Minor in Writing
Requirements
The minor in writing is designed for those who wish to develop special competence in the use of the English language, including:
- Students whose prospective job responsibilities require ability to convey ideas effectively in writing, e.g., those who aspire to be lawyers, teachers, executives, administrators, supervisors, and public relations personnel;
- Those who wish to develop their own writing talents specifically for careers as published authors or teachers of writing; and
- Those who plan to pursue advanced degrees involving written theses or dissertations.
The goal of the writing minor is to help students express ideas in writing with authority, purpose, and skill, by requiring them to:
- Learn to conduct an inquiry based on data that will lead to a presentation in writing;
- Assess information gained in research, interpret it logically, and reach sound and defensible conclusions;
- Reflect on how language functions in human society, and make informed and sensitive linguistic choices in the light of ethical and social values;
- Explore through broad-based reading how other writers work, using language, form, and style in order to move their audiences; and
- Learn to write for audiences, reflecting the discourse communities of varied professions and of a multi-cultural society.
Students take 18 credits in advanced writing, language, and rhetoric courses, selected in consultation with the program advisor. The minor contract should be signed no later than the start of the first semester of junior year.
| Required Courses | 6 credits |
| ENGL 296 Language and the Individual in Society | (3 credits) |
| ENGL 449 Senior Writing Studio | (3 credits) |
| Three of the following: | 9 credits |
| ENGL 203 Writing Workshop | (3 credits) |
| ENGL 217 Advanced Writing Narrative | (3 credits) |
| ENGL 219 Advanced Writing Nonfiction | (3 credits) |
| ENGL 300 Creative Writing Workshop: Fiction | (3 credits) |
| ENGL 301 Creative Writing Workshop: Drama | (3 credits) |
| ENGL 302 Creative Writing Workshop: Poetry | (3 credits) |
| ENGL 304 Advanced Writing: Argument | (3 credits) |
| ENGL 325 Professional Writing | (3 credits) |
| ENGL 345 Dialogue with World Writers | (3 credits) |
| ENGL 400 Advanced Fiction Writing | (3 credits) |
| ENGL 375/475 Writing-Related Internship | 3 credits |
| Total | 18 credits |
Please note: A course with a Writing Emphasis (WE) designation may be substituted for one of the writing elective courses. If the student is already required to do an internship in his or her major or does student-teaching as a part of the education program, an additional course from this list may be substituted for the internship requirement. A 3-credit WE course may be used toward the minor, provided that the WE course requires at least 15 pages of writing. To qualify for admission to the Senior Writing Studio, a 2.8 average must also be achieved by the end of junior year in courses taken specifically for the minor. The core writing course itself will not be accepted as part of the minor.
Writing
Fulfillment of the core requirement is a prerequisite for advanced writing courses. The Core Writing Sequence is expected to be completed by the end of the fourth semester at the University.