How long does it take students to complete the program?
How important are GRE scores for admission?
How many students do you admit each year?
How many students are in the PhD program, and what are their research interests?
Have the students who have entered the program tended to finish?
Who has graduated from TTU with a doctorate? What are their dissertation topics?
Who is on the faculty? What are their research and publications interests?
Are there first-year exams that tend to "weed out" students?
Do students have problems passing exams?
Does the student select the dissertation advisor, or does the program appoint one?
Are teaching assistantships available for doctoral students in the first year? How long is teaching support available?
What teaching assignments are available for TAs other than teaching first-year composition?
Would GPTIs be allowed to teach all or part of their classes in computer labs or classrooms?
What scholarships are available?
Is there a deadline for applications?
Is it possible to arrange for a campus visit and interview?
Can doctoral students complete their courses online?
Four years should be realistic. The pace depends in part on the student. Students who take 9 hours (3 courses) a semester plus 1 or 2 courses in summer school should finish course work in 2 years. Transfer hours from the master's degree may vary among students, changing the number of hours to be completed for courses.
We expect students to complete their exams within 6 months (a year maximum) of finishing courses. We assume 12-18 months for the dissertation, but the time depends on when the project takes shape and how readily the research develops. Some beginning students have plans for their dissertations within their first semester. They should make the fastest progress.
The legislature and Graduate School impose a limit of 99 graduate hours on each student. After that, there are financial penalties. 99 hours should be enough for the degree assuming regular progress especially in the period between completing courses and the qualifying exams.
We look at all the admissions materials as a whole, trying to predict whether an applicant has a good chance of succeeding in doctoral study--not just completing the courses but also conducting independent research for the dissertation. We also consider the match of the student's interests with our program strengths. We don't have a formulaic "weighting." The GPA in previous graduate work would predict the likelihood of success in future courses, but "good" numbers could vary depending on the school the student went to and courses she took. The personal statement and writing sample reveal focus of interest and depth of analytical ability as well as ability to develop an idea, to organize it, and to express it with effective style. The letters of recommendation can tell a lot about how a student compares with other graduate students (or potential graduate students) in terms of ability, interest, and self-discipline. The GRE scores are meaningful less in themselves than in conjunction with the other materials, but a weakness in any of the application materials would require compensating strengths in the others.
We admit about 5 students into the PhD-TCR program each year. The number depends on qualifications rather than on a percentage of applicants. We would like to keep admissions at this level so that we can keep the quality of the program high, maintain a reasonable faculty/student ratio, and avoid flooding the market with PhDs. (That's not a problem at this point--the academic job market is strong in TC especially.)
As of Fall 2005, 34 students are active in the PhD-TCR program on-campus and 15 students are participating in the online PhD program.
A number of students are attracted by the computers and writing expertise at Texas Tech, but the dissertations are developing in diverse areas: intellectual property and the internet, the rhetoric of the Tailhook report and other documents related to the role of women in the military, bilingual/international issues in TC curriculum/program design, cross-disciplinary collaboration, web-based environmental advocacy, distance education and interactivity, and interface design. These are "topics," not titles.
Review the list of dissertations completed to see the range of topic and methods that TTU students have used.
Since 1993 when the TCR program began, 62 students have enrolled, and 24 have earned their degrees. (Several other students have completed their degrees in English/Rhetoric.) An additional 13 students are at or past qualifying exams and should earn their degrees within 8-18 months. Eight students have withdrawn because of doubts about pursuing a PhD or family or personal interests that pointed them to different locations. The students expressed no dissatisfaction with the program itself, and they were doing very well in classes.
There is no first-year exam in the TCR program. Instead we have a first-year review, meant to be a mentoring and advisory experience, not just an evaluative one. At the first-year review, we could recommend that a student withdraw from the program at that point, but we never have (though there is often advice about how a student can make good choices within the program). Still, if performance offers a different message about ability to complete the degree than the application materials, it's better for students to know that in their first year than after they have invested several years of their time in school. Frankly, we have recruited well enough that there hasn't been a need to weed out.
The first-year review is conducted by two faculty members in TCR--a first-year review committee that serves as the advisory committee until a student picks a dissertation committee.
