Graduate Writing Courses

Want to learn how to secure the funding you need to support research and community projects? In this course, we’ll study the rhetorical context of grant writing and learn how to find funding opportunities from government agencies and private foundations. Then, we’ll gain hands-on practice in crafting compelling problem and program descriptions. By the end of this class, you’ll have gained the skills necessary to write winning grant proposals.

Make a lasting visual impact with your writing. In this course, we'll dive into the principles of visual design, exploring how color, typography, and layout can work together to convey meaning and engage audiences. You'll gain practical experience in crafting a range of documents from marketing materials to infographics, all while using industry-standard software. By the end of this class, you'll be confident in using design software to create compelling and effective visual documents that communicate your message with clarity and impact.

Are you passionate about helping others improve their writing? This course offers an in-depth exploration of writing centers and their significant role in academia and beyond. We’ll examine the theories and practices that make writing tutoring effective, focusing on how writing centers engage with culture, politics, and social change. You’ll gain practical experience through observations and tutoring sessions at our Center for Excellence in Writing and participate in international discussions with peers.

Rhetoric is powerful. It has deep ancient traditions and numerous current uses. In this course we will work together to better understand rhetoric’s histories, uses, and applications. How does rhetoric shape our lives, society, and experiences? My goal is for rhetoric to become a resource that you feel you can draw on deeply and effectively in your own life.

Learn to design rigorous, nuanced, and meaningful research projects. In this course, we'll explore the fundamentals of qualitative research methods, from formulating research questions to collecting and analyzing data. Through hands-on exercises and real-world examples, you'll gain the skills and confidence to design and conduct your own independent qualitative research projects. This course can be particularly valuable as you plan your own thesis project.

In this class, we will look at primary and secondary texts by historical and contemporary women rhetors in order to define and apply feminist rhetorical practice.

Explore wide-ranging areas of writing and rhetorical studies that are not already covered in our curriculum. Each section of this course focuses on an emerging research interest of one of the faculty. You’re always welcome to take this course multiple times to explore a range of different topics.

Ever wondered how theory shapes how we communicate in professional and technical fields? In this course, you’ll explore key areas such as tactical technical communication and user experience (UX) design. We’ll also explore the ethical implications of technical communication practices. Through discussions and hands-on projects, you’ll develop the ability to critically analyze and apply these theories in various contexts. By the end of the course, you’ll be equipped to contribute to scholarly discussions and enhance your professional communication skills with a solid theoretical foundation.

In this course, we will study historical and contemporary trends in the scholarship of rhetoric and composition.

In this course, we will read theories for engaging multilingual writers and multilingual writing in research, teaching, and service in the academy.

Have you ever wondered why academic writing often inspires disconnection rather than engagement? If so, you aren’t alone. In this class, we'll study how writers from marginalized communities have pushed beyond traditional norms of academic writing. We'll analyze theories, models, and applications of translingual, transmodal, and transgeneric approaches to writing and teaching. Through readings and discussions, we'll produce our own innovative examples of boundary-blurring academic writing that draw upon diverse intellectual, cultural, and linguistic strengths.

In this course, you’ll be introduced to best practices for teaching college-level writing. We will cover strategies for responding to student writing, how to plan class sessions rooted in active learning, techniques for facilitating meaningful class discussions, and the importance of transparent assignment design. Note: This course does not meet certification requirements and is primarily intended for Graduate Teaching Assistants.

Gain practical experience in the teaching of English at the university and college level through supervised activities to include tutorials, evaluating, and commenting on student essays, supervised classroom discussion and teaching. Note: This course is intended to support Graduate Teaching Assistants.