Hi, folks—
Utah State University is accepting applications to our Ph.D. program in Technical Communication and Rhetoric for fall 2026 admission (due January 10). Please help us spread the word!
Support for strong applicants this year includes a 4-year Presidential Doctoral Research Fellowship that provides scholarship and teaching release to support their own research projects and a one-time $2000 Medhi Heravi Scholarship.
PhD program in Technical Communication and Rhetoric (TCR) highlights:
Research:
- Broad research areas from our diverse faculty: rhetorics and ethics in AI, global and transnational rhetorics and technical communication, cultural and gender studies, rhetoric of health and medicine, accessibility and disability studies, game studies, etc.
- Collaborative research opportunities: Faculty regularly publish with PhD students and employ them as Research Assistants.
- Applied research: Students regularly work with local and global communities to apply their researchin their courses and through a research internship often connected with the dissertation
- Candidacy exams and dissertation models support both academic and industry career goals.
Teaching:
- Applicants are encouraged to apply for a Graduate Instructorship, which pays an annual salary of $23,500.00 in addition to a tuition waiver and benefits, in exchange for teaching a 2/2 load (two courses each semester) and performing other responsibilities.
- PhD students teach a variety of courses within the TCR major and in departments of computer science and engineering.
- Robust teaching training and support from faculty.
Community and Professionalization:
- Excellent student-to-faculty ratio
- Regular socials with PhD students and faculty
- Professional development opportunities catered to student needs
- Stellar placement record: Recent PhD graduates have secured jobs in both academic and industry contexts. Many work in TT and NTT positions at a variety type of institutions such as Virginia Tech, Texas State University, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Missouri University of Science and Technology, University of Utah, etc.. Others have taken industry positions as a technical writer, copywriter, Assistant Director of Diversity, Education, and Outreach at a research institute, etc.
Utah State University is a Carnegie R1 Classification university (Very High Research Activity) of over 25,000 students, located in Logan, Utah. USU is 80 miles northeast of Salt Lake City, surrounded by national parks, ski resorts, lakes, and mountains.
For more information about the program, the faculty, the curriculum, and other topics, or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us:
If you have any questions, please contact Chen Chen, Interim Program Director of Technical Communication & Rhetoric, (chen.chen)
Chen
Chen Chen
Assistant Professor of Technical Communication and Rhetoric
Utah State University
She/her/hers