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English

English major: Writing & Rhetoric emphasis

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"Rhetoric is the art, practice, and study of human communication."
~ Andrea Lunsford

An undergraduate English major with an emphasis in Writing & Rhetoric deepens your understanding of a range of writing situations, improves your writing abilities, and provides a solid background for a number of career paths, including professional and technical writing, teaching, creative writing, journalism, linguistics, graduate studies, and other careers where effective writing is important.  

As you explore connections among language, culture, and power, you will learn to use the art of writing to inquire, to collaborate with others, and to act in context. You will learn to use effective composing processes for various audiences, purposes, and genres. Ultimately, a concentration in Writing & Rhetoric empowers you to examine and shape your world through language.

See the requirements for this major

Use this printable checklist for advising (double-check requirements with your advisor and WINGS)

Student Learning Outcomes

A student graduating from this program will be able to

RHETORICAL COMPETENCE (Understanding Audience & Genre)

1. Select and modify writing strategies for different discourse communities 

2. Analyze and adapt genre conventions related to focus, organization, development, style,     editing, design and publishing 

COMPOSING PROCESSES (Practicing Invention, Feedback & Revision)

3. Work through effective composing processes, using writing as a means of learning 

4. Write collaboratively, give feedback to others, and use feedback in revision 

TEXTUAL STUDIES (Practicing Critical Thinking & Reading)

5. Analyze and critique a variety of texts and media, including print, digital and visual 

6. Analyze and explain how language shapes and is shaped by culture, history and politics 

KNOWLEDGE BUILDING (Engaging in Research & Scholarship)

7. Conduct research and integrate appropriate primary and secondary sources 

8. Engage in disciplinary conversations, drawing on traditional and contemporary studies of  rhetoric and writing

The Writing & Rhetoric Emphasis provides a solid background for a number of career paths. As you complete your degree requirements, you may sample courses from different areas for maximum versatility, or you may choose to specialize in one of these ways:

Professional & Technical Writing

  • Sample Courses: Intro to Professional Writing; Technical Writing; Writing for Management, Public Relations & the Professions; Grant Writing; Writing in the Sciences; Digital Content Writing, Management, & Experience Design; Professional Writing Practicum (Internship), etc.

Journalism

  • Sample Courses: Reporting & Copy-Editing, Feature and Specialized Writing, Creative Non-fiction, Publication Production, etc.

Creative Writing

  • Sample Courses: Creative Writing, Seminar in Advanced Poetry Writing, Seminar in Advanced Fiction Writing, Forms of Poetry, etc.

Teaching (Non-certification)

  • Sample Courses:  Introduction to Rhetoric and Writing Studies, Writing for Teachers, Language Studies for Secondary Teachers, etc.

Linguistics

  • Sample Courses: The English Language, Modern English Grammars, Introduction to Linguistics, etc.

Graduate Studies

  • Sample Courses: Writing in the Arts & Humanities, Critical Theory, Classical Chinese Discourse, etc.

Communication-Related Fields

  • Other fields in addition to those listed above include: business, grant writing, web design, public relations, graphic design, sales, research, marketing, publishing, promotions, and much more. A degree that demonstrates your written communication skills will be an asset for practically any job position.

This page provides a sampling of links for Writing & Rhetoric emphasis English Majors. 

Campus Resources

Rhetoric & Composition Resources

Writer Resources

Writing Creates Community