Mar 29, 2024  
2020-2021 University Catalog 
    
2020-2021 University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Descriptions


Course Numbering System

Courses are numbered as follows to indicate levels of difficulty and degrees of specialization:

  1000 series courses, for the most part, cover a wide range of material and serve as introductions to a particular discipline. Generally appropriate for first-year students.
  2000 series courses are more specific in focus than 1000 series; they may require some previous knowledge of a subject. Generally appropriate for sophomores.
  3000 series courses are clearly upper-level courses that require significant background in a field and may have specific prerequisites. Generally appropriate for juniors and seniors.
  4000 series courses require extensive background in a field and usually have prerequisites. Generally appropriate for juniors and seniors.
 

University

  
  • UNIV 1220 - Continuation of Winter Study Abroad


    1 Course Unit(s)
    This course designation is used to allow students to maintain full-time affiliation with Transylvania while participating in approved off-campus study programs during the Winter term that continues into May term. Academic credit earned via this designator is not applicable toward degree requirements and will be replaced by appropriate transfer credit from the off-campus institution.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • UNIV 1221 - Off-Campus Study


    1 Course Unit(s)
    This course designation is used to allow students to maintain full-time affiliation with Transylvania while participating in approved off-campus study programs. Academic credit earned via this designator is not applicable toward degree requirements and will be replaced by appropriate transfer credit from the off-campus institution.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • UNIV 1222 - Off-Campus Study


    1 Course Unit(s)
    This course designation is used to allow students to maintain full-time affiliation with Transylvania while participating in approved off-campus study programs. Academic credit earned via this designator is not applicable toward degree requirements and will be replaced by appropriate transfer credit from the off-campus institution.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • UNIV 4001 - Library Research Skills


    1/4 Course Unit(s)
    Through a combination of lectures and personal assignments, all students will be introduced to the types of library resources used at the graduate level as well as examples of essential works in their fields. A review of basic library skills will be included.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

  
  • WGS 1004 - Introduction to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies


    1 Course Unit(s)
    An introduction to key topics, concepts, approaches and problems in women’s, gender and sexuality studies. Investigates the meaning and significance of gender and introduces students to the multiplicity of ideas at the intersections of sexual and racialized identities, variously marked bodies and gendered expressions, as well as power embedded in their various representations in popular culture. Central areas of inquiry include the ways in which race, ethnicity, sexuality, class, nationality, age and ability shape experience, culture and politics.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 2004 - Feminist Philosophies


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as PHIL 2004 .
    Covering authors from the 1700s through the present, this course will present a survey, exploration, and critical assessment of the varieties of philosophical thought orbiting around what have been known as the “woman question” and “feminism.” Topics may include educational reform, suffrage, equal rights, psychoanalysis, socialism, radical feminism, post-modernism, and feminist critiques of popular culture.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 2014 - Introduction to Sexuality Studies


    1 Course Unit(s)
    SOC 2084  
    An overview of contemporary sexual knowledge and politics, the social construction of sexuality and social control of sexuality. Examines ways in which sexual desire and sexual practices are structured by social relations and how sexual identities, expressions and representations vary in time and space. Analyzes how sexuality intersects with other vectors of power such as gender, race and class. Also covers representations of sexualities in the media, especially in television and film.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
  
  • WGS 2024 - Women’s Health


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as HES 2014 .
    This course will explore the social, political and cultural issues impacting women’s health and the special health needs of women across the lifespan. Students will discuss the relationship of women, both as consumers and practitioners, to the health care system and will research the health behaviors unique to women to achieve and maintain wellness and to prevent chronic disease.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 2124 - Romance, Gender, and Popular Culture


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Examines how forms of American popular culture—television, film, novels—shape our understanding of romance with respect to gender, sexuality, race and class. Analyzes the construction of gender in relation to the ideology of romance, with a focus on the wedding-industrial complex and heterosexuality as ritualized practice in popular culture and society. Examines how popular culture is created and experienced and how we can engage critically with our roles as producers and consumers of culture.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 2134 - Immigration, Gender, and Race


