Return to Writing | Courses Index

[1] Courses in Writing (WRTG)

1310 INTRODUCTION TO COLLEGE WRITING Part of the lower-division UCA Core (general education) program and required of all students during the first semester they are eligible to enroll. This course introduces students to the writing process, focusing on audience, invention, and arrangement, and will be conducted as a workshop. Prerequisite: ACT score of 19 or higher or completion of UNIV 1300 with a grade of C or higher. Fall, spring, summer. [ ACTS: ENGL1013 ]

1320 ACADEMIC WRITING AND RESEARCH Part of the lower-division UCA Core (general education) program and required of all students during the first semester they are eligible to enroll. The course introduces students to academic argument based on substantiating, evaluating, and proposing claims. Research strategies are central to the course, which will be conducted as a workshop. Prerequisite. WRTG 1310 with a grade of C or higher. Fall, spring, summer. [ ACTS: ENGL1023 ]

2310 INTRODUCTION TO CREATIVE WRITING This course introduces students to several core components of successful creative expression and allows students to practice them through composing original, imaginative work in poetry, prose, and other genres depending on the instructor’s expertise. Class time will be devoted to workshops, invention exercises, and the discussion of guided reading assignments. The course is required for both creative writing and writing majors and minors. Prerequisite: WRTG 1320. Fall, spring, summer, on demand. [ ACTS: ENGL2013 ]

2315 INTRODUCTION TO DRAMATIC WRITING This course will introduce students to the theory and practice of the literary art of scriptwriting. The course will address aspects of both playwriting and screenwriting. Students will be expected to practice the different scriptwriting forms being studied and to submit a portfolio of original scripts/scenes at the end of the course. The course is taught as a workshop. Prerequisites: WRTG 2310. Spring.

2325 INTRODUCTION TO RHETORIC This course acquaints students with basic rhetorical knowledge demanded by their academic growth in creative writing, studies of rhetoric, technical/professional writing, and composition studies. It will introduce students to three key areas of rhetoric: (a) a brief historical account of rhetoric, (2) basic concepts of classical rhetoric, and (3) basic forms of rhetorical analysis. In addition to class discussions and lectures, students will be tested and write critiques of rhetorical discourse. Prerequisite: WRTG 1320.

3301 RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION An introduction to the discipline of rhetoric and its applications to composition. The course is designed to increase students’ repertoire of strategies for dealing with a variety of rhetorical situations. Students will learn how to assess rhetorical situations, identify issues in specific cases, and construct arguments based on those cases. Prerequisite: WRTG 1320. Fall, spring.

3305 WRITING FOR DIGITAL MEDIA I Upper-division workshop course for writing majors and minors and students in other programs. Focuses on academic and professional forms of writing. Student will use advanced strategies for print and electronic writing and examine how to shape the composition process for specific writing tasks and purposes. Prerequisite: WRTG 1320. Fall, spring.

3306 WRITING FOR DIGITAL MEDIA II An advanced course in rhetorical approaches to writing for digital media. Students create multimodal digital texts and leave the course with portfolio items. The course takes students through the writing process from proposal development through the recursive global and local drafting and revision stages to the final reflective piece. Required for the Writing major and minor, Professional Writing track. Elective in the Writing major and the minor, General Writing track. Prerequisite: WRTG 3305. Fall.

3307 INTRODUCTION TO EDITING Introduces fundamentals of comprehensive editing and hones basic copyediting skills. Students learn to work with writers as comprehensive editors from the concept stage of the writing process through analysis of audience and purpose, focus, organization, development, and more, finally moving to basic copyediting at the sentence level. One of a group of five courses from which students choose three for the Writing major, Professional Writing track. Elective in the Writing major and minor, General Writing track. One of a group of six courses from which students choose three in the Professional Writing minor. Prerequisite: at least junior standing. Fall.

3310 TECHNICAL WRITING A workshop course in professional and technical writing. Students work on several writing projects, both in groups and as individuals. Some sections will use writing internships with state agencies and businesses to give students the opportunity to write in the workplace and examine the issues of professional communication. Prerequisite: WRTG 1320 and at least junior standing. Fall, spring.

3315 WRITING CENTER PRACTICUM Training course for the University Center for Communication Support. Exposure to rhetorical and linguistic concepts that enhance the teaching of composition and oral presentations. Prerequisites: WRTG 1320, SPCH 1300, and consent of the instructor. Spring.

