Our Program

Welcome to the website for the MA major in Rhetoric and Composition! We invite you to explore our program and the opportunities it offers for advanced study in writing and the teaching of writing, including such exciting areas as minority rhetorics, digital literacies, writing theory and practice, history of rhetoric, gender and language, political rhetoric, writing centers, and more.  

If you're a prospective student, you'll find information here about admission and degree requirements, our faculty, and our students. Current students will find updated information about current and future course offerings, program announcements, and faculty and student accomplishments.

MA Rhetoric and Composition Brochure (PDF) 

*Please note that our brochure does not yet reflect our recent change in core course requirements: Composition Pedagogy is no longer a required core course, but will be offered as a prescribed elective. This change does not affect our total degree hours.

What We Have to Offer

As a Master of Arts (MA) student in Texas State University’s Rhetoric and Composition program, you will join a vibrant, supportive, and diverse community of faculty and students dedicated to the study of writing and the teaching of writing within and across social, cultural, institutional, contexts.

You will be invited to develop a course of study that combines foundational knowledge in the history and theory of rhetoric, composition theory, and research methods with focused study in areas that best suit your own needs and future goals. These areas range from minority rhetorics and writing center studies to teaching with technology and writing for social justice.

Your degree in rhetoric and composition will prepare you to teach writing in high school, community college, and university settings; develop and administer writing programs and writing centers in these settings; train teachers of writing; enter doctoral programs in rhetoric and composition; and write for business, industry, government, and non-profit organizations. Graduates of our program have secured faculty positions in community colleges and high schools, and have been admitted into some of the most prestigious PhD Rhetoric and Composition programs in the country.

As a faculty, we are dedicated to your success throughout the program. We will mentor you, invite you to collaborate with us on conference panels, research, and publications, encourage your professional development through workshops and networking, and provide a supportive environment for learning.

We are also leaders in the field, holding positions in national organizations, serving on editorial boards of major journals in the field, presenting papers regularly at regional and national conferences, and publishing actively in the field. We have received national, university, and departmental awards for exceptional teaching, research, and service.

We invite you to explore our site and see what we have to offer!