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Program Overview
- • Coursework
- • Exams
- • Dissertation
- • Job Search

Program Overview

The UW-Madison Ph.D. in Composition & Rhetoric is an advanced research degree requiring a Master's degree for admission. The program is designed to prepare candidates to do scholarly and pedagogical work of a high order.

The Ph.D. degree is conferred by the University of Wisconsin-Madison after a minimum of three years of study beyond the Bachelor's degree. At least one half of the residence credit required for this degree must be earned on the Madison campus. Students should consult the Graduate School Catalog regarding residence credit, which is different from the degree requirements described in this document (for example, as the Graduate Bulletin states, "Each candidate must spend at least one continuous academic year beyond the master's level as a full-time graduate student"). Questions regarding residence are to be taken to the Graduate School, the only authority on the subject.

Overall graduate study moves from general knowledge of the field to specialized preparation and research capability. General preparation occurs in prereqs and coursework and culminates in approval of the prelims portfolio (written and oral). Specialized preparation focuses on the dissertation and coursework supporting it, including minor and research methods courses (tool requirement). While these phases occur in sequence, they should be seen as independent forms of preparation. Each will engage you in different kinds of intellectual challenge. Coursework gives you background and helps you to experiment with a variety of topics, perspectives, approaches, and skills. Reading for your portfolio gives you theoretical and historical breadth and depth for future research and teaching and helps you to reinterpret your coursework within broader traditions and scholarly debates. With the dissertation you specialize in a project that captures your strongest interest and enables you to make a timely contribution to scholarship in the field.

Comp/Rhet Stream (1)

Graduate students’ teaching experience follows a similar pattern of development. In your first year as a teaching assistant in English 100, you will receive extensive training and mentoring as you assist instruction in the largest introductory composition course taught in the College of Letters & Science. Your subsequent work as an instructor in English 201 (Intermediate Composition) will provide you the opportunity and support to discover your teaching style and reflect on a philosophy. In addition, Wisconsin graduate students frequently work in the highly respected tutorial Writing Center, which serves the entire University. Beyond these experiences, many professional opportunities exist for work as administrative assistants in composition courses and numerous campus writing programs.

Mentoring and Advising

Faculty Mentor

Upon admission to the program, you will be assigned a faculty mentor who will normally serve in that capacity until you are admitted to candidacy. After that, your dissertation director will become your mentor. Your mentor will help to guide you in your professional development and you should be in frequent contact with that person. Among topics for discussion are academic progress, minor selection, timing and preparation of prelims portfolio, professional activity and the like. Whenever you have questions or concerns, your mentor is the first person to consult. Your dissertation director will be your primary aide during the job search.

What you can expect from your faculty mentor:

Your faculty mentor will meet with you at least a couple of times in your first semester.

Each semester after that, your faculty mentor will schedule a 30-minute mentoring meeting with you to explore a wide range of topics. This meeting will be scheduled around the time that you need to select courses for the following semester so course selection will be one of those topics.

*Your faculty mentor will help you select a minor that supports your identity and future plans as a teacher-scholar.
*Your faculty mentor will help you to decide on the timing of your prelims.
*Your faculty mentor will be a sounding board as you design a prelim question and reading list.
*Your faculty mentor will be a sounding board as you prepare prelim essays.

Of course, other faculty members are always available too for consultation. However, your mentor is there to be your main guide until you have selected a dissertation director.

Graduate Advisor

The grad advisor is the clearinghouse for course registration and for tracking your formal progress through the program. You will be notified at the start of each registration period when it is time to schedule an appointment with the area advisor. When necessary, the grad advisor superauthorizes you into the English Department courses that you choose and makes sure that you are meeting requirements and timetables. For specific questions about the program or to review your formal record, consult the area advisor. The area advisor also coordinates aspects of the qualifying exam, which in CompRhet is a Prelims Portfolio. For technical questions concerning umbrella regulations of the department or the Graduate School, the Graduate Division remains the last word.

Timeline for Completion of the Program

Year 1:

Complete 3-4 Comp/Rhet courses, including 703 if offered. Fulfill language requirement and any make-up prerequisites. Begin reading for the prelim.

Year 2:

Complete 2-3 Comp/Rhet courses, including 703 if offered and another tool requirement course. Decide on sublists for prelim. Prepare and read for the portfolio.

Year 2: Summer (optional).

Take prelims in August or January. Be admitted to candidacy.

Year 3:

Complete four course minor.

Year 3: Summer (required).

Gain approval of prelims portfolio. Be admitted to candidacy.

Year 4:

Dissertation proposal defense held sometime between November and February (within 6 months of passing prelims). Complete approximately one half of dissertation by the end of the summer.

Year 5

Apply for jobs beginning in October. Complete dissertation.

By Graduate School regulations, every student must complete the dissertation within five calendar years after admission to candidacy. Where necessary, the student, joined by the dissertation director and the Director of Graduate Studies, may appeal for an extension beyond five years, with a rationale for the appeal and a proposed absolute deadline for completion. (rev. 9/2004)

Doing Research

Because so much research in CompRhet involves observing, interviewing, and sometimes testing human beings, faculty and students alike need to be knowledgeable about guidelines affecting such research. Because of heightened scrutiny of universities that receive federal funding, the University of Wisconsin has developed rather elaborate oversight procedures for anyone doing research involving human subjects. According to university guidelines, students who conduct research in order to fulfill course requirements are not required to seek approval from a Human Subjects Committee (although gaining informed consent is always wise). However, if you ever want to try to publish this research–or think you might–then you must have prior approval. We recommend in most cases, if you are planning research with human subjects as part of your graduate coursework, that you become certified through the tutorial and submit your plans and consent forms to the Review Board. You should allow at least a month for the review.

The Office for Human Research Protections now requests that all investigators at UW-Madison who are conducting research on human subjects have training in the form of an on-line tutorial. The training module takes about 30 minutes to complete.

According to University policies, all projects involving human subjects must be reviewed by a human subjects committee, such as the Social & Behavioral Science IRB in the College of Letters and Science. The IRB meets about once a month and proposals are reviewed as they are received. Approval is granted for one year and then must be renewed annually. Application forms are available online. Please contact the SBS IRB office at 263-2320 for more information.

News

Congratulations to these Comp/Rhet graduates who have accepted job offers for Fall 2010:

• Scot Barnett, Assistant Professor of English, Clemson University
• Rik Hunter, Assistant Professor of English, St. John Fisher College
• Tim Laquintano, Assistant Professor of English, Lafayette College
• Annette Vee, Assistant Professor of English, University of Pittsburgh
• Kate Vieira, Assistant Professor of English, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Mira Shimabukuro, Highline Community College (tenure-track position)