Additional Requirements

Graduate students are required to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA for degree-program courses. Grades below a B- will not be accepted for a Technical Communication and Rhetoric PhD program degree.

Credits in the following areas are not acceptable in a degree program: foreign languages (unless included in an approved Program of Study), continuing graduate advisement, individual home study, military science, and courses numbered below 6000. No more than 12 credits of 5000 level courses can be counted towards the degree.

Coursework over eight years old at the time of degree completion may not be used for a graduate degree unless it is revalidated by the Vice Provost for the School of Graduate Studies. A doctorate must be completed within eight years of entering the degree program. Additional time may be requested by the student’s committee and submitted to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies for review

All Technical Communication and Rhetoric PhD students must successfully defend their dissertation and submit the dissertation to the library. An oral defense typically takes place in the last semester of study. For details on the dissertation writing and defense process, refer to the TCR Graduate Student Handbook.

A graduate student in Technical Communication and Rhetoric will be required to complete the following academic forms during their time of study:

Supervisory Committee
Program of Study
Application for Candidacy
Appointment for Examination

Record of Examination
SGS and library review and approval
Other forms may be required; for details refer to the TCR Graduate Student Handbook.

Curriculum Overview

Students in the TCR program must complete a minimum of 60 approved semester credits beyond their master’s degree. Up to 12 graduate level credits may be transferred and applied toward this degree with approval from the Director of Graduate Studies and the Technical Communication and Rhetoric faculty. In addition to the minimum 60 credits of coursework, students must take Responsible Conduct of Research training, a brief online training on ethical conduct in research that the university requires of all PhD students.

Technical Communication and Rhetoric - PhD

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Program Overview

Program Requirements

Program Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes