Graduate Programs in Rhetoric and Composition

The English Department at Ball State University offers both a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. in English with a concentration in Rhetoric and Composition. In addition, students may add a second major or minor in Rhetoric and Composition to another MA.

The Doctor of Philosophy in English, with an emphasis in Rhetoric and Composition at Ball State University, is one of the oldest established programs in the United States. Vital and evolving, this disciplinary focus is both a necessary cultural practice and an important intellectual discipline, central to literacy studies, creative writing, and linguistics, as well as reading-writing education. Focusing on the inclusive nature of rhetoric and composition, Ball State’s unique course of study explores the production, interpretation, and analysis of discourse across genres, media, and historical eras. Central to the program is the belief that rhetoric and composition as a discipline provides the necessary framework for understanding the creation of all discourse—socio-political, private, and literary—in whatever medium: oral, print, visual, and hypermedia. As a result, this multifaceted course of study introduces students to a range of research methodologies and methods, inviting candidates to pursue dissertation topics ranging over traditional and nontraditional areas.

Weaving throughout this program are two commitments: the first to the importance of pedagogy and of the teaching moment, and the second to the importance of technology in its myriad guises and contexts. Historically, the study and performance of rhetoric has been united with the teaching of rhetoric. Students receive a solid grounding in the practice of rhetorical instruction, the administration of writing programs, and the integration of writing centers into those programs. Effective teaching of rhetoric and composition is emphasized, and the program is organized so that teaching assistants receive a full semester of teacher preparation before entering their own classrooms. Their teaching is supported through teaching circles and close mentoring.

Furthermore, because of the program’s commitment to technological literacy and digital rhetoric, students are also offered both instruction and practice in the use of technology in the classroom as well as in the creation of discourse (i.e., hypermediated environments). Whether literary, political, or private, discourse has always formed through a medium by means of a technology. Therefore, effective teaching within Ball State’s program takes into account the tools that people use to create meaning in their cultures. This course of study increases students’ awareness of and possibilities for various media and technologies.

The graduate program is deliberately structured to maintain a small circle of highly motivated students. This enables a close collegial relationship between candidates and faculty members already established in their areas of professional expertise. It also affords numerous opportunities for graduate students to explore the many and varied aspects of rhetoric and composition, including writing program administration, writing center administration, and writing project participation. Furthermore, by working intensively with faculty members, students present at national conferences, publish within print and electronic venues, and write internal and external grants. Such participation enhances students’ growth as teachers, as members of an institutional community, and as professionals. Further support for graduate students is offered through assistantships and enhanced assistantships.

Because of the unique focus of this program and its dual commitment to teaching and technology, students earning a Ph.D. with an emphasis in Rhetoric and Composition from Ball State will find themselves poised to pursue various professional options. The integration of rhetoric, literary studies, creative writing, and linguistics, as well as the administrative opportunities, provides the training necessary for teacher-scholars seeking careers in a four-year liberal arts institution. The emphasis on the classroom applications of rhetoric and composition also affords community and two-year college teachers new ways to enrich their teaching. The systematic interweaving of technology and discourse further provides an essential foundation for students seeking a career within the public sector as professional writers/consultants. Finally, the emphasis on scholarship and professionalization serves as an important prelude for candidates planning to enter a university setting.