WRIT 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: Admission to MPW program or consent of instructor.
WRIT 615 HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF PROSE STYLE (3) - Theory of English prose style from the earliest times to the present. Prerequisite: Admission to MPW program or consent of instructor.
WRIT 617 EDITING (3) - Study of fundamental editing theory and supervised practice in editing. Also practice in copyediting, exposure to electronic editing, overview of copyright and libel laws, and instruction in design and production. Prerequisite: Admission to a graduate program or consent of instructor.
WRIT 619 COMMUNICATION IN THE PROFIT/NON-PROFIT SECTORS (3) - Communication process, with special emphasis on writing, within the profit/non-profit organization. Theories of organization. Management styles. Relationship of written messages to the function of climate of the profit/non-profit organization. Strategies of preparing written communication to meet internal and external needs. Prerequisites: Admission to MPW program or consent of instructor.
WRIT 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. Prerequisites: Two WRIT 600-level courses or consent of instructor.
WRIT 623 TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC WRITING (3) - An intensive workshop in developing and editing technical documents: instructions, feasibility studies, investigation reports, proposals, etc. Prerequisite: WRIT 619.
WRIT 625 DESIGN, LAYOUT AND PRODUCTION (3) - A foundation for the writer wishing to master graphic communication. Students will create a portfolio of finished printing and tour studios, typesetters, and printing plants. Prerequisite: WRIT 617 or consent of instructor.
WRIT 627 MODERN RHETORIC (3) - Current theories of rhetoric and composition, 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: Admission to MPW program or consent of instructor.
WRIT 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: Admission to the MPW program.
WRIT 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. Prerequisite: Any WRIT 600-level course or consent of instructor.
WRIT 651 WRITING SHORT FICTION (3) - Short-fiction workshop. Analysis of student and published fiction with attention to plot, narrative technique, characterization, readership. Survey of short-fiction markets and publishing procedures. Prerequisite: Any WRIT 600-level course or consent of instructor.
WRIT 653 WRITING THE NOVEL (3) - Workshop on the planning, writing, and publishing of the novel. Prerequisites: One WRIT 600-level course and consent of the instructor.
WRIT 660 SEMIOTICS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL WRITER (3) - Recognizing and interpreting the symbols, signs, and implied messages of cultural environments. Focus is on creating and controlling these elements in professional writing. Prerequisite: Any WRIT 600-level course or consent of instructor.
WRIT 670-679 TOPICS IN WRITING (3) - Specialized focus on particular formats, theories, or practices in professional writing. May be elected twice. Prerequisites: Two 600-level WRIT courses or consent of instructor.
WRIT 691 RESEARCH TECHNIQUES IN PROFESSIONAL WRITING (3) - Major sources of primary and secondary information; observation, interview, survey, controlled experiment, and library resources. Gathering, synthesizing and interpreting data using statistical analysis and computer programs. Prerequisite: Admission to MPW program.
WRIT 705 WRITING CREATIVE NON-FICTION (3) - Sustained practice in incorporating creativity into the content, form, voice, tone, style of students' vocational and avocational non-fiction prose. Prerequisite: WRIT 611, WRIT 615, or consent of instructor.
WRIT 711 MANAGING A PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL (3) - Instruction and practice in managing a professional journal from manuscript processing to published article. Controlling manuscript flow; working with editors, authors, reviewers, and publisher; journal production processes. Prerequisite: WRIT 617 or consent of instructor.
WRIT 713 FREELANCE WRITING (3) - Freelance Writing for magazines, newspapers, corporations, associations, and technical journals. Analyzing markets. Creating jobs. Understanding copyrights, contracts and agents. Prerequisite: WRIT 613 or consent of instructor.
WRIT 729 CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING (3) - Designing, marketing programs, training writers in business and government. Finding clients, developing workshops, evaluating programs. Students engage in consulting activities. Prerequisite: Recommended WRIT 625, Design, Layout and Production.
WRIT 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: Any 600-level WRIT course or consent of instructor.
WRIT 731 SCIENCE AND ITS PUBLIC AUDIENCE (3) - Addresses scientific writing as analyzable discourse, increasingly issue-oriented, public, and available to non-scientists. Choosing issues, writing queries and articles. No background in sciences necessary. Prerequisite: Admission to graduate program or consent of instructor.
WRIT 733 COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT (3) - Introduction for professional writers to management of information in profit/non-profit organizations through computer systems. Concentration on techniques for identifying, gathering, storing, and accessing critical data for multiple sources and on strategies for translating data into usable information. No previous compute experience required. Prerequisite: Admission to MPW program or consent of instructor.
WRIT 795 INDEPENDENT STUDY IN WRITING (3) - Individually supervised practice in one area of writing not engaged in regular curriculum, e.g., writing travel literature, comedy, critical commentary, children's literature, reviews, or the "how-to" book or article. Prerequisites: Six graduate WRIT courses with a 3.5 average, successful completion of qualifying examination and special permit from supervisory professor. Closed to thesis-option students. May be elected by others only once.
WRIT 797 INTERNSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL WRITING (3) - Writing, editing, layout/design, or communications consulting under the supervision of professionals in a work setting. Course may be taken only once. Prerequisites: Minimum of 15 hours completed in the program with a 3.0 average, successful completion of qualifying examination, and special permit from program coordinator.
WRIT 898 THESIS (6) - Original writing of publishable quality, using skill emphasized in the coursework 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. Prerequisites: Completion of all coursework for M.S. in Professional Writing, 3.5 GPA, and consent of coordinator. For more information, see the on-line description of thesis requirements and procedures.