M.A. & Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Scientific and Technical Communication (RSTC)
The Ph.D. and M.A. in RSTC will prepare you to address the social and rhetorical functions of written, visual, digital, scientific and technical communication practices. Specifically, you will study how the complex issues of language, science, and technology interact with historical, social, and cultural contexts. Your approach to the study of rhetoric, science, and technology may follow a variety of perspectives (e.g., historical, cultural, cognitive, linguistic, feminist, literary, instructional, visual, political, and philosophical) and a variety of research methods (e.g., experimental, naturalistic, ethnographic, and interpretive).
The programs prepare students to become educators and researchers in academic departments, or for positions in industry and government that require the analysis and design of human communication systems. Our graduates have accepted positions at such places such as Carnegie Mellon University, Kent State University, James Madison University, and Unisys.
For a sample of the dissertations our graduates have completed, and the positions they have obtained, see the alumni section or the Graduate School's Register of Doctoral Degrees.
For more information on our programs e-mail writ@umn.edu.