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The Department of Rhetoric provides a cross-disciplinary PhD curriculum centered on examining rhetorical theory and how historical rhetorical concepts intersect with modern critical theory across diverse academic fields. A key aspect of the department's methodology involves analyzing how rhetoric shapes arguments in domains like law, politics, literature, cinema, and philosophy. Faculty and graduate students engage with these varied disciplines while maintaining a critical perspective on disciplinary rhetoric. In their initial two years, graduate students investigate core topics in rhetoric's history and theory while exploring specialized subjects through seminar courses. From their fourth semester onward, they focus more intensively on preparing for doctoral qualifying exams and developing their dissertation research.