Thank you for considering The Ohio State University’s Writing, Rhetoric, and Literacy Program. We are so proud of the work we do here, and we want you to have as much information as possible as you apply to, and perhaps enroll in, our program.
Ohio State WRL Perks and Privileges
Here's what current graduate students have to say about why we stand out:
- a 74% job placement rate for tenure-track positions
- nationally recognized, award-winning faculty who are welcoming and supportive
- unique expertise on disability, digital media, professional writing, critical rhetorics, writing program administration, and composition studies
- opportunities for professionalization as both scholars and educators
- a nationally competitive Graduate Teaching Associateship stipend of over $20K per year
- additional opportunities to earn an extra $10K per year as a Graduate Research Associate, Graduate Administrative Associate, or course grader
- a maximum 1:1 teaching load (i.e., 1 course per semester) for graduate students, with several fellowship opportunities that reduce teaching load
- pre-service and ongoing support teaching First-Year Writing, including an excellent curricular template that still allows for significant instructor autonomy
- opportunities to teach specialized courses in advanced writing, digital media, disability studies, folklore, and literature
- opportunities for grant funding to support research and conference travel
- a free in-house dossier service, which is very useful during job market season
- affordable, comprehensive student health insurance
- top-notch student legal services
- city bus passes included in your assistantship
- state-of-the-art fitness center + classes included in your assistantship
- world-famous speakers and arts programming on campus
- a robust rewards program
- student discounts, such as to the movies ($3 tickets!), art museum, zoo, botanical garden as well as many shows and restaurants
- affordable housing
- abundant green spaces and recreation, including Franklin Conservatory as well as the Olentangy Trail, which runs north-south and makes getting to campus very convenient for cyclists and walkers
- a vibrant culinary scene + nightlife right by campus
- a vibrant arts community, from Broadway in Columbus and MadLab to BalletMet and the Columbus Symphony
- a vibrant literary scene, anchored by Two Dollar Radio
- a world-class public library system
- beautiful historic neighborhoods like German Village and Victorian Village
Want to learn more about what our graduate students love about Columbus? Check out this ever-evolving Grad Student Guide to Columbus!
Dissertations and Faculty Research
There's no better way to get a feel for our program than to see what our students and faculty are researching. Here are a few ways to learn more!
- Check out the People pages for our WRL faculty and students
- Peruse this list of recent WRL dissertations [pdf]. Recent dissertation titles include:
- Git Gud: Video Games, Mental Disability, and Resilience Rhetoric
- Redeveloping Participation: Rhetorics and Ontologies of Participatory Discourse in the Technical Communication of U.S. Public Housing Policy
- Queer Possibilities in Digital Media Composing
- Hospitable Literacies: The Writing and Rhetorical Practices of Black Family Reunions Online and Offline
- Take a look at the full list of current graduate courses offered in English, as well as our WRL-specific courses.
- Read more about our faculty's areas of expertise.
- Visit our WRL'bration! webpage to see the recent accomplishments of faculty, grad students and alumni that we're celebrating