MAWRD Student Handbook
MAWRD Student Handbook
Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse
updated on 6.10.2025
The MAWRD Student Handbook is a guide to the graduate program, including policies and procedures. Students may also refer to the information online from the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (Graduate Student Support, New Graduate Students, Next Steps, and Registration) and the University Graduate Student Handbook.
Faculty Expertise & Experience
Curriculum and Degree Requirements
Strategic Writing & Advancement for Nonprofits (SWAN)
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Language (TESOL)
Certificate in Teaching English in Two-Year Colleges
Teaching Apprenticeship Program
Partial Tuition Fellowships (PTFs)
Partial Tuition Waivers (PTWs)
Eligibility Requirements for PTWs
Scholarships for Community Engagement
Presenting at an Academic Conference
Advising Timeline for Students
The Master of Arts in Writing, Rhetoric and Discourse (WRD) combines a strong theoretical foundation in rhetoric and discourse with practical training in the areas of teaching writing and language, professional and technical writing, and digital content creation. The program’s mix of theory and practice prepares students to write and to create digital content in professional, technical, or nonprofit settings; to teach writing in post-secondary institutions; and to continue academic study in related PhD programs. Our students go on to work as writers and digital content creators in professional and technical workplaces; to teach writing and English as a second language in colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad; and to continue their academic study in PhD programs.
In recent years, MA in WRD graduates have gone on to jobs that include the following:
The MA in WRD offers a rich graduate curriculum that engages students in a range of professional, academic, and civic genres and experiences. Required courses in rhetoric and discourse provide students with breadth in a range of theoretical and historical disciplinary perspectives, while optional concentrations allow students to focus in depth on an area of particular relevance to their own professional goals.
The MA in WRD offers students unique internship and community-based experiential learning opportunities, drawing on the city of Chicago as an extension of our classroom. These opportunities will give students practical experience in grant writing, workplace writing, writing for the web, and teaching and tutoring adult literacy and English as a Second Language (ESL) in community centers and two-year colleges. This commitment to the city and its neighborhoods is reflected throughout many of our courses.
The MA in WRD faculty are teacher-scholars and active professionals. The faculty share a strong commitment to graduate education, and the program incorporates numerous events which aim to mentor and support our graduate students.
Through the Graduate Certificate in TESOL, which MA in WRD students can complete as part of their regular coursework, graduate students develop expertise in second-language teaching, and especially in working with multilingual writers. This knowledge is key to teaching writing in the U.S. today, and it opens up opportunities abroad, such as the one WRD offered MA in WRD and TESOL Certificate graduates at Huaqiao University in China. Visit Teach in China and Teach Writing and ESL in China to learn more. And email the Graduate Certificate in TESOL Coordinator, Professor Jason Schneider (jason.schneider@depaul.edu).
Most MAWRD classes meet in the Schmitt Academic Center (SAC, pronounced “sack”), and the WRD main office (SAC 350) and faculty offices are there, too.
Study and collaborate in our Invention Lab (SAC 302), which offers a comfortable space to work among your peers. The Invention Lab is open throughout the day, Monday through Thursday. Quarterly events and gatherings also take place in the Invention Lab!
Take a closer look at the fantastic resources and blog posts posted weekly on the department blog wrdblog.org. Written by WRD graduate assistants, the WRD Blog is your source for updates on student and faculty accomplishments, alumni news, professional development opportunities, and course offerings.
Join our online community! Like and follow the department’s Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. On our social media, we keep past, current, and future WRD students up-to-date with department news, professional development opportunities, and additional updates that can enhance your student experience.
Campus Connect is the web portal that DePaul uses for most official business, from registration to parking passes. If you have not yet, be sure to log in there and explore a bit.
Desire to Learn (D2L) is the learning management system that DePaul uses, and most professors will use it for course materials. Your professors may not activate their courses until the course begins. Or, look for an email from your professors.