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as SOC 2154 .
    This class will investigate how gender and race shape immigration patterns, how they are incorporated into the dynamics of corporate globalization, and how they operate in immigrant social networks. We will cover topics such as employment, family, identity, sexuality, immigrant social life, globalization, and transnationalism. While examining the history of immigration in the U.S and other countries, we will analyze how economic status, citizenship, and privilege become enmeshed in vectors of power such as gender, race, and nation.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 2144 - Women’s Literature


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as ENG 2144 .
    A survey of major issues in the study of women in literature, covering a representative sample of women writers. Questions will be raised about the nature and effects of patriarchal thinking on women and women writers, the ways in which women’s problems emerge in women’s writing, and the ways in which women writers image reality.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV; V
    Prerequisite(s): At least one ENG course and FYS 1104 . WGS 1004  is recommended preparation
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 2154 - American Women Writers and Ethnicity


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as ENG 2154 .
    A study of prose and poetry written by women in America: African-American, Asian, Chicana, American Indian, West and East Indian. The course focuses on questions raised about historicity, race, class, and gender, and the function of writing in addressing such social dynamics. Beyond this inquiry, the course addresses issues related to compound identities and communities, class position and education, the construction of sexuality, the formation of collective ethnic or racial consciousness, and women’s communities. Writers may include Hurston, Larsen, Morrison, Kingston, Erdrich, Andalzua, Muhkerjee, and others.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV; V
    Prerequisite(s): FYS 1104 
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 2294 - Special Topics in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies


    1 Course Unit(s)
    An intensive study and exploration into specific topics in women’s, gender and sexuality studies that are not fully treated in other courses. May be related to a particular issue, historical period, or geographical area. Usually offered in May term, topics change and will be announced in advance. May be repeated for credit provided the period or topic is different.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 2314 - Gender and Children’s Literature


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as EDU 2314 .
    Acquaints the student with issues related to the construction of gender in literature for children and young adults. The focus may change from term to term so that gender issues in specific genres can be explored in depth. Students will complete group projects and reflections on films and readings.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): EDU 1004 , EDU 2024 , WGS 1004 , or permission of instructor
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 2414 - Gender and Society


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as SOC 2414 .
    A sociological examination of the intersections of sex, gender, and sexuality with other social structures and institutions. Deconstructs and interrogates the categories of sex and gender to examine how current and historical constructions of these categories have implications for inequality, privilege, oppression, and resistance in the U.S. and transnational contexts.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV; V
    Prerequisite(s): SOC 1004  and FYS 1104  
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 2524 - Psychology of Gender


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as PSY 2524.
    Provides students with an overview of psychological research and theory on gender. The course provides analysis of the myths and stereotypes associated with women and men in society, the social and psychological gender differences that have been identified in the research, and the evidence and theoretical arguments concerning the origin and functional implications of these differences.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): PSY 1004  
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 2534 - “Doing Gender” in Marriage


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as PSY 2534.
    An examination of the ways in which gender is activated and enacted in the institution of marriage in the United States from psychological, sociological, and historical perspectives. Uses a feminist lens to emphasize the roles of psychological and interactional processes between partners, and of cultural narratives and social institutions, in the experience of “doing gender” in marriage. Promotes the goals of authenticity and mindful decision-making as strategies for maximizing success in long-term partnerships.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): PSY 1004  
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 2554 - Human Sexuality


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as PSY 2504.
    Explores the psychological and physiological aspects of human sexual behavior. Emphasis is placed on the cultural and biological diversity of sexual expression.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): PSY 1004  
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 2714 - Jane Austen and Film


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as ENG 2714 .
    Examines what Jane Austen’s novels and their film adaptations reveal about both Regency England and the contemporary world. The course explores the novels in their original cultural contexts and asks how these novels speak to the interests, desires, and problems of today’s culture. Students will read in detail four of Austen’s novels and discuss the efforts of twentieth-century filmmakers to capture, edit, and update Austen’s humor and wit for today’s audiences.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 3044 - Gender and Communication


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as WRC 3044 .
    The study of the role communication plays in the socialization of gender and the role gender plays in communication. Focus on relational interaction in interpersonal, educational, family and organization contexts; on mass media messages; and on issues of power and critique.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV; V
    Prerequisite(s): FYS 1104  
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 3124 - Women in American Life and Thought


