Academic Programs
School of Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication
Dr. Larry Burton, Director
Location: Harrison Hall, Suite 2276
Phone: (540) 568-2334
E-mail: burtonlw@jmu.edu
Web site: http://www.jmu.edu/wrtc
Professors
L. Burton, M. Hawthorne, A. Philbin
Associate Professors
S. Aley, E. Gumnior, K. Kessler, M. Moghtader, S. O'Connor, E. Pass, K. Schick,
K. Wright, P. Zemliansky, J. Zimmerman, T. Zimmerman
Assistant Professors
L. Bednar, H. Comfort, S. Ghiaciuc, E. Henderson, B. Jones, M. Klein, E. Lambert, S. Lunsford, M. Smith, J. Sochacki, M. Thomas
Instructors
C. Allen, K. Jefferson, C. Martin, K. McDonnell, L. Schubert
Mission Statement
Career Opportunities
Professional Activities and Organizations
Service to the University
Admission Requirements
Major and Degree Requirements
Recommended Schedule for B.A. Majors
Recommended Schedule for B.S. Majors
Minor Requirements
Mission Statement
The School of Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication seeks to equip students for academic and professional success as communicators in print and electronic media.
Goals
The goals of WRTC are to help students:
- Develop into accomplished writers and editors.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of communication based upon the principles of rhetoric.
- Develop proficiency in critical thinking, technological and analytical skills.
- Create for themselves an area of expertise applicable to work as professional communicators.
Career Opportunities
In the WRTC major students learn the kinds of research, analytical and reasoning skills that will allow them to become successful professionals in a wide range of fields. WRTC graduates can expect career opportunities in writing, editing or production positions with a variety of business, educational or industry employers, including the computer hardware and software industry, law firms, journalism, health care providers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, education, engineering companies, publishing houses, environmental concerns, not-for-profit or political organizations, and technical translation groups of multinational corporations.
Professional Activities and Organizations
e-Vision
In support of campus-wide writing, the program sponsors e-Vision, an electronic publication of student essays written in the first year composition classes. For ten years, students on the e-Vision editorial board have worked to give the engaging, provocative, fundamentally useful essays written by GWRTC students the wider audience they deserve. e-Vision is produced by students. Students enrolled in the e-Vision internship (WRTC 495) develop the criteria used to evaluate essays, read and discuss each submission, and work individually with winning essayists to polish their work for publication at http://www.jmu.edu/evision/.
Internships
The WRTC internship is a required professional preparation for B.A. and B.S. students. It expects students to exercise the preparation that they received from their WRTC course work to design, write, edit and produce professional documents for internship providers in academia, business, industry and government. Information about internships may be obtained through the WRTC office.
STC Student Chapter
The Society for Technical Communication offers a unique opportunity for members to seek recognition for their work and obtain professional contacts. STC is comprised of over 23,000 individual members throughout the world, making it the largest organization of its kind. The JMU STC Student Chapter was established in the fall of 1999, offering students a venue for exploring networking and applied skills.
General Education
WRTC provides several courses for JMU's General Education program. In Cluster One, GWRTC 103 (formerly GWRIT 103) introduces students to academic writing and research, and prepares students for a writing-intensive experience in the disciplines. For information about how students may receive credit or exemptions for GWRTC, refer to the General Education Cluster One section of the catalog. In Cluster Two, faculty offer sections of GHUM 200, Great Works.
English as a Second Language
WRTC 100 is available for English as a second language (ESL) students and others who wish to enhance their writing preparation prior to taking GWRTC 103 (formerly GWRIT 103).
Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies
WRTC faculty are active participants in creating and sustaining the Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies (IDLS) major for teacher education students, K-8. This includes advising students, developing and staffing IDLS 400, Capstone Seminar, and making WRTC courses available as electives to IDLS majors in the Humanities/Social Sciences concentration area.
Honors Program
WRTC faculty regularly offer honors sections of GWRTC 103 (formerly GWRIT 103).
Write On!
