The Bachelor of Arts in Writing and Rhetoric focuses on the development and expression of ideas in writing—the very foundation of the liberal arts, and more broadly, contemporary democratic culture. Our lives are increasingly mediated by digital technologies that use writing to organize sound and image in interactive spaces like the Web. And through text messaging, email, and social networking, individual identity and interpersonal relationships are progressively bound up with writing. At the same time, we face growing demands for communicating across national, cultural, and linguistic borders, requiring us to rethink many assumptions we may have about written communication and expression.
Writing and Rhetoric majors explore theories of language, rhetoric (how to make effective choices as writers), and discourse (the way writing structures human activity) as they develop understanding of the role of the individual writer within communities of writers. They write in a great variety of contexts and genres in preparation for a full range of dynamic and rewarding careers grounded in written communication.
WRD faculty members are published specialists in the fields that make up writing studies—rhetoric, technical and professional writing, new media studies, and linguistics—allowing students to learn from leading scholars.
| Program Requirements | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|
| Liberal Studies Requirements | 84 |
| Major Requirements | 56 |
| Open Electives | 52 |
| Total hours required | 192 |
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Describe concepts, theories, and historical periods related to writing, rhetoric, and literacies.
- Produce clear, cohesive, and precise prose.
- Compose audience-centered texts in a variety of public and professional genres.
- Design persuasive multimodal texts.
- Assess the ethical, cultural, or political dimensions of rhetoric, language, or writing technologies.
College Core Requirements
Study in the Major Field
The student’s course of study in the College consists of three parts: Liberal Studies, the major field, and electives. Together these three parts contribute to the liberal education of the student which is the common purpose of all study in the College. By “liberal education” the College understands not only a deep and thorough knowledge of a particular area of study but a knowledge of the diverse areas of study represented by criticism, history, the arts, the behavioral and social sciences, philosophy, religious studies, the natural science, and mathematics.
The major field program generally is built upon a set of core courses and a specialized “concentration.” The number of courses required for a major varies by department. Most students go beyond the minimum requirements, electing additional courses which both broaden and deepen their understanding of their chosen discipline.
Because no academic major program is built in isolation, students are required to pursue a number of electives of the student’s choice. The inherent flexibility of this curriculum demands that the student consult an academic advisor at each stage in the total program and at least once prior to each registration.
Students will be prompted to visit the College Office for their official graduation check early in their senior year.
Declaration of Major, Minor and Concentration
All students in the College are required to declare a major field prior to beginning their junior year. The student will then be assigned a faculty advisor in the major field department or program and should make an appointment to see that advisor at his or her earliest convenience.
Students must declare or change majors, minors, and concentrations, via Campus Connection. However, for the purpose of exploring the possibility of changing a major field, the student should consult an academic advisor in the Office for Academic Advising Support.
The Modern Language Requirement (MLR)
All students will be required to demonstrate competence in a modern language (i.e., a language other than English) equivalent to the proficiency attained from one year of college-level language study. This Modern Language Requirement (MLR) may be demonstrated by:
- placing into 104 or above on the DePaul language placement exam
- completing the last course or earning AP/IB credit for the last course in the first-year college sequence of any language (e.g. 103 for DePaul language classes)
- completing a college course or earning AP/IB credit for a college course beyond the first-year level in any language (e.g. 104 or above for DePaul language classes)
- completing the final course of a four-year sequence of the same modern language in high school*
- completing a proctored exam by BYU and passing the exam (see the Department of Modern Languages website for registration details)
- completing a proctored Written Proficiency Test (WPT) by Language Testing International (LTI) and achieving a score of Beginner High or above (see the Department of Modern Languages website for registration details)
*Students are strongly encouraged to take the DePaul language placement exam even if they have met the MLR via study of a language in high school. This will ensure continuation of language study at the proper level.
Please note: Modern Languages courses with an E-designation are taught in English and may not be applied to the Modern Language Requirement.
Students who complete an Inter-College Transfer (ICT) to the College will abide by the MLR in place on the effective date of the ICT, regardless of when they first matriculated at DePaul.
Students who have met the MLR and wish to pursue further work in the language may elect the “Modern Language Option” (see below).
The Modern Language Option (MLO)
The Modern Language Option is available to all BA students who wish to study a modern language beyond the level required by their College, and to all other undergraduate students without a modern language requirement who wish to study a language at any level.
