The Rhetoric and Composition Program is proud to offer courses related to the Graduate Concentration and the Graduate Certificate in Rhetoric and Composition. Taught by specialists in the field, these courses prepare students to participate in the scholarly conversations developing in the field of Rhetoric and Composition. Students interested in obtaining the certificate will complete 12-15 hours of course work. The certificate is open to students currently enrolled in MA programs and students who are not.
Rhetoric & Composition Graduate Concentration:
English - Rhetoric and Composition Concentration, MA
Program Code: MA_232D
CIP Code: 23.0101
Program of Study for the Master of Arts in English
Admission Requirements: Baccalaureate degree* from an accredited college or university; complete application to the Graduate School; official general GRE exam scores; statement of intent; writing sample.
*An applicant who does not have an undergraduate degree in English but who has exceptional qualifications should contact the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of English.
To be considered for admission, applicants must meet the criteria for admission to the Graduate School. Meeting this condition does not guarantee admission.
Location: On Campus
Course Requirements for the Master of Arts in English
Total Required (Minimum 36 Hours)
Required Courses (18 Hours)
ENG 5000 - Bibliography and Research (3)
15 hours of approved ENG graduate courses (9 hours in British Literature and 6 hours in American Literature)
Concentration Requirements (18 Hours)
R C 5100 - Composition Theory, Practice, and Pedagogy (3)
R C 5300 - Studies in Rhetoric and Composition (3)
OR
R C 5410 - Digital and Visual Rhetorics (3)
R C 5400 - Rhetorical Theory (3)
ENG 5998 - Thesis Preparation (3)
ENG 5999 - Thesis (3-6) (3) (on a topic in the field of Rhetoric and Composition)
Choose from the Following (3 Hours)
R C 5120 - Teaching in the Writing Center (1)
R C 5121 - Teaching Basic Writing (1)
R C 5122 - Teaching Expository Writing (1)
R C 5124 - Teaching Writing Across the Curriculum (1)
R C 5510 - Graduate Writing Workshop (1)
Other Requirements for the MA in English
Thesis: Required for the General English Concentration and the Rhetoric and Composition Concentration; optional elective for the College Teaching Concentration.
Proficiency: Required for the General English Concentration; reading knowledge of a foreign language demonstrated by transcript evidence of two years undergraduate study of a foreign language or by examination arranged in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
Candidacy: Required; see the program director for specific timeline and requirements
Comprehensive: Presentation of teaching portfolio required for the College Teaching Concentration. See the program director regarding portfolio requirements.
Product of Learning: Not required
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Rhetoric & Composition Graduate Certificate:
The Program of Study includes the following:
Required Courses (12 or 15 hours)
- R C 5300 - Studies in Rhetoric and Composition (3)
- R C 5100 - Composition Theory, Practice, and Pedagogy (3)
- 3 Credit Hours of Approved Graduate Elective Credit (with approval, can also stand in lieu of R C 5300)
- R C 5400 - Rhetorical Theory (3)
- R C 5410 - Digital and Visual Rhetorics (3)
Choose one of the Following Options
- R C 5990 - Capstone in Rhetoric and Composition (3)
- ENG 5999 - Thesis (3-6)
Pedagogical Courses (Can Also Count Toward 3 Elective Hours)
- R C 5120 - Teaching in the Writing Center (1)
- R C 5121 - Teaching Basic Writing (1)
- R C 5122 - Teaching Expository Writing (1)
- R C 5124 - Teaching Writing Across the Curriculum (1)
- R C 5510 - Graduate Writing Workshop (1)
R&C 5100. Composition Theory, Practice, and Pedagogy/(3).F. An introduction to composition theory and relevant rhetorical, reading, and psycholinguistic theory with an emphasis on the connections among theory, practice, and pedagogy. Required of teaching assistants.
R&C 5300. Studies in Rhetoric and Composition/(3).S.Alternate years. A critical study of issues in rhetoric and composition. Content to vary; may be repeated for credit when content does not duplicate. Prerequisite: R&C 5100 or R&C 3450 (Writing Center Theory and Practice) or permission of the instructor. Offered alternate years with R&C 5200.
Students will also complete a selection of courses related to the student's capstone project adding up to three hours, such as R&C 5300 repeated with different course material, 5120, 5121, 5122, 5124, 3 hours of the Writing Project, 5200, or an appropriate course in another department (with the permission of advisor).
Capstone (R&C 5990): Working with a faculty mentor in the area of specialization, a student taking this three credit hour course will write a substantial piece of writing addressing a specific concern in rhetoric and composition. Some areas of investigation might include: the teaching of writing, rhetorical approaches to literature, composition theory and practice, writing center scholarship, electronic discourses, etc.
Thesis: Students electing to write a thesis for 6 hours of credit will work with a director in Rhetoric and Composition to investigate a question in the field and contribute to the conversation. Students can receive thesis credit toward an MA as well as the certificate.
Students interested in the certificate should email Dr. Bret Zawilski (zawilskibj@appstate.edu) and confer with their MA program advisors, if they are enrolled in an MA program.