The Write On! academic writing contest is a campus-wide, writing in the disciplines initiative for undergraduate and graduate students who may submit writing produced in JMU classes (formal and informal essays, research papers, reports, etc.). The winning selections are published in an online collection at http://www.jmu.edu/writeon/ and receive cash prizes.
Admission Requirements
Any student coming into JMU as a first year student without previous college experience may declare WRTC as a major. However, any student who has completed one semester at JMU or another university must apply to WRTC. To be admitted into the WRTC B.A. or B.S. program, students must first satisfy all university general admission requirements. In addition, applicants to the program must submit to the WRTC director an application dossier that contains the following material:
- A completed WRTC application form
- A copy of the student's degree progress report
- A background and goals statement of no more than 500 words that explains how the B.A. or B.S. program would prepare the student for his or her anticipated career
A student's SAT verbal, quantitative and analytical scores are considered in the admission process. Nonnative speakers of English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language and receive a score of at least 550. Applicants may use letters of recommendation and writing samples to support an application for financial aid.
Major and Degree Requirements
The study of writing, rhetoric and technical communication includes two concentrations in the undergraduate major: technical communication and writing and rhetoric. The WRTC major emphasizes scholarly, humanistic and social scientific perspectives on the function and application of communication technologies, with instruction in areas such as: literacy studies, rhetorical traditions, writing pedagogy, editing, web theory and design, publications management, knowledge management, organizational and managerial communication, and writing for professional communities such as government, medical and scientific. In addition to offering students the rhetorical tools with which to excel as professional communicators, the B.A. and B.S. programs also prepare graduates for academic studies in writing, rhetoric and technical communication at the master's level.
The B.A. and B.S. programs in WRTC are interdisciplinary and encourage students to take courses in a variety of fields. Many program electives are offered in academic units outside the institute, such as communication studies, computer information systems, computer science, integrated science and technology, and media arts and design. Students should check prerequisites for upper-level electives offered in other academic units. Students should also work with department advisers to design a program that fits their unique educational needs and career aspirations. Requirements of the WRTC degree might mean that some students will take courses beyond the 120 hour university requirement for B.A. and B.S. degrees.
Course requirements differ between the B.A. and B.S. programs, and students are advised to maintain regular contact with their WRTC adviser to ensure timely graduation. Students are advised to begin the core requirements before selecting a concentration. Requirements and eligible courses for the B.A. and B.S. in each of the two concentrations are outlined below.
Bachelor of Arts in Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication
Degree Requirements
| Required Courses | Credit Hours |
| General Education1 | 41 |
| Foreign Language classes (intermediate level required)2 | 0-14 |
| Philosophy course (in addition to General Education courses) | 3 |
| University electives | 23-37 |
| Major requirements (listed below) | 39 |
120 |
|
1 The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. The number of credit hours necessary to fulfill these requirements may vary.
2 The foreign language requirement may be satisfied by successful completion of the second semester of the intermediate level (typically 232) of the student's chosen language or by placing out of that language through the Department of Foreign Language, Literature and Cultures' placement test.
Bachelor of Science in Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication
Degree Requirements
| Required Courses | Credit Hours |
| General Education1 | 41 |
| Quantitative requirement2 | 3 |
| Scientific Literacy requirement2 | 3-4 |
| Major requirements (listed below) | 39 |
| University electives | 33-34 |
120 |
|
1 The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. The number of credit hours necessary to fulfill these requirements may vary.
2 In addition to course work taken to fulfill General Education requirement.
Major Requirements
All students must complete 12 hours of core requirements and then select electives and a depth requirement that complement their interests.
| Major Requirements | Credit Hours |
| Core Requirements | 12 |
| Concentration Requirements | 18 |
| Students must choose a concentration in either technical and | |
| scientific communication or writing and rhetoric | |
| Depth Requirement | 9 |
| Courses from a specified area depending on the chosen | |
| concentration | |
39 |
|
| Major Requirements | Credit Hours |
| Core Requirements | |
| WRTC 200. Introduction to Studies in Writing, Rhetoric and | 3 |
| Technical Communication | |
| Choose one: | 3 |
| WRTC 210. Introduction to Technical and Scientific | |
| Communication1 | |
| WRTC 211. Written Argumentation1 | |
| WRTC 240. Professional and Technical Editing | 3 |
| WRTC 495. Internship | 3 |
12 |
|
1This course meets the College of Arts and Letters writing-intensive requirement.