Throughout the year, the WRD Department hosts events so students can socialize, network, and learn beyond the classroom. Keep an eye on social media for updates on these events:
Students complete 12 courses (48 credits) to graduate from the MA in WRD program, and 2 portfolio reviews. There are three main areas of courses to choose from: Rhetoric and Discourse (RD), Professional and Digital Writing (PDW), and Teaching Writing and Language (TWL).
Review the Course Listings on the Department's website. Review Course Descriptions on the WRD Blog.
All students will deliver a presentation during their last quarter in the program. This presentation will incorporate research, analysis, and reflection to critically consider the student’s pathway through the MAWRD program and look ahead to post-graduate plans. It will be presented to an audience of peers and faculty.
During your last quarter in the program, you will present a 20-minute multimodal presentation (e.g., visuals, slides, documents, etc.) followed by a 10-minute Q&A session. The audience for your presentation will be WRD students and faculty members. MAWRD students will be strongly encouraged to attend their peers’ presentations in support and as preparation for their own presentations. The presentations will be collected and shared with current MAWRD students and may be made available on the WRD Blog as a resource for future MAWRD students.
The presentation should incorporate research, analysis, and reflection to critically consider your pathway through the MAWRD program and look ahead to your post-graduate plans. It should:
By week 5 in the quarter prior to graduating, schedule a meeting with your advisor to discuss your plans for your presentation.
A complete draft of your presentation is due at the beginning of Week 2 of your final quarter. The draft will inform an advising conversation with your advisor. The advisor will approve your presentation at this time or will ask for revisions. The revision must be completed by the end of Week 6.
The presentation(s) of all students who are completing this exit requirement will be scheduled for the same event and time between Weeks 8 and 10.
Please submit your final presentation by completing the form: https://forms.office.com/r/7C5drSin9z
Students may declare or change a concentration (Professional & Digital Writing or Teaching Writing & Language) at any time, up to six weeks prior to graduation. The program, however, encourages you to declare as soon as possible, as we make decisions about which classes to offer based on the number of students in each concentration.
If you would like to declare a concentration, please email the Director of the MA in WRD with your request.
You may also complete the program without a concentration area, taking a broad range of courses instead. Your faculty advisor can help you plan a program that will best meet your individual goals and interests.
WRD 595 Independent Study allows students the opportunity to explore specific interests for which a formal WRD course is not offered. In general, WRD 595 courses will count as electives in a student’s degree program. WRD 595 can only fulfill area requirements (e.g., Rhetoric & Discourse or a concentration area) when these requirements cannot be filled through a formal course (e.g., because such a course is not offered).
A WRD graduate faculty member with expertise in the proposed topic typically serves as the instructor of record for WRD 595. The student should meet with the faculty member to discuss their ability to lead the independent study. The student and instructor should work together to develop course materials for the independent study, including learning outcomes, schedule, readings, and project descriptions. In addition to the course materials, the student should write a 250-word rationale explaining why they are requesting the independent study and how it fits within their course of study in the program and professional or academic goals. All materials should be emailed to the Director of the MA in WRD at least four weeks prior to the start of the quarter in which the independent study is to occur.
The Director will review the materials for the independent study. The Directory may return the materials with instructions for revisions; revised materials should be submitted to the Director no less than two weeks prior to the start of the quarter.
If the independent study is approved, the student will be asked to make a 20-minute presentation about their scholarship to an audience of interested students and faculty near the end of the quarter in which the independent study is completed.
If a student wishes to complete a WRD 595 course with a non-WRD graduate faculty member, the student should consult with the Director of the MA in WRD.
After receiving approval, the student must request registration online. Registration should be completed one week before the beginning of the quarter. After online approval by the course instructor and Director of the MA in WRD, the student will be enrolled in WRD 595.
Internships in Professional & Digital Writing (WRD 590) or in Teaching Writing & Language (WRD 591) can be completed for credit.
Students interested in completing an internship should visit the professional internships page for more information on the internship process, including the Internship Agreement Form.
Some students may wish to complete the teaching internship in the Department of English (ENG 509). This course may be completed as part of the Certificate in Teaching English in the Two-Year College, but students not completing the Certificate are still eligible to apply for the internship. Interested students should contact their program director or Professor Michele Morano for more information, mmorano@depaul.edu. Please email all application materials directly to Michele Morano (not to Graduate Admissions).
For MA in WRD students, ENG 509 counts as a non-WRD elective. Students with a Professional and Digital Writing (PDW) concentration are strongly encouraged to complete an internship as part of their degree.
Students may take up to two non-WRD courses at DePaul to count toward their degree (to search for courses, go to Class Search and choose the subject/department of your choice). Preferably, students will have completed six courses in WRD before taking courses outside of the program. In exceptional cases (e.g., students completing certificate programs that require non-WRD courses), students may be granted permission to take courses outside of the program earlier in their degree study.
Non-WRD courses that fulfill requirements in a Graduate Certificate program are pre-approved (limited two courses). All other non-WRD courses must be approved by the Director prior to enrollment in the course.
Students who have transferred in two or more courses from another institution (see Transfer Credit policy) must take all of their remaining courses in the WRD program.
Students who wish to take a non-WRD course must submit a proposal of 200–250 words to the MA in WRD Director, which includes the following:
Students may take one four-credit undergraduate-level course for credit toward their graduate degree. Students must request approval to take an undergraduate course from the WRD Graduate Committee prior to registering for the course.
Around the midpoint of each quarter, registration for the subsequent quarter will begin. Information regarding assigned registration days and times will be distributed from Student Records prior to this time. Students are encouraged to meet with their faculty advisor and/or the Director of the MA in WRD prior to course registration.
Students will not be able to register for courses if there are any holds on their accounts. To ensure that you are able to register at your assigned registration time, check Campus Connection for information about holds and take any actions needed to remove the hold as soon as possible. Students may not register for non-WRD classes without prior approval from the Graduate Committee. See page 6 for policies regarding Non-WRD classes.
Multiple tools are available to track your progress toward your degree. Within Campus Connection (Student Center), you will find a Degree Progress Report that should give you up-to-date information regarding your fulfillment of various requirements. If you notice that your Degree Progress Report has an error, contact the Director of the MA in WRD. In order to graduate from the program, students must complete all program requirements with a total of 48 credit hours (12 courses) and a minimum GPA of 2.8.
To graduate with distinction, students must have a final GPA of 3.9 or higher.
Prior to their graduation, students must apply for degree conferral in order to graduate and receive their diploma: these deadlines are typically early in the quarter in which you plan to graduate, with the exception of Spring Quarter, for which the application deadline is in the Winter Quarter. Full details regarding procedures and deadlines for applying for degree conferral are available on DePaul Central: Apply for Graduation (and FAQs).
A commencement ceremony is held once per year in June. Information regarding commencement is available on DePaul’s Commencement website.
Alumni will have access to their depaul.edu email account for one year after graduation. Alumni Relations offers a lifelong email account to alumni by contacting their office.
D2L and Campus Connect are still accessible; however, the instructor may choose to close access, and most course information is archived after three years. For more information, review the section for students preparing to graduate.
The graduate Certificate in Strategic Writing and Advancement for Nonprofits (SWAN) is designed for those who wish to enter into or advance their careers in nonprofit marketing, communication, and development. Jointly offered by DePaul’s School of Public Service (SPS) and Department of Writing. See the certificate’s description online. Review the SWAN Student Handbook.
The WRD department offers a Graduate Certificate in TESOL, which may be completed by students in an existing DePaul graduate program or by students who wish to complete only the Certificate. Made up of courses in the programs of Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse; Bilingual-Bicultural Education; and Modern Languages, the Certificate prepares students to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) to adult learners in the United States or abroad. The Certificate may also be attractive to Professional and Technical Writing students who wish to broaden their understanding of writing in multilingual and international contexts.