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as HIST 3124 .
    An examination of the role of women in American life and thought involving an analysis of the changing roles of women from the colonial era to the present. Focus on the varieties of women’s experiences at every level of social life, in the professions, and in the family, as well as women’s struggle for suffrage and equal rights.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV; V
    Prerequisite(s): HIST 1154  or WGS 1004  and FYS 1104  
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 3134 - Women in Art


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as ARTH 3124 .
    A study of major issues about women and art from the Renaissance to the present. Discussion will center on the nature of images made by women and on the social, political, and economic forces that shape women’s work. Special emphasis will be placed on women as patrons, collectors, and models. Seminar format with extensive readings and research paper.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV; V
    Prerequisite(s): ARTH 1124 , ARTH 2144 , or WGS 1004  and FYS 1104  
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 3144 - Gender in European History


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as HIST 3144 .
    Investigates how understandings of gender have affected European women and men from the Enlightenment to the contemporary era. Topics covered may include the relationship of gender to the revolution, industrialization, imperialism, totalitarianism, and total war, as well as the role of gender in everyday life.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): HIST 1024 , HIST 2144 , HIST 2154 , WGS 1004 , or permission of instructor
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 3154 - Religion and Gender in Popular Culture


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as REL 3154 .
    This course uses famous and relevant popular culture as a medium for the study of religion and gender at an elevated level. Students will be expected to have some familiarity of the popular culture to be examined prior to the class. The class will build from other religion courses, namely Intro and Gender Roles in two specific ways. It will focus on theory coupled with its application in a variety of religious traditions with concentrations on religion, gender, social justice, race, and culture with a view to understanding their intersection.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV; V
    Prerequisite(s): Any one of the following classes or permission from the instructor: REL 1014 , REL 2154 , WGS 1004 , WGS 2004 /PHIL 2004 , WGS 2294 , WGS 2414 /SOC 2414 , WGS 2524 /PSY 2524 , WGS 2934, WGS 3044 , WGS 3204 , WGS 3244 , WGS 3514 , or WGS 3534  and FYS 1104  
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 3204 - Reading and Representing Women’s Lives


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Directed toward students with previous work in women’s studies scholarship and is open to students from any major discipline. Explores and critically assesses certain interdisciplinary aspects of women’s studies that relate to the “reading” and representing of women’s lives. Examines women’s lives in the United States and considers the possibilities and problems of locating similarities and differences among women in specific global contexts. Topics may include women’s historical movements, global feminism, equal rights, health and bioethics, violence against women, and feminist critiques of fine art and popular culture.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV; V
    Prerequisite(s): FYS 1104  
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 3234 - Feminist Rhetorics


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as WRC 3234 .
    Aristotle is commonly referred to as the father of rhetoric, but what about rhetoric’s mothers—not to mention daughters, sisters, girlfriends, aunts? Women’s voices were long excluded or erased from the recording or telling of histories of rhetoric, but feminist rhetorical scholars have sought to re(dis)cover these women’s voices and to retell their stories. And more recently, feminist rhetorical scholars have pushed at the boundaries of gender and looked to explore what role feminist rhetorics might play in an increasingly digital and transnational world. This course considers a range of historical and contemporary views of feminist rhetorics—including texts from/about women and feminist rhetors as well as key texts about the development of the field—and asks students to contribute their own voices and scholarly work to these ongoing conversations.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV; V
    Prerequisite(s): FYS 1004  and FYS 1104  
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 3244 - Global Feminisms


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as ANTH 3244 .
    Designed to introduce students to women’s issues, experiences, and activities from outside of the United States, focusing on areas generally understood to be part of the “Third World.” Using an interdisciplinary and comparative approach, students will draw on various methods of analyzing and understanding the production of gender relations and the webs of power within which women’s lives are situated. Cultural dimensions of gender and power will also be considered. Topics studied may include colonialism, globalization, maternity and reproductive rights, violence, population and poverty, sexuality and sex work, women’s activism, and grassroots cooperatives. Each time the course is taught, the focus is on three major world regions, exploring the above issues within each one.

    General Education Requirement(s): III A or IV; V
    Prerequisite(s): WGS 1004  or PHIL 2004  and FYS 1104  
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 3424 - Women in Education


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as EDU 3424 .
    Examines the impact of women on philosophical foundations in the field of education and the subtle forms of sexism that undermine the education of girls and young women in current educational contexts. Students will examine work of historical and contemporary women philosophers to understand their unique contributions to the field of education. Students will also examine developmental needs of girls and current research on gender inequities within schools.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV; V
    Prerequisite(s): Completion of Area II Social Science and EDU 2014  and FYS 1104  
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 3434 - Queer Theory


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as PHIL 3434 .
    In addition to tracing the history and origins of queer theory, questions we will pursue include: whether knowledge/theory is “sexed,” who gets to theorize about whom and why, whether queer theory differs from gender theory and/or lesbian/gay/bisexual studies, the political implications of queer theory, the roles of race and class in queer theory, whether queer theory is feminist, and whether or not the recent cultural fascination with queerness signals a weakening of heterosexism in our society.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): Any PHIL or WGS course
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 3514 - Gender in Cross Cultural Perspective


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as ANTH 3504 .
    Provides analysis of the cultural conditions (both material and ideological) that shape the meanings underlying masculinity and femininity in various cultural contexts. Perspectives from Marxist and feminist theory, political economy, psychodynamic/psychological anthropology, and evolutionary psychology are utilized to understand gendered differences in cultural behavior.

    General Education Requirement(s): III A or IV; V
    Prerequisite(s): ANTH 1024  or WGS 1004  and at least 1 2000-level or above ANTH course and FYS 1104  
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 3534 - Black Feminist Theory


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as PHIL 3534 .
    Examines critical and theoretical issues in Black feminism from the nineteenth century to the present, focusing on the influential contemporary Black feminist intellectual tradition that emerged in the 1970s. From this perspective, students will explore certain themes and topics such as work, family, politics, and community through reading the writings of Black feminists. We will also study the ways in which women and men have worked together toward the eradication of race and gender inequality among other systems of oppression which have historically subjugated Black women. Although emphasis will be placed on Black feminist traditions in the United States and Britain, we will consider Black feminism in global perspective.

    General Education Requirement(s): III B or IV
    Prerequisite(s): WGS 1004 , PHIL 2004 /WGS 2004 , or permission of instructor
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 3614 - Women and Religion in the Americas


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as REL 3614
    How has women’s religious work shaped the particular history of the Americas? How and where have women found meaning for themselves in religious traditions that emerged in that space, such as Christianity Judaism, and new religious movements? The course explores topics such as preaching, everyday worship, activism, family, and the body. Assignments may include primary source analysis and current events papers, as well as a final public history presentation.

    General Education Requirement(s): III B or IV; V
    Prerequisite(s): Any WGS or REL course and FYS 1104  
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 4204 - Internship in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies


    1 Course Unit(s)
    The internship program is designed to provide students with opportunities for learning and working in organizations in ways that connect their course work in women’s, gender and sexuality studies to specific issues in community settings; this may include legal, medical, governmental, political, educational or other organizations. Working with a women’s, gender, and sexuality studies faculty member, the student will design a project based on volunteer work in a community organization that deals with issues of gender and/or sexuality in the context of social justice. Throughout the term, the faculty member will closely supervise the student’s work. CR/NC grading.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): Three courses in the women’s, gender, and sexuality studies minor, including WGS 1004 ; declared women’s, gender, and sexuality studies minor and permission of the instructor
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 4244 - Directed Study in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Individual student reading and research in a selected area of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. Allows students to supplement their study of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies in areas not covered by existing course offerings. The project must be approved by the director of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies as well as the student’s academic advisor prior to the student’s registration for the course. The directed study will be executed under the supervision of the appropriate faculty member.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): Four courses in the women’s, gender, and sexuality studies minor including WGS 1004 ; declared women’s, gender, and sexuality studies minor and permission of the instructor
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WGS 4294 - Advanced Studies in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies


