Doctor of Philosophy in Communication Studies - Rhetoric and Society

Coursework in this area prepares students for research and teaching that conceptualizes communication developed in several rhetorical traditions. The area embraces a broad conception of rhetoric that includes spoken, written, performative, visual, and digital modes of communication and occurs in contexts both public and private, with particular emphasis on the roles public discourse plays in social movements and activism.The area focuses on interests in argumentation theory, pragmatic theories of communication, rhetoric of inquiry, cultural studies, classical and contemporary rhetoric, public address, and rhetorical criticism.

3.0 on all previous graduate level coursework (approximately a "B+" average) (some exceptions apply)An applicant was awarded a Master's degree at an accredited college/university in the United States and has been in residence in the United States continuously prior to application to SIU (not out of the country for more than one calendar year).You have a minimum of 60 graded (A, B, C) hours of recent coursework completed at an accredited college / university in the United States with continuous residence in the United States prior to application at SIU. Pass / Fail, Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory, or Proficiency credit is not acceptable.International students must have a TOEFL score of 600 (paper based), 250 (computer based) or 100 (internet based)