3320 FORMS OF SCRIPTWRITING Comprehensive examination of the formal elements of the literary art of scriptwriting. The course will address aspects of both playwriting (stage design, script format, contemporary dramatic theory, and technical considerations) and screenwriting (cinematic narration, script format, contemporary film theory, and technical considerations). The course is taught as a workshop. Prerequisite: WRTG 2310. Fall.

3325 FORMS OF POETRY Comprehensive examination of the formal elements of the literary art of writing poetry, with an emphasis on the study of prosody, traditional and contemporary poetics, contemporary poetic theory, poetic craft, and other technical aspects of the art. The course is taught as a workshop. Prerequisite: WRTG 2310. Fall.

3330 FORMS OF CREATIVE NONFICTION This course will provide an in-depth consideration of, and practice in, several of the many forms of creative nonfiction writing. These forms may include memoir, profile, essays about place and journeys, lyrical and meditative essays, among others. Forms will be determined by instructor interest and expertise. The course will have a workshop component. Lecture. Prerequisite: WRTG 2310. Annually.

3331 FORMS OF ILLUSTRATED NARRATIVE This course is an upper-division workshop course that provides students with a comprehensive overview of the formal elements of illustrated and interactive narratives with an emphasis on the study of comic art, collage, computer-generated projects, literary works accompanied by visual art or photography, gaming storylines, installations, and other forms of illustrated/interactive narratives. Students will practice the different forms being studied and submit a portfolio of original work at the end of the course. Students will also study many established writers and artists in the genre as models, as well as examine critical articles on illustrated narrative design and theory, but most class time will be devoted to examining students’ works-in-progress. Some class time will be devoted to peer review and discussion, invention exercises, and marketing strategies. Prerequisite: WRTG 2310. Annually.

3335 FORMS OF FICTION This course will provide an in-depth consideration and practice of one of the many forms of fiction writing, including but not limited to the novel, short-short fiction, magical realism, mystery writing, science fiction, and metafiction. Subjects will be determined by instructor interest and expertise. Prerequisite: WRTG 2310. Annually.

3340 WRITING ACQUISITION: THEORY AND PRACTICE Designed for the mid-level teacher education candidate, this course introduces basic theories behind the teaching of writing and addresses the literacy benchmarks established for mid-level grades. Students will learn strategies for teaching the writing process. Prerequisite: 1320. Fall.

3345 FORMS OF WRITING FOR CHILDREN This course is an elective for the Creative Writing major and minor, and the Writing major and minor. This course will provide an in-depth examination of the craft and technical considerations involved in creating various forms of writing for children, including, but not limited to, the picture book, the easy-reader, the chapter book, the middle grade novel, the young adult novel, the nonfiction book, the magazine story and the nonfiction magazine article. Students will also learn about the markets for each form and how to navigate them. Prerequisite: WRTG 2310. Fall.

3370 POETRY WORKSHOP An upper division workshop course focusing on the writing of original poetry. Students will present drafts of work for peer review and discussion and will submit a portfolio of original material at the end of the course. Some class time will be devoted to readings, invention exercises, and marketing strategies. Prerequisites: WRTG 2310 and WRTG 3325. Fall and spring.

3371 FICTION WORKSHOP An upper division workshop course focusing on the writing of original fiction. Students will present drafts of original work for peer review and discussion and will submit a portfolio of original material at the end of the course. Some class time will be devoted to readings, invention exercises, and marketing strategies. Prerequisites: WRTG 2310 and WRTG 3335. Fall and spring.

3372 CREATIVE NONFICTION WORKSHOP An upper division workshop course focusing on the writing of original creative nonfiction. Students will present drafts of original work for peer review and discussion and will submit a portfolio of original material at the end of the course. Some class time will be devoted to readings, invention exercises, and marketing strategies. Prerequisites: WRTG 2310 and WRTG 3330. Fall and spring.

3373 ILLUSTRATED NARRATIVE WORKSHOP An upper-division elective workshop course focusing on the writing of original illustrated and/or interactive narratives. Students will present drafts of work for peer review and discussion and will submit a portfolio or original material at the end of the course. Some class time will be devoted to readings, invention exercises, and marketing strategies. Prerequisites: WRTG 2310 and WRTG 3331. Fall and spring.