    1 Course Unit(s)
    This interdisciplinary course provides students with an examination of significant issues at the forefront of feminist theory and research, as well as the principal theoretical debates in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. The course includes an overview of current research in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, emphasizing theoretical and methodological issues; the development of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies as a field; the relationship of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies to traditional fields and the nature of interdisciplinary research. It is designed primarily to encourage students to engage more deeply with questions that arise from the study of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, as well as provide occasion for students to reflect on work done throughout the major or minor. The course also includes an independent, advanced research project, the topic of which will be chosen in close consultation with the instructor.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): Junior or senior standing in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies and permission of instructor
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None

Writing, Rhetoric, and Communication

  
  • WRC 1004 - Introduction to Communication


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Focuses on the ways we utilize communication in everyday interactions, including interpersonal communication, organizational communication, and persuasion. Both linguistic and nonverbal forms will be analyzed.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): Only open to first-year students and sophomores
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 1034 - Public Speaking


    1 Course Unit(s)
    A study of the selection, organization, preparation, and presentation of public address. Develops research skills, as well as skills in verbal and non-verbal communication of messages. Standard or CR/NC grading.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 1044 - Confident Writing


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Concentrates on basic skills of grammar style, and mechanics. Includes practice in defining a topic, refining a thesis, organizing, developing, and editing academic essays.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 1054 - Introduction to Journalism


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Instruction and practice in writing news and feature material with attention to journalism ethics, editorial writing, and the practices of gathering and evaluating news.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 1064 - Argumentation and Debate


    1 Course Unit(s)
    The study of the structure and presentation of arguments, focusing on the utilization of argumentation techniques in debate settings. Students develop skills in researching, evaluating, and using evidence in support of claims. The class focuses on the development of cases, refutation, strategies and practice, effective reasoning, and quality presentation of one’s own arguments and one’s rebuttals to the claims of others.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 1071 - Speech Practicum


    1/4 Course Unit(s)
    Instruction and practice in competitive forensics. Students will compete in debate and/or individual events (possible categories include interpretation, limited preparation, and public speaking events). Students must take part in at least one tournament for credit. May be repeated three times.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 1112 - Writing Partnerships


    1/2 Course Unit(s)
    Allows students to meet regularly with Transylvania University Writing Center Staffers (a minimum of 10 visits) to focus on brainstorming, drafting, and revising written products for other courses.  May be required of students whose writing, in the judgement of the First Year Seminar faculty or Writing Center director, requires further attention beyong that available in FYS 1004  and FYS 1104 . May also be required of an upper-class student on the recommendation of an instructor, FYS program director, Writing Center director, or advisor regardless of writing ability (for example, to help support the writing in a semester-long research project). Admission of these students will require permission from the director of the Writing Center. There is no overload fee for enrollment in this course. CR/NC grading.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 2001 - Writing, Rhetoric, and Communication Practicum


    1/4 Course Unit(s)
    Instruction and practice in writing, rhetoric, and communication. Specific content of the practicum will depend on the course designation and student need. Possible examples include Writing Center consultant training in pedagogical theory, publications instruction, and mass media involvement May accumulate up to 1 unit of credit in practicum experiences.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor or department chair
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 2002 - Writing, Rhetoric, and Communication Practicum


    1/2 Course Unit(s)
    Instruction and practice in writing, rhetoric, and communication. Specific content of the practicum will depend on the course designation and student need. Possible examples include Writing Center consultant training in pedagogical theory, publications instruction, and mass media involvement May accumulate up to 1 unit of credit in practicum experiences.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor or department chair
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 2003 - Writing, Rhetoric, and Communication Practicum


    3/4 Course Unit(s)
    Instruction and practice in writing, rhetoric, and communication. Specific content of the practicum will depend on the course designation and student need. Possible examples include Writing Center consultant training in pedagogical theory, publications instruction, and mass media involvement May accumulate up to 1 unit of credit in practicum experiences.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor or department chair
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 2004 - Writing, Rhetoric, and Communication Practicum


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Instruction and practice in writing, rhetoric, and communication. Specific content of the practicum will depend on the course designation and student need. Possible examples include Writing Center consultant training in pedagogical theory, publications instruction, and mass media involvement May accumulate up to 1 unit of credit in practicum experiences.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor or department chair
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 2012 - Writing Center Theory and Practice


    1/2 Course Unit(s)
    Writing Center theory draws upon movements in rhetoric, composition studies, digital literacy, education, social science (especially sociology and psychology), philosophy, gender studies and literary theory. Although an important goal of this class is to help prepare students to serve as peer-based writing consultants, its primary goal is to help participants develop a working knowledge of writing history, theory and pedagogy—a field of study that can be applied to both academic and professional environments. Participants will use readings, group activities and observations to help develop a sense of their own writing process. There is no overload fee for enrollment in this course.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): Suggested FYS 1004  and FYS 1104  Instructor consent required
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 2014 - Oral Interpretation of Literature


    1 Course Unit(s)
    A study of the way writers communicate meaning through action, character, figurative language, period, and setting, and the methods by which an oral interpreter might express those elements vocally and visually in a performance program unified by an original theme. Literary analysis and performance technique is practiced with selections in poetry, prose, drama, and various combinations.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): Any WRC or ENG course Participation in a Speech Meet is required
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 2054 - Intercultural Communication


    1 Course Unit(s)
    The study of the ways both macro-culture and micro-culture shape us as communicators and the methods for enhancing interaction across these differences. Analysis of both verbal and nonverbal communication styles, with an interest in interpersonal, organizational, and governmental interactions.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV; V
    Prerequisite(s):  FYS 1104 
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 2064 - Non-Fiction Workshop


    1 Course Unit(s)
    An introductory study of the conventions that shape literary non-fiction with extensive practice in using these conventions. Conducted as a workshop, the course will involve regular writing and discussion of the work produced by student writers themselves. Students wishing to enroll must present satisfactory evidence of motivation and serious interest in creative writing. May be repeated for credit as long as the topic is different. Standard or CR/NC grading.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 2074 - Fiction Workshop


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as ENG 2074 .
    An introductory study of the conventions that shape fiction combined with extensive practice in using these conventions. Conducted as a workshop, the course will involve regular writing and discussion of the work produced by the student writers themselves. Students wishing to enroll must present satisfactory evidence of motivation and serious interest in creative writing. May be repeated for credit as long as the topic is different. Standard or CR/NC grading.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 2084 - Poetry Workshop


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as ENG 2084 .
    An introductory study of the conventions that shape lyric poetry combined with extensive practice in using these conventions. Conducted as a workshop, the course will involve regular writing and discussion of the work produced by the student writers themselves. Students wishing to enroll must present satisfactory evidence of motivation and serious interest in creative writing. May be repeated for credit as long as the topic is different. Standard or CR/NC grading.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 2094 - Play Reading for Play Writing


    1 Course Unit(s)
    reading and analyzing well-written scripts and applying aspects of those texts to student-written plays. The course examines how various plays structure plot, develop character, and communicate ideas verbally and visually, all of which is then used for individualized writing of original scenes. Time is divided between recognizing the rhetorical elements of the scripts we read and adapting such elements to the student’s own creative playwriting.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): Any WRC course or permission of instructor
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 2114 - Interpersonal Communication


    1 Course Unit(s)
    A study of the kind of contact that occurs when the people communicating with each other talk and listen in ways that increase and enhance personal understanding. Topics to be considered include the importance of, and methods for, enhancing one’s perceptions, listening skills, emotional awareness, identity and impression management, verbal and nonverbal expression, conflict management and resolution, and building relationships within and across cultures.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing or with permission of the instructor
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 2214 - Business Writing


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Designed to help students develop skills in writing, especially for business and industry, where writing is important and inevitable. Students will read about and research current topics in business writing, view and analyze sample business documents, and produce many types of texts (including email, memo, resume, cover letter, reports, etc.) using various media (oral, print, and online) for a variety of purposes and audiences common in business writing.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV; V
    Prerequisite(s): FYS 1104 
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 2264 - Non-Fiction Workshop


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as ENG 2264 .
    An introductory study of the conventions that shape literary non-fiction with extensive practice in using these conventions. Conducted as a workshop, the course will involve regular writing and discussion of the work produced by student writers themselves. Students wishing to enroll must present satisfactory evidence of motivation and serious interest in creative writing. May be repeated for credit as long as the topic is different. Standard or CR/NC grading.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 2294 - Special Topics in Writing, Rhetoric, and Communication


