Catalog Descriptions

Engl 302. Business Communication. (3-0) Cr. 3. F. S. SS. Prereq: 250, junior classification. Theory, principles and processes of effective written communication typically encountered in business and the professions. Extensive practice in many areas of workplace communication, including letter, memo, and email correspondence; short proposals and reports; policies and procedures; job packet including letters of application and résumés; website analysis; brochures; and individual and team presentations.
H. Honors.

Engl 309. Report and Proposal Writing. (3-0) Cr. 3. F. S. Prereq: 250, junior classification. Introduction to the theory and practice of preparing and analyzing reports and proposals intended for businesses, governmental agencies, and/or private and corporate foundations. Individual assignments and group projects include text documents and oral presentations.

Engl 310. Rhetorical Analysis. (3-0) Cr. 3. F. S. Prereq: 250. Fundamental principles of rhetorical criticism. Focus on selected theories for analyzing cultural texts, including essays, speeches, film, technical and scientific documents, and websites. Emphasis on identifying artifacts, formulating research questions, applying methodologies, and understanding and practicing critical analysis through discussion and in writing.

Engl 312. Biological Communication. (3-0) Cr. 3. F. S. Prereq: Engl 250. Emphasis on effective writing and communication methods in the biological sciences, presentation of research data, methods of bibliographic citation, ethical communication, use of oral and visual presentation methods for biological information, manuscript and report preparation. For students in the biological and related life sciences.

Engl 313. Writing for the World Wide Web. (3-0) Cr. 3. F. S. Prereq: 250. Rhetorical principles of hypertextual writing and publishing. Group and individual projects using XHTML to construct interactive sites for the World Wide Web. Special emphasis on business and technical applications. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Engl 314. Technical Communication. (3-0) Cr. 3. F. S. SS. Prereq: 250, junior classification. Theories, principles, and processes of effective written communication of technical information. Attention to major strategies for analyzing and adapting to audiences in various communication situations and composing technical discourse including organizing visual and verbal information. Extensive practice in many areas of technical communication, including instructions and procedures, proposals and reports, website analysis and design, and individual and team presentations.
H. Honors.

Engl 332. Visual Communication of Quantitative Information. (Cross-listed with Stat). (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S. , offered 2010. Prereq: Stat 101, 104 or 226; Engl 250. Communicating quantitative information using visual displays; visualizing data; interactive and dynamic data displays; evaluating current examples in the media; color, perception, and representation in graphs; interpreting data displays. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Engl 350. Rhetorical Theories and Issues in Context. (Cross-listed with Cl St, Sp Cm). (3-0) Cr. 3. S. Prereq: 250. Ideas about the relationship between rhetoric and society in contemporary and historical contexts. An exploration of classical and contemporary rhetorical theories in relation to selected topics that may include politics, gender, race, ethics, education, science, or technology.

Engl 411. Technology, Rhetoric, and Professional Communication. (3-0) Cr. 3. S. Prereq: 310; 302, 309, 313, or 314; junior classification. Study of the implication of technologies, especially computer technology, for the writing and reading of business, technical, and academic texts. Focus on selected technology-related topics.

Engl 415. Business and Technical Editing. (3-0) Cr. 3. S. Prereq: 302, 309, or 314; junior classification. Editing journal articles, research reports, technical manuals, newsletters, and proposals. Attention to editorial levels and styles, project management, editor-author relationships, and electronic editing. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Engl 416. Visual Aspects of Business and Technical Communication. (3-0) Cr. 3. F. Prereq: 302, 309, or 314; junior classification. Rhetoric of visual elements in business and technical communication. Issues in the design of text, charts, graphs, diagrams, schematics, illustrations, and other visual displays.

Engl 418. Seminar in Argumentation. (3-0) Cr. 3. S. Prereq: 310, junior classification. Advanced seminar in theory and analysis with extensive practice in various modes of argument. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Engl 477. Seminar in Technical Communication. (3-0) Cr. 3. Repeatable. F. S. Prereq: 302, 309, or 314 and 6 additional credits in technical communication. Intensive study of a selected topic that bridges theory and practice in technical communication. Required project that contributes to the understanding of an emerging issue in the profession. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Engl 487. Internship in Business, Technical, and Professional Communication. Cr. 1-3. S. Prereq: 9 credits in 302, 309, 313, 314, 413, 415 (preferred), 416, or 442, senior classification; and permission of coordinator. An opportunity to write, edit, and design business and technical documents in a professional setting. Projects include reports, proposals, manuals, brochures, newsletters.

Engl 490. Independent Study. Cr. arr. Repeatable. F. S. Prereq: 9 credits in English beyond 250 appropriate to the section taken, junior classification, permission of Undergraduate Studies Committee. Designed to meet the needs of students who wish study in areas other than those in which courses are offered, or who desire to integrate a study of literature or language with special problems in major fields. No more than 9 credits of Engl 490 may be used toward graduation.
A. Literature
B. Linguistics, Semantics (Ling 490B)
C. Rhetoric, Teaching of Composition
D. Criticism and Theory of Literature
E. Reading: Instructional Methods and Research
F. Creative Writing
G. Business/Technical Communication
H. Honors

Courses primarily for graduate students, open to qualified undergraduate students

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

Engl 503. Theory and Research in Composition. (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S. , offered 2011. 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 Communication. (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S. , offered 2010. 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, and materials development.

Engl 505. Technology in Business, Technical, and Professional Communication. (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S. , offered 2011. 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. 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. 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. Repeatable. Alt. SS. , offered 2011. 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.

Engl 528. English for Specific Purposes. (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. F. , offered 2010. Prereq: 511 or an introductory course in linguistics. Issues and techniques in analyzing, teaching, and assessing English for specific purposes. Topics include theories of specific purpose language use, analysis of learner needs in target language contexts, and syllabus and materials development for teaching and assessment.

Engl 529. Multimedia Content Management. (3-0) Cr. 3. Prereq: 313, 505, or permission of instructor. Strategies for developing and delivering multimodal content via digital media. Focus on the principles of database design, interface development, usability testing, and collaborative content management within professional communication settings.

Engl 542. Production Processes for Technical Documents. (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S. , offered 2010. Prereq: 302, 309, 313, or 314; junior classification. 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 needed to produce documents using outside print bureaus. Practice with current desktop publishing software.

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. Rhetorical 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 2010. 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. Alt. F. , offered 2009. 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 Communication. (3-0) Cr. 1-3. Repeatable. F. S. Prereq: 507 plus 3 additional graduate credits in business and technical writing or composition and rhetoric, permission of instructor. Limited to master's and doctoral degree candidates in the English Department. An opportunity to write, edit, and design business and technical documents in a professional setting. Projects include reports, proposals, manuals, brochures, newsletters.

Engl 590. Special Topics. Cr. arr. Repeatable. Prereq: Permission of the Graduate Studies Committee according to guidelines available in the department office.
A. Literature
B. Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL)/Applied Linguistics. (Cross-listed with LING 590B)
C. Composition and Rhetoric
E. Rhetoric and Professional Communication
F. Creative Writing
G. Applied Linguistics and Technology

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