WRTC 500. Critical Questions. 3 credits
A foundations course introducing students to the critical questions and ideas emerging from the intersections of writing, rhetoric, and technical communication. Through reading, discussion, research and application of theory to the production of deliverables, students in the course acquire a solid foundation in this program of study and begin to develop a professional identity.
WRTC 504. Professional Editing. 3 credits
Advanced study and practice in the duties essential to managing documents through the editorial process. Includes collaborating with authors as well as establishing awareness of audience, purpose, scope and context for print and online documents. Includes training in numerous levels of editing, such as proofreading, copyediting, substantive editing, sensitivity editing, editing design and graphics, and editing for intercultural audiences.
WRTC 508. Research Methods. 3 credits
Typically Offered: SPRING
Advanced study of research methodologies used in writing, rhetoric and technical communication. Includes techniques used for collecting, sorting, analyzing and presenting information and data both quantitatively and qualitatively from primary and secondary sources. Requires in-depth research through a self-designed study grounded in a clearly articulated awareness of audience, purpose and context. Prerequisites: WRTC 500 and WRTC 504
WRTC 550. Organizational Communication. 3 credits
Advanced study of the structure of communication in organizations by exploring formal and informal communication systems in government, industry and business. Examines the role of communication in The social construction of organizations with hierarchical and nontraditional structures. Prerequisite: WRTC 508 or permission of instructor.
WRTC 595. Special Topics in Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication. 3 credits
Writing and research in a variety of writing, rhetoric and technical communication genres. Examines special and timely issues currently being explored in the field not addressed in sufficient depth in regularly scheduled WRTC courses. May be repeated with different course content and permission of director.
WRTC 604. Ethics in Communication. 3 credits
Typically Offered: SPRING
Examines the relationship between rhetoric and ethics, emphasizing the challenges emerging from historical and contemporary communication. Employs various theories to explore the complex interplay among agency, authorship and intellectual property. Topics may include free speech, falsification of data, surveillance, ownership of information and conflicts of interest.
WRTC 608. Intercultural Literacies. 3 credits
Examines critical approaches to intercultural communication beyond ethnic and racial lines. Investigates key theories of identity and difference, and intercultural communication practices. Topics may include definitions of culture, cross-cultural communication challenges and issues of globalization, localization and translation.
WRTC 610. Publication Management. 3 credits
Advanced study of the management and editorial policy of academic and professional publications. Examines such managerial and editorial responsibilities as defining editorial policy, choosing a management hierarchy, defining management roles, reviewing and editing submissions for publication, and collaborating with authors. Prerequisites: WRTC 504 and WRTC 508, or permission of instructor.
WRTC 612. Teaching Writing. 3 credits
Preparation of WRTC teaching assistants in rhetorical theory and teaching methodologies. Emphasizes pedagogical strategies central to teaching effective written and oral communication in the field and provides practice in course development and assessment under the guidance of a faculty mentor in actual course situations. Required of all teaching assistants before their first semester teaching.
WRTC 624. Public Work of Rhetoric. 3 credits
Explores the intersections among individuals, organizations, communities, environments and texts that inform the public work of rhetoric. Employs rhetorical theories to examine the way these networks produce and make discourses visible. Topics may include the role of technology, advocacy, contemporary and historical social movements, and non-profit and governmental organizations.
WRTC 628. Genre in Action. 3 credits
Explores how established genres circulate and mutate within ecologies of humans, objects, technologies and spaces. Students will explore theories related to genre in order to analyze and compose within a medical, scientific, nonprofit, academic or corporate discourse community of their choice.
WRTC 630. Legal Writing. 3 credits
Advanced study of central components of legal writing such as legal analysis, representation of facts and evidence, reasoning, logic and argumentation. Addresses such key rhetorical elements of legal documents as clarity and conciseness of style, level of diction, jargon, passive voice and errors in person. Prerequisites: WRTC 504 and WRTC 508, or permission of instructor.
WRTC 632. Issues in Rhetorical Theory. 3 credits
Typically Offered: FALL
A course focused on the advanced study of rhetoric, including the exploration, analysis and application of diverse rhetorical theories. Requires students to synthesize texts, and enter into conversations on specific streams of rhetorical knowledge or that enhance professional communication. This course addresses a range of rhetorical issues arranged by era, movement or object of study. May be repeated with different content.
WRTC 640. Proposal and Grant Writing. 3 credits.
Advanced study of the planning and writing of proposals and grants with emphasis on research proposals and grants seeking funding from industry and government. Covers key proposal components including the executive summary, purpose and scope, problem definition, need, methodology, project feasibility, facility requirements, personnel qualifications, cost and proposal presentation.
WRTC 644. Discourses of Health and Medicine. 3 credits
Introduces theory and research in medical rhetoric, health communication and related areas. Students will employ a variety of scholarly lenses, including technical communication, rhetoric, science studies and sociology, to examine the intersections between health and medicine. Topics may include patients’ agency and advocacy, patient compliance, uses of writing in clinical settings and digital spaces, access to health resources, politics of healthcare and the role of narrative.
WRTC 648. Rhetoric of Science and Technology. 3 credits
Introduces students to theories exploring the discourses of science and technology. Provides students with a rhetorical perspective on the construction and application of scientific and technological knowledge. Topics may include the roles of language and ideology in scientific controversies, predominant theories in STEM fields and the scientific study of rhetoric.
WRTC 652. Communicating Science. 3 credits
Prepares students to analyze, evaluate and produce scientific information for non-specialist audiences. Students will explore how writers, editors and designers reach and influence an audience, and how, in turn, the audience responds to their scientific texts. Topics may include the role of the news media, scientific literacy, advocacy and science policy creation.
WRTC 655. Electronic Graphic Design. 3 credits
Advanced study of the theoretical and practical use of computer graphics as a form of visual communication in scientific or technical documents. Examines topics such as visual perception, design theory, formatted text and graphics, color and design concepts, animation, and video. Emphasizes the development of technical skills in manipulating electronically generated text and graphics.
WRTC 664. Critical Perspectives on Digital Cultures. 3 credits
Introduces theories and methods that inform digital knowledge-making practices in social, civic, and professional contexts. Equips students with the analytical and technical skills to engage with established and emerging technologies. Topics may include network theory, remix culture, questions of identity, social media, code studies and mobile computing.
WRTC 668. Interfaces and Design. 3 credits
Typically Offered: SPRING
Explores theoretical and practical approaches to the design of digital texts and objects. Students will learn and apply key design concepts and methodologies related to a variety of interfaces. Topics may include accessibility, usability, design theory, interface and content design, collaborative and open-source production spaces, and data management.
WRTC 680. Readings in Technical Communication. 3 credits
Faculty-supervised reading, research and writing on advanced technical and scientific communication projects not covered in regularly scheduled courses.
WRTC 700. Thesis. 3 - 6 credits
Individual reading, research and writing associated with completion of major’s thesis. Supervised by the director of the student’s thesis committee. Student must complete six hours of thesis research to graduate. Prerequisites: WRTC 500, WRTC 504, WRTC 508 and permission of thesis committee director. Credit hours may be taken over one or two semesters. This course is graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) basis.
WRTC 701. Internship. 3 - 6 credits
Typically Offered: SPRING
Experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory in writing, rhetoric and technical communication with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. Students will observe, analyze and reflect upon communication processes and apply effective written, interpersonal and public communication skills. Supervised by the student’s internship committee in conjunction with a client, students develop and complete a significant, large-scale professional project. Prerequisites: WRTC 500, WRTC 504, WRTC 508, and permission of internship committee director. Credit hours may be taken over one or two semesters. This course is graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) basis.
