MA Rhetoric, Composition, and Professional Communication at Iowa State University

Programme overview

The MA in Rhetoric, Composition, and Professional Communication prepares students for careers as professional communicators and for teaching writing, including business and technical communication, at the postsecondary level. Students choose a thesis or one of two creative-component options.

Faculty: Graduate College | Department: English Department | Intake: Fall (January 5 priority for funding; April 1 final) and Spring (October 15) | Study mode: full-time | Location: Ames, IA, United States

What you will study

The degree requires a minimum of 30 graduate credit hours. Study covers the history and theory of rhetoric and technical communication, ethical decision-making, the effect of technologies on organizational communication, designing and evaluating professional documents, and integrating oral, written, electronic and visual skills.

Career pathways

Technical and business writing, UX design and web development, technical editing, and teaching writing at the postsecondary level.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Graduate College requirements: 4 year Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) Academic Records/Transcripts Minimum 3.0 GPA (Program may alter requirement.) Proof of English Proficiency. Programme-specific requirements: Three letters of recommendation (LOR) Curriculum vitae/resume Statement of purpose and personal goals Application for Teaching Assistantship statement Writing sample according to our guidelines All nonnative speaking applicants must provide an audio/video of spontaneous spoken English emailed to [email protected]. Program Requires GRE: No Program Requires GMAT: No

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Entry terms for first-year applicants include Fall 2026, Spring 2027 and Summer 2027. International undergraduate applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and may be submitted up to one year before the intended start date; applying at least six to eight weeks in advance is strongly recommended.

Graduate application fee: $60 for domestic applicants and $100 for international applicants (nonrefundable), a separate fee for each program applied to; some programs postpone fee collection until after review. Deadlines are set by each graduate program.

Apply through the official page: https://apps.admissions.iastate.edu/apply/online/

Explore more study programmes

Arts & Humanities