, M.A., M.S. or PhD? What issues or questions do you have about the process, documents, things to know, where to apply, etc.?

[JaimeA]

Hi!  I'm new here, but when I saw this thread didn't have any replies, I thought I'd chime in.  

 

I'm applying for PhD programs in Rhet/Comp and Rhet/Tech.  This is the only year I'll be able to enter a program, so I'm hoping for good results (or at least one good result).  I'm applying to MSU (my top choice - looks like this is where you are?), Michigan Tech, Louisville, and Tennessee.  I'm also applying to a few PhD Education programs, but ideally I'd like to stick to Rhet/Comp and stay in the Midwest or northern Southeast.  

 

I'm a full-time faculty member in English at a North Carolina Community College and did my MA in English at IU.  Anyone who's taught at a CC probably knows there's not a lot of time for publishing, so I don't have that going for me, but I do have a good deal of teaching experience and research, a 3.96 GPA, and above average GRE scores.  

 

I'm not sure I have specific questions, but any advice from folks in these programs would, I'm sure, be very useful.  

 

Cheers!

[ComeBackZinc]

Great list, great programs. Consider Eastern Michigan at all?

[bhr]

I may as well hang out in here this year. I'm between seasons (1st year MA atm, 2016 PhD class hopefully), so I've got a year to just observe and be helpful.

[JaimeA]

I didn't really consider Eastern Michigan.  They're EDST PhD seems to be focused on nursing and P-12 education, and they don't offer a PhD in Rhet/Comp that I see.  

[ProfLorax]

Holla! Glad to see this thread up and rolling. I'm no longer an applicant, but I'm happy to answer questions. I had a successful round of applications a few years ago, so I have a good grasp of a handful of rhet/comp programs (unfortunately, none that you are applying to, JaimeA). 

 

Also, JaimeA: I'm intrigued you're applying to some Ed programs. I considered a similar path but later realized that Ed is far too sociological in its methods/methodology for me. I'm just a humanities gal at heart, it seems. Also, I feel you regarding community college teaching. I loved teaching community college students, but alas, missed writing and research too much to stick it out. However, I was an adjunct at the time; I don't know how I would have felt if I were full-time. How do you feel about potentially leaving a full-time position for grad school?

[JaimeA]

Hi proflorax - I feel nervous! I love my students and my school, but I, too, would like to get back into more writing and research.  It's not that the opportunity isn't there at this level; it's just that the demands of the job are pretty prohibitive.  Grading 125 student papers three times a semester wears a girl out.  

 

I was also turned off by the methodology of many schools' ED programs, but there are some out there that are immensely flexible and offer the opportunity to work with great faculty and do interesting research.  Since my areas of interest include WAC/WID, learning transfer, and technology and writing instruction, the programs that have a strong emphasis on teaching and learning, particularly at schools with strong English programs, are good fits.  We'll see...

 

Glad to hear you had a successful go at the application process.  Is there anything specific to which you attribute that success (aside from, perhaps, just being more awesome than everyone else?  ha)?

[heja0805]

Hi!  I'm new here, but when I saw this thread didn't have any replies, I thought I'd chime in.  

 

I'm applying for PhD programs in Rhet/Comp and Rhet/Tech.  This is the only year I'll be able to enter a program, so I'm hoping for good results (or at least one good result).  I'm applying to MSU (my top choice - looks like this is where you are?), Michigan Tech, Louisville, and Tennessee.  I'm also applying to a few PhD Education programs, but ideally I'd like to stick to Rhet/Comp and stay in the Midwest or northern Southeast.  

 

I'm a full-time faculty member in English at a North Carolina Community College and did my MA in English at IU.  Anyone who's taught at a CC probably knows there's not a lot of time for publishing, so I don't have that going for me, but I do have a good deal of teaching experience and research, a 3.96 GPA, and above average GRE scores.  

 

I'm not sure I have specific questions, but any advice from folks in these programs would, I'm sure, be very useful.  

 

Cheers!

