RPC Graduate Courses

Engl 500. Proseminar: Teaching English Composition
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.
Required of all new English 150/250 teaching assistants.
Introduction to the teaching of First-Year Composition (FYC). Foundational and relevant newer composition theory and pedagogical methods related to FYC objectives and their classroom enactment, including development of assignments and supporting activities, and evaluation of student projects.

Engl 503. Teaching Composition: Theory and Research
(3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered 2009.
Prereq: 6 credits in English.
In-depth consideration of the theory and practice of critical composition pedagogy.  Opportunities for actual classroom application.

Engl 504. Teaching Business and Technical Writing
(3-0) Cr. 3.  Alt. S. , offered 2008.
Prereq: 302, 309, or 314.
Theory and practice of teaching college courses in business and technical communication. Some consideration of in-service writing courses for business and government. Emphasis on applicable communication and composition theory, curriculum planning, assignment design, materials development.

Engl 505. Technology in Business, Technical, and Professional Communication
(3-0) Cr. 3.  Alt. S. , offered 2009.
Prereq: Graduate classification.
Examination of the role of technology, especially computer technology, in communication practices within academic and workplace settings.

Engl 506. Theory and Research in Professional Communication
(3-0) Cr. 3. S.
Prereq: 6 credits in English, permission of instructor.
Introduction to professional communication as a discipline, with emphasis on theories of communication and discourse that inform professional communication research and on trends and developments in that research and the field.

Engl 507. Writing and Analyzing Professional Documents
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.
Prereq: 6 credits in English, permission of instructor.
Introduction to the theory and practice of planning, preparing, and presenting information in written, oral, and visual forms prepared for business, science, industry, and government.  Guided readings.  Team projects. Individual projects.

Engl 508. Advanced Workshop in academic Writing
(3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. SS.
Prereq: 6 graduate credits.
Hands-on practice in writing academic discourse for publication; rhetorical analyses of student-selected academic journals; discussion of current trends in academic writing; professional perspectives on the referee process and on journal editorial decision making. Focus on the writing of selected short pieces (opinion essays, standard reviews, conference-length papers) and of article-length manuscripts.

Engl 509. Writing Proposals and Grant Applications
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.
Prereq: 6 credits in English composition.
Introduction to the theory and practice of preparing and analyzing proposals and grant applications intended for businesses, governmental agencies, and/or private and corporate foundations. Individual assignments and group projects include text documents and oral presentations. to persuasive discourse.

Engl 529. Multimedia Content Management
(3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered 2009. (Dual listed with 429.)
Prereq: English 313 or . . .
Strategies for developing and delivering multimodal content via digital media. Focus on the principles on database design, interface development, usability testing, and collaborative content management within technical communication settings.

Engl 542. Production Processes for Technical Documents
(3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered 2008. (Dual listed with 442.)
Prereq: 302, 309, 313, or 314.
Review of the principles of desktop publishing as practiced in the field of technical communication. Focus on theories of print document design and project management, as well as digital prepress techniques.

Engl 547. The History of Rhetorical Theory I: From Plato to Bacon
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.
Prereq: 6 credits in English.
Rhetorical theory from the classical period of ancient Greece and Rome through the Middle Ages to the early Renaissance; attention to its relation to the nature of knowledge, communication, practice, and pedagogy.

Engl 548. The History of Rhetorical Theory II: From Bacon to the Present
(3-0) Cr. 3. S.
Prereq: 6 credits in English.
PRhetorical theory from the early modern period (Bacon, Descartes, and Locke) to the present; attention to its relation to the nature of knowledge, communication, practice, and pedagogy.

Engl 549. Multimedia Design in Professional Communication
(3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered 2008. (Dual listed with 449.)
Prereq: 505.
Rhetorical principles of information-based multimedia design.  Practical understanding of computer applications used in multimedia development.  Focus on theoretical and practical elements of producing multimedia training programs in both education and industry.  Work with interactive hypertext, digital audio, and non-linear video editing.

Engl 586. Visual Communication in Professional Writing
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.
Prereq: A course in business or technical communication.
Rhetorical theory and research in graphics, document design, and related principles of visual communication. Methods of designing texts, data displays, illustrations, and other visual elements in business and technical communication.

Engl 587. Internship in Business, Technical, and Professional Writing
(3-0) Cr. 1 to 3 each time taken, maximum of 6. S. (Dual listed with 487.)
Prereq: 507 plus 3 additional graduate credits in business and technical writing or composition and rhetoric, permission of instructor. Limited to masters and doctoral degree candidates in English.
An opportunity to write, edit, and design business and technical documents in a professional setting. Projects include reports, proposals, manuals, brochures, newsletters.

Engl 592. Studies in Rhetoric and Professional Communication
(3-0) Cr. 3. Repeatable for a maximum of 9 credits.
Prereq: 12 hours in rhetoric, linguistics, or literature, excluding 150/250.
Seminar on selected topics in rhetoric and professional communication or composition.

Engl 601. Research Methods in Rhetoric and Professional Communication
(3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S., Offered 2008.
Prereq: 6 graduate credits in English.
Survey of the major quantitative and qualitative methods used in writing and language research in academic and nonacademic settings.

Engl 602. Research Design in Rhetoric and Composition
(3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. F., offered 2008.
Prereq: 601, permission of instructor.
A workshop for advanced graduate  students in rhetoric and  professional communication. Focus on qualitative and/or quantitative methods.

Engl 603. Advanced Pedagogy in Rhetoric and Composition: Theory and Research
(3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered 2009.
Prereq: 503 or 504, permission of instructor.
Exploration of relationships between theory and practice in current pedagogy. Intensive examination of contemporary theories of poststructualism, new media, feminism, postcolonialism, or cultural studies and their impact on current pedagogical practice. Participation in pedagogical research and theory building.

Engl 611. Seminar: Topics in the History of Rhetorical Theory
(3-0) Cr. 3. Repeatable. Alt. F., offered 2007.
Prereq: 547 or 548..
Rhetorical theory, criticism, and/or practice in relation to a historical period; the historical development of a rhetorical concept.

Engl 621. Seminar: Topics in Current Rhetorical Theory
(3-0) Cr. 3. Repeatable. S.
Prereq: 503 or 506.
Advanced study of a specialized topic or problem in rhetorical theory, criticism, or practice.

Engl 699. Dissertation Research
The Ph.D. in rhetoric and professional communication (RPC) focuses on the theory of rhetoric and the practice of written communication in professional communities such as business, industry, and government. The degree qualifies graduates for academic positions in rhetoric and in business and technical communication as well as to work in the priva te sector as professional writing specialists, editors, and communications production managers.