Undergraduate Programs

The Department of Writing and Rhetoric is proud to offer three undergraduate programs:

Students in our programs improve their writing and rhetorical knowledge and competencies, preparing them to be successful communicators in disciplinary, professional, and public contexts. Students undertake rigorous intellectual work to increase their effectiveness as writers, develop their facility with language, and deepen their engagement with writing as a form of social action.

Courses in Our Programs Emphasize

  • Rhetoric, or the art of persuasion, as a means of civic engagement
  • Service-learning and community-based writing
  • Workplace writing and editing
  • Advanced research skills and professional habits of mind
  • Writing with various technologies and media

Students in Our Programs

  • Take small workshop-oriented courses
  • Work with nationally recognized faculty
  • Develop in-depth writing and rhetorical competencies
  • Work for and with clients on real-world writing projects
  • Gain credentials that give them a competitive edge in the job market

Did You Know?

  • Surveys of employers and professional organizations (e.g., American Bar Association) consistently point to writing, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills as the most important for success in today’s knowledge-based economy (Defining a 21st Century Education, Center for Public Education)
  • Writing and communication skills are key to advancing into managerial positions in the workplace
  • In order to address deficiencies, many companies require writing-based training/retraining of salaried employees; workers who already have such training could save their employers a great deal of money (Writing: A Ticket to Work…Or a Ticket Out, The National Commission on Writing)
  • Many businesses and organizations employ writing and communication specialists, especially those trained to write for new media