The Rhetoric, Writing, and Culture concentration integrates histories, theories, and philosophies of writing and rhetoric with the concerns of teaching and writing. This area of focus prepares graduates to teach in community colleges and high schools, undertake Ph.D. studies in rhetoric and writing, work as writing program administrators, or hold a variety of positions that emphasize writing and publishing, including editing, technical writing, private and public sector work, and more.
Oregon State University is home to a well-regarded and competitive MA program where a nationally renowned group of faculty works closely with a diverse group of graduate students in developing research and teaching expertise. The program also offers opportunities for rigorous scholarly debate beyond the classroom through thesis mentoring, the Critical Questions Lecture Series, funded conference travel, and the annual MA Symposium. While we hold high expectations for students but also create a supportive environment where students are able to identify the courses and research projects that interest them most.
We encourage our students to interact with other graduate programs within and beyond the School of Writing, Literature, and Film, including Literature and Culture, Master of Fine Arts, Environmental Arts and Humanities, Women, Gender, and Sexuality, Ethnic Studies, and the Center for Latino/a Studies and Engagement. We also have strong interdisciplinary ties through the Writing Intensive Curriculum program and the Writing Center.
MA students complete a thesis during their second year of study. Many of these projects result in excellent, thoughtful research that becomes integrated into classroom practice, results in published articles, or evolves into dissertation projects. These are just a few recent thesis projects:
Students in the Rhetoric, Writing, and Culture MA have been accepted to prestigious PhD programs in rhetoric and composition, work in private industry, and teach at numerous schools: