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{Home > Graduate : Graduate Handbook}

Graduate Handbook

This handbook is intended for students currently enrolled in our department's Certificate, M.S., M.A., and Ph.D. programs.  It does not contain information on admissions. (For admissions information, see http://writingstudies.umn.edu/grad/ and select the degree you're interested in.)

Considerable effort has been taken to assure that the information in this handbook is accurate as of fall 2009.  But nothing in this handbook can supersede the rules and regulations of the Graduate School or other University of Minnesota bodies.  Rules and regulations governing all graduate programs at the University of Minnesota are set forth in the Graduate School Catalog and at the Graduate School website.

2009-2010 Graduate Handbook

• Graduate Program Contacts
• Graduate Faculty in RSTC / Role of the Degree Committee

Technical Communication Certificate

• Requirements
• Regular Progress, Forms, Graduation

M. S. in Scientific and Technical Communication

• Your Advisor
• Coursework Requirements
• M.S. Internships
• M.S. Regular Progress, Forms, Graduation
• Registration
• Sample M.S. in S&TC Programs (coming soon)

M. A. in Rhetoric & Scientific and Technical Communication

• Advisor
• Degree Requirements
• Capstone Options–Final Paper or Written Exam
• The Paper
• The Examination
• Scheduling the Final Oral Exam
• Final Oral Exam
• Benchmarks, Forms, and Satisfactory Progress
• Change of Status: From the M.A. to the Ph.D. program
• Registration
• Sample M.A. RSTC Programs (coming soon)

  Ph.D. in Rhetoric & Scientific and Technical Communication

• Advisor
• Course Work Requirements
• Benchmarks, Forms, and Satisfactory Progress
• Preliminary Examinations Overview
• Registration While Preparing for Preliminary Examinations
• Preliminary Written Exam
• Scheduling the Preliminary Examinations
• Evaluation of the Written Exam
• Preliminary Oral Exam
• Preliminary Exam Reading Lists
• Preliminary Exam Windows
• Evaluation of the Oral Exam
• Dissertation Overview
• Dissertation Committee
• Prospectus and Prospectus Examination
• Sample Prospectuses:
  • Wendy Winn (PDF)
  • Greg Schneider (PDF)
• Registration While Writing Your Dissertation
• Final Steps -- The "Defense"
• Sample Ph.D. RSTC Programs (coming soon)

Appendix: Forms

• Graduate Student Progress Report F-1 (PDF)
• Writing Studies Department's M.A. Program Form F-2a (PDF)
• Writing Studies Department's Ph.D. Program Form F-2b (PDF)
• Graduate School's Degree Program Transmittal & Degree Program Forms GS 89a (PDF)
• Foreign Language Certification Form - By Language Dept. GS 82 (PDF)
• Foreign Language Certification Form - By Graduate Dept.GS 82a (PDF)
• Preliminary Written Examination Report GS 17 (PDF)
• Preliminary Oral Exam Schedule Form GS 12 (PDF)
• Thesis / Project Proposal Transmittal & Title forms GS 63a, 63b, 63c (PDF)
• Petition Form GS 59 (PDF)
• Graduation Packet
• Request for an Advisor F-16 (PDF)
• Writ 8444 Advance Study Registration Instructions F-17 (PDF)
• Graduate School Dissertation Formatting Instructions GS 16 (PDF)