English (Rhetoric and Communication Design) - Master of Arts (MA) at University of Waterloo

Programme overview

Deepen your knowledge of the foundations of rhetorical theory and pursue your interests in fields such as rhetoric, discourse analysis, semiotics, multimedia design and critique, composition pedagogy, and professional writing with the Master of Arts in Rhetoric and Communication Design program. Choose between three streams of study to suit your needs and interests. With the thesis option you’ll complete coursework and conduct original research leading to a master’s thesis publication roughly 80-100 pages in length.

Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Department: English Language and Literature | Duration: 12 months (full-time) | Study mode: full-time | Intake: Fall (September - December); application deadlines: February 1 (for admission in September) | Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

What you will study

Study option(s): Thesis, Master's Research Paper, Coursework.

Career pathways

You’ll be prepared to pursue further study at the PhD level, or to pursue a career in publishing, private industry, government, educational organizations, non-governmental organizations, or in your own business.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

An honours bachelor's degree in English, or its equivalent, with an average of at least 78% in English courses, and at least 75% overall. Those with honours degrees not in English may apply to the program but may be required to take as many as 10 undergraduate courses in English to prepare them for graduate-level study in the discipline. Additional courses will be chosen in consultation with the Graduate Officer and will generally correspond to the minor program in English.

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

Terms run fall (September to December), winter (January to April) and spring (May to August). Programmes are currently accepting applications for fall 2027; intake terms vary by programme.

Graduate applications are made online through the Graduate Studies Application and the non-refundable application fee is $150 CAD per program, paid in the applicant portal. Deadlines are set by each programme (for example MDSAI part-time: fall January 15, winter July 1). Apply two to four weeks ahead of the programme deadline.

Apply through the official page: https://grad.apply.uwaterloo.ca/apply/

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