The following FAQ is designed to answer questions that applicants may have about the online program. Further information is available from the Director of Technical Communication, Dr. Thomas Barker (thomas.barker@ttu.edu), or the Director of Graduate Studies in TCR, Dr. Joyce Locke Carter (locke.carter@ttu.edu).
Spring 08 Courses
Summer 08 Courses
Fall 08 Courses
Spring 09 Courses
As with our onsite Ph.D., this program can be tailored to your own studies. The Texas Tech TCR program is very strong in technology, production, rhetorical theory, rhetorical analysis, rhetoric of science, visual rhetoric, gender studies, and research methods -- and these strengths intersect with what we traditionally think of as studies in Composition, Technical Communication, and Rhetoric.
The online doctorate has the same admissions requirements as the onsite Ph.D. The diploma and transcripts will indicate simply "Ph.D. in Technical Communication and Rhetoric." Our philosophy is that our online programs should differ ONLY in the delivery means, not in standards and quality.
All online program applicants need to sign and return our distance learning agreement, which indicates that you understand our technology and time requirements. In addition to the onsite PhD application requirements, the online program requires a letter of commitment from your employer, since virtually everyone we plan to admit into the program will be doing their studies and research while working for someone else. This letter of commitment from your employer explicitly acknowledging that class and May workshop attendance is obligatory. This letter must be signed and on company letterhead. Sample of Commitment Letter (Word Document and PDF Document)
All other application requirements are identical to the on-campus doctoral program.
No. We have no bias against masters degrees from other areas (in fact, we believe it makes the program stronger). If you come into the program from a near field, we will probably be able to credit you for 8-10 courses from the master's degree. If you're coming to us from a discipline that is further afield, that number drops to 5 in many cases, thereby requiring you to take more coursework.
Texas residents. Since Texas Tech is a state university, Texas residents will receive reduced tuition rates. Typical in-state, one-course doctoral students will pay approximately $901 for a course.
Non-residents. Typical out-of-state doctoral students will spend approximately $1800 per class, depending on how many classes they take per semester.
May workshop. The course fee for the May workshop is approximately $1500, which will include most food and all housing (but you must make your own arrangements for any extra days you plan to spend in Lubbock).
Depending on how much relevant graduate work you transfer to Texas Tech (and historically, we have found that students bring 8-10 courses, with 5-7 being the average), you can be finished with coursework in 2-3 years. In order to accommodate the needs of the online doctoral group, we plan to offer more classes in the summertime, so even if you only take 1 course per long semester, you have the possibility of taking 2 or 3 courses during the summer. We will require all online doctoral students to attend an intensive 2-week session held each summer on the Texas Tech campus; this experience gives you daily exposure to ongoing scholarship, as well as steady communication with faculty advisors as you begin to craft (and eventually finish) your dissertation.
After you are finished with coursework, you will take a qualifying exam, usually in the semester after completing coursework. After completing this exam, you will write a dissertation. The typical post-coursework phase of a doctorate takes between 1 and 3 years for our onsite students, depending on the nature of their research.
Preparing to take the qualifying exam. When you have completed your last course and are preparing for qualifying exams, you will enroll in ENGL 7000, section 270, for 3 units during long semesters (summer enrollment is not required by the graduate school)
After quals are completed. Once you're a candidate, you'll have to adhere to the Texas Tech Graduate School's rules for continual enrollment. You will enroll at a level of 3 hours of ENGL 8000, section 370, in the long semesters and maintain continuous enrollment via at least 1 unit of ENGL 8000 in the long summer. You'll also have to register for 3 hours of ENGL 8000 in the semester of graduation. The number of ENGL 8000 hours required for graduation is at least 12.
The online program does not require the student to have a conventional period of residency, as is the custom with many other degrees. We work in the world of ideas, of readings and exchange of ideas. We encourage and develop a context of scholarship and of research through a variety of high-tech means, from web-cam meetings with committee members to frequent textual postings of research topics. A key requirement of participation in the program is attendance in a 2-week May Workshop every year. [View the official residency requirements.]
Yes and no. The 2 weeks you're here are treated not as a course, but a workshop/seminar. The daily lab/course activities feed directly into a course that's on Texas Tech's books for the summer. Of course, when you sign up for this summer course, you will have completed 80-90% of its activities and requirements during the 2-week workshop. In this respect, the answer is yes, you're getting most of a course knocked out in about 2 weeks. What you'll do is take the course for credit, along with another course during the 10-week summer session.
After you're finished with coursework, you will come to Lubbock, but will not have to take any summer-long courses. For this reason, we treat the workshop as something distinct and separate from coursework.
In addition to online resources, the library will mail books to you, photocopy materials, and look for books and articles to your specifications.
