Prof. Writing & Rhetoric (PWR)
Surveys core theories of writing and rhetoric in a variety of professional genres and familiarizes students with the range of possible careers. Required of all PWR majors.
Emphasis on theories, principles, and practices of effective technical writing and writing in the sciences. Students will compose technical genres such as reports, proposals, memos, and documentation with an emphasis on usability, accessibility, data analysis, information design, ethics, writing style, and collaboration.
An advanced writing workshop that that focuses on the analysis and production of texts written for specific rhetorical situations and discourse communities. Emphasis on genre, persuasion, and rhetoric. Practice in various types of expository, narrative, persuasive, and academic writing.
Focuses on popular nonfiction addressed to a wider audience. Students will practice creative nonfiction research methods and compose genres such as travel writing, memoir, autobiography, biography, profiles, and history.
Examines histories, theories, and practices of literacy in relation to questions of ideology, education, schooling, identity, social class, technology, and/or composition.
Examines the ways women use language to persuade in both public and private spheres in both historical and contemporary periods, with special attention to both traditional rhetorical genres (speeches, letters, sermons, editorials) and nontraditional texts (quilts, recipe books, blogs).
Exploration of rhetoric, writing, literacy, and culture in relation to race and other related issues, such as class, identity, gender, politics, and culture.
Study and practice of professional writing in workplace contexts, with attention to audience adaptation, project management, collaboration, work with clients, professionalization, and style. Students will compose a range of workplace writings (i.e., letters, proposals, reports, web documents, design documents) and create application materials for career positions or graduate study. Culminates in a digital portfolio. Required of all PWR majors.
Theoretical issues and pedagogical methods for tutoring writing one-on-one. Examines how people best learn to write, how to talk with writers about their writing, and how one-on-one tutoring facilitates learning to write, including writing process theory, tutoring methods, revision and editing strategies, transfer, genre and disciplinary conventions, and working with special client populations.
Examines the role of writing and rhetoric in shaping, mobilizing, and changing the public’s thinking on contemporary controversial issues. Focus on both historical and contemporary debates.
Writing workshop centered on a particular topic. Student's practice writing genres that are related to the course theme. Topics may include food writing, travel writing, the teaching of writing, or other similar topics. Repeatable for a maximum of 6 credits with permission of department.
Undergraduate research undertaken with the supervision of a faculty member. May be taken for a maximum of 6 hours.
Students will learn and apply key concepts, theories, and methods used to produce scholarship in the field of rhetoric and writing. Students will complete a major research project using writing studies research methodologies, such as empirical, archival, case-study, ethnographic, digital, qualitative, quantitative, and text and discourse analysis.
Students use writing and related media to explore, analyze and advocate on issues of public concern with opportunities for students to create texts and campaigns.
A workshop course designed to develop skills in composing in multiple modes and media for different audiences, purposes, and situations. Students will analyze and compose a range of multimodal texts that integrate words, images, and sounds, such as digital stories, websites, video essays, audio compositions, scrapbooks, and posters.
An exploration of the editing and publishing profession, including acquisitions and list building and development of a marketable publishing project. Addresses the history and philosophy of publishing, an editor’s vocation, and current changes in the field.
A writing workshop that provides experience writing from and critically analyzing spiritual perspectives. Students compose in a range of genres (creeds, spiritual autobiographies, and analyses of religious texts) in order to explore spiritual questions, religious experiences, and rhetorical concerns.
Advanced workshop in writing, researching, and publishing creative nonfiction in popular media outlets including magazines, newspapers, blogs, and nonfiction books.
Close study of a topic in writing, rhetoric, literacy, or a related field. Topic announced each semester. Repeatable for a maximum of 6 credits with permission of department.
An internship to provide students in the PWR program supervised writing experience in a business or professional setting. Required of all PWR majors.
Undergraduate research undertaken with the supervision of a faculty member. May be taken for a maximum of 6 hours.