Writing & Rhetoric
Major, Minor, & Certificate
Designed for 21st Century Learners
Discover the world of Writing and Rhetoric at the University of Utah! Our major is designed for the diverse needs of our students, shaping analytical thinkers and proficient writers highly valued by employers. With a Writing and Rhetoric degree, you'll be well-prepared for various careers and graduate school options, as strong writing skills are consistently ranked essential by employers.
Transfer Students CHOOSING ELECTIVE courses why study writing & rhetoric?
Courses in the major are diverse, small, with most enrolling fewer than 30 students. Students receive individual attention and are encouraged to develop as writers. The Writing & Rhetoric Studies Major requires courses in a number of categories for a total minimum of 51 credit hours or about 17 courses.
Three degree options:
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
- Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
- Bachelor of Science (B.S.) UOnline
WRS Major Worksheet Course Catalog wrs electives list 4-Year degree plan
WRTG 2010: Intermediate Writing (WR2)
WRTG 2040: Intro to Writing Studies
WRTG 2050: Writing as Superpower
WRTG 3030: Writing Across Locations
WRTG 2080: Writing About Music
WRTG 2090: Writing Popular Culture
WRTG 2310: Digital Writing
WRTG 2705: Rhetoric, Science & Technology Studies
WRTG 2830: Intro to Technical, Professional and Medical Writing
WRTG 2905: Special Topics in Writing & Rhetoric Studies
WRTG 3019: Writing about War (HF; CW)
WRTG 3020: Write 4 U (HF; CW)
WRTG 3025: Code Studies
WRTG 3030: Writing Across Locations
WRTG 3040: Digital Storytelling (HF)
WRTG 3420: Environmental & Sustainability Studies (HF; CW)
WRTG 3430: Language of the Law
WRTG 3440: Digital Research Methods
WRTG 3610: Internship
WRTG 3800: Everday Rhetorics: Health, Food, and Environment
WRTG 3830: Research in Professional Communication (CW)
WRTG 3840: Medical Rhetorics
WRTG 3850: Medical Copyediting
WRTG 3860: Writing with Numbers
WRTG 3890: Rhetorical and Critical Methods
WRTG 3960: Careers in Writing
WRTG 4001: Business Plans and Proposals
WRTG 4002: Grant Writing
WRTG 4010: Writing Across Borders (CW, IR)
WRTG 4020: Writing Center Colloquium: Theory and Practice
WRTG 4030: Visual Rhetoric: Word/Image/Argument (CW; QB)
WRTG 4040: Digital Rhetoric
WRTG 4080: Sonic Rhetorics
WRTG 4830: User Experience & Writing (CW)
WRTG 4850: Technical Editing
WRTG 4860: Writing for Health and Medical Contexts
WRTG 4910: Independent Readings in Rhetoric, Discourse, and Writing
WRTG 4950: Social Histories of Rhetoric
WRTG 4860: Writing for Health and Medical Contexts
WRTG 4970: Rhetorics of Gender
WRTG 4990: Undergraduate Research
WRTG 4999: Honor Thesis/Project
WRTG 5830: Digital Publishing and Editing
WRTG 5840: Regulatory Writing
WRTG 5905: Special Topics in Rhetoric and Writing Studies
WRTG 3011: Writing in the Arts & Humanities (CW)
WRTG 3012: Writing in the Social Sciences (CW)
WRTG 3014: Writing in the Sciences (CW)
WRTG 3015: Professional Writing (CW)
WRTG 3016: Business Writing (CW)
WRTG 3020: Write4U (CW)
WRTG 3025: Code Studies (CW)
WRTG 3515: Rhetorical Styles and Grammars
WRTG 4002: Grant Writing
WRTG 4830: User Experience Research & Writing
WRTG 4850: Technical Editing
WRTG 5830: Digital Publishing and Editing
WRTG 3890: Rhetorical and Critical Methods
WRTG 4950: Social Histories of Rhetoric
WRTG 4970: Rhetorics of Gender
Allied courses usually come from your double major or specialty. Please select this coursework in collaboration with your advisor for Writing and Rhetoric Studies.