MA in WRD students may also complete the Certificate in Teaching English in Two-Year Colleges. This interdepartmental certificate program is made up of courses in the departments of WRD and English, and it is designed to prepare prospective teachers of introductory classes in English, writing, and the humanities in community college settings. Participants will learn to teach critical and analytical reading, the processes and disciplines of writing, and other aspects of the arts, humanities, or communication curriculum in two-year colleges. Applications are accepted at any time.
MA in WRD students may be able to pursue other certificates offered by the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. See the complete list of certificate programs.
The Department of Writing, Rhetoric, & Discourse’s Teaching Apprenticeship Program (TAP) provides an opportunity for advanced students in the Master of Arts in WRD to gain experience teaching college composition in DePaul’s First-Year Writing Program. MA in WRD students accepted into TAP will be assigned a section of WRD 103. Under the close supervision of a tenure-line faculty member and following a common syllabus (with options for flexibility), TAP participants will serve as the sole classroom instructors for their assigned sections. Participants will enroll in WRD 551: Teaching Apprenticeship Practicum during the quarter of their teaching and will be paid a stipend of $2,700 (note that this stipend essentially negates the tuition for WRD 551).
Admission to the program is competitive. To be eligible for consideration, MA in WRD students must be in good standing with six courses (24 credits) in the MA in WRD by the end of Spring Quarter, including WRD 540 and at least one additional course from the Teaching Writing and Language concentration area. Acceptance into the program will be contingent on successful completion of WRD 540 with a grade of B+ or higher.
Eligible students must email complete applications to the WRD Department Assistant by the annual mid-April deadline. Note that decisions are typically announced within one week of this deadline, and accepted students must confirm enrollment within one week (this tight turnaround is because Autumn Quarter WRD 103 courses are scheduled in late April).
Students accepted into the program must complete the following requirements:
Questions about TAP should be directed to the Director of the MA in WRD.
The MA in Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse offers three forms of financial assistance to students:
Graduate assistantships carry full tuition for up to six graduate-level courses taken for credit towards your degree during the academic year and a stipend of $8000, payable September through May. The award, if renewed, covers a maximum of 12 courses over a two-year period. Any student who will be enrolled full-time in the MA in WRD for the entire upcoming academic year (two courses per quarter in the Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters) is invited to apply for a GA position.
WRD GAs work fourteen hours per week, either as tutors in the University Center for Writing-based Learning (UCWbL) or as assistants to the department.
Each graduate assistant assigned to UCWbL works as a Writing Center Tutor. GAs also have the opportunity to apply to be a Student Leader, assisting with one of our Writing Center Teams or program initiatives. Every MAWRD GA assigned to work in UCWBL takes WRD 582: Writing Center Theory & Pedagogy their first quarter working for the Writing Center. Prior writing tutor experience is beneficial to receiving this MAWRD GA position.
Each graduate assistant assigned to WRD assists the department, performing duties such as writing for the WRD Blog and the department's social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn), assisting faculty with research tasks and projects, designing visual materials for department events, and helping to plan department events, which may include serving as a graduate student representative on the department's Student Community Committee or Equity Committee for Teaching & Learning.
Recipients of Partial Tuition Fellowships receive tuition reimbursement for three courses in an academic year. Award recipients must be enrolled full-time in the MA in WRD for the entire academic year (two courses per quarter in the Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters). The award, if renewed, covers a maximum of six courses over a two-year period.
Students already enrolled in the MA in WRD may, if they meet the eligibility requirements listed below, apply quarterly for Partial Tuition Waiver (PTW) awards, which reward outstanding academic achievement. PTW awards provide a partial reimbursement for tuition paid for up to two WRD courses toward the MA in WRD degree in the quarter of application. The exact amount of the award depends on the number of eligible applicants, but it is typically 15–30% of tuition paid per 4-credit course. There is no limit to the number of times that an eligible student may apply for and receive a PTW award during their MA degree. Please note that only WRD courses are eligible for PTW reimbursement awards.
