Rhetoric Programs in Europe (BA/MA)
If you know of any programs or courses in rhetoric not on the list (in alphabetical order according to country), please let us know.
Belgium – Bulgaria – Denmark – Finland – Germany – Netherlands – Norway – Poland – Sweden – United Kingdom
Belgium
Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
The Master in French and Romance Languages and Literatures (learning language: French) offers a few courses on rhetoric, including “Théories et pratiques de la rhétorique”.
The BA in Information and Communication (learning language: French) offers a course on “Rhétorique et argumentation”.
The ULB is also the home of the Perelman Archives and the GRAL: Groupe de recherche en Rhétorique et en Argumentation Linguistique.
Catholic University Leuven (KU Leuven)
KU Leuven in Antwerpen offers a BA-level course on ‘Rhetoric and argumentation’ in the Bachelor Toegepaste Taalkunde (Applied Language Studies) (learning language: Dutch + English, French or German). Some courses in the master programs are linked to this introductory course, such as ‘Critical Text Analysis’ in the Master of Journalism, and ‘Speech Analysis’ in the Master in Interpreting.
The Faculteit Letteren in Leuven offers BA-level courses on rhetoric (eg. Latin & Greek Studies) (learning language: Dutch).
Ghent University (UGent)
Ghent University offers courses in rhetoric both on BA and MA level at the Classics Department, courses in persuasive communication at the Department of Communication Studies and modules on rhetorical criticism through courses on Cultural Studies at the Department of Educational Studies (learning language: Dutch).
Bulgaria
NATFA
The National Academy for Theater and Film Arts (NATFA) “Krastyo Sarafov” offers a Master’s Degree in Public Speaking. The program offers a variety of theoretical courses and training on public, media and virtual communication (learning language: Bulgarian).
Sofia University “Kliment Ohridski”
Sofia University offers a Master’s Degree in Rhetoric. The program offers a variety of historical, critical, practical and business oriented courses.
Denmark
The University of Copenhagen
The Section of Rhetoric at the Department of Communication at the University of Copenhagen offers a full university education in rhetoric with programs at the BA, MA, and PhD levels (learning language: Danish). The faculty covers a range of fields of expertise including the history of rhetoric, rhetorical writing, and rhetorical criticism, protest rhetoric, and new materialism and offer courses in topics such as oral rhetoric, rhetoric in society, rhetorical argumentation, rhetorical innovation, debate culture and rhetorical citizenship. The notion of rhetorical citizenship undergirds the programs at the BA and MA levels.
Aarhus University
Aarhus University offers a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Rhetoric (learning language: Danish). The Master’s program offers courses in narrative rhetoric, argumentation, dialogue, new media, genre studies, speech writing and the rhetorical tradition.
Finland
University of Jyväskylä
The Department of Communication at University of Jyväskylä has a Centre for Multilingual Academic Communication offering degrees from the BA to the PhD (learning language: Finnish + English). The Centre has three core areas of research: 1) Learning communication skills and developing communication competence, 2) Interpersonal communication in private and working life, and 3) Technologically mediated communication. According to the centre’s website, “education in rhetoric, and particularly in pronunciation, use of the voice, and oral interpretation, merged into the so-called Finnish language movement. Education in oral interpretation and rhetoric was consolidated in almost every university in Finland in the 1950s. The title speech communication was first used at the University of Jyväskylä in the 1980s.”
Germany
University of Tübingen
The University of Tübingen is the only university in Germany that offers a full university education in rhetoric with programs at the Bachelor, Master and PhD. level (learning language: German). The courses cover a wide variety of historical and theoretical issues such as “Rhetorical Analysis and rhetorical production”, “Ancient rhetoric”, “Transformations of rhetoric in history”, “Contemporary rhetorical theory” etc. The program also includes practical courses on text composition and media production.
University of Marburg
The University of Marburg offers a Master’s Degree in Speech Science and Phonetics (learning language: German) with a specialization either in Phonetics or Speech Communication. The latter has a strong orientation towards rhetorical studies and performance studies/oral interpretation.
University of Saarland
The University of Saarland offers a Master’s Degree in Business Communication and Rhetoric (learning language: German). The ability to understand and compile texts, discussions about the fundamental rhetorical principles, learning about the structure and composition of the rhetorical devices that underlie persuasive strategies are some of the topics that are covered within the degree.
University for Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart
The University for Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart also offers a Master’s Degree in Rhetoric (learning language: German). The course aims to develop rhetorical skills with regard to a future employment as a professional rhetoric trainer and consultant in the field of politics, business, administration, school/university and culture.
University of Regensburg
The University of Regensburg offers a Master’s Degree in Speech Communication and Rhetoric (learning language: German) that covers topics such as argumentation, presentation, negotiation, basics of personnel management, leadership and communication, communication and motivation, voice and speech training.
Bard College Berlin
The Bard College Berlin is a private German-American nonprofit university in Berlin. In addition to the BA core program in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought, students can choose major programs such as Literature and Rhetoric (learning language: English + German). Literature and Rhetoric students can spend up to two semesters abroad and pursue a wide array of coursework in literature at the Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York or at the Central European University in Vienna.
