In years 1 and 2 of the PhD, students generally take courses and become familiar with writing pedagogy approaches at Pitt. In years 3, 4, and 5 of the PhD, students work on independent research. Projects take the place of traditional Comprehensive exams and enable PhD students to develop interdisciplinary expertise by synthesizing scholarship across three fields. Pitt’s doctoral students in composition create distinctive projects that link questions about reading, writing, and teaching to current institutions, disciplines, media, and debates in English studies. Their dissertations have nurtured Black women's everyday writing through creative-critical multimedia and archival methods; examined digital and material literacy practices of Iraqi refugees; traced the rhetorical frames of statistics in 20th century texts; explored bullet journals and other productivity systems for writing; developed games and arguments to queer the software/hardware stack. Frequently their projects have arisen out of and returned to practices in the classroom and attend to various forms and contexts of student and public writing. Collaboration with community organizations and/or delving into archives are also common approaches to doctoral work in Composition at Pitt. Pitt’s composition PhDs find positions in academic departments across the country and abroad and build satisfying careers teaching and contributing to scholarship in Composition.
Fellowships and Financial Support
PhD students are guaranteed five years of funding. Students enter our five-year program with a fellowship in their first year and then teach one course per term over their next four years. Composition PhDs often win competitive fellowships in their 4th or 5th years to focus on their dissertations. Summer support and teaching are available for students to augment the standard stipend. Research and Development funds are available for travel to conferences; plus, our students often win writing awards, nationality room scholarships for travel, Humanities Engage grants, and find other financial support across campus for their work. Please visit the English Department graduate program page for more information on fellowships and funding.
Teaching
Starting in their second year, Composition PhDs teach our first-year writing course (Seminar in Composition). In their third year, they often go on to teach Written Professional Communication, Composing Digital Media, Writing for the Public, Digital Humanity, or other Public and Professional Writing courses relevant to their teaching and research interests. With writing-intensive courses capped at 19 or 22 students and a 1/1 teaching load in years 2-5, the PhD program at Pitt offers extensive hands-on pedagogical development balanced against a manageable workload. Our teacher-training program, including a seminar in year 1, practicum support throughout year 2, and mentoring beyond that, prepares our students to enter the classroom with confidence and enables those with teaching experience to grow through mentoring others. You can read more about our teaching training and sequence.
Public Engagement
Our Composition program is connected to many other units on campus and off, which provides our PhD students with opportunities for research, teaching, support, and collaboration. The Humanities Engage program at our Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences encourages innovative dissertations and supports internships and research with community organizations. The Center for African American Poetry and Poetics sponsors speakers and since 2020, has put on a weekly intensive study in the fall. The Writing Institute offers dissertation support, professional development courses, and advice on sustainable writing routines. Our graduate students often teach at Pitt's Writing Center. Pitt's Community Engagement Centers provide places for students to extend their connections with historically Black neighborhoods through events, volunteering, training, or courses. Carnegie Mellon University’s campus overlaps with Pitt geographically and in other ways. Both universities enjoy speakers and events hosted by the other and our students take courses at CMU through our reciprocity agreement and vice versa.
Life in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is a relatively affordable, mid-sized city with all the amenities of a big city: major sports teams, world-class museums, diverse dining options, and reliable public transit. Doctoral students who are parents find high performing public schools for their children. Pittsburgh is a healthcare hub, and students find regular doctors or specialized care to fit their needs. The city is comprised of neighborhoods, each with their own mix of people, personality, shopping districts, and amenities. Many of them are a short walk or bus ride to Oakland, where Pitt and Carnegie Mellon are located. Sizable public parks are nestled within the city, and state parks, biking trails, ice rinks, river beaches, and playgrounds offer plenty of outside recreation year round. Visit Pittsburgh and Discover the Burgh describe more events and amenities.