PHD IN TCR

Overview

Areas of Emphasis

The Online PhD

Degree Requirements

Annual Review

Qualifying Exams and Dissertation Process

Dissertation Archive

 

Our Online PhD in Technical Communication and Rhetoric is an accessible program that allows students to attend classes while maintaining a full-time job. We make sure that all the courses you’ll need to complete your degree are available for you to take online, and we make sure that those courses can suit your schedule.

In fall, spring, and summer semesters, we offer our courses on weekday evenings in two formats:

1. some courses are entirely online, meaning that all students attend class via video link
2. other classes are “hybrid,” meaning that our online students join our onsite students in the classroom via video link.

In both types of courses, online students participate in classroom discussion every step of the way. The video app we use for these courses – Zoom – is simple to use and makes it easy to be part of the conversation. You can see your professor and your classmates, and you can speak or type to make a contribution. This is just one of the ways we make sure that our online programs give you the same professors, same courses, same degree as you’d get face-to-face.

May Seminar

May Seminar is a three-day intensive workshop that gives online TCR doctoral students the opportunity to collaborate with peers and faculty face-to-face. No matter what phase of the degree you are in, May Seminar offers various support and research opportunities. May Seminar is also an opportunity to meet with faculty for annual reviews and learn about what projects the faculty and TCR program are working on—in short, it is a chance to immerse yourself into the culture of Technical Communication and Rhetoric at Texas Tech University. 

Online PhD students are required to attend May Seminar for five years or until you successfully defend your dissertation, whichever occurs first. You are allowed to petition for an exemption in the case you experience a family or work emergency, but you are only allowed to petition once during your time as a student. May seminar always occurs around Memorial Day depending on the calendar year, the DGS will notify all students of this date at least six months prior to the Seminar. You may choose to attend more than five seminars if you desire. 

The May Seminar fee will include lunch for the duration of the seminar, special event dinners, all daily activities, keynote speakers’ fees and expenses, faculty honorariums, and administrative costs. The fee does not include housing while you are in Lubbock, travel expenses, or other incidentals. The seminar fee is typically $1000 and charged to your summer tuition.

During May Seminar, you will have professional development opportunities and research presentation opportunities (conference paper, poster session, Research-Network Forum, Job Talk practice).  You will have an opportunity to share research ideas with colleagues and faculty and prepare your conference presentations and dissertation “job talks” for future speaking and interviewing roles. These opportunities not only give you practical experience, but allow the faculty to guide you throughout your degree program and prepare you for work in your future profession.