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Introduction to selected topics in communication focusing on concepts and methods used by communication scholars. Potential topics include listening, communication and gender, cross-cultural communication, and rhetorical theory. May be repeated for credit as long as the topic is different.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 2314 - Writing for Writing’s Sake


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Brings writers together for the pleasure of reading and talking about writing (not to mention the joy of actually devoting time to doing it). This course examines the writing life and offers writers a chance to do what they love to do. Students will write and share, and will polish a portion of their writing for the purpose of compiling an end-of-term collection of the workshop’s best and most interesting efforts.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 2334 - Rhetoric of Resistance


    1 Course Unit(s)
    After a brief overview of some key rhetorical principles, this course will examine the practices and strategies used by individuals, groups and movements who have challenged and are challenging concentrated interests of power. Examines a wide variety of rhetorical texts, including but not limited to newspaper articles, underground pamphlets, songs, films, autobiographies, photographs, human rights reports, performances, speeches, and books. In addition to reading/viewing these texts, this course will consist of short writing assignments, presentations, and a final project. Interdisciplinary course appropriate for those interested in the fields of rhetoric, composition, communication, political science, history, philosophy, and women’s studies.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 2354 - Introduction to Classical Rhetoric


    1 Course Unit(s)
    An introduction to the art of rhetoric—a discipline concerned, as Aristotle writes, with “observing in any case the available means of persuasion.” Via close reading, short response papers, group discussions, and a project that employs both a written and spoken component, participants will not only develop a working vocabulary of some of the terms and techniques associated with classical rhetoric but also have ample opportunities to see how such elements function in contemporary texts. Helpful for anyone interested in writing successful arguments regardless of academic discipline.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV; V
    Prerequisite(s): FYS 1004  and FYS 1104 
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 3024 - Nonverbal Communication


    1 Course Unit(s)
    The study of the way we communicate without and beyond words. The various types of nonverbal behavior, including body language, gestures, paralanguage, and space utilization, etc. will be examined in order to increase understanding of intracultural and cross-cultural communication.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV; V
    Prerequisite(s): WRC 1004  or permission of instructor and FYS 1104 
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 3034 - Organizational Communication


    1 Course Unit(s)
    The study of the ways in which communication affects organizations. Uses Organizational Theory to focus on concepts of group work, leadership, motivation, formal and informal systems, external and internal audiences, organizational technologies, and interpersonal communication in organizations. Students complete practical application through analysis of a particular organization.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV; V
    Prerequisite(s): WGS 1004  or permission of instructor and FYS 1104  
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 3044 - Gender and Communication


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as WGS 3044 .
    The study of the role communication plays in the socialization of gender and the role gender plays in communication. Focus on relational interaction in interpersonal, educational, family and organization contexts, on mass media messages, and on issues of power and critique.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV; V
    Prerequisite(s): FYS 1104 
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 3054 - Digital Rhetoric


    1 Course Unit(s)
    The study of theories of rhetoric in digital spaces and of our relationships to various digital tools and environments. Topics include audio and video composing, issues of access, shifting concerns of copyright, and exploration of necessary updates or expansions to traditional rhetorical theories. Students will consume and produce texts in a variety of genres and modes in order to study what it means to be rhetorically effective in the twenty-first century.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): FYS 1004  and FYS 1104  
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 3064 - Persuasion


    1 Course Unit(s)
    The study of persuasion, with an emphasis on the receiver’s role. Focus on critical analysis of persuasive messages. Develop understanding of persuasion theory as it relates to individuals, groups, and movements. Focus particularly on the persuasive tools of social proof, reciprocity, authority, scarcity, liking, and commitment and consistency.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): WRC 1004  or permission of instructor
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 3124 - The Art of Persuasive Writing


    1 Course Unit(s)
    A study of, and guided practice in, non-fiction writing that builds arguments on topics of social and cultural importance. For upper-level students of all majors, this course focuses on the skills needed for communicating disciplinary knowledge effectively within both academic and civic settings. Students examine a selection of classic essays as well as some good contemporary writing from journals such as Harper’s and Atlantic Monthly. Students will be guided toward building essays on topics of their own choosing that use logical and rhetorical strategies in clean, well-organized prose.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): Junior standing
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 3164 - Advanced Non-Fiction Workshop