 

Hi JaimeA, 

 

It's nice to meet you!

 

You really do have a nice list of programs.

 

I'm in my first semester here at MSU, and while I can't offer the same knowledge and lore that more experienced students in my program would, I'm more than happy to answer specific questions off list. I can also put you in contact with other students who can tell you more about the program and the experience here--just email me if that interests you. I can say with confidence the program is well situated for the study of transfer, and the highlight of our program really is the people here, who do interesting work that crosses multiple areas like cultural rhetorics, digital rhetoric, tech comm, and community writing. 

 

I applied to Michigan Tech last year and was waitlisted. In fact, I was waitlisted by every program except MSU, who got back to me very early (first week of January). ...I suppose it's sort of wild how it all worked out for me. 

 

Have you considered the joint program in English and Education at Umich? It sounds like that might also be a good place for you.

 

I hear that the University of Kentucky is also developing a PhD program in their department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Studies, and I'm certain that it will be fantastic--the only thing is, I'm not sure when they'll be accepting students into the program and officially rolling it out. Maybe someone on here has some info? I'm sure you could send an email to their grad director to find out more info if you're interested. 

 

It's nice to hear from you, and welcome to the board! 

[heja0805]

Is there anything specific to which you attribute that success (aside from, perhaps, just being more awesome than everyone else?  ha)?

 

I know you didn't ask me directly, and while I clearly didn't have an exceptional application season, things worked out for me and I have a little advice to offer. While it's wise to be clear about what your interests are, and to outline a research project in your personal statement, it's so important to situate yourself as someone clearing your own path, creating new opportunities for yourself, and learning from others in the different contexts you find yourself in. Embrace the idea of changes and your learning as an ongoing process, because there's so much to be learned from others and about yourself in a PhD program. Few people arrive to the fields of rhet/comp, tech comm, and writing studies knowing, exactly, that we would do this from the first moment we started attending college--and do we ever have stories. And those stories matter, they shape us, and they're happening right now (and will). That might all seem obvious or preachy to you, and maybe it is, but according to the lore I've heard, the students have rigid research/dissertation plans when they begin coursework are typically have the least successful and least fulfilling experiences in their PhD programs. 

[bhr]

A piece of advice, unsolicited, for anyone applying to programs (particularly at the MA level, but PhD's as well). Ask about the assistantships. Not just the funding available, but what you are doing in them, how much authority you have over your syllabus, ect.

It isn't even something that occured to me to ask, but after a month in, and talking to friends that went elsewhere, I realize just how amazing my assistanship is. I have nearly complete autonomy over my own class, outside of some core project types, and even they can be replaced if I can justify it. Every member of my MA cohort (minus one part-timer) has an assistantship teaching or in the writing center, and the ones in the writing center have similar freedom to create workshops and programs. Speaking to people in the field, and at other schools, I'm discovering how rare that opportunity is, and how much better I will be situated either on the CC job market or when applying for PhD programs.

 

Again, I'm not bragging (well, a little), so much as giving a bit of my own experience. I never would have thought to ask questions like that when going through the process, I just asked if funding was available, but it's something I'm very glad to have found.

[ProfLorax]

Hi proflorax - I feel nervous! I love my students and my school, but I, too, would like to get back into more writing and research.  It's not that the opportunity isn't there at this level; it's just that the demands of the job are pretty prohibitive.  Grading 125 student papers three times a semester wears a girl out.  

 

I was also turned off by the methodology of many schools' ED programs, but there are some out there that are immensely flexible and offer the opportunity to work with great faculty and do interesting research.  Since my areas of interest include WAC/WID, learning transfer, and technology and writing instruction, the programs that have a strong emphasis on teaching and learning, particularly at schools with strong English programs, are good fits.  We'll see...

 

Glad to hear you had a successful go at the application process.  Is there anything specific to which you attribute that success (aside from, perhaps, just being more awesome than everyone else?  ha)?

I felt the same way when I was teaching! Like you said, I could have made time for writing and research, but it would have never been part of my job. At my institution, that just wasn't valued. I'm really happy to be in a place where both scholarship and teaching is valued. 

