PhD Rhetoric and Professional Communication at Iowa State University

Programme overview

A PhD in rhetoric and professional communication covering theory and research methods, technology-based audience-centred design, analysis of communication in organisational and public contexts, and producing significant scholarship.

Faculty: Graduate College | Department: English Department | Duration: Median time to degree 4.8 years; 72 graduate credit hours including dissertation | Intake: Fall only (January 5) | Study mode: full-time | Location: Ames, IA, United States

What you will study

72 graduate credit hours including a dissertation, with a portfolio assessment, a preliminary examination and an oral defence of the dissertation.

Career pathways

Academic positions in rhetoric, multimodal composition and business, professional and technical communication; private and public sector roles as professional communication specialists, editors, designers and communications managers.

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/

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