3374 TRAVEL WRITING WORKSHOP An upper division workshop course exploring the genre with a focus on the writing of original travel writing. Students will present drafts of work for peer review and discussion and will submit a portfolio of original material at the end of the course. Some class time will be devoted to readings, invention exercises, and revision strategies. Prerequisites: WRTG 2310 and WRTG 3330.

3375 WORKSHOP IN WRITING FOR CHILDREN An upper division course that examines the specific craft of writing and publishing for children. Students will submit drafts of works for children at various points throughout the semester for instructor and class feedback. These might include: picture books, nonfiction, middle grade books, and young adult novels. Students will also complete an author study in which they examine in-depth the artistic development of a children’s writer whose work informs their own and will complete a reading journal. Prerequisites: WRTG 2310, WRTG 3331 and WRTG 3345. Fall or spring.

3376 SCREENWRITING WORKSHOP This course is an upper-division workshop course focusing on the writing of original screenplays. Students will present drafts of work for peer review and discussion and will submit a portfolio of original material at the end of the course. Some class time will be devoted to readings, invention exercises, and marketing strategies. Prerequisites: WRTG 2310 and WRTG 3320. Fall and spring.

3377 GENRE FICTION WORKSHOP This course is an upper-division workshop course focusing on the writing of original genre fiction. The genres may include horror, science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, westerns, and others. Students will present drafts of work for peer review and discussion and will submit a portfolio of original material at the end of the course. Some class time will be devoted to reading established genre fiction, invention exercises, and marketing strategies. Prerequisites: WRTG 2310 and WRTG 3335. Annually.

3390 DISCOURSE ANALYSIS An elective for Writing majors and minors, and Linguistics majors (Track 4) and minors. Students will examine texts of several types to analyze how a text means and why it means as it does. Both quantitative and qualitative methodologies will be used in written analyses of texts of the student’s choosing. Discussion, workshop. Fall, Spring.

4305 CONTEMPORARY COMPOSITION: THEORY AND APPLICATION An upper-division elective for writing majors and minors and students interested in teaching writing. This course examines composition theory and pedagogy through both readings and direct observation of composition classrooms. The first half of the course concentrates on the history of contemporary composition theory and the key issues fundamental to the development of the disciplines. The second half of the course concentrates on how these theories are applied in today’s composition classroom. Students will analyze the composition teaching they observe and relate it to theories discussed. Prerequisite: WRTG 1320. Spring.

4306 WRITING FOR DIGITAL MEDIA III Building on the theoretical and practical work undertaken in Writing for Digital Media II, students work with an organization in the community to develop one or more substantial multi-modal digital texts for that organization. Students leave the course with portfolio items and connections to writers in the community. One of a group of five courses from which students choose three for the Writing major, Professional Writing track. One of a group of six courses from which students choose three in the Professional Writing minor. Elective in the Writing major and minor, General Writing track. Prerequisite: WRTG 3306. Spring.

4307 PRACTICAL RHETORIC: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF WRITING IN THE WORKPLACE Upper-division course examining practical applications of rhetoric and writing in the professions and the workplace. Students will research rhetoric and writing in an academic, non-academic, and non-profit organization, analyze the use of techne and phronesis as they apply in one of those organizations, and conduct interviews with organization personnel regarding their professional writing practices. Required for the Writing major, Professional Writing track. One of a group of six courses from which students choose three in the Professional Writing minor. Elective in the Writing major and minor, General Writing track. Prerequisite: WRTG 2325 or permission of the instructor. Spring.

4308 WRITING FOR CHANGE: ADVOCACY WRITING Students research political, environmental, socioeconomic, and/or historical conditions of a particular issue/event. Through both primary and secondary research, students produce writing to promote action from their target audience. Advocacy writing through service learning may play a pivotal role in this course. Students gain greater understanding of national issues and how writing can evoke change within the community, private business, and local and national government. Required for the Writing major. Professional Writing track. One of a group of six courses from which students choose three in the Professional Writing minor. Elective in the Writing major and minor, General Writing track. Prerequisite: at least junior standing or permission of the instructor. Spring.

