Department of English

Minor in Writing

Requirements

The minor in writing is designed for those who wish to develop special competence in the use of the English language, including:

  • Students whose prospective job responsibilities require ability to convey ideas effectively in writing, e.g., those who aspire to be lawyers, teachers, executives, administrators, supervisors, and public relations personnel
  • Those who wish to develop their own writing talents specifically for careers as published authors or teachers of writing
  • Those who plan to pursue advanced degrees involving written theses or dissertations

The goal of the writing minor is to help students express ideas in writing with authority, purpose, and skill, by requiring them to:

  • Learn to conduct an inquiry based on data that will lead to a presentation in writing
  • Assess information gained in research, interpret it logically, and reach sound and defensible conclusions
  • Reflect on how language functions in human society, and make informed and sensitive linguistic choices in the light of ethical and social values
  • Explore through broad-based reading how other writers work, using language, form, and style in order to move their audiences
  • Learn to write for audiences, reflecting the discourse communities of varied professions and of a multi-cultural society. Requirements for a Minor in English Students take eighteen credits in advanced writing, language, and rhetoric courses, selected in consultation with the program advisor. The minor contract should be signed no later than the start of the first semester of Junior year
Required Courses 6 credits
  ENGL 296 Language and the Individual in Society
  ENGL 449 Senior Writing Studio
Three of the following: 9 credits
  ENGL 203 Writing Workshop
  ENGL 217 Advanced Writing Narrative
  ENGL 219 Advanced Writing Nonfiction
  ENGL 300 Creative Writing Workshop: Fiction
  ENGL 301 Creative Writing Workshop: Drama
  ENGL 302 Creative Writing Workshop: Poetry
  ENGL 304 Advanced Writing: Argument
  ENGL 325 Professional Writing
  ENGL 345 Dialogue with World Writers
  ENGL 400 Advanced Fiction Writing
ENGL 375/475 Writing-Related Internship 3 credits
Total 18 credits

NOTE – A course with a writing emphasis designation (WE) may be substituted for one of the writing elective courses. If the student is already required to do an Internship in his or her major or does student-teaching as a part of the Teacher Education program, an additional course from this list may be substituted for the Internship requirement.

A 3-credit Writing Emphasis course may be used toward the minor, provided that the WE course requires at least 15 pages of writing. To qualify for admission to the Senior Writing Studio, a 2.8 average must also be achieved by the end of Junior year in courses taken specifically for the minor. The core writing course itself will not be accepted as part of the minor.