Writing Minor

The Writing Minor, a curriculum that rounds out virtually any major, accommodates students with diverse career goals and writing interests. Students can choose six three-credit courses, including those about the history of the English language, theories about writing and peer tutoring of writing, professional and journalistic writing, and creative writing across four genres—fiction, poetry, scriptwriting, and creative non-fiction essay writing. Students even may pursue studying select professional and creative genres at a more advanced level, or they may complete a Cooperative education experience in a corporate or professional work environment.
Increasingly, the ability to write effectively is emphasized as an important and distinguishing characteristic of most work environments. In the most recent Occupational Outlook Handbook Online (11 July 2012), competence in writing, combined with advanced ability to manage text production through digital media, is emphasized. To develop such valuable digital literacies, students also may supplement these 18 credits for the Writing minor with courses, such as web design and desktop publishing.
 

Learning Outcomes for the Writing Minor
Upon successful completion of requirements for the Writing Minor, students will:

• Produce clear and effective written texts to achieve specified aims, such as to inform or to entertain a specific reader
• Demonstrate in written texts a facility with language and genres, including a mature vocabulary and effective choice for structures
• Engage in editing processes to improve style, grammar, usage, and mechanics
• Prepare written texts as manuscripts that adhere to professional or publication standards.