College of Communication - Writing Arts
Course Offerings
Effective for students entering in fall 2007 and later (last edited 5/26/11)
Total Hours Required for Graduation in the Writing Arts Major = 77 s.h.
NOTE 1: To graduate, students must have at least 120 credits, a 2.5 in the major, at least a C- in all “major requirements and “related electives,” and a 2.0 overall.
NOTE 2: Only two courses from other institutions may transfer into the major requirements or related electives.
NOTE 3: Prerequisites are in parentheses ( ).
NOTE 4: With the permission of his or her academic advisor, a student may use Special Topics (3-6 s.h.), Independent Study (3 s.h.), or Field Experience (3–6 s.h.) courses offered by the Department of Writing Arts to fulfill requirements in Related Electives or the Free Elective bank. FOR THESE SPECIAL CHOICES, TOTAL CREDITS MUST NOT EXCEED 9 S.H.
MAJOR REQUIREMENTS (16 s.h.)
INTRODUCTORY LEVEL COURSES (6 s.h.)
WA 07200 Introduction to Writing Arts (CCII)
Introduction to Writing Arts familiarizes students with the disciplinary underpinnings of Writing Arts, providing a background in the history of writing, current writing theories, writing as technology, and the writing professions. The course covers these issues within the context of the Writing Arts major, enabling students to situate themselves in a community of writers and language professionals and preparing them for upper-level coursework.CMS 04250 Communication Theory (CCII)
This sophomore-level course acquaints students with current theories and perspectives as they apply to a variety of communication environments. Drawing upon a wealth of timely research, students study theories relating to interpersonal, small group, organizational, public, and mass communication. The course presents theories in model-form and through readings, as well as extensive class discussion.ADVANCED LEVEL COURSES (6 s.h.)
WA 01401 The Writer’s Mind (CCII and 45 s.h.)
The Writer's Mind examines the principles and practices that guide how writers think and develop creative, expository, and argumentative writing. This class addresses the connections and interdependencies between thinking about a complex topic and writing intelligibly. Students will examine how writing errors often reflect thinking errors, how writer's block develops, as well as strategies to overcome it, how metaphor functions in writing to structure thought, and how a writer's thought process matures over time.WA 01301 Writing, Research, & Technology (CCII, 60 s.h., and completion of or enrollment in Introduction to Writing Arts)
This course presents the rhetorical, social, and practical dimensions of writing and researching in networked contexts. Students focus both on the roles an individual creates and maintains when writing for different cybermedia formats and the kinds of conventions that exist in systems like the World Wide Web, listservs, e-mail, and hypertext. A web-based research project in a concentrated area of writing for a particular electronic community demonstrates students' ability to communicate on line.SENIOR LEVEL CAPSTONE COURSES (4 s.h.)
WA 01405 Senior Seminar: Evaluating Writing (CCII, Intro to Writing Arts and 90 s.h.)
This course examines issues and methods of assessing writing. Students will explore a wide variety of tools used to evaluate writing, such as portfolio and holistic assessment, and they will discuss the validity and reliability of many assessment models.WA 07450 Portfolio Seminar (Writer’s Mind; Writing, Research, & Technology; and completion of OR enrollment in Evaluating Writing)
Seniors majoring in Writing Arts will have an opportunity to reflect on the work undertaken as part of the writing arts major. The course asks students to construct and submit a portfolio consisting of work products both from those courses included in the core and from a selection of courses in the required elective clusters. A written reflection on the intellectual and learning experience derived from these courses as evidenced by the items included comprises the written requirement for this course.
RELATED ELECTIVES (18 s.h.)
Take one course from each of the following groups (total = 12 s.h.). Choose two additional courses from either the Creative Writing or the Writing in the Professions group (total = 6 s.h.)
