Dear Colleagues,
The Rhetoric and Writing PhD program at Virginia Tech invites you to join us for two upcoming open house information sessions for prospective students! Our open house sessions will feature a short presentation about our program, tips for successful application materials, and Q&A with faculty members and current PhD students. We invite prospective students (or faculty advisors) to join us for these sessions. I am pleased to announce that prospective applicants who attend one of these sessions will be entered into a lottery for an application fee waiver ($75 value).
- Thursday, November 19, 2026, from 12:30pm to 1:30pm Eastern Time (register here)
- Friday, December 4, 2026, from 12:30pm to 1:30pm Eastern Time (register here)
Some highlights of Virginia Tech’s Rhetoric and Writing PhD program and what we offer.
- Coursework options that broadly cover areas of Rhetoric, Writing Studies, and Technical Communication. Our faculty specializes in Rhetoric of Health and Medicine, Writing Centers, Writing Program Administration, Rhetorical Theory and History, Cultural Rhetorics, Research Design, Writing Pedagogy, Technical & Scientific Communication.
- A *new* graduate certificate in Technical and Scientific Communication. This new certificate can be earned along with the doctoral degree!
- A variety of fully funded graduate assistantships. Students have opportunities to teach first-year writing, technical writing, writing and social justice, and more. Other assistantship options include editorial assistance, writing center tutoring, and research assistance in the Center for Sustainable Engagement in the Arctic.
- Guaranteed funding for 5 academic years. Our funding package includes tuition remission, living stipend, and 90% of health insurance coverage. Our current stipend for first-year students for the 9-month academic year is $26,514. We also offer summer funding through teaching, research assistantships, and writing center tutoring.
- Annual conference travel funding (this year $1,000–$1,500/student). Our university offers multiple other funding sources for graduate students to supplement this amount.
To learn more about our program, please join us on November 19 or December 4 or reach out to me directly with any questions at ccommer. I look forward to meeting you!
With appreciation,
Carolyn Commer
Director, Rhetoric and Writing PhD Program
VT PhD Program Information Session Invitation
Carolyn D. Commer, PhD (she/her)
Associate Professor
Director, Graduate Studies
Director, Rhetoric & Writing PhD
Virginia Tech | Department of English