Ph.D. in Rhetoric & Writing Studies

Program Description
BGSU's doctoral program in Rhetoric and Writing Studies equips applicants with a broad range of skills whose interests in rhetoric and writing studies move them to seek careers as teacher-scholar-administrators at a variety of institutions of higher education. The program emphasizes rhetoric and composition/writing studies as its core curriculum and provides students with a thoroughgoing foundation in rhetorical theories and histories, composition theories and pedagogies, research methods and designs, digital rhetorics, program administration, as well as hands-on internship experiences. Special topics courses address current interests within the discipline, such as writing assessment, feminist methodologies, accessibility and inclusion, writing transfer, and sociocultural theory. In addition, students take electives in Rhetoric and Writing Studies, in other areas of English (critical theory and literature, teaching English to English language learners, scientific and technical communication), or in other departments.
Featured
Charity Givens wins the Mick Doherty Kairos Award
Second-year Ph.D. student, Charity Givens, is the 2022 recipient of the Mick Doherty Kairos Award!
This scholarship recognizes effectiveness, resourcefulness, creativity, and passion for teaching among doctoral students in Rhetoric & Writing in the English Department at Bowling Green State University. Learn more about the award.
News and Stories

2021-2022 Rhetoric Society of the Black Swamp Officers Announced
Congratulations to those individuals who have been elected to serve as officers for the Rhetoric Society of the Black Swamp (RSBS), the BGSU Graduate Student Chapter of Rhetoric Society of America (RSA).
For the 2021-2022 academic year, the elected RSBS officers are:
- Emma Guthrie, President
- Sherrel McLafferty, Vice President
- Annie Cigic, Secretary
- Kari Hanlin and Krys Ingman, 21st Century Englishes Conference Co-Chairs
- Muhammad Alamri, Graduate Student Senate Representative

Sherrel McLafferty Presents at the 2021 CCCC Convention
Sherrel McLafferty, Ph.D. student in the Rhetoric & Writing Studies program, presented at the CCCC 2021 Virtual Convention April 7-10, 2021.
Charity Givens publishes paper
Charity Givens, Ph.D student in the Rhetoric & Writing Studies program, published her article, "Analyzing Writing Style and Adapting to a New Writing Culture: A Teaching Practice," in The Journal of Academic Writing.
Updated: 03/18/2022 11:42AM