Concentrations
Technical and Scientific Communication
In addition to the core requirements for the WRTC major, technical and scientific communication concentrators will take 18 credits from the following list, 12 of which must be WRTC courses. No more than six hours may be at the 200-level and three hours must be at the 400-level.
Genres
WRTC 350. Science and Technology in Literature
WRTC 410. Government Writing
WRTC 411. Legal Writing
WRTC 412. Medical Writing
WRTC 413. Proposal Writing
WRTC 450. User Documentation
SCOM 367. Advanced Public Relations Writing
Rhetorical Theory
WRTC 321. Rhetorical Analysis
WRTC/SCOM 351. Visual Rhetoric
WRTC 430. Style and Stylistics
WRTC 481. Beginning Web Theory and Design
WRTC 482. Advanced Web Theory and Design
ENG 421. Traditional Grammar
ENG 422. Modern English Grammar
PHIL 250. Introduction to Symbolic Logic
PHIL 310. Symbolic Logic
SCOM 341. Persuasion
SCOM 342. Argument and Advocacy
SMAD 342. New Media and Society
SMAD 372. Media History
Organizational Context
WRTC 250. Ethical and Legal Issues in Technical and Scientific Communication
WRTC 320. Writing in the Public Sphere
WRTC 330. Intercultural Technical and Scientific Communication
WRTC/ISAT 360. Instructional Design and Training
WRTC 455. Managerial and Entrepreneurial Communication
MGT 481. Negotiation Behavior
SCOM 248. Intercultural Communication
SCOM 270. Introduction to Health Communication
SCOM 331. Communication and Conflict
SCOM 332. Mediation
SCOM 350. Organizational Communication
SCOM 353. American Political Culture and Communication
SCOM 358. Business and Professional Communication Studies
SCOM 431. Legal Communication
SMAD 330. New Media Law
SMAD 471. Media Ethics Communication
Technologies
WRTC 331. Technology and Writing
WRTC 355. Digital Rhetorics
WRTC 460. Beginning Topics in Online Publication
WRTC 461. Intermediate Topics in Online Publication
WRTC 462. Advanced Topics in Online Publication
CIS 301. Information Technology Tools and Methods
CIS 304. Information Technology
SCOM 361. Public Relations II: Visual Research Methods
SMAD 470. New Media and Society
Research Methods and Special Topics
WRTC 230. Research in Technical and Scientific Communication1
WRTC 395. Practicum
WRTC 480. Special Topics in Technical and Scientific Communication
WRTC 490. Advanced Independent Study in Technical and Scientific Communication
WRTC 499. Honors
SCOM 280. Introduction to Communication Research
SCOM 385. Qualitative Communication Research Methods
1 This course meets the College of Arts and Letters writing-intensive requirement.
Writing and Rhetoric Concentration
In addition to the core requirements for the WRTC major, writing and rhetoric concentrators must take WRTC 220, Rhetorical Traditions.
Writing and rhetoric concentrators will take 15 credits from the following list, 9 of which must be WRTC courses. No more than six hours may be at the 200-level and three hours must be at the 400-level.