Elements of Language (3 s.h. required)
CMS 04325 Linguistics
Students study the nature of human language by examining four major components: phonology, semantics, syntax, morphology. Linguistics principally emphasizes linguistic universals, characteristics which all human languages share. Students also discuss dialect formation, first-language acquisition in children, animal communication systems, and compare modern linguistic theories.CMS 04225 Semantics (30 s.h)
This course makes students aware of the relationship between language and human behavior and of the use and abuse of verbal and non-verbal language. It emphasizes meaning, the classification and abstraction processes and the application of semantic principles to the language of literature, politics, advertising, and prejudice.ENGL 02301 American English Grammar
This course emphasizes traditional grammar and seeks to give the student a practical understanding of the structure of contemporary American English grammar. Procedures include lecture, class discussion, and the working out of grammatical problems, including sentence diagramming.ANTH 02250 Intro to Anthropological Linguistics
Students in this interdisciplinary course will engage in the scientific study of language with particular reference to the relationships among the languages, thoughts, and cultures of speech communities living all over the world, including within the United States, France, India, Canada, Spain, Japan and Peru, among others. Additional course topics include the process of human language acquisition, structures of human language, bilingualism and the ways in which race, class, gender, and other social characteristics may be displayed through the use of language. This course is offered every other year, beginning in 2009.Creative Writing (3 s.h. required + 6 s.h. optional)
CRWR 07290 Creative Writing I (CC1)
This course concentrates on developing students' skills in writing various kinds of poems and in developing fiction techniques. In addition to exploring different poetic forms, students learn how to create characters, establish conflict, and develop a plot while writing a short story. Students examine the work of professional poets and fiction writers.CRWR 07291 Creative Writing II (Creative Writing I)
Building upon the foundations learned in Creative Writing I, students in Creative Writing II will engage in more specific practice in the conventions of short story writing, creative nonfiction and poetry. Students will have directed assignments encouraging experimentation in multiple genres but will prepare a final portfolio that may give more emphasis to a genre of their choice. Special emphasis will be placed on reading examples of these conventions and learning how writers graft or borrow techniques (dialogue, dramatic monologue, voice, description) from one genre to apply it in another.CRWR 07309 Writing Children’s Stories (30 s.h.)
This course focuses on fiction written for juveniles and young adults. Students examine the rich variety of literature published for young people. They do exercises, write complete stories, critique each other's writing in workshops and meet with the teacher for individual conferences on their work. They also learn how to submit manuscripts to magazine and book publishers.CRWR 07391 Writing Fiction (Creative Writing I)
This class will provide a forum for students to explore the strategies fiction writers use in creative expression, especially in writing the short story. Students will develop an analytical vocabulary that allows them to read, interpret, and evaluate the work of other fiction writers. A major portion of the class will be given over to workshop sessions, where students can share and evaluate each other's work. Students will also become familiar with a body of published short stories that illustrate techniques of expression such as setting, point of view, characterization, dialogue, and other elements of fiction.CRWR 07395 Writing Poetry (Creative Writing I)
This class will provide a forum for students to explore the strategies poets use in creative expression. The students will develop an analytical vocabulary that allows them to read, interpret, and evaluate the work of other poets. A major portion of the class will be given over to workshop sessions, where students can share and evaluate each other's work. Students will also become familiar with a body of published poetry that illustrates techniques of expression such as imagery, metaphor, voice, tone, the music and strategy of the line, and other elements of poetry.RTF 03393 Film Scenario Writing (45 s.h.)
The course covers the basic technical requirements for writing movie scripts and the problems of adapting material to screen and script analysis. By viewing contemporary movies and studying plotting, point-of-view, character creation and dialogue, students learn how a film script is put together and write an original script.WA 01304 Writing with Style (CCII, 45 s.h.)
Emphasizing prose style, this course builds upon the skills of organization and development covered in College Composition I and II. It gives special attention to tone, diction, sentence structure, audience, and ultimately, to the evolution of a personal voice. Students write frequently, receive instructor and peer feedback, and learn to analyze and edit both professional and non-professional essays.Writing in the Professions (3 s.h. required + 6 s.h. optional)
WA 01302 Intro to Technical Writing
This course introduces students to both the field of technical writing and the uses of technical writing within a variety of professions. Students will learn how technical writers use document design strategies based on rhetorical principles to respond to communication challenges. Through practice with a variety of genres, students will gain experience with audience analysis, communication ethics, research, collaboration, professional style, and editing. The course culminates in a writing project based on a professional, academic, or community issue of the student's choosing. Students are encouraged, and will be assisted, in designing projects that reflect their professional interests.WA 01400 Writing for the Workplace (75 s.h.)