 

And you're right; there are some Education programs that do great work related to your interests! After I posted, I remembered that I met several Ed PhD students from UC Davis at Computers and Writing this summer. UCD is outside of your desired region, but you may want to check out the program just for funsies!

 

I think one aspect that helped me during application season was I crafted an applicant identity that was consistently demonstrated throughout my application. I presented myself as the scholar-teacher, who loved both identities but never had the opportunity to merge the two. I talked up my teaching experience in relation to my research interests and framed my primarily literature background in rhetorical terms. I think, as rhetoricians, we are especially skilled at considering what our audience wants to hear and then crafting a rhetorical appeal based on that. To be clear, everything I said was genuine and 100% true, but I definitely worked at framing my experiences in such a way that would appeal to an adcomm. 

[rhetoricus aesalon]

Since when did this happen, proflorax? 

[ProfLorax]

After many many many bribes.

 

Truthfully, just this morning! I feel fancy. 

[Dr. Old Bill]

After many many many bribes.

 

Truthfully, just this morning! I feel fancy. 

 

Holy moly! Proflorax...congrats!!!!

[ComeBackZinc]

I don't mean to be a downer, but boy, is the MLA job list brutal this year. None of my faculty have ever seen anything like it. Even by a generous definition of what's a R/C job, I don't count more than 50. And the field will probably produce at least 250-300 new PhDs this year. Being on the market, this is... somewhat worrisome!

 

Of course, I believe there's less than 10 jobs for medievalists, so it's all relative.

[ComeBackZinc]

Which is not meant to discourage! These things are cyclical.

[ProfLorax]

Hugs, ComeBackZinc. It is ugly out there. On the plus side, Cal Poly SLO, my alma mater, is hiring one TT rhet/comp assistant professor. You should apply simply because SLO one of the most beautiful places in the world and boasts great breakfast burritos and BBQ. 

[ComeBackZinc]

Already on the list!! That's one bright note: tons of great public California U's.

[heja0805]

So many in California this year! There might not be that many on the list, but the ones posted look excellent. Do you know if it's typical for many of them (and by that I mean more than half) to be in technical & professional comm? 

[rhetoricus aesalon]

So many in California this year! There might not be that many on the list, but the ones posted look excellent. Do you know if it's typical for many of them (and by that I mean more than half) to be in technical & professional comm? 

 

It's certainly a growing trend, and probably one that will continue at least for a few years.

[heja0805]

Applicants to technical and professional communication programs: 

 

You may have come across Angela Eaton's helpful guide for students planning on pursuing tech comm grad programs, but if not, you can find it here: 

 

https://www.depts.ttu.edu/english/tcr/grad_application/ApplyingToGradSchool.pdf

 

It's a really helpful guide if you're looking for essentials. 

[ComeBackZinc]

Bit by bit, more jobs have been trickling out. Still a rough year but it's a little better.

[heja0805]

Okay, I'm not getting notifications for this thread, but I check back about once or twice a week to see if anyone has posted. I'm surprised to see that no one has--maybe there are conversations going on in other threads? Maybe I worry too much? Where have all the humans gone? Halp?

[iExcelAtMicrosoftPuns]

Howdy, thread.

I am a tweener - I'm in an MA program right now and will be applying PhD next round. 

Rhet/Comp folks seem awfully quiet this year - we're usually a noisy bunch, what gives?

[slightlymoreanonymous]

Hey y'all,

 

I'm a hopeful rhet-comp student applying to MA/PhD programs for next fall. If you're already at one of the programs I'm looking at, I'd love to hear any feedback you have about your experience! 

 

UC Berkeley, UT Austin, TCU, Iowa State, Michigan State, Clemson, Florida State, Purdue, Nebraska, UC Davis 

 

And a question: is it okay to email current student in these programs to ask about their experience? I feel a little odd cold-contacting strangers, but the websites only offer so much information. 

 

Thanks!