Students selecting the MLO may substitute a sequence of three courses in the same language for three domain courses.
The three MLO substitutions must be made in three different domains, and any substitutions must be consistent with the principle that students complete at least one course in each learning domain.
MLO substitutions may not be used to replace requirements in the Math & Computing, and Scientific Inquiry, domains.
Students majoring in one modern language may use the Modern Language Option for study of a second language at the Intermediate level or above.
Modern Languages courses with an E-designation are taught in English and may not be applied to the Modern Language Option.
NOTE: Please contact your college/school regarding additional information and restrictions about the Modern Language Option.
External Credit and Residency
A student who has been admitted to the College begins residency within the college as of the first day of classes of the term in which the student is registered. Students in residence, whether attending on a full-time or part-time basis, may not take courses away from DePaul University without the written permission of the college. Permission must be obtained in advance of registration to avoid loss of credit or residency in the college; see the LAS website for more information.
Liberal Studies Requirements
Honors program requirements can be found in the individual Colleges & Schools section of the University Catalog. Select the appropriate college or school, followed by Undergraduate Academics and scroll down.
| First Year Program | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Quarter | ||
| LSP 110 or LSP 111 | DISCOVER CHICAGO or EXPLORE CHICAGO | 4 |
| Focal Point | ||
| LSP 112 | FOCAL POINT SEMINAR | 4 |
| Writing | ||
| WRD 103 | COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I 1 | 4 |
| WRD 104 | COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC II 1 | 4 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| MAT 120 | QUANTITATIVE REASONING 2 | 4 |
| Sophomore Year | ||
| Race, Power, and Resistance | ||
| LSP 200 | SEMINAR ON RACE, POWER, AND RESISTANCE | |
| Junior Year | ||
| Experiential Learning | ||
| Required | 4 | |
| Senior Year | ||
| Capstone | ||
| Required 1 | 4 | |
- 1
Students must earn a C- or better in this course.
- 2
Readiness for MAT 120 is determined by the math placement test taken online after admission. Students may need to take developmental coursework prior to MAT 120. Students who complete MAT 120 and both a Computational Reasoning course and a Statistical Reasoning course in the Math and Computing Learning Domain take one less Learning Domain course. Students may not apply the course reduction to any Domain where only one course is required, and cannot be applied to the Scientific Inquiry Learning Domain. The MAT 120 requirement may be waived by passing a dedicated proficiency exam or it may be fulfilled by credit for advanced math coursework earned in-residence at DePaul (MAT 135, MAT 136, MAT 147, MAT 148, MAT 149, MAT 150, MAT 151, MAT 152 MAT 155, MAT 156, MAT 160, MAT 161, MAT 162 MAT 170, MAT 171, MAT 172, or equivalent) or earned externally either as transfer credit from another college/university or as test credit through AP, CLEP, IB, or International A and A/S Level exams. Calculus course(s) may be used to fulfill any of the three QR/MCD requirements.
Learning Domains
Arts and Literature (AL)
- 3 Courses Required
Historical Inquiry (HI)
- 2 Courses Required
Math and Computing (MC)
- 2 Courses Required
[1 CR Course and 1 SR Course]
Philosophical Inquiry (PI)
- 2 Courses Required
Religious Dimensions (RD)
- 2 Courses Required
Scientific Inquiry (SI)
- 2 Courses Required
[1 Lab Course and 1 SWK Course]
Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry (SCBI)
- 1 Course Required
Notes
Courses offered in the student's primary major cannot be taken to fulfill LSP Domain requirements. If students double major, LSP Domain courses may double count for both LSP credit and the second major. Students who choose to take an experiential learning course offered by the major may count it either as a general elective or the experiential learning requirement.
In meeting learning domain requirements, no more than one course that is outside the student’s major and is cross-listed with a course within the student’s major, can be applied to count for LSP domain credit. This policy does not apply to those who are pursuing a double major or earning BFA or BM degrees.
