To receive a PhD in rhetoric, you should typically begin with a bachelor’s degree in a program like language or communications and then find a graduate school that offers a doctorate of philosophy (PhD) in rhetoric. You should apply to the graduate program in the final year of your undergraduate degree, and you may need to take tests such as the Graduate Record Examination® (GRE®) or the Test of English as a Foreign Language® (TOEFL®). As you look at different schools that offer a PhD in rhetoric, you should consider how you want to complete your master’s degree and then take the courses necessary to finish the program.
A PhD in rhetoric is a terminal degree in rhetoric, which is a subject that studies language and expression as it relates to human communication. You typically need to start with a bachelor’s degree in a related subject such as language or communications. As you are working on completing this degree, you should begin looking for schools that offer a PhD in rhetoric so you can determine what you need to do to apply.
You should consider how you want to complete your work on a master’s degree as you are working on your PhD in rhetoric. Some schools may divide this work into two separate programs — one that awards a master’s degree before working on the PhD, and another that awards a master’s degree as you work toward your PhD. The differences between these programs can be minor, unless you want to receive a master’s degree from one school and then gain a PhD in rhetoric at another.
Once you know what type of program you want to enter, you can begin applying to appropriate schools to work on your PhD in rhetoric. You should begin applying during your final year of undergraduate study, as this gives you time to acquire any letters of recommendation and other documents you need. Depending on where you live and the school you want to attend, you may also need to take tests such as the GRE® or TOEFL® in order to gain admittance into a graduate program.
After you are admitted into a graduate school, then you can complete whatever work is necessary to pass your classes and complete your degree. This can vary from one program to another, though you are likely going to be required to complete a thesis or dissertation involving a great deal of research and presentation of original ideas on your behalf. You typically have to present this dissertation before a panel and defend your work successfully before receiving your PhD in rhetoric.
