UCF Texts and Technology Ph.D. Program: A Comprehensive Overview

The Texts and Technology (T&T) Ph.D. program at the University of Central Florida (UCF) offers a rigorous and interdisciplinary approach to studying the intersection of texts and technology. This program prepares graduates for diverse career paths in academia, industry, cultural institutions, government agencies, publishing houses, and non-profit organizations. The program emphasizes a rigorous curriculum delivered in a friendly environment, supported by an internationally recognized faculty.

Program Objectives and Focus

The UCF Texts and Technology program is designed to foster a deep engagement with digital practices across various fields. It aims to:

Support engagement with digital practices in dialectical, rhetorical, procedural, and critical-cultural fields.
Consider literacy in a broad sense, encompassing traditional writing and communication as well as computational and procedural literacy (e.g., using programming and new media installations for production, critique, and analysis).

Students bring their knowledge from a specific discipline and deepen their understanding through a digital lens.

Admission Requirements

Applicants to the Texts and Technology Ph.D. program must hold a master's degree from an accredited institution recognized by UCF or a recognized foreign institution. Relevant fields of study include those with a technological and/or textual theory component, such as digital humanities, public history, technical communication, digital media, cultural studies, philosophy, rhetoric, or linguistics.

Degree Requirements

The program requires a total of 57 credits, distributed across core courses, a specialization area, electives, and dissertation work. The curriculum structure moves logically from foundational coursework and specialization training in the first two years, through candidacy exams and prospectus development, to focused dissertation research in the final years. This progression ensures students build expertise systematically while maintaining the program’s commitment to preparing graduates for diverse career paths in academia, industry, cultural institutions, and beyond.

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Core Courses (18 Credits)

The core curriculum establishes a strong interdisciplinary foundation. These courses include:

ENG6800 - Introduction to Texts and Technology (3 credits)
ENG6801 - Texts and Technology in History (3 credits)
ENG6810 - Theories of Texts and Technology (3 credits)
ENG6005 - Dissertation Research Design in Texts and Technology (3 credits)
ENG6812 - Research Methods for Texts and Technology (3 credits)

Procedural Literacy (3 Credits)

Students must choose at least one course from the following:

DIG6836 - Humanistic Data Analysis (3 credits)
ENG6819 - Critical Making for Humanist Scholarship (3 credits)

Area of Specialization (12 Credits)

Students select one area of specialization and earn at least 12 credits from the corresponding list of courses. The program details section provides a more in-depth description of each Area of Specialization, including recommended methods courses and a list of suggested courses within each specialization. Specialization options include:

Digital Humanities: Combines the study and application of digital technologies with the study of human society and culture. Courses are available in Art History, Digital Media, English, History, Philosophy, Theatre, and Women and Gender Studies. This specialization prepares students for careers in research, teaching, government, and industry.
Digital Media: Emphasizes the conceptual, theoretical, design, and technical skills needed to engage the changing platforms on which we work, teach, and live. Courses are available in Digital Media, English, History, and Philosophy. This specialization prepares students for careers in user experience design, digital storytelling, and interactive communication.
Editing, Publishing, and Interdisciplinary Curating (EPIC): Courses are available in Art History, Creative Writing, Digital Media, English, History, Linguistics, and Literature.
Public History: Engages students in collaborations with various communities in the gathering of historic materials, preservation, archiving, curating, oral history, and related fields. Courses are available in American History, English, History, and Philosophy. This specialization prepares students for careers in academia, museums, governments, and non-profit agencies.
Rhetoric and Composition: Courses are available in English, History, and Philosophy.
Scientific and Technical Communication: Provides a foundation in rhetorical theory, communication theory, design theory, and other theories informing the discipline. Courses are available in English, History, Linguistics, Literature, and Philosophy.

Elective Courses - Interdisciplinary Electives (9 Credits)

Students earn at least 9 credits from any Area of Specialization or other university departments, subject to approval.

Admission to Candidacy (3 Credits)

ENC 7919 Doctoral Research (3 credits)
Students must pass a written candidacy examination with three parts.

Dissertation and Oral Defense (15 Credits)

ENC 7980 (15 credits)
Students must write and defend a dissertation proposal (prospectus) and a dissertation.
Students must submit at least one scholarly article to a peer-reviewed journal or conference proceedings.

Assessment

The program employs various assessment methods to ensure students meet the required standards.

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Candidacy Examination

A written examination with three parts:

One part based on a reading list reviewed biennially by the Texts and Technology faculty. This course requires texts drawn from the T&T core list. Online Activities.
Two parts based on reading lists prepared by each student and approved by the examination committee.

Dissertation Proposal (Prospectus)

Submitted during the first year of dissertation work.

Dissertation

A written dissertation that explains and defends a significant original contribution to the field of Texts and Technology. Your capstone project isn’t constrained by traditional formats.

Oral Defense

The dissertation committee administers the candidate's oral defense of the dissertation.

Internship Opportunities

The program offers an internship option (ENG6947 - Internship in Texts and Technology) for students to gain practical experience.

Career Paths

Graduates of the Texts and Technology program can pursue careers in academia, industry, or research. Potential career paths include:

Faculty member in Communication
Faculty member in Digital Media
Faculty member in Media Design
Faculty member in Technical Communication
Grant Writer
Startup founder
Technical Writer
UX Designer

Program Culture and Environment

The UCF Texts & Technology Ph.D. program emphasizes a rigorous curriculum delivered in a friendly environment. The program encourages students to maintain an interdisciplinary approach to their doctoral education. Join a close-knit cohort of forward-thinking scholars supported by faculty who are international leaders in their fields.