WRTG 5990: Senior Seminar
Writing is fundamentally important in a number of workplace settings such as business, law, medicine, government jobs, non-profits, engineering and the sciences. Students who minor will improve their writing and gain and understanding of how and why writing works.
The Writing & Rhetoric Studies Minor requires courses in a number of categories for a total minimum 18 credit hours or 6 courses.
WRS Minor WORKSHEET Course Catalog wrs electives list
WRTG 2040: Intro to Writing Studies
WRTG 2050: Writing as Superpower
WRTG 2080: Writing About Music
WRTG 2090: Writing Popular Culture
WRTG 2310: Digital Writing
WRTG 2705: Rhetoric, Science & Technology Studies
WRTG 2830: Intro to Technical, Professional and Medical Writing
WRTG 2905: Special Topics
WRTG 3019: Writing about War (HF; CW)
WRTG 3020: Write4U: Writing Your Major at the University of Utah (CW)
WRTG 3025: Code Studies (CW)
WRTG 3030: Writing Across Locations
WRTG 3040: Digital Storytelling (HF)
WRTG 3420: Environmental & Sustainability Studies (HF; CW)
WRTG 3430: Language of the Law
WRTG 3515: Rhetorical Styles and Grammars
WRTG 3610: Internship
WRTG 3800: Everyday Rhetorics: Health, Food, and Environment
WRTG 3830: Research in Professional Communication
WRTG 3840: Medical Rhetorics
WRTG 3850: Medical Copyediting
WRTG 3860: Writing with Numbers
WRTG 3890: Rhetorical and Critical Methods
WRTG 3900: Community Literacy Studies (HF)
WRTG 3960: Careers in Writing
WRTG 4001: Writing Business Plans and Proposals
WRTG 4002: Grant Writing
WRTG 4010: Writing Across Borders (IR)
WRTG 4020: Writing Center Theory and Practice
WRTG 4030: Visual Rhetoric: Word/Image/Argument (CW; QB)
WRTG 4040: Digital Rhetoric
WRTG 4080: Sonic Rhetorics
WRTG 4200: Writing Popular Non Fiction (CW)
WRTG 4830: User Experience Research & Writing (CW)
WRTG 4850: Technical Editing
WRTG 4860: Writing for Health and Medical Context
WRTG 4890: Writing, Persuasion, and Power
WRTG 4910: Independent Readings in Rhetoric, Discourse, and Writing
WRTG 4950: Social Histories of Rhetoric
WRTG 4970: Rhetorics of Gender
WRTG 5830: Digital Publishing and Editing
WRTG 5905: Special Topics in Writing & Rhetoric
WRTG 5990: Special Topics
WRTG 3011: Writing in the Arts & Humanities (CW)
WRTG 3012: Writing in the Social Sciences (CW)
WRTG 3014: Writing in the Sciences (CW)
WRTG 3015: Professional Writing (CW)
WRTG 3016: Business Writing (CW)
WRTG 3020: Write4U: Writing Your Major at the University of Utah (CW)
WRTG 3025: Code Studies (CW)
Writing is a soft skill employers value. Employees who write well do better in their careers. Stand out above others with a certificate in professional and technical writing, designed around your major. Acquire an edge over others while fulfilling your general education requirements. This certificate requires 7 courses (21 credits) and is designed around your major.
WRS certificate WORKSHEET Course Catalog
Program Curriculum
WRTG 2830: Intro to Technical, Professional and Medical Writing
WRTG 3830: Research in Technical and Professional Communication
WRTG 3960: Careers in Writing
WRTG 4830: User Experience Research & Writing
WRTG 4850: Technical Editing
WRTG 5830: Digital Publishing and Editing
WRTG 3