4309 INTRODUCTION TO PUBLISHING Fundamentals of publishing writing for print and digital media. Focus on contrast between designing and delivering information for print versus digital media. Considers publishing variables such as color, graphics, preparation, file formats and document design. One of a group of five courses from which students choose three for the Writing major, Professional Writing track. One of a group of six courses from which students choose three in the Professional Writing minor. Elective in the Writing major and minor, General Writing track. Prerequisite: WRTG 3305. Fall.

4310 CREATIVE WRITING WITH HYPERTEXTS This course blends theory and practice in an exploration of hypertext literature and the possibilities of creative writing within the hypertext environment. Students will examine various precursors of hyperlinking then work critically and creatively with linear and nonlinear narratives in a hypertext environment. Students will be exposed to current criticism of hypertext, and their projects will be evaluated using emerging aesthetics. Prerequisites: WRTG 2310, WRTG 3305, and completion of six hours of upper-division creative writing courses. This class fulfills a “Topics” course requirement. On demand.

4320 INTERCULTURAL RHETORIC AND WRITING Elective for writing majors and minors and other students interested in persuasion. Provides students with an understanding of the impact of rhetorical traditions on written and oral communications in non-Western cultures. Prerequisite: WRTG 1320. Fall.

4324 TOPICS IN CREATIVE WRITING This course will provide students a more concentrated focus on specific areas, sub-genres, trends, schools, and developments in the creative writing discipline. The topics will vary according to instructor interest and expertise. Prerequisite: WRTG 2310 and completion of six hours of upper-division creative writing courses. Fall, spring.

4340 TEACHING CREATIVE WRITING This course is designed for a student who may be teaching creative writing or including creative writing in their curriculum at the K-University levels. Areas to be covered include the history of creative writing pedagogy, up to and including modern pedagogical approaches to the field. In addition to discussion and lectures, students will observe and describe creative writing classes at levels pertinent to their teaching interests and develop an integrated practice lesson. Prerequisites: WRTG 2310 and completion of six hours of upper-division creative writing courses. This class fulfills a “Topics” course requirement. Annually.

4370 EXEMPLARY STUDIES SENIOR THESIS This course satisfies a requirement for graduation from the Exemplary Studies Undergraduate Scholars Program and for graduation with honors from the major department. The student will enroll in the course in order to prepare for submission, no later than the last day of instruction for the semester in which the student will graduate, an honors thesis (a research paper, project, performance, or presentation) of twenty to thirty pages or the performance equivalent demonstrating original, reasoned research or creative work. Discussion, writing, and group work. Fall and spring semesters. Prerequisite: Acceptance in major department’s Exemplary Studies Program.

4371 NOVEL WRITING WORKSHOP This course explores key aspects of fiction writing as they relate directly and specifically to the creation of a novel; that is, a book length work of fiction. The course is designed for those students who are already grounded in the fundamentals of creative writing and who have explored the genre of fiction writing sufficiently well to know that they have ambitions to write novels. Students will learn how to plan, generate, examine, reexamine, expand, cut, and focus a book length imaginative work as well as how to integrate the work of novel writing into one’s larger life. Students will compose a portion of their own novels. These novel chapters will be workshopped, and revisions to the chapters will be expected by semester’s end. Prerequisites: WRTG 2310 and completion of six hours of upper-division creative writing courses. This class fulfills a “Topics” course requirement. The course will be taught every even year in the spring.

4380 DIRECTED STUDY IN WRITING Provides opportunities for advanced study of specific topics in Composition and Rhetoric, Creative Writing, and Linguistics. It is designed for students who have completed basic and intermediate courses and who want to study specific topics that are not offered in the curriculum. Directed Study is especially useful to students who plan to go on to graduate study and to students seeking professional careers in writing. Prerequisite: WRTG 1310 and 1320.

4381 SPECIAL TOPICS IN WRITING An elective for majors and minors in Writing. In-depth investigation of a significant figure, group, historical period, genre, or issue in rhetoric or writing. Content varies. Course may be repeated for credit. Offered on demand. Lecture, discussion, research, writing. Prerequisite: senior status and writing major or minor.

4385 INTERNSHIP IN WRITING Emphasizes professional writing experience from work sites outside the university. Interns are supervised by department faculty and work site manager. The internship also applies to students seeking on-the-job experience in linguistics. Prerequisite: WRTG 1310, 1320, one 3000 level writing course, and consent of department chair.