Major Requirements
Course Requirements
Fifty-six quarter hours distributed as follows:
Core (4 courses)
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| WRD 201 | DIGITAL WRITING | 4 |
| WRD 203 | STYLE FOR WRITERS | 4 |
| WRD 210 | CULTURAL RHETORICS | 4 |
| WRD 264 | LANGUAGE, SELF AND SOCIETY | 4 |
WRD Elective Categories
One course is required from each of the two following WRD elective categories:
Writing in Communities and Professions
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| TECHNICAL WRITING | ||
| HISTORY OF LITERACIES AND WRITING | ||
| PROFESSIONAL WRITING | ||
| ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING | ||
| THE ESSAY FROM PRINT TO NEW MEDIA | ||
| WRITING WITH AI | ||
| WRITING IN THE SCIENCES | ||
| ETHICS OF PUBLIC AND PROFESSIONAL WRITING | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL WRITING | ||
| SPORTS WRITING IN AMERICA: MYTHS, MEMORIES, HEROES AND VILLAINS | ||
| WRITING WITH PHOTOGRAPHS | ||
| COMPOSITION AND STYLE | ||
| WORKPLACE WRITING: THEORY AND PRACTICE | ||
| TOPICS IN WRITING, RHETORIC AND DISCOURSE 1 | ||
| TOPICS IN PROFESSIONAL WRITING 1 | ||
| WRITING IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION | ||
| WRITING AND METADATA | ||
| EDITING | ||
| WRITING FOR PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE | ||
| RHETORIC IN CRISIS CONTEXTS | ||
| GRANT AND PROPOSAL WRITING | ||
| CONTENT WRITING | ||
| WRITING AND REVISING | ||
| GHOSTWRITING | ||
| MENTORING YOUTH IN COMMUNITY WRITING GROUPS (EL/LSP EL) | ||
| DIGITAL STORYTELLING | ||
| FIELDWORK IN ARTS WRITING (EL/LSP EL) | ||
| WRITING AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT (EL/LSP EL) 1 | ||
| WRITING CENTER THEORY & PEDAGOGY (EL/LSP EL) | ||
| WRITING FELLOWS THEORY AND PRACTICE (EL) | ||
- 1
May be repeated for credit when the topic is different.
Rhetorical History, Theory, and Analysis
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO REASONED DISCOURSE | ||
| GENRE AND DISCOURSE | ||
| HOW LANGUAGE WORKS | ||
| GOOGLING GOD: RELIGIOUS PRACTICES IN DIGITAL CULTURE | ||
| THE LANGUAGE OF DISABILITY | ||
| RHETORICAL ANALYSIS | ||
| DIGITAL CULTURE | ||
| THE RHETORIC OF EVERYDAY TEXTS | ||
| READING BETWEEN THE GROOVES: THE RHETORICAL POWER OF POPULAR MUSIC | ||
| SOCIAL MOVEMENT, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND AMERICAN IDENTITIES | ||
| LEVELING UP: THE SOCIAL RHETORIC OF VIDEO GAMES | ||
| WRITING CENSORSHIP | ||
| TRUTH IN DISGUISE: THE RHETORIC OF SATIRE | ||
| THE COMIC BOOK AS VISUAL ARGUMENT | ||
| RHETORIC AND POPULAR CULTURE | ||
| WRITING ABOUT RIGHTS | ||
| RHETORICAL TRADITIONS | ||
| LANGUAGE AND LINGUISTICS | ||
| TOPICS IN RHETORIC 1 | ||
| TOPICS IN ALTERNATIVE RHETORICS 1 | ||
| SEMIOTICS | ||
| VISUAL RHETORIC | ||
| CHICAGO WOMEN RHETORS | ||
| MIGRATION & STORYTELLING | ||
| GLOBAL ENGLISHES | ||
| TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE IN CHICAGO (EL/LSP EL) | ||
| RHETORIC AND PUBLIC WRITING | ||
- 1
May be repeated for credit when the topic is different.
Major Field Electives
The equivalent of eight additional four-hour electives may be drawn from either of the elective categories above and from the following:
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| INTRODUCTION TO WRITING AND RHETORIC | ||
| WRITER'S TOOLS WORKSHOP (2 hr course, may be repeated for major-field elective credit as long as topic differs) | ||
| THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH POSTER | ||
| INTERNSHIP (EL/LSP EL) | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY |
Experiential Learning (EL) Requirement
All Writing and Rhetoric majors are required to take one EL-designated course within the major. WRD courses designated both EL and LSP EL will fulfill the major’s EL requirement and the Liberal Studies Experiential Learning requirement simultaneously. A LSP EL course taken outside of WRD will not count toward the EL major requirement.
Open Electives
Open elective credit also is required to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 hours.