MA in WRD students can find campus jobs, and sometimes even positions that come with tuition waivers, by logging on to and searching the campus job board. Positions are posted throughout the year, as they come open.
Part-time and full-time graduate students are eligible to apply for Graduate Research Funding, a grant program within the College of LAS. Students presenting at conferences or carrying out research which requires some financial support are strongly encouraged to apply. Full details and the application are available online.
MA in WRD students are often promising candidates for two competitive internal scholarships: the Community Engagement Scholarship, offered quarterly by the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, which pays for the cost of an internship course, and the Meister Scholarship, an annual award for excellence in community engagement, with special consideration given to students 25 years of age and older.
MA in WRD students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of professional development opportunities offered within and outside of the department, including guest speakers, workshops, and other events.
Students interested in presenting at academic conferences should discuss their goals with appropriate faculty members, who can offer support and guidance. Substantial financial support for travel and registration fees is available from the Graduate Research Fund. Students may wish to join the LAS Graduate Student Council, which organizes the LAS Graduate Student Symposium (held annually on the DePaul Lincoln Park Campus in May).
Students should see DePaul’s Academic Integrity policies, which apply to all courses at the university.
All WRD graduate courses adopt the following attendance policy: “Absences equal to 20% of the class may result in reduction of your term grade by one full letter grade (e.g., an A- would become a B-). Missing more than 20% of the class will result in failure.” This is a department-wide policy.
To maintain good standing, students must:
Students whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 will be placed on probation and given two quarters to raise their average to the minimum 3.0 level. Students on probation are required to consult with the Director of the MA in WRD before registering for classes. Failure to meet these requirements is grounds for dismis
A student may be dismissed from the program in any of the following cases:
Occasionally, students need to take time off of their degree for personal or work reasons. Students in this position should be in touch with the Director of the MA in WRD and request a Leave of Absence from the university.
If a student is dismissed from the program (as outlined in the dismissal policy), he or she may reapply through the formal application process.
Students must complete the program within six years of their start date. Students who fail to complete the program within this time frame must re-apply to the program.
Students may transfer up to 12 credits (or three courses) of relevant coursework taken in another program. Students may not transfer credits taken in pursuit of a completed degree or certificate. The exact number of credits and courses that transfer will be determined by the Director of the MA in WRD, based on review of the syllabus/syllabi for which transfer credit is requested. Transfer grades from other institutions do not calculate into the DePaul grade point average.
All WRD graduate courses are open to non-degree-seeking students, with the exception of the following: WRD 500 Proseminar, WRD 590 Internship in Professional & Digital Writing, WRD 591 Internship in Teaching Writing & Language, WRD 595 Independent Study, and WRD 599 Portfolio.
These guidelines are intended to help students and faculty to better understand expectations for working with each other during a student’s DePaul University and MAWRD experience. These guidelines provide a framework to guide, not dictate, the types of interactions students may have with faculty advisors and mentors. These roles are not mutually exclusive and may be interchangeable depending on the faculty member’s and student’s preferences.
Please keep in mind that although advisors and mentors are here to help as best they can, students are responsible for their decisions and actions that determine their success at DePaul University and in the MAWRD program. For that reason, we encourage students
Every student is assigned an advisor upon enrolling in the MAWRD program. At any time during the program, students can request to change faculty advisors by contacting the Director of MAWRD. Faculty advisors assist students with DePaul University and MAWRD policies and procedures. In general, faculty advisors
Faculty mentors assist students with academic and professional preparation. Mentoring relationships often extend beyond academic topics and provide more individual guidance with both professional and personal concerns. A student's advisor may also be a mentor, depending on the nature of the advising relationship. Or, a student’s mentor may replace their assigned advisor. Students are not assigned a faculty mentor; rather, students are encouraged to seek out a faculty mentor if they choose to do so. In general, faculty mentors
The timeline provides an overview of events that may impact students and advisors during a cycle of the academic year. Students are encouraged to contact their advisors whenever the need arises.