The deadline is March 1 for fall admissions and September 1 for spring admissions. If you are interested in pursuing your Ph.D. via this proposed program, please let us know early so that we can help you with the admissions process. Based on the first year's applications and acceptances, we believe that this program is among the most competitive PhD program in the country. Persuasive and convincing admissions materials are going to be critical in the application process. Your letters of recommendation, writing sample, and personal statement will be filed in the department. In addition to these departmental components of the application, you will also need to file a Graduate School application (GRE scores, transcripts, and application fee) at www.ttu.edu/gradschool.
You can send electronic materials via e-mail attachment to the graduate advisor in TCR: (english.tc@ttu.edu) or the graduate secretary (christy.a.barbee@ttu.edu). You can send paper materials to
Director of Graduate Studies, TCRThe Texas Tech TCR program has 15 tenure-track faculty members. Our faculty has diverse interests, from technology and discourse to ethics in communication, from the rhetoric of science to visual rhetoric, from research methods to teaching methods. Our strategy is to provide deep coverage for core disciplinary issues (writing, style, editing, manuals, reports, rhetorical analysis, rhetorical history) and to offer progressive specialties with at least two faculty members' expertise (rhetoric of science, discourse analysis, industry relations, usability testing, visual rhetoric, cultural criticism, feminist studies). Brief faculty bios and cv's can be found at http://www.english.ttu.edu/tc/faculty.htm.
We use several modes of instruction and interaction in delivering our online courses. We use WebBoard for asynchronous discussions, reading responses, group work, and so on. We use our own MOO for synchronous meetings (usually once a week in long semesters and twice a week in the summers). We are increasingly employing webcams to facilitate office hour conferencing and are planning on purchasing a dedicated server to assist in delivering streaming video of realtime discussions, taped presentations, etc.
To see an example of a distance course, please review English 5377, Style in Technical Communication, which was taught by Dr. Baake last year.
When you have 18 graduate hours (applicable to this degree), you are eligible to be a Graduate Part-Time Instructor (GPTI). You must take 9 units in any semester you are a GPTI. We are currently looking into what would be required to offer distance students a teaching assistantship without having to be a GPTI (i.e. with perhaps 3 or 6 units in a semester). More as we learn more.
The department has a variety of internal scholarships. The department also has historical success at providing doctoral students with university-wide fellowships.
The Financial Aid person on campus designated to assist online learners is Teresa McHam (Teresa.mcham@ttu.edu), 806.742.0454 #251.
Yes. Please see the online students' travel page for more information.
The Hazlewood application process is simple and straight forward:
Qualifications:
Benefits: This is a state of Texas benefit which will exempt qualified veterans from state tuition and state fees. You will be responsible for the medical fee, student services fee and all non state fees each semester. The exemption will not pay for books, supplies, housing or incidentals.
Bernice Flett is the administrator in charge of Hazelwood.
Absolutely. You can move to Lubbock any time during your degree with no additional applications or requirements. And yes, you're free to take any Lubbock courses you want--whether for the degree requirements, a minor, electives, or research methods.
In addition to the information below, you should consult the official PhD in TCR website.
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Required courses 4 courses 12 hours |
Pedagogy (one or both)
Research
History and Theory
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TCR Specialization Courses 8 courses 24 hours
Include at least 5 theory courses (5361, 5362, 5368, 5369, 5377 as theory, 5384, 5385, 5386)
Include at least 2 courses that emphasize the application of theory (5372, 5373, 5374, 5375, 5376, 5377 as practice, 5387) |
English 5364, 5365, 5368, 5369, 5376, 5377, 5386, and 5387 may be repeated for credit when the topic varies. |
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Interdisciplinary TCR Electives Up to 3 courses other than English Department TCR courses |
Students may complete all of their specialization courses from among those listed above. Or they may choose up to 3 language- or communication-related courses from among other English Department courses in in rhetoric, linguistics, or the "Literature, Technology, and Discourse" specialization, or courses in other departments such as Business, Instructional Technology, Communication Studies, or Mass Communication, when the choices have content closely related to the specialization. Student advisory committees must approve interdisciplinary TCR electives. |
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Minor 5 courses; 15 hours |
The minor is optional but offers an opportunity to enhance your ability to do dissertation research or to teach a variety of classes. Students who do not choose a minor complete all of their 60 hours of coursework in technical communication and rhetoric. The minor consists of five courses in a field other than rhetoric and technical communication. The courses may be taken in one department or may be a cluster of courses on related topics from different departments. The choice of a minor must be approved by the advisory committee and the DGS–TCR as well as by the minor department if the minor is completed in one department. You will need to follow that department’s requirements regarding courses and examinations. |
| Research Methods |
Research methods courses enhance a student’s ability to complete and to evaluate research. In addition to ENGL 5363, Composition Research, students are required to complete nine graduate hours in research methods courses with a grade of B or better in at least two of the three. ENGL 5388 and ENGL 5389 may count toward the TCR specialization as well as to methods. |
Last Updated by Joyce Locke Carter, April 23, 2008