Netherlands
University of Amsterdam
The University of Amsterdam has two Masters programs for those interested in studying rhetoric and argumentation. The University offers a Dual Master in Communication and Information which offers an introduction to Rhetoric and Persuasion and a Research Master in Linguistics and Communication that covers topics such as argumentation theory, rhetoric and discourse theory (learning language: English). The UvA also offers a Research Master in Communication Science (Professional and Academic) within students can specialize in one of the following four tracks: Persuasive Communication, Corporate Communication, Entertainment Communication and Political Communication (learning language: English).
Leiden University
Leiden University offers a Bachelor’s (learning language: Dutch) and a Master’s program (learning language: English) in Classics with courses on classical rhetoric and rhetorical theory. They also offer a Research Master’s program in Classics (learning language: English).
University College Roosevelt
The Arts & Humanities department at University College Roosevelt offers a Rhetoric and Argumentation Track, which covers courses such as “Aspects of Rhetoric and Argumentation (Comparative rhetoric)”, “Persuasion in Social Discourses”, as well as introductory courses (learning language: English).
Norway
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo offers a Master’s Degree in Nordic Studies that contains a track in Rhetoric and Linguistic Communication (learning language: Norwegian) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Nordic Studies that contains a track in Language, Literature, Rhetoric (learning language: Norwegian).
University of Bergen
The University of Bergen offers a Bachelor’s Degree in Rhetoric (learning language: Norwegian). In 2003 an undergraduate program in rhetoric was established at the University of Bergen. It covers courses such as Introduction to Rhetoric, Classical rhetoric or Philosophy and Rhetoric (learning language: Norwegian). The Bachelor’s program of Media and Communication Studies also offer courses in rhetoric: Rhetoric and strategic communication, Media rhetoric, and Strategic communication (learning language: Norwegian).
The Department of Information Science and Media Studies also holds a Research group for rhetoric, democracy and public culture.
Poland
University of Warsaw
The Department of Rhetorics and Media offers Master programme in rhetoric.
The University of Warsaw offers various courses about Rhetoric each semester at different Institutes, which shows the great interdisciplinary importance and role of rhetoric. The Institute of Applied Polish Studies, the Faculty of Journalism, Information and Book Studies, the Institute of Classic Studies, the Faculty of Sociology, the Faculty of Management, the Faculty of History and Faculty of Political Science and International Studies offer courses in Polish. The Institute of English Studies (learning language: English), the Institute of French Studies (learning language: French) and the Department of Italian Studies (learning language: Italian) also offer courses in foreign languages which could be interesting for exchange students.
The Faculty of Polish Studies at the University of Warsaw holds a Centre for Applied Rhetoric.
Catholic University of Lublin
The University of Lublin offers a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Rhetoric (learning language: Polish).
Sweden
Lund University
At Lund University’s Department of Communication and Media, students can earn a degree in rhetoric on all levels up to and including a PhD (learning language: English). Undergraduates can take courses on practical rhetoric, theory, history, rhetorical criticism, rhetorical didactics and methods, as well as special area study courses such as cross cultural rhetoric, the history of propaganda, and the rhetoric of death and dying. Lund offers 2nd cycle courses on such themes as the history of rhetoric, contemporary rhetorical theory, democratic participation, and the rhetoric of science.
Södertörn University
Södertörn University offers an undergraduate program in rhetoric (learning language: Swedish) with two specializations: one towards rhetorical pedagogy and counselling, the other towards political rhetoric and sustainable development. Among the courses are: “Rhetorical Didactics”, “Writing courses”, “Rhetorical Field Studies”, “Language, Power, and Social Identity”, “Rhetoric Project Management”, “Rhetoric and Society”, and “Science Communication”.
Uppsala University
The Uppsala University offers a Master’s program in Rhetoric (learning language: Swedish + English).
Department of Literature at Uppsala University also offers courses in rhetoric such as Introduction to Rhetoric, Rhetoric, Rhetoric and Propaganda, Rhetoric and Philosophy and Rhetorical Criticism.
Örebro University
At Örebro University, the section of Rhetoric together with the English and Swedish sections offer a joined Bachelor’s program in Language, Rhetoric and Communicative Leadership (learning language: Swedish + English). Students who select the Rhetoric track attend courses on the basic concepts of classical and modern rhetoric, rhetorical argumentation, visual rhetoric, as well as rhetorical leadership. At the same time, students train in public speaking and debating.
Lectures and workshops on basic rhetorical concepts and presentation skills are offered to students attending various Bachelor’s programs outside the Department of Humanities, such as Law, Social Sciences, Engineering, and Medical Sciences.
The Örebro University also offers a Master’s program in Strategic Communication (learning language: English).
There’s a Rhetoric Research Group at the University that explores different areas such as crisis communication, non-verbal communication, visual rhetorics, forensic rhetoric and rhetoric and gender.
United Kingdom
Royal Halloway, University of London
The Centre for Oratory and Rhetoric in the Department of Classics offers a Master of Research program in Rhetoric (learning language: English), the only research-based program of its kind in the UK. The emphasis is on the progressive development of skills of analysis and independent research, as well as on more creative work (e.g. the composition of a speech). The program offers preparation for research at PhD level and for a wide range of other careers involving rhetoric or communication, and can also be taken as continuous professional development by those already in careers such as law, business, media, or medicine.