The Ph.D. in English with a concentration in Rhetoric, Composition, & Pedagogy (RCP) prepares students to become informed scholars who apply rhetoric and composition research to writing practices. The concentration offers an innovative, multidisciplinary curriculum, dedicated advising and mentorship from the English Department’s dynamic faculty, and preparation for expert teaching in the university classroom. Graduate students frequently invent or study innovative disciplinary ideas, often involving the composition classroom or other scenes of writing. 

We can typically provide five years of funding, including tuition remission and a stipend. (See our Financial Aid page for more information.) All first-year Ph.D. students receive extensive training before teaching their own courses. Second- through fifth-year students have the opportunity to teach a range of courses, with continued pedagogical training and working groups. Students in their fourth and fifth years are eligible for department- and college-level awards to support dissertation research. 

Overview of Admissions Requirements