Rhetoric and Composition PhD Program

Course Requirements

Completion for credit of a minimum of 54 semester hours of graduate courses, exclusive of credit hours for the dissertation. Postgraduate hours completed more than seven years prior to a student's admission into TCU's graduate program in Rhetoric and Composition may not count toward requirements; the graduate advisor will determine applicable credit on a case by case basis. Of the 54 hours, at least 36 must be taken at TCU and 27 must be in courses that satisfy the graduate core, which is described in subdivisions A, B and C below.

  1. Theory (6 hours)
    3 hours ENGL 60703: Introduction to Composition
    3 hours ENGL 60123: Introduction to Modern Critical Theory

    or ENGL 80123: Seminar in Literary Theory

  2. Required Rhetoric and Composition (9 hours)
    3 hours ENGL 70703: History of Rhetoric

    or ENGL 60713: Modern Rhetoric

    or ENGL 50253: Classical Rhetoric

    3 hours ENGL 60723: Research Practices in Composition and Rhetoric

    or ENGL 70723: Rhetoric and Criticism

    3 hours ENGL 60513: Teaching College Composition

  3. Elective—Rhetoric and Composition (12 hours)
    3 hours ENGL 50233: Studies in Creative Writing

    3 hours ENGL 50243: Teaching Writing

    3 hours ENGL 60203: Writing for the Professions

    3 hours ENGL 70713: Rhetoric and Literature

    3 hours ENGL 80603: Seminar in Kenneth Burke

    3 hours ENGL 80613: Women's Rhetorics

    3 hours ENGL 80703: Seminar in Rhetoric

    3 hours ENGL 80713: Seminar in Literacy

    3 hours ENGL 80723: Seminar in Composition

  4. General Electives (9 hours)
    In consultation with an advisor, students will take 12 semester hours of elective credit in graduate level literature, additional Rhetoric and Composition, or other areas.

Language Requirement

Reading knowledge of one approved foreign language, typically selected from French, German, Spanish or Latin, is required. Other languages may be offered on approval of the Departmental Graduate Committee, but the language should be the one most appropriate to the student's research, field of concentration or professional development. This requirement may be met by satisfying the general University statement under PhD Degree Requirements or by any other means approved by the Departmental Graduate Committee. The language requirement must be satisfied before the student can be admitted to candidacy for the PhD degree.

Examinations

A student takes qualifying comprehensive examinations, consisting of a minimum of two exams in two different areas, when she or he has completed for credit 48-54 hours of graduate courses, of which 36 hours must be from TCU; has completed requisite coursework; and has met the language requirement. These examinations are based upon the student’s areas of concentration. The student and his or her advisory committee will determine the areas to be covered by the exams. A student who fails one or more areas of the examinations may retake the failed area(s) again, but a second failure on any area of the examination bars the student from candidacy.

Dissertation

Doctoral students must complete a dissertation that demonstrates their ability to do independent and original research, and to synthesize their findings and existing knowledge into a unified document. A candidate must present a dissertation prospectus to his/her advisory committee for discussion, suggestions and approval before proceeding with the project. The candidate's oral defense of the dissertation is a public lecture based upon his/her findings, presented to the Department of English graduate faculty, graduate students and other interested persons within the academic community.

Advisory Committee

Before taking qualifying examinations, a student requests through the director of graduate studies that the associate dean of AddRan College of Liberal Arts appoint an advisory committee of four members. The dissertation director normally serves as chair of the student's advisory committee. One member of the committee may come from outside the Department of English if the candidate's dissertation project requires such additional expertise. The advisory committee suggests concentration courses, prepares the qualifying examinations, approves the student for candidacy and directs the dissertation.

Academic Advising

Students are advised by the departmental director of graduate studies throughout their doctoral programs.





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