Course Example: Introduction to the PhD in Texts and Technology

Dr. [Instructor's Name] teaches a course that provides an introduction to the PhD in Texts and Technology. Throughout this course, students explore Texts & Technology through theory and practice, with an emphasis on interdisciplinarity, understanding academic fields and their relationships to each other, developing an academic identity, and fundamentals of success for both graduate school and academia. Each week includes a combination of readings, exercises, discussions, and progress towards a draft journal article and professional academic web presence. This course uses a mixed mode format, and relies upon students to complete all readings, engage with online videos, and complete tutorials as assigned.

Course Activities

Weekly Readings and Lecture: The full schedule of required readings is listed in the syllabus: additional recommended readings will be provided in each module.
Online Activities: This course requires texts drawn from the T&T core list.
Activity Verification: Complete the brief survey posted on Webcourses as soon as possible to confirm your enrollment in the course.
Zotero Reading List: Set up Zotero and create a collection for your core T&T list. Add all the books we’re reading this semester that are on the list as well as any others you have read or are particularly interested in.
Abstract: Choose a special issue, conference, or a target journal from the provided list. Draft an abstract of the appropriate length and style (following journal guidelines).
Literature Review: Select three relevant journal articles or book chapters in consultation with the professor: at least one should be from your target journal.
Revision Memo: Provide a plan for your article revision, responsive to the feedback you’ve reived on the draft submission.

Example Readings

The course includes texts drawn from the T&T core list, such as:

Ahmed, Sara. On Being Included: Racism and Diversity in Institutional Life. Duke University Press, 2012.
Bogost, Ian. Persuasive Games: The Expressive Power of Video Games. MIT Press, 2007.
Bolter, Jay David. Writing Space: Computers, Hypertext, and the Remediation of Print. Routledge, 2001.
Gold, Matthew K., and Lauren Klein (eds.) Debates in the Digital Humanities 2023. University of Minnesota Press, 2023.
Klein, Julie Thompson. Interdisciplining Digital Humanities: Boundary Work in an Emerging Field. University of Michigan Press, 2015.
Manovich, Lev. Software Takes Command. Bloomsbury, 2013.
Nakamura, Lisa. Digitizing Race: Visual Cultures of the Internet. University of Minnesota Press, 2007.
Vee, Annette. Coding Literacy: How Computer Programming is Changing Writing. MIT Press, 2017.

Course Policies

Students can access their grades and feedback at any time using the Grade Book function of Webcourses. All assignments will be submitted through Webcourses. Plan on checking the site at least twice a week for updates and assignment information. Late work is accepted without penalty through one week after the assignment deadline. If circumstances require extension beyond that deadline, please reach out to the instructor immediately. As assignments throughout the course are designed to build on the previous exercise, assignments must be completed in sequence. There is no extra credit work available in this class. All assignments are due at the close of their listed module, but will be accepted with no penalty for one week after the deadline. In the event of an emergency or medical challenge, additional flexibility beyond the grading guidelines is available: when anticipated, students should reach out to the instructor as soon as feasible to form a plan or discuss an incomplete if needed.

Academic Integrity

The Center for Academic Integrity (CAI) defines academic integrity as a commitment, even in the face of adversity, to five fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Students should familiarize themselves with UCF’s Rules of Conduct. Unauthorized assistance: Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information or study aids in any academic exercise unless specifically authorized by the instructor of record. Commercial Use of Academic Material: Selling of course material to another person, student, and/or uploading course material to a third-party vendor without authorization or without the express written permission of the university and the instructor. Students should also familiarize themselves with the procedures for academic misconduct in UCF’s student handbook, The Golden Rule. UCF faculty members have a responsibility for students’ education and the value of a UCF degree, and so seek to prevent unethical behavior and respond to academic misconduct when necessary. Penalties for violating rules, policies, and instructions within this course can range from a zero on the exercise to an “F” letter grade in the course.

Accessibility and Inclusion

This course is built with universal design for learning principles in mind: if you encounter challenges with any of the course materials, assignments, platforms, or requirements, please reach out for assistance, and know that additional support is always available regardles of documentation. Additionally, the University of Central Florida is committed to providing access and inclusion for all persons with disabilities. Students with disabilities who need access to course content due to course design limitations should contact the professor as soon as possible. For students connected with SAS, a Course Accessibility Letter may be created and sent to professors, which informs faculty of potential course access and accommodations that might be necessary and reasonable. Determining reasonable access and accommodations requires consideration of the course design, course learning objectives and the individual academic and course barriers experienced by the student.

Emergency Procedures

Emergencies on campus are rare, but if one should arise during class, everyone needs to work together. Every UCF classroom contains an emergency procedure guide posted on a wall near the door. If there is a medical emergency during class, students may need to access a first-aid kit or AED (Automated External Defibrillator). To stay informed about emergency situations, students can sign up to receive UCF text alerts by going to MyUCF and logging in.

Student Responsibilities

Students who represent the university in an authorized event or activity (for example, student-athletes) and who are unable to meet a course deadline due to a conflict with that event must provide the instructor with documentation in advance to arrange a make-up. Students must notify their instructor in advance if they intend to miss class for a religious observance. For more information, see the UCF policy. Title IX prohibits sex discrimination, including sexual misconduct, sexual violence, sexual harassment, and retaliation.

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