Public Rhetorics and Community Engagement
This PhD offers a public humanities and community-engaged program that provides students with a broad background in rhetoric and writing studies while offering students opportunities to apply that knowledge in pedagogical, professional, and/or community spaces. According to their individual interests and goals, students can develop in-depth knowledge of community engagement, composition pedagogy, contemporary rhetorical theory, cultural rhetorics, public memory, rhetorical history, rhetorics of health and medicine, technical and professional communication, or writing program administration. We encourage students to use disciplinary theories and practices, to develop new approaches and models for advancing the public work of rhetoric. The rhetoric concentration seeks to prepare a community of researchers, educators, writers, and administrators who can use disciplinary knowledges to contribute to academia, non-profits, government, and other public facing professions.
The Public Rhetorics and Community Engagement PhD requires 54 credits beyond the BA with no more than 27 credits earned at the master’s level, as described in the Graduate Student Handbook PhD Requirements.
Required Courses: (12 credits)
English 712, 713, and 750 may be taken twice with different topics with the second iteration counting toward the Core Courses or Electives.
- 701: Writing Pedagogies
- 712: Theories in Public Rhetorics and Community Engagement:
- 713: Research Methods in Rhetorics, Literacies, and Community Engagement:
- 750: History of Rhetoric and Writing Studies:
Select 24 credits from the list of Core Courses below:
No more than 6 credits may be 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
- 711: Topics in Public and Professional Writing:
- 749: Advanced Internship in Writing and Community Engagement
- 755: Issues in Writing Research:
- 854: Seminar in College Writing Pedagogy:
- 855: Seminar in Public Rhetorics and Community Engagement:
Electives: (18 Credits)
Students holding a master’s degree from other institutions, and some students who have an MA from UWM in other areas, must take the Academic Review within six weeks of completing 12 credit hours.
Although they will work with a number of professors, students choose a major professor who advises and supports them in their course of study, academic interests, and writing of the dissertation.