Writings Track

Write. Reveal. Resist. Revise: Welcome to the Writings Track! Do you want to change the world? Now, we don't pretend that writers alone can direct the course of history. But we do know that writers make stories, and stories shape our reality. Change the stories a culture tells, and you are on your way to changing its reality. If you're passionate about ethics, citizenship, justice, and beauty, the Writings Track will help you join the millennia-old conversation about the relationship between language, truth, and reality. In learning how other generations and other cultures have conceptualized these big questions, you prepare yourself to take crucial writerly action today for the future of our shrinking globe. Join the tradition!

Why Choose the Writings Track?

Work as a writing professional.

Every 21st-century professional job requires savvy writing skills. And Writings Track graduates use the expertise they develop here as lawyers, political staffers, journalists, editors, grant writers, advertisers, educators, activists, media directors, artists, entrepreneurs, and more.

Go public as an advocate for change.

In an information age in which writing and the circulation of images are essential for enacting change, Writings Track students learn to "go public" with their voices and ideas in both traditional and multimedia settings.

Discover the ways language shapes thought and culture.

Everything we believe and do is influenced by the ways language is used: from advertising to politics, education to the law, religion to our resumes, films to song lyrics, cartoons and conversation, and twitter memes to high art. Rhetorical study is the close examination of words, images, technologies, and social practices to better understand the ways language can be used to make our society more inclusive and equitable.

Become a more creative and critical user of language.

Be a better writer, better teacher of writing, and more informed reader of the discourses that surround us—whatever the genre, mode, or purpose of your pursuits. Hone your awareness of audiences' needs, stylistic options, and the constraints and possibilities that shape each exchange. In all these ways, be a better leader and make a better world with language.

Advising Sheets

The advising sheets posted here come from the most recent version of the English Majors' Handbook . Students in the Writings Track should print and save the sheet that corresponds to their specific degree program (i.e., B.A. or B.S.Ed.); fill in the sheet as they make their way through the major; and discuss their progress at least once per semester with their advisor.

Courses

All Writings Track students take courses in three separate categories: Style & Aesthetics; Power & Politics; and Information Literacy, Technology, & Media. Be sure to consult the advising sheet for your specific degree program to see how many courses you need take in each category. Also, check the online Schedule of Classes to learn about course availability for a given semester.

BA. & B.S.Ed. Writings Track Course List

Learning Outcomes

Writings Track courses are designed to fulfill specific learning outcomes that work in addition to the English Department's own program outcomes. All three categories of the Writings Track—Style & Aesthetics, Power & Politics, and Information Literacy, Technology, & Media—share each of the five outcomes.

Learning Outcomes for the Writings Track

News and Updates

Upcoming Readings