Writing-Intensive Courses

The Department of Writing offers the following courses that satisfy the Writing-Intensive (WI) requirement in the Integrative Core Curriculum (ICC).

WRTG 21100 - Writing for the Workplace

Basic on-the-job writing necessary to join, manage, and promote any organization, whether profit or nonprofit. Focus is primarily on short forms: résumés, memos, business letters, summaries, brochures, newsletters, press releases, informal proposals, and reports. Course also explores how various social, economic, and ethical issues affect workplace writing. Prerequisites: Sophomore standing; any level-1 composition course from WRTG 10600 through WRTG 16500. 3 credits. (F-S, Y)

WRTG 21300 - Technical Writing

Fundamentals for communicating technical information to general and specialized audiences. Class emphasizes the foundations of technical writing, their formats and applications, context-specific writing strategies, basic visual design, and ethics. Some reading in and discussion of the history of technology and its influence on human society and culture. 

WRTG 21700 - Inquiry, Research, and Writing Across the Disciplines

Prepares students across the disciplines to engage in inquiry-based research, examining questions relevant to their fields and interests and producing substantial formal writing in a range of research genres. Emphasizes writing and research as recursive processes. Focuses on development of effective research practices, including identifying, locating, evaluating, and integrating sources ethically and effectively. Prerequisites: ICSM 10800, ICSM 11800, or WRTG 10600. (F-S, Y)

WRTG 31100 - Writing for the Professions

Advanced, thematically centered workplace writing focusing on more complex forms: policy statements, position papers, dossiers, legal documentation, and long reports. Course themes vary and encourage dialogue on major issues among different professions in business, government, law, and medicine. Prerequisites: Junior standing; and one of the following: WRTG 20100. WRTG 21100, or WRTG 21300, or three courses in ANTH, CMST, CSCR, ECON, ENVS, GBUS, HLTH, INTB, JOUR, LEGST, MKTG, POLT, PSYC, SOCI, STCM, or WGST. (S, O)

WRTG 31400 - Science Writing 

Advanced expository course on journalistic and literary scientific writing. Students learn to communicate scientific facts and theories to professional and sophisticated lay readers through description, analogy, narrative, and argument. Some discussion of the technical and scholarly conventions of formal scientific writing. Class readings include major humanistic essays from the history of science and articles and features from contemporary popular and scientific publications. Prerequisites: Junior standing; any one of the following: WRTG 20100 or WRTG 21300; and two courses in COMP, BIOC, BIOL, CHEM, ENVS, MATH, or PHYS; WRTG10600 or ICSM10800-10899 or ICSM11800-11899. (S, E)

WRTG 41500 - Senior Seminar

Small group setting for intensive study of selected advanced topics not provided elsewhere in the curriculum. Seminar topics vary each semester. May be repeated for credit when topics vary. Prerequisites: WRTG10600 or ICSM10800-10899 or ICSM11800-11899; Senior standing; two writing courses beyond level 1, at least one of which must be at level 3; permission of instructor; additional specific prerequisites to be determined by the subject of the seminar. 3 credits. (F-S,Y) 

For more information about the Writing-Intensive Courses, click here.