Careers

Career Paths for Rhetoric PhDs

The interdisciplinary training of the Rhetoric PhD prepares students for careers in academia and a wide range of other professional settings. Doctoral study develops advanced skills in research, critical analysis, argumentation, writing and communication, teaching, project management, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Rhetoric graduates have pursued faculty and postdoctoral appointments across the humanities and social sciences, as well as careers in law, higher education and humanities administration, technology and design, cultural and public-facing work, and other professional fields.

See the department's Placements page for initial placements of Rhetoric PhD graduates.

Career development can begin well before the final year of the PhD. Students are encouraged to explore possible career paths, develop professional skills and networks, and gain relevant experience throughout their doctoral training.

Berkeley Career and Professional Development Resources

  • Berkeley Career Engagement: Graduate Students & Postdocs: Provides dedicated career advising for doctoral students and postdocs, including confidential individual appointments, academic and nonacademic job-search preparation, career exploration, workshops, employer events, and application support.

  • GradPro: Graduate Division's professional development resource hub supports students throughout the PhD in exploring career paths, developing professional skills, building networks, and preparing for careers within and beyond academia. Graduate students can also schedule individual consultations and subscribe to the Professional Development Digest.

  • Arts & Humanities Resource Support for Current Graduate Students: The Division of Arts & Humanities provides professional development information and can help graduate students identify resources as they prepare for the academic job market or explore other employment opportunities.

Academic Careers

Students pursuing faculty positions should begin preparing well in advance of the year in which they plan to enter the academic job market. Academic applications may require a CV, cover letter, writing sample, research statement, teaching materials, letters of recommendation, and other materials depending on the position and institution.

  • Berkeley Career Engagement: Academic Job Search: Detailed guidance for doctoral students and postdocs on the academic hiring process, CVs, cover letters, letters of recommendation, teaching portfolios, interviews, and other components of the faculty job search.
  • Berkeley Career Engagement: Finding Job Announcements: Guidance on locating academic positions across professional associations, higher education job boards, interdisciplinary humanities and social science resources, community colleges, and international markets.
  • Rhetoric Society of America: The major interdisciplinary professional organization for scholars and students of rhetoric. RSA conferences, institutes, publications, and professional networks provide opportunities to develop scholarship and connect with scholars working across rhetorical studies.

Students preparing for academic careers should also work closely with their dissertation committee members and other faculty mentors regarding field-specific expectations, publication strategies, conference participation, and job-market materials.

Postdoctoral Opportunities

Postdoctoral fellowships can provide recent PhD graduates with additional time for research and publication, opportunities to develop new projects or areas of expertise, and preparation for academic or other professional careers. Postdoctoral opportunities vary considerably in their disciplinary focus, eligibility requirements, teaching expectations, duration, and application timeline.

Students interested in postdoctoral positions should begin identifying opportunities during the year before degree completion. Many postdoctoral competitions have deadlines in the fall or early winter for appointments beginning the following academic year, although timelines vary by program.

Finding Postdoctoral Opportunities

Students should search broadly for postdoctoral opportunities, as positions may be advertised through universities, humanities centers, interdisciplinary institutes, professional associations, and general academic job boards.

  • H-Net Job Guide: Academic job and fellowship listings across the humanities and social sciences, including opportunities relevant to rhetoric, communication, cultural studies, media studies, and related interdisciplinary fields.
  • HigherEdJobs: Listings for faculty, postdoctoral, research, administrative, and other higher education positions.
  • Chronicle of Higher Education Jobs: Academic and higher education job listings, including faculty, research, postdoctoral, and administrative opportunities.

Careers Beyond the Professoriate

Rhetoric PhD training can also prepare students for careers in higher education administration, government and public policy, law, nonprofit and foundation work, publishing and editing, communications, libraries and cultural institutions, research and strategy, technology and media, consulting, public humanities, and other fields.

Students considering these paths are encouraged to begin exploring before completing the dissertation. Informational interviews, internships and experiential learning, professional networking, and translating doctoral work into language used outside academia can all help students identify possible career directions and demonstrate relevant experience.

  • Berkeley Career Engagement: Career Exploration for Graduate Students & Postdocs: Provides career-exploration tools, advising, workshops, and resources specifically for graduate students and postdocs considering careers beyond academia.
  • Beyond Academia: A UC Berkeley graduate student-led organization that helps PhD students and postdocs explore careers beyond the traditional academic track through workshops, panels, professional development events, and its annual conference.
  • Humanists@Work: A UC-wide humanities career initiative organized by the University of California Humanities Research Institute. Humanists@Work provides resources, programming, and examples of the diverse professional paths pursued by humanities PhDs.
  • ImaginePhD: A free career exploration and planning tool designed specifically for humanities and social science PhD students and postdocs. Students can assess their skills, interests, and values; explore different career fields; and develop career and professional development plans.
  • Versatile PhD: A career resource for Berkeley graduate students and PhD holders exploring careers beyond academia, with information about career paths, professional experiences, job searches, and the transition from doctoral study into different sectors.

Building Skills and Experience at Berkeley

Students can use opportunities across Berkeley to develop skills, professional networks, and experience that complement their doctoral research and teaching.

  • Graduate Writing Center: Supports Berkeley graduate students through individual writing consultations, workshops, writing groups, dissertation and academic writing programs, grant-writing support, and resources for preparing articles for publication and other professional writing.
  • Experiential Learning and Internships for Graduate Students & Postdocs: Berkeley Career Engagement provides internship resources and a dedicated Handshake collection for graduate students and postdocs. Experiential opportunities can help students explore careers in business, government, nonprofit organizations, and other sectors while developing professional experience.
  • D-Lab: Offers Berkeley students training and consulting in research methods and tools including qualitative research, text analysis, Python, R, data visualization, natural language processing, GIS, and other methods. These resources can support dissertation research while also developing skills applicable to research, technology, policy, and other professional settings.
  • Townsend Center Working Groups: Bring together Berkeley graduate students and faculty from different disciplines around shared research interests. Participation can provide opportunities to present work, organize events, collaborate across fields, and build interdisciplinary professional networks.
  • Berkeley Center for New Media: Students whose research or career interests involve digital media, technology, design, or related fields may find relevant courses, events, research communities, and professional connections through BCNM.

Public Scholarship and Rhetoric in Practice

Rhetorical research can also extend beyond traditional academic publication and teaching. Students interested in public humanities, community-engaged scholarship, public writing, advocacy, media, or other forms of public-facing work may consider developing projects that translate their research and expertise for broader audiences.

  • Rhetorics for All: A Rhetoric Society of America initiative highlighting publicly engaged rhetorical scholarship, including public writing, community-engaged research, public programming, engaged pedagogy, digital projects, and other forms of rhetorical work beyond conventional academic publication.
  • Townsend Center for the Humanities: Supports interdisciplinary humanities research and public programming at Berkeley through working groups, lectures, fellowships, writing initiatives, and other opportunities for graduate students and faculty.
  • UC Humanities Research Institute: Connects humanities scholars across the University of California through research initiatives, grants, professional development, and systemwide networks.

Job and Internship Search Resources

  • Handshake: Berkeley's primary platform for jobs, internships, employer events, career fairs, and recruiting opportunities.
  • Berkeley Career Engagement Job Search Resources: Includes job-search guidance and resources selected for graduate students and postdocs, including resources relevant to the humanities and social sciences.

Students should use multiple approaches when searching for opportunities. In addition to posted positions, professional associations, conferences, faculty and alumni networks, informational interviews, and direct relationships with organizations can be important sources of information about potential career paths and openings.