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  • Rhetoric, Writing, & Digital Media Studies Graduate Certificate

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Rhetoric, Writing and Digital Media Studies, Graduate Certificate

The 18-unit graduate certificate program in Rhetoric, Writing, and Digital Media Studies is designed to provide professional development for current and future teachers of academic writing.

Teachers who are grounded in rhetoric and composition theories, literacy theories, and media literacies are well equipped to implement effective teaching practices in their composition classrooms and to continue teacher research to improve teaching practices.

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Requirements Accordion Open

  • Graduate certificate programs require a minimum of 12 credit hours. Many certificate programs require more than 12 credit hours.

    No more than one 400-level NAU course (3 or 4 units) may be used on a certificate program.

    No more than 25% of the units required for the certificate program may be transferred from another university.

    A 400-level course (undergraduate course) completed at another university is not eligible for transfer credit.

    A minimum grade point average of 3.0 must be achieved to obtain a graduate certificate. No more than three units of coursework with a grade of "C" may be used in a certificate program.

    A graduate student may pursue a graduate certificate concurrently with a graduate degree. Each graduate degree program must decide which, if any, certificate courses can be counted toward the graduate degree.

    Students who are admitted to a graduate certificate program will be eligible for the official posting of the graduate certificate to their transcripts when all applicable coursework has been successfully completed and approved by the academic unit and the Graduate College.
  • Please be aware that federal financial aid is not available for some certificates if the certificate is pursued and completed as a stand-alone certificate (i.e., not completed concurrently with a degree program).  See the “Details” tab for additional information.

Overview Accordion Closed

In addition to University Requirements:

  • Complete individual plan requirements.

Please note that students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Minimum Units for Completion18
Additional Admission RequirementsAdmission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.

Purpose Statement

The Rhetoric, Writing, and Digital Media Studies (RWDMS) Program engages students with a curriculum that prepares them as writers and scholars. The program emphasizes the importance of critical reading, reflection, writing, digital media, and spoken language to educate knowledgeable citizens who understand and appreciate their civic, professional, and personal responsibilities in an increasingly global community. We specialize in preparing students for intercultural and interdisciplinary communication practices in digital and traditional work settings to further global engagement, diversity, and social participation. Students gain experience with rhetorical theory and persuasive argumentation, social media literacy and multimedia writing, professional and public discourse conventions through theory-based application projects. In addition, our courses provide a foundation for workplace writing and M.A. programs in rhetoric, writing, digital media, communication, and composition studies. 

Student Learning Outcomes
 
General Knowledge of English

  • Graduates will know about language as a system and about language change and variation. Students will be able to identify, describe, explain, or interpret such features as grammar, language patterns, language differences, the history of English, dialects, semantics, dictionaries and lexicons, idioms, or semiotic structures.
  • Graduates will know how effective writers and speakers adapt language to the varying circumstances of interpersonal communication, for various purposes in school, the workplace, civic life, and creative endeavors. Graduates will be able to describe and explain such discourse features as rhetorical situation (speaker, purpose, audience), performative language, orality vs. literacy, print literacy vs. media literacies, style, or word-choice.
  • Graduates will know basic concepts and terminology in the study of literature, linguistics, rhetoric, and creative writing. Students will know how to use appropriate disciplinary and professional language.
  • Graduates will know about forms, designs, and genres, including appropriate traditions and histories. They will know how formal conventions, social contexts, and audience expectations affect discourses purposes. Graduates will be able to describe and explain such things as literary and creative genres, canons, practical and professional writing formats and genres, types of rhetorical discourse, types of linguistic phenomena, or media and web formats and genres.
  • Graduates will know how social, cultural, and historical contexts affect personal expression; the reception, comprehension, or study of texts; and specific communication purposes for both writers and readers. Graduates will be conversant with English in global settings and with the increasing impact of international forces—the history and politics of cultural and linguistic diversity, of environmental sustainability, and of globalization—on the discipline of English. 
Proficiencies
  • Graduates will know how to read and think critically in response to a variety of texts, drawing on appropriate knowledge, concepts, and terms from the study of literature, linguistics, rhetoric, and creative writing. Graduates will know how to focus these skills on the close interpretation of texts (which could include film, signs, encoded cultural forms or messages, or graphic art, in addition to printed works) or extend these skills to the close study of empirical data or information. Graduates will know how to draw inferences or conclusions from their reading or to formulate interpretive hypotheses or arguments from primary sources or researched information.
  • Graduates will know how to write effectively in several genres and for various purposes—with appropriate design, fluency, voice, style, vividness, self-awareness, and awareness of audience or reader. Graduates will know how to invent, find, develop, and support content relevant for their writing purposes.
  • Graduates will know how to critique and to augment, rework, or revise both their own writing and the writing of others. Graduates will know how to edit for style, for grammar, and for correct spelling and punctuation according to a text’s purpose, audience, and level or manner of discourse
  • Graduates will know how to use appropriate principles and methods of research for a variety of purposes in literature, rhetoric, writing, and linguistics. Graduates will know how to determine effective research scope, to apply and refine search strategies, to analyze and evaluate information, to synthesize and apply information, and to use information responsibly.
Applications and Attitudes
  • Graduates will know how to apply advanced academic training in English to further schooling or to public, professional, or workplace settings that demand clear, efficiently organized information-sharing; lucid expressions of imaginative thinking; persuasive, well-documented discourse; or concise, accessible expository communication. Graduates will know where and how to seek opportunities for employment, publication, continued education, public service, or personal enrichment. Collaborate with others on a project related to rhetoric, writing, and digital media studies and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the process and the final results.
  • Graduates will benefit from the study of English as a liberal arts discipline. This study imparts intellectual growth, empowers imagination, and attunes responsiveness to creative expression and artful communication. The study of English fosters habits of empathy, introspection, and ethical reasoning. It imparts resourcefulness in communication, aptitude for creative problem solving, and openness to change, adaptation, and opportunity.