Writing for the Workplace gives students practice in the writing activities common to most careers. Assignments include resumes and cover letters, field and progress reports, abstracts of professional articles, and proposals. Students can also expect to deliver one or two brief oral presentations. The course is restricted to juniors and seniors.JRN 02312 Magazine Article Writing (News Reporting I or Journalistic Writing or Basic PR Writing)
Students get started as freelance magazine article writers by conceiving article ideas, interviewing, researching, and writing. The course provides instruction in adjusting style and slant to reach potential readers. Students learn to sharpen writing, resolve clarity problems, and add vigor to writing. The course analyzes freelance markets. Students submit work for publication.WA 07410 Tutoring Writing
This course provides students theory and practice in turoring writing at all educational levels. It covers the writing process, the particulars of the tutorial relationship and issues of working with writers from a variety of backgrounds and abilities. It is recommended for students who are presently engaged in the tutoring of writing and those who may teach writing in one-on-one or small-group settings in the future.JRN 02317 Publication Layout and Design (45 s.h.)
This course focuses on design, layout and make-up of brochures, magazine and newspaper pages, newsletters, and advertisements. It stresses how to coordinate art and typography with content. A workshop approach is used to show students how creativity in design can increase the effectiveness of communication. Students learn how to work with the QuarkXPress program on the Macintosh computers to achieve effective layout.PR 06350 Introduction to Public Relations (CCII)
This course explores the history and role of public relations in society. Students explore mass media, persuasion, publicity, radio and television. Students examine special events, crisis management, communication techniques, research and evaluation, communication law and ethics. Basically a theory course, this introduction also applies ideas practically to real clients and organizations.OR
ADV 04330 Introduction to Advertising (30 s.h.)
The course provides an overview, including techniques and terminology that are useful in the professional world. Topics include history of advertising, marketing, ethics, law, consumer behavior, print and electronic media, and retail and corporate advertising. The course combines theory of advertising with practical applications.OR
JRN 02210 Journalistic Writing (CCII)
This course introduces students to a wide variety of news writing forms. The course covers material ranging from news writing to features, editorials, sports copy and blogging. Students learn how to strengthen their writing through techniques such as using active voice, varying sentence length, and copy editing. The course is designed for non-Journalism majors.Culture and Communication (3 s.h. required)
CMS 04210 Mass Media and Their Influences (CCII)
This course studies the impact on our daily lives of television, radio, films, magazines and newspapers. Students examine how the media influence politics, purchases, and entertainment, and how the media affect the culture in shaping beliefs and attitudes. It discusses how each of the media operates and what each accomplishes. This course examines the gap between real life and "mediated" reality.CMS 04215 Fiction to Film (30 s.h.)
This course provides comparative study of film and literature. Students learn the critical vocabulary of literature and film and enhance their understanding of both art forms. The course covers American and foreign works.CMS 04290 Rhetorical Theory (CCII)
Rhetorical Theory introduces students to the concept of rhetoric and how it has been theorized from antiquity to the present. The course provides students with a systematic history of rhetorical theory and spotlights significant theorists such as Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Blair and Burke. Students will explore how both ancient and contemporary theories of rhetoric apply to contemporary society.RTF 03270 Film History and Appreciation I (45 s.h.)
Students trace the development of motion pictures as an art form from the 1890s to 1941. Representative selections from the various genres are screened, then discussed in terms of art, technique, content and historical perspective, as well as directorial style. Part I is not a prerequisite for Part II; these courses may be taken in any order; students may opt for one or both courses.RTF 03271 Film History and Appreciation II (30 s.h.)
