Doctor of Philosophy in English - Composition and Rhetoric

At UMass, students interested in studying composition and rhetoric at the graduate level will find a well established program focused on the study of writing in academic and public spaces, emphasizing the intersections of theory, pedagogy, and literate practice. Graduate students specializing in rhetoric and composition take core courses in composition theory, rhetorical theory, literacy studies, and research methodologies. These core courses are supplemented by a wide array of special topics courses on public discourse, genre theory, race and writing, gender and writing, and writing and emerging technologies, to name just a few.The English Department's extensive graduate-level course offerings in literary and cultural studies, creative writing, and American Studies allow graduate students further flexibility to define their own course of study and research projects.

Excellent recommendations by your professors (a minimum of two) are essential. You may want to provide your recommenders with copies of your college or university transcripts, papers you wrote for their course(s), and a brief résumé of your accomplishments, both academic and professional. GPA and Transcripts – We look carefully at your course preparation and GPA. Nearly all of the students we accept have an undergraduate GPA of 3.3 or better. Students entering with a Master’s degree are expected to have attained a high GPA (3.75 or better) for their graduate work.