    1 Course Unit(s)
    An advanced, in-depth study of the conventions that shape literary non-fiction with extensive practice in using these conventions. Conducted as a workshop, the course will involve regular writing and discussion of the work produced by student writers themselves. Students wishing to enroll must present satisfactory evidence of motivation and serious interest in creative writing. May be repeated for credit as long as the topic is different. Standard or CR/NC grading.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): ENG 2064  
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 3234 - Feminist Rhetorics


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Also listed as WGS 3234 .
    Aristotle is commonly referred to as the father of rhetoric, but what about rhetoric’s mothers—not to mention daughters, sisters, girlfriends, aunts? Women’s voices were long excluded or erased from the recording or telling of histories of rhetoric, but feminist rhetorical scholars have sought to re(dis)cover these women’s voices and to retell their stories. More recently, feminist rhetorical scholars have pushed at the boundaries of gender and explored what role feminist rhetorics might play in an increasingly digital and transnational world. This course considers a range of historical and contemporary views of feminist rhetorics—including texts from/about women and feminist rhetors as well as key texts about the development of the field—and asks students to contribute their own voices and scholarly work to these ongoing conversations.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV; V
    Prerequisite(s): FYS 1004  and FYS 1104 
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 3294 - Special Topics in Writing, Rhetoric, and Communication


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Advanced study of selected topics in writing, rhetoric, and/or communication focusing on concepts and methods utilized by scholars in the field. May be repeated for credit as long as the topic is different.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): None
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 3354 - Readings in Rhetorical Criticism


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Designed for students who are interested in argumentation/persuasion, critical theory, and/or cultural studies. Students will be introduced to various schools of rhetorical criticism/methodology (such as feminist, ideological, pentadic, and narrative-based approaches) and will read a variety of rhetorical scholars (such as Bakhtin, Richards, Burke, Foucault, and Gates).

    General Education Requirement(s): IV; V
    Prerequisite(s): FYS 1004 , FYS 1104  and WRC 2354  or any 2000-level WRC course or permission of instructor
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 4204 - Internship in Writing, Rhetoric, and Communication


    1 Course Unit(s)
    A program offering the student supervised placement in organizations providing or requiring communication services. Students might work in human resources, broadcasting, research, or other communication-related areas. Provides an opportunity to work in a professional area of the field and apply concepts learned in other communication and communication-related courses. CR/NC grading.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): WRC 3034 , WRC 3064 , and permission of instructor
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 4244 - Directed Study in Writing, Rhetoric, and Communication


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Individual student reading and research in a selected area of writing, rhetoric, and/or communication. Allows students to supplement their study of WRC in areas not covered by existing course offerings. The project must be approved by the WRC program director as well as the student’s academic advisor prior to registration. The appropriate faculty member in the program will supervise the directed study.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): 4 WRC courses and permission of instructor
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 4294 - Advanced Studies in Writing, Rhetoric, and Communication


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Provides students with an examination of significant issues at the forefront of theory and research in writing, rhetoric, and/or communication. Includes an overview of current research in the field(s) of choice, emphasizing theoretical and methodological issues. Designed primarily to encourage students to engage more deeply with questions that arise from their study of WRC and to provide an occasion for reflection on the work students have done in other courses in the field. The course includes an independent, advanced research project, the topic of which will be chosen in close consultation with the instructor.

    General Education Requirement(s):
    Prerequisite(s): 4 WRC courses and permission of instructor
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
  
  • WRC 4444 - Senior Seminar in Writing, Rhetoric, and Communication


    1 Course Unit(s)
    Provides students with an examination of significant issues at the forefront of theory and research in writing, rhetoric, and/or communication. Includes an overview of current research in the field(s) of choice, emphasizing theoretical and methodological issues. Designed primarily to encourage students to engage more deeply with questions that arise from their study of WRC and to provide an occasion for reflection on the work students have done in other courses in the field. Includes an independent, advanced research project, the topic of which will be chosen in close consultation with the instructor.

    General Education Requirement(s): IV
    Prerequisite(s): 4 WRC courses and permission of instructor
    Corequisite(s): None
    Pre/Corequisite(s): None
 

Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10