As of Spring 2005, 37 students in the TCR program have taken qualifying exams. All but three passed on their first try.
The student selects the dissertation advisor and other committee members. There may be occasions when a faculty member cannot agree to be on a committee (usually lack of knowledge about the subject of research or other commitments), but committees are not appointed. Students pick according to the faculty member's ability to direct their research (including familiarity with content and the research methods the student will use) and their ability to work with that advisor.
The advisory committee is the formal mentoring group until the dissertation committee becomes functional. A student meets with this committee at least once a year (and may meet more often with the individuals or the committee).
Doctoral students are usually awarded graduate part-time instructorships (GPTI positions) to begin with their first semester. There is no probation period for doctoral students (but if you don't apply in time to get one, you might have to wait for one). The instructorship includes a waiver of tuition and most fees. GPTI benefits include faculty health insurance.
The stipend in 2005-06 for doctoral students is ~$14,500. Students may accept scholarships and fellowships on top of this stipend.
The usual teaching load is 10-20 hours in each long term, but we have been able to offer a 20-hour / 10-hour load to first-year students in the past several years.
To apply, you simply check the “yes” box on the department application form, p. 1, question 6: “Do you want to apply for a part-time instructorship?”
Most GPTIs teach first-year composition, but some who have completed the course in teaching technical communication teach ENGL 2311 (sophomore technical writing). Some advanced doctoral students in English teach sophomore literature or creative writing, depending on qualifications, though students in TCR would probably not have these assignments. Writing Center positions are also possible (1/4 time, combined with a 1/4-time teaching assignment).
If you are making progress toward the degree, you should be able to count on a graduate part-time instructorship (GPTI) for the entire time you are enrolled, until you have accumulated 99 hours of course credit (including dissertation credits). There are some small scholarships in the department, but they are awarded for a year.
The department offers some scholarships for returning students. (See details on the department's scholarship pages.) The Graduate School offers some larger scholarships to outstanding entering students ($3,000 a year for 3 years) that can be accepted on top of the GPTI stipend. Three of four of the students we accepted for the PhD-TCR for fall 1996 got those scholarships, and at least one student each in the falls of 1997-2005 have won these scholarships--but the competition is university-wide, and scholarships depend on high GRE scores, high GPAs, and good recommendations. We do not have dissertation fellowships.
First-year composition is highly computerized. All students turn in their papers and get their comments through Texas Tech's "TOPIC" software. All of the sophomore tech writing courses are taught in computer classrooms.
Texas Tech uses "rolling admissions," meaning that there is no set deadline for applications. Students can be admitted throughout the year. However, there is a practical deadline for graduate part-time instructorships. The applications are reviewed in late February, and the first offers are made in the early spring. Students might apply for admission and a GPTI position after February, but the odds of admissions and assistance decline after that point. In addition, some scholarships are awarded around the end of February, and applicants for scholarships must complete their applications at least by January 15. Most applications arrive in the period from November through January.
Yes, faculty representatives will be glad to visit with prospective students. In addition you could look at the facilities and attend a class or two. Most of the graduate classes take place on Tuesday and Thursday. You could visit a class on those days, but it would be harder to find and visit with faculty then.
You could arrange a campus visit just about any time. Please let us know. One good time to visit in the Spring semester might be in the springtime, when the Graduate English Society hosts its annual graduate student conference. The conference attracts presenters from around the nation.
Our distance program exists first and foremost for students admitted to the online MATC or PhD programs. On-campus doctoral students may take a maximum of three courses online for their PhDs. Doctoral students must complete a residence requirement during their coursework and are strongly advised to remain in residence for their dissertations. A master's student who earns credits online could apply these credits to a resident doctoral program.
Lubbock is a small city of almost 200,000 with lots of sunshine, big sky, mild winters, and a low cost of living. The economy is based on agriculture, health care, and the university. Job opportunities are available for spouses and partners in a variety of places. Entertainment includes university cultural events, theater, music of a wide variety, movies (40+ screens in town), and eating out. The university sports teams compete well in the Big 12 conference. You can get more information at the Lubbock city website.
Last Updated by Joyce Locke Carter, September 18, 2008