The Department of English Language and Literature at the University of South Carolina invites applications for the Ph.D. and MA programs in English with a concentration in Composition and Rhetoric. Our approach to the field is distinctive in its interdisciplinarity, as our research faculty work dynamically across subfields including composition theory, histories of rhetoric, writing pedagogy, digital rhetoric and new media, critical and rhetorical theory, speech communication, and technical and professional writing. Our program provides firm grounding in rhetorical history, theory, and pedagogy with a flexibility that enables students to pursue their interests in a collegial and supportive environment focused on professionalization. Our graduate students:
- Benefit from an excellent faculty-student ratio, roughly 1:6
- Draw on the strengths and research interests of core Comp/Rhet faculty as well as rhetoricians on faculty in Speech Communication
- Take a variety of courses that intersect theory and practice — recent topics courses include Genre Theory, Research, Pedagogy; Digital Rhetoric; Sound Studies and New Materialism; Style; Writing Program Administration Research and Praxis; Writing, Rhetoric, and Generative AI
- Design their own specialization area
- Receive competitive teaching assistantships for a manageable course load (generally, 9 credit hours per academic year)
- Have a range of teaching opportunities, including first-year composition (ENGL 101 and 102); instructor-designed and themed 101 and 102 courses in our Capstone Scholars Program; Advanced Writing (ENGL 460); Technical Writing (ENGL 462); Business Writing (ENGL 463)
- Access funding for conference travel from the ENGL department, and opportunity to apply to the Graduate school for supplementary funding for travel and research
- Access supplementary funding, including the opportunity to apply for the lucrative year-long Bilinski Dissertation Fellowship from McCausland College of Arts and Sciences
- Build valuable professional experience in administrative and organization roles including Assistant Director of the First-Year English Composition program; Assistant Director of the Writing Center; elected board of our student chapter of RSA (Rhetoric Society of America)
- Benefit from guidance through job searches (academic, alt-ac, industry) by an expert faculty committee, including CV workshops, presentation strategies, and mock interviews
- Receive encouragement and mentorship toward scholarly publication in professional journals, including from faculty who have served as editors or in other leadership roles at major journals across the field
Learn more about these opportunities, our faculty, and the PhD in English, Composition and Rhetoric and the MA in English, Composition and Rhetoric.
The deadline for applications for Fall 2027 admission, to all of our programs, is December 15, 2026. This earlier application deadline is new this year (and thus may not be indicated across all webpages yet) – so don’t wait!
Access our Program Profile (2025) at the Consortium of Doctoral Programs in Rhetoric and Composition
To apply to the PhD program: English Ph.D. – Graduate School
And for the MA program, here English MA – Graduate School
Our Graduate Faculty
Kevin Brock – FYE Director; Composition Pedagogy, Digital Rhetoric, Rhetoric of Science and Technology, Technical and Professional Communication, Writing Program Administration (Awarded University of Michigan Press/Sweetland Publication Prize in Digital Rhetoric in 2017)
Jonathan Edwards (*Speech Comm) – Political Communication, Religion and Public Culture, Rhetorical Criticism, Christian Fundamentalism, Rhetoric of Education
Gina Ercolini (*Speech Comm) – SPCH COMM Director; History of Rhetoric, Philosophy and Rhetoric, Communication Ethics, Contemporary Rhetorical Theory, Rhetoric in and of Enlightenment, Immanuel Kant.
Byron Hawk – Histories and Historiographies of Composition, Composition Theory, Sonic Rhetorics, Digital and Professional Writing (Awarded JAC’s Ross Winterowd Award for Best Book in Composition Theory in 2007, and Honorable Mention for MLA’s Mina Shaughnessy Prize in 2008)
Rachael Jordan – Technical and Professional Communication, Queer Rhetorics, Feminist Pedagogy, Ethics, Community-Engaged Research
John Muckelbauer – Rhetoric and Composition, Critical Theory, Modern Rhetorical Theory, History of Rhetoric, Rhetoric of Science (Awarded JAC’s Ross Winterowd Award for Best Book in Composition Theory in 2009)
Hannah J. Rule – Composition Studies, Writing Pedagogy, Composition Theory, History of Composition and Rhetoric, English Education (Awarded 2026 CCCC Outstanding Book Award, Edited Collection)
What our Graduate Students are Saying
“The scholars currently working in our department are top-notch, award-winning writers, researchers, and journal editors who are not only helping push the bounds of every part of our field writ large – from composition studies, to pedagogy, to rhetorical theory, to communication studies, to rhetorical criticism, and so on – but who are also generous with the time and care they commit to working with rising scholars and graduate students, both at the MA level and the Ph.D. level. I can’t recommend the high quality of the faculty enough – they are academics extraordinarily well connected in the field and are widely published, and they are people who respect the experience and responsibilities of all graduate students. Most important, they are kind and there to help.”
“What distinguished this program was the community around the students and faculty. Not only are there great faculty who are prominent in the field and amazing to work with but also the students in the program are encouraging and friendly and pleasant to be around. Personally, what distinguished the program further for me was the focus of the program on theory specifically. Every faculty and student I ran across had a profound knowledge and use of theory.”
October Info Session
Join us for a virtual information session to learn more about what we do and, more importantly, what you can do here with us!Learn more about our programs, program culture and opportunities, chat with faculty and current graduate students. Lots of Q&A time!
Friday, OCTOBER 9th, 1:00-2:00pm EST, zoom
Register now!
Questions? Email me ruleh
Hannah J. Rule, PhD
Associate Professor
she/her/hers