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