Alumni Spotlight
Madiha Patel, WRTC, M.A., 2020
Madiha Patel earned her Master of Arts in WRTC in 2020. After completing a Bachelor’s in International and Religious Studies at Towson University, she sought to expand her understanding of how human rights, foreign affairs, and peacebuilding efforts in theory translated into practice locally and globally. This interest brought her to WRTC where she gained frameworks to enhance communication in peacebuilding spaces.
Madiha currently provides grant writing services and communication strategies to community-based nonprofits. Her WRTC training in professional writing, literacy building, and rhetoric are critical to her work in supporting nonprofits serving marginalized communities.
Program Advantages
Why we're one of the top graduate writing programs in Virginia:
- Assistantships to cover tuition and provide a stipend to qualified applicants.
- Design & Technological Skills to pursue writing careers in digital storytelling, publication management, professional editing, content strategy, UX, and more.
- Public & Professional Writing and Health & Science Writing tracks.
- Students From Diverse Majors including science, English, sociology, business, education, writing studies, psychology, journalism, and more.
- Career Support that includes close mentorship, career advising, job application guidance, and conference travel funding.
- Internship or Thesis Option to pursue either an internship or write a research-based thesis.
Careers in Writing
WRTC graduates pursue writing careers in:
- Technical Communication
- Medical Writing
- Professional Editing
- Science Writing
- Information Design
- Digital Storytelling
- Content Strategy
- User Experience
- Grant Writing
- Teaching Writing
- Publication Management
"There's a wide range of things within Writing Studies that you can focus on."
— Jessie Wiggins
Graduate Student Spotlight
Vanessa is a Double Duke who earned her bachelor’s degree in Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication.
She is pursuing a blossoming interest in user experience and enjoys spending time with her cat, Frida Kahlo.
When asked if she had advice for her fellow graduate students, Vanessa said, “Don’t be afraid of your creativity. Sometimes ‘out there’ ideas can be your best."
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Greetings From The Director
"When you join our program, you become part of a supportive, high-energy community of faculty and students who are dedicated writers and content creators." Read More
— Dr. Lori Beth De Hertogh, WRTC Graduate Program Director