Genres
WRTC/ENG 290. Intermediate Composition
WRTC 350. Science and Technology in Literature
WRTC/ENG 396. Advanced Composition
WRTC 410. Government Writing
WRTC 411. Legal Writing
WRTC 412. Medical Writing
WRTC 413. Proposal Writing
SCOM 367. Advanced Public Relations Writing
SCOM 349. Ethnographic Approaches
Rhetorical Theory
WRTC 321. Rhetorical Analysis
WRTC 340. Teaching Writing
WRTC 341. Composing Processes
WRTC 343. Contemporary Rhetorical Theory and Practice
WRTC/SCOM 351. Visual Rhetoric
WRTC/SCOM/WMST 420. Feminist Rhetorics
WRTC 421. Studies in Cultural Rhetoric
ENG 421. Traditional Grammar
ENG 422. Modern English Grammar
SCOM 341. Persuasion
SCOM 342. Argument and Advocacy
Organizational Context
WRTC 250. Ethical and Legal Issues in Technical and Scientific Communication
WRTC 310. Studies in Literacy
WRTC 320. Writing in the Public Sphere
WRTC 322. Service Learning Writing
WRTC 330. Intercultural Technical and Scientific Communication
WRTC 345. Tutoring Writing
SCOM 248. Intercultural Communication
SCOM 270. Introduction to Health Communication
SCOM 350. Organizational Communication
SCOM 353. American Political Culture and Communication
SCOM 431. Legal Communication
SCOM 358. Business and Professional Communication Studies
SCOM 331. Communication and Conflict
SMAD 330. New Media Law
SMAD 471. Media Ethics
Communication Technologies
WRTC 331. Technology and Writing
WRTC 355. Digital Rhetorics
Research Methods and Special Topics
WRTC 230. Research in Technical and Scientific Communication1
WRTC 395. Practicum
WRTC 400. Special Topics Seminar in Rhetoric and Writing
WRTC 490. Advanced Independent Study in Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication
SCOM 280. Introduction to Communication Research
SCOM 385. Qualitative Communication Research Methods
1 This course meets the College of Arts and Letters writing-intensive requirement.
Depth Requirement
All WRTC students must complete a depth requirement in an area related to the WRTC concentration. A depth requirement is a set of courses outside the major that is designed to complement other components of the student's course of study and to support selected professional goals.
Students concentrating in TSC must satisfy a nine-hour minimum depth requirement. Six hours must be at the 300 and 400 level. Students should consult the major adviser for a list of eligible areas and courses. These nine credits may not be double counted toward General Education requirements. Courses not appearing on the list may be eligible for substitution if the adviser is consulted ahead of time. Students who are double majoring or minoring in areas outside WRTC will automatically satisfy the depth requirement if the major or minor area is approved for that concentration.
Students concentrating in writing and rhetoric must declare a minor to satisfy their depth requirement.
Recommended Schedule for B.A. Majors
Students are encouraged to begin their WRTC course work as soon as possible in their degree plans. The following sample program of study illustrates how a WRTC major might earn a B.A. degree.
First Year
| First Semester | Credit Hours |
| Foreign Language course1 | 3-4 |
| General Education Cluster One | 9 |
| General Education Cluster Three | 3 |
15-16 |
|
| Second Semester | Credit Hours |
| Foreign Language course | 3-4 |
| WRTC 200. Introduction to Studies in Writing, Rhetoric and | 3 |
| Technical Communication | |
| General Education Cluster Three course | 3 |
| General Education courses | 6 |
15-16 |
|
Second Year
| First Semester | Credit Hours |
| Foreign Language course | 0-3 |
| WRTC 210. Introduction to Technical and Scientific Communication | 3 |
| or WRTC 211. Written Argumentation | |
| WRTC elective | 3 |
| B.A. Degree philosophy course | 3 |
| General Education Cluster Three course | 4 |
| General Education courses | 0-6 |
16 |
|
| Second Semester | Credit Hours |
| Foreign Language course | 0-3 |
| WRTC elective | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| University electives | 9 |
15-18 |
|
Third Year
| First Semester | Credit Hours |
| WRTC elective | 3 |
| B.A. cognate elective | 3 |
| General Education courses | 6 |
| University elective | 3 |
15 |
|
| Second Semester | Credit Hours |
| WRTC elective course | 3 |
| B.A. cognate elective | 3 |
| General Education courses | 3-6 |
| University electives | 6 |
15-18 |
|
Fourth Year
| First Semester | Credit Hours |
| WRTC electives | 6 |
| B.A. cognate elective | 3 |
| University electives | 6-9 |
15-18 |
|
| Second Semester | Credit Hours |
| WRTC elective | 3 |
| WRTC 495. Internship | 3 |
| University electives | 9 |
15 |
|
1 Completion of an intermediate level foreign language is required for the B.A. degree (usually six hours if begun at the intermediate level) unless the language requirement is satisfied by an exemption test. In that case, university electives may be substituted for additional hours indicated as foreign language courses.