Details Accordion Closed

Additional Admission Requirements
  • Admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
    • NAU graduate online application is required for all programs. Details on admission requirements are included in the online application.
    • Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
    • Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A"), or the equivalent.
    • Admission to many graduate programs is on a competitive basis, and programs may have higher standards than those established by the Graduate College.
    • Transcripts.
    • For details on graduate admission policies, please visit the Graduate Admissions Policy.
    • International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy.


    Individual program admission requirements include:

    • 2 letters of recommendation
    • Resume or curriculum vitae
    • Writing sample
    • Letter of Application
Certificate Requirements
  • Take the following 18 units:

    Introductory Courses (3-6 units):

    • Select from: ENG 561,  ENG 562 
    Analysis Courses (9-12 units):
    • Select from: ENG 622, ENG 623, ENG 624, ENG 626
    Elective coursework (3 units):
    • ENG course, or additional Rhetoric, Writing, and Digital Media Studies course. 
  • Federal financial aid cannot be used for this certificate.

  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also take. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.

Availability Accordion Closed

  • Flagstaff
  • Online

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Laura A Gray-Rosendale
Professor
Department of English
Laura.Gray-Rosendale@nau.edu
+1 928 523-0956
Liberal Arts , room 106
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Sibylle Gruber
Professor
Department of English
Sibylle.Gruber@nau.edu
+1 928 523-8369
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Alana Marta Kuhlman
Director, Interdisciplinary Writing Program and Interim Director, University Writing Program; Associate Teaching Professor, English
Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
Alana.Kuhlman@nau.edu
+1 928 523-4649
Riles , room 308

Learn more about our faculty, current students, and alumni. Check out our RWDMS page for information on the Rhetoric, Writing, and Digital Media Studies (RWDMS) MA and Certificate programs.

Our RWDMS Graduate Certificate program encourages you to work closely on strengthening your pedagogical skills as a writing teacher. Our certificate courses focus on writing pedagogy, composition theory, and digital media. We work with you on your project-design skills so that you can advance professionally as an educator, academic, or in any career. Our program focuses on rhetorical theory and persuasive argumentation, social media literacy, multimedia writing, and design, professional and public discourse conventions, and teaching literacy and writing through theory-based application projects. You will be working closely with faculty with a variety of disciplinary strengths, and you will join a talented community of fellow graduate students. The main goals of the program are to: 
  • strengthen your critical and analytical writing abilities necessary for teachers and writers
  • equip you with pedagogical tools to teach students in high school
  • prepare you for a career in teaching composition at the community college

Degree availability

  • Flagstaff Mountain Campus: Study at the Flagstaff Mountain Campus, and work with full-time faculty experts.
  • Online: Study online with full-time faculty experts, pay competitive tuition rates. No residency required.

Length of program

The RWDMS graduate certificate can be completed in 1 year. If you work full-time and are completing the degree online, many students take courses part-time (1-2 courses/semester). Certificate completion depends on the number of courses students take.Progress in the certificate program may be affected by course availability, enrollment timelines, and other factors.

Employment after graduation

Students completing our program use their certification for career advancement opportunities in a variety of areas:
  • teaching writing/composition at the high school and college level
  • teaching dual-enrollment composition courses
  • adding a specialization to current careers in editing and technical writing, freelance writing, social media/digital content writing
As a graduate certificate student, you learn to analyze documents and produce relevant and practical projects geared towards your career goals. You’ll gain excellent communication skills as well as teaching skills by focusing on written and digital communication, global literacy studies, and teaching writing in diverse settings.

Questions? Please contact

Email:
sibylle.gruber​@nau.edu
Call:
928-523-8369
Department of English
Location
Room 140 Building 18
Liberal Arts
705 S. Beaver Street
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6032
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 6032
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6032
Email
english@nau.edu
Phone
928-523-4911