MA Requirements

Rhetoric and Professional Writing

The MA degree in Rhetoric and Professional Writing requires students to complete a minimum of 30 credits, including:

Required Courses (9 credits):

English 712, 713, and 750 may be taken twice with different topics with the second iteration counting toward the Core Courses or Electives.

  • 712: Theories in Public Rhetorics and Community Engagement:
  • 713: Research Methods in Rhetorics, Literacies, and Community Engagement:
  • 750: History of Rhetoric and Writing Studies:

Core Courses: Select 18 credits from the list below (no more than 6 credits from courses below the 700 level). Students may take up to 6 credits of English 749 and may take English 711, 755, 854, and 855 up to three times with different topics.

    • 427G: Writing for Nonprofits
    • 431G: Topics in Advanced Communications
    • 432G: The Rhetoric of Argument
    • 439G: Information Design
    • 443G: Grant Writing
    • 444G: Technical Editing
    • 633G: Seminar in Rhetoric and Professional Writing
    • 701: Writing Pedagogies
    • 711: Topics in Public and Professional Writing
    • 749: Advanced Internship in Professional Writing and Community Engagement
    • 755: Issues in Writing Research:
    • 790: Master’s Project1
    • 854: Seminar in College Writing Pedagogy:
    • 855: Seminar in Public Rhetorics and Community Engagement:

1 Core courses may include up to 6 credits of English 790.

Electives: Select 3 credits of graduate-level electives

Additional Requirements

  • A final project, which shall be a research paper appropriate to the student’s professional goals.
  • An oral examination, usually lasting an hour and a half, which covers the final project and a reading list of at least 30 texts not listed in the project bibliography or works cited list.

Students in the MA program who wish to enter the PhD program should discuss their plans early with both their advisor and the Plan B Coordinator. Please also see the Graduate Student Handbook and the Graduate School Academic Catalog.

Graduate Grievance Procedures

Federal law and UWM policy require programs and departments to have procedures for graduate students to appeal academic decisions such as grades or scholastic standing. These procedures ensure the protection of students’ rights. These pages serve as a reference on procedures for graduate student academic appeals.