Writing Minor

The minor in writing is designed to serve students in a wide variety of disciplines, such as computer science, business, math, nursing, and engineering, by giving them the opportunity to develop personal and workplace writing skills and greater rhetorical sensitivity. The minor requires 18 credits; the range of courses offered encourages students to tailor a program that augments their professional needs and personal talents as writers.

Writing Minors need 18 credits. . .

Core Requirements (9 cr.):

WRT 200 Introduction to Professional Writing
WRT 210 Writing with Style
WRT 219 Introduction to Creative Writing

Writing Electives (9 cr.-choose any three courses):

WRT 251 Document Design and Production
WRT 320 Intermediate Poetry Workshop
WRT 330 Intermediate FictionWorkshop
WRT 340 Intermediate Drama Workshop
WRT 360 Intermediate NonFction Workshop
WRT 350 Business Communication
WRT 351 Writing for the Web

Courses of Instruction

WRT 200 Introduction to Professional Writing. Situation-based writing assignments and related readings introduce students to business writing, media writing, and technical writing. Typical assignments include business correspondence, reports, reviews, reportage, feature articles, user instructions, brochures, and technical documentation. Prerequisite: Fulfillment of the Freshman Writing Requirement. Three credits. Offered fall and winter semesters.

WRT 210 Writing with Style. Close study of the rhetorical dimension of diction, sentence structure, rhythm, coherence, paragraphing, figures of speech, and whole compositions in various genres. Prerequisite: Fulfillment of the Freshman Writing Requirement. Three credits. Offered fall semester.

WRT 219 Introduction to Creative Writing. Introduction to the theory and practice of various forms of creative writing. Students write poetry, fiction, drama and also read literature in each genre. Prerequisite: Fulfillment of the Freshman Writing Requirement and completion of at least one literature course. Three credits. Offered fall and winter semesters.

WRT 251 Document Design and Production. This course will give writing students an introduction to layout, design, and typographic principles as well as the technical foundation and practical experience to produce professional documents for print production. Students will work from a foundation in rhetoric and basic graphic design principles and produce a range of document types. This course--as a writing course--will stick close to the rhetorical tradition, viewing our design process and written products as outcomes of rhetorical awareness.

WRT 320 Intermediate Poetry Workshop. Theory and practice of the genre of poetry. Students will read literature in the genre of poetry and then write poetry. There will be some discussion of current publication markets; periodically, guest writers will give public readings and visit class. Prerequisite: WRT 219. Three credits. Offered fall semester.

WRT 330 Intermediate Fiction Workshop. Theory and practice of the genre of fiction. Students will read literature in the genre of fiction and then write fiction. There will be some discussion of current publication markets; periodically, guest writers will give public readings and visit class. Prerequisite: WRT 219. Three credits. Offered fall and winter semesters.

WRT 340 Intermediate Drama Workshop. Theory and practice of playwriting. Students will read and write scenes and short plays. Some discussion of markets for production. Prerequisite: WRT 219. Three credits. Offered fall semester.

WRT 350 Writing in the Workplace. Training in the communication skills for business and the professions. Assignments cover varieties of information management, including handling research, gathering data, writing reports, manuals, directions, and correspondence, and making oral presentations. Prerequisite: Completion of the Freshman Writing Requirement. Three credits. Offered fall and winter semesters.

WRT 351 Writing for the World Wide Web. Emphasizes learning rhetorical structures best suited for writing in the nonlinear Web environment and on exploring the cultural impact Web-related discourse has had on bridging technology and the arts. Students practice professional writing as they learn to build Web documents for community and commercial Internet audiences. Prerequisite: Completion of the Freshman Writing Requirement. Three credits. Offered fall semester.

WRT 360 Intermediate Nonfiction. Designed for those students who want an advanced writing course for their majors, for preprofessional programs, or for entry to careers. Expository and persuasive writing is emphasized. Prerequisite: Completion of the Freshman Writing Requirement and WRT 200 or consent of instructor. Three credits. Offered winter semester.