Recommended Schedule for B.S. Majors
Students are encouraged to begin their WRTC course work as soon as possible in their degree plans. The following sample program of study illustrates how a WRTC major might earn a B.S. degree.
First Year
| First Semester | Credit Hours |
| General Education Cluster One | 9 |
| General Education Cluster Three | 3-6 |
| General Education courses | 3 |
15-18 |
|
| Second Semester | Credit Hours |
| WRTC 200. Introduction to Studies in Writing, Rhetoric | 3 |
| and Technical Communication | |
| General Education Cluster Three | 3-4 |
| Genera Education courses | 9 |
15-16 |
|
Second Year
| First Semester | Credit Hours |
| WRTC 210. Introduction to Technical and Scientific Communication | 3 |
| or WRTC 211. Written Argumentation | |
| WRTC elective | 3 |
| General Education Cluster Three | 0-4 |
| General Education courses | 6-9 |
15-16 |
|
| Second Semester | Credit Hours |
| WRTC elective | 3 |
| B.S. Quantitative requirement | 3 |
| General Education courses | 9 |
15 |
|
Third Year
| First Semester | Credit Hours |
| WRTC electives | 6 |
| B.S. cognate elective | 3 |
| B.S. Scientific Literacy requirement1 | 3 |
| University elective | 3 |
15 |
|
| Second Semester | Credit Hours |
| WRTC elective | 3 |
| B.S. cognate elective | 3 |
| University electives | 9 |
15 |
|
Fourth Year
First Semester |
Credit Hours |
| WRTC elective | 3 |
| B.S. cognate elective | 3 |
| University electives | 9 |
15 |
|
| Second Semester | Credit Hours |
| WRTC electives | 3 |
| B.S. cognate elective | 0-3 |
| University electives | 7-9 |
13-15 |
|
1 Completion of the B.S. degree requires a student to complete either a natural science or a social science course in addition to those required for the General Education program. A student may double-count this course as one of the courses needed for the cognate with approval by the WRTC director.
Technical and Scientific Communication
The minimum requirement for a TSC minor is 18 credit hours. Nine of the 18 hours must include WRTC 210, Introduction to Technical and Scientific Communication; WRTC 230, Research in Technical and Scientific Communication; and WRTC 240, Professional and Technical Editing. The remaining nine hours may be from any upper-level WRTC elective. In the three required courses (WRTC 210, WRTC 230 and WRTC 240) the student must make a "C" or better. If the student does not, he or she may not register for future WRTC courses until a grade of "C" or better is earned in those courses. Students majoring in disciplines within the School of Media Arts and Design or the School of Communication Studies can count no more than three hours of SMAD or SCOM course work toward the TSC minor.
Writing and Rhetoric
The minor in writing and rhetoric is designed for students who wish to extend, enrich and formalize their education as writers.
The minimum requirement for the minor is 18 credit hours.
Credit Hours |
|
| Required core courses: | 6 |
| WRTC 211. Critical Reading and Argumentation | |
| WRTC 220. Rhetorical Traditions | |
| Electives from among the following: | 12 |
| At least one elective must be at the 400 level. | |
| WRTC/ENG 290. Intermediate Composition | |
| WRTC 310. Studies in Literacy | |
| WRTC 320. Writing in the Public Sphere | |
| WRTC 322. Making a Difference: Service Learning Writing | |
| WRTC 331. Technology and Writing | |
| WRTC 340. Teaching Writing | |
| WRTC 345. Tutoring Writing | |
| WRTC/SCOM 351. Visual Rhetoric | |
| WRIT/ENG 396. Advanced Composition | |
| WRTC 400. Special Topics Seminar in Rhetoric and Writing | |
| WRTC 421. Studies in Cultural Rhetorics | |
| WRTC/SCOM/WMST 420. Feminist Rhetorics | |
| WRTC 430. Style and Stylistics | |
| WRTC 495. Internship | |
18 |
|
Experimental WRTC courses may be counted as electives, as well as writing courses offered by other academic units with the approval of the writing minor adviser or the program director.
