Rhetoric & Writing at BGSU

Compact Description of the Rhetoric and Writing PhD Program

Important Application-Related Documents
-- Welcome Letter from the English Department Graduate Coordinator
-- Checksheet of Graduation Requirements
-- Assistantship Application

FAQs about Graduate Applications and the Rhetoric & Writing Ph.D. Program

To get BGSU Graduate Catalog information or to apply on line, click here.

Some Additional Information
It is English Department and BGSU policy that admission to a graduate program does not constitute a commitment to funding, nor does it guarantee that a student will be available to matriculate in the semester he or she desires. Enrollment demands and curriculum changes may force limits in the number of students permitted to enroll in each course. Students interested in applying for admission and for funding should submit completed files to the Graduate Coordinator's office by February 1. Incomplete files will result in delays of admission decisions, and candidates are forewarned that it is crucial to apply as early as possible. Because the number of applicants for our programs has continued to grow, we have seen an increase in the number of self-funded students matriculating. Those students admitted but not funded need to be aware that the department has instituted a June 1st deadline for declaring one's intentions to enroll in courses for the following Fall semester. If you have any questions or need further information you are welcome to contact the English Department Graduate Coordinator, Dr. Jude Edminster, or graduate secretary Max Kupresanin at (419)-372-6864. For information about the Rhetoric and Writing PhD Program, contact Dr. Sue Carter Wood.

1) All applicants must submit a completed application to the BGSU Graduate College accompanied by the appropriate fees. This can be done online here.

To obtain an application form, contact:
Graduate College Graduate College
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, Ohio 43403-0180
(419) 372-2791

2) Applicants to all degree programs in English must meet the general requirements for admission to the Graduate College.

3) The Rhetoric & Writing PhD Program does not require GRE scores for applicants with or completing graduate degrees from accredited universities in the United States and Canada. (Note: This new policy was approved fairly recently and most English Department masters programs require applicants to take the General GRE. For both those reasons you may find some contradictory information in department application materials.)

4) All applicants must submit official transcripts from each institution they have attended and a 10-15 page writing sample from recent analytical academic work.

5) All applicants must submit three letters of recommendation from persons acquainted with their academic experience.

6) When applying to the Rhetoric and Writing PhD Program, you should send a Personal Statement about your background, your scholarly interests, your professional goals, and your reasons for wanting to become part of the program. Those seeking funding must submit the appropriate Department application form (available from the Graduate Secretary); the Personal statement you develop for application satisfies this form's request for a statement of purpose. 

7) All non-native English speaking applicants must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). When it is not possible to take the TOEFL, applicants may take the Michigan Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) instead. Those applicants with TOEFL scores below 550 will rarely be admitted.

8) Applications and supporting materials should be received no later than February 1, before the Fall Semester of the year the applicant wishes to begin study. Later applicants will be considered only if positions are available. Applications may be reviewed as soon as they are complete.