This course is a continuation of RTF 03.270 with emphasis on contemporary genres and implications. Students trace the modern cinema from 1941 to the present. Students may take Part II prior to Part I; although the content is chronological, Part I is not a prerequisite for Part II.READ 30120 Literacies in Today’s World
This course will provide students with historical and cultural perspective of how and why people acquire and use literacy to meet personal and societal needs. By viewing literacy through different lenses students will acquire an understanding of the interrelationship of language, thought, and social practice.ANTH 02321 Cultural Ecology (Intro to Cultural Anthropology)
This course examines the relation of human groups to their environments as mediated by culture. It emphasizes the interaction of significant variables in the natural habitat, technology, and social institutions. This course may not be offered annually.PHIL 09310 Aesthetics
This course offers students an approach to such philosophical issues as the nature; the role of the arts in human culture; and the articulation of criteria for interpretation and criticism. Students will refine their own approach to these issues by attending to specific works of poetry, fiction, drama, music, painting, sculpture, and other arts, including student.PHIL 09370 Epistemology (any philosophy course)
This course addresses philosophical questions concerning the nature of knowledge. Some of these questions include: How can we be sure that our knowledge of the world is accurate? What is the relation of evidence to our understanding of the world? What distinguishes mathematical knowledge from scientific and ethical knowledge? Students will study and criticize both traditional and contemporary approaches to the understanding of knowledge. Students will also develop and refine their own views in response to these issues.
FREE ELECTIVES (43 s.h.)
Nine s.h. must be taken in courses at the 300 level or above. Dual majors in Education use free electives to fulfill Education requirements. Primary majors are encouraged to use this bank to specialize (that is, to minor or complete a concentration or series of courses). Primary majors are encouraged to take 3-6 s.h. of Internship as part this bank. For more information, see here.
OTHER WRITING ARTS COURSES
CRWR 07392: Fundamentals of Playwriting (Creative Writing II)
This course covers the methods of developing and writing a play. During the course, students analyze plays, and outline and work on the draft of a full-length play. This course may not be offered annually.WA 01311 Research Practicum in Writing Arts I (75 s.h.)
Students apply the theories and methodology learned in Writing Arts courses to a research mentorship with a member of the department faculty. Students keep a detailed log of working hours, prepare a portfolio representative of their practicum experience, write an analytical critique of the practicum, and are evaluated by their faculty mentor as well as the practicum supervisor. May be taken concurrently with WA 01312 and/or WA 01313.WA 01312 Research Practicum in Writing Arts II (75 s.h.)
Students apply the theories and methodology learned in Writing Arts courses to a research mentorship with a member of the department faculty. Students keep a detailed log of working hours, prepare a portfolio representative of their practicum experience, write an analytical critique of the practicum, and are evaluated by their faculty mentor as well as the practicum supervisor. May be taken concurrently with WA 01311 and/or WA 01313.WA 01313 Research Practicum in Writing Arts III (75 s.h.)
Students apply the theories and methodology learned in Writing Arts courses to a research mentorship with a member of the department faculty. Students keep a detailed log of working hours, prepare a portfolio representative of their practicum experience, write an analytical critique of the practicum, and are evaluated by their faculty mentor as well as the practicum supervisor. May be taken concurrently with WA 01311 and/or WA 01312.WA 01320 Internship I in Writing Arts
Under professional supervision in the field, students practice theories and skills learned in the classroom. Students keep a detailed log of working hours, prepare an extensive portfolio, write an analytical critique of the practicum, and are evaluated by their faculty supervisor.WA 01321 Internship II in Writing Arts (Internship I in Writing Arts)
Under professional supervision in the field, students practice theories and skills learned in the classroom. Students keep a detailed log of working hours, prepare an extensive portfolio, write an analytical critique of the practicum, and are evaluated by their faculty supervisor.WA 01410 Independent Study in Writing Arts Program
This course provides students with an opportunity to work independently on specialized topics under the guidance of a faculty member. Generally, this course can not be substituted for any course offered by a department in the College of Communication. Permissions are needed from the Department Chair and the Dean.
Other Department of Writing Arts Requirements (All but one of these requirements can be completed by distributing them among the Gen Ed/non-program elective requirements. A free elective needs to be used to fulfill the final one.)
• Total of 3 Math/Science courses
• Total of 4 History, Humanities & Language courses, one of which must be a history or a philosophy course.
• Total of 4 Social and Behavioral Science courses, one of which must be a sociology course and one of which must be a psychology course.
