Providing graduates with a strong foundation in composition theories and pedagogies for diverse students, Boise State University’s MA in English, Rhetoric and Composition emphasis is one of the very few in the U.S. that is designed to prepare graduates for work at two-year colleges. With one of the largest composition and rhetoric faculties in the Northwest, the program provides students with unusual opportunities to experience the wide range of roles that are often required teaching in smaller colleges.

• Competitive teaching assistantships provide students with training and teaching experience in a large first-year writing program.
• Assistantships in the Writing Center focus on tutoring and administrative skills.
• Strong university support for learning through technology offer opportunities to experiment with multimedia writing, digital genres, and teaching online.
• Graduate courses that focus on basic writing, ESL, grammar and the teaching of writing, and other topics prepare graduates to instruct students with a range of literacy practices.

Though the Rhetoric and Composition emphasis has been successful placing its graduates in teaching positions at two-year schools, our students have also gone on to some of the top doctoral programs in the country, including the University of Massachusetts, the University of New Hampshire, the University of Louisville, the University of Nebraska, Washington State University, and others.

Part of our success comes from our diverse and accomplished faculty.  Among the seven specialists in rhetoric and composition, scholarly interests include digital literacy, basic writing, writing center theory, writing program administration, creative nonfiction, rhetorical theory, and ESL.  All are active researchers and writers.