Professional Writing (PRWR)
PRWR 611 RHETORIC (3)
Concepts of rhetoric, from ancient to contemporary, which have shaped persuasive and expository writing. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 612 RHETORICAL GRAMMAR (3)
Study and analysis of grammar as an extension of rhetorical effectiveness. Practice in adapting grammatical structure to subject and purpose, to audience, and to writer/audience relationship. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 613 THEORY OF EXPOSITION (3)
Exposition as an empirically based model for factual writing; conventions of diction, sentence form, paragraph and organization; techniques of verifiability and probability; adaptability to different audiences, fields of knowledge, and public purposes; illogical and emotional distortions in expository writing. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 615 STYLE (3)
Theory and practice of writing style from a rhetorical and/or literary standpoint. Emphasis on historical, cultural, and textual perspectives. Study and practice of multiple types of stylistic techniques and forms as well as debate of historical and/or contemporary issues. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 617 EDITING (3)
Study of fundamental editing theory and supervised practice in editing. Also practice in copy editing, exposure to electronic editing, overview of copyright and libel laws, and instruction in publication design and production. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 619 GRANT AND COMMUNITY WRITING (3)
Theory and practice of writing grant proposals, fundraising, and writing as social action for communities and non profits. Includes the study of rhetoric and writing as it applies to nonprofits, civic engagement, advocacy, storytelling, oral histories, amplifying unheard voices, and documenting lesser known histories. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 621 BUSINESS WRITING (3)
Major forms of business and industrial writing, including correspondence, memoranda, short reports and long reports. Emphasis on audience analysis and planning of written communication to meet audience needs. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 623 TECHNICAL WRITING AND INFORMATION DESIGN (3)
Introduction to the theory and practice of technical writing and information design. Study of rhetorical theory and empirical research supporting best-practice guidelines. Hands-on-projects. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 624 FOUNDATIONS IN TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION (3)
Introduction to the discipline and profession of technical and professional communication. Emphasis on major forms, modes, and genres of technical and scientific writing to communicate with well-defined audiences. Hands-on-projects. Prerequisite: program admission.
PRWR 625 DESIGN LAYOUT AND PRODUCTION (3)
Intensive workshop in developing and editing technical documents: instructions, feasibility studies, investigation reports, proposals. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 627 CULTURAL RHETORICS AND LITERACIES (3)
Current theories of rhetoric, composition, and literacy with emphasis upon the cognitive and social aspects of writing; relationships between language and abstraction, conventions of discourse communities, and various approaches to communication in a pluralistic society. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 628 DESIGNING CONTENT FOR THE WEB (3)
User-centered design and development of web content. Rhetorical theory and empirical research supporting best-practice guidelines. Projects in web content selection, information architecture, and writing style or consent of instructor.
PRWR 629 CONTENT STRATEGY AND WRITING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE (3)
Theory and practice of content strategy within nonprofits, NGOs, and social movements. Assessment of communication needs for organizations and clients; management of content lifecycles and structures for web, social media, and print. Hands-on technical writing projects. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 633 TEACHING COLLEGE COMPOSITION (3)
Prepares graduate students for teaching writing in the two-year college, or freshman writing at a four-year institution. Focuses on history, theories, and the practice of teaching writing. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 637 CREATING ON LINE HELP (3)
User-centered design and development of online help. Rhetorical theory and empirical research supporting best -practice guidlines. Hand-on hypertext projects.
PRWR 641 THEORY OF CREATIVITY (3)
Current theory of creative process, its stages, and its relation to the central techniques of poetry and fiction. Focus on analyzing student writings as they embody creative techniques. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 647 WRITING POETRY (3)
Poetry writing seminar; analysis of student and published poetry, with attention to craft and readership. Overview of modern theories of poetics and poetry criticism; survey of poetry markets and publishing procedures. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 units. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 651 WRITING SHORT FICTION (3)
Short-fiction workshop. Analysis of student and published fiction with attention to plot, narrative technique, characterization and readership. Survey of short-fiction markets and publishing procedures. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 units. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 653 WRITING THE NOVEL (3)
Workshop on the planning, writing and publishing of the novel. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 units. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 670 TOPICS IN WRITING (3)
Specialized focus on particular formats, theories or practices in professional writing. May be taken 3 times for a maximum of 9 units when a different topic is taken. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 691 METHODS AND RESEARCH FOR PROFESSIONAL WRITING (3)
Introduction to acquisition, analysis, and application of varied types of data-gathering and information as applicable to the work of a writer. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 705 WRITING CREATIVE NON-FICTION (3)
Workshop in the writing of creative non-fiction (such as essay, lyrical essay, memoir, narrative journalism); analysis of student and published work. May be repeated one time for a total of 6 units. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 713 FREELANCE WRITING (3)
Freelance writing for magazines, newspapers, corporations, associations and technical journals. Analyzing markets, creating jobs; understanding copyrights, contracts and agents. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 729 CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING (3)
Designing and marketing programs, and training writers in business and government. Finding clients, developing workshops, evaluating programs. Students engage in consulting activities. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 730 WRITING REVIEWS (3)
Develop proficiency in writing and marketing reviews of books and other fine/performing arts presentations. Emphasize reviewing strategies and avenues for publication. Discuss student reviews, critical stances, role of critic and aesthetics. Rhetorical analysis reviews. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 731 SCIENCE AND ITS PUBLIC AUDIENCE (3)
Addresses scientific writing as analyzable discourse, increasingly issue-oriented, public and available to nonscientists. Choosing issues, writing queries and articles. No background in sciences necessary. Prerequisite: program admission or consent of instructor.
PRWR 795 INDEPENDENT STUDY IN WRITING (3)
Directed independent study in selected areas of graduate-level writing. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor and graduate adviser.
PRWR 797 INTERNSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL WRITING (3)
Writing, editing, layout/design or communications consulting under the supervision of professionals in a work setting. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 units. Graded S/U. Prerequisites: minimum of 15 units completed in the program with a 3.00 average, successful completion of qualifying examination, and special permit from program director.
PRWR 897 PROFESSIONAL WRITING THESIS (6)
Original writing of publishable quality, using skills emphasized in the course work of the program. Content and design of project to reflect goals and interest of student. May be based on extensive library, laboratory, or field research, or may be entirely creative. Graded S/U. Prerequisites: completion of all course work for M.S. in professional writing, 3.50 GPA and consent of program director.
PRWR 898 PROFESSIONAL WRITING THESIS (3)
The previous course, PRWR 897, taken over two consecutive semesters. Graded S/U.
PRWR 899 THESIS CONTINUUM (1)
Continuation of thesis work. Graded S/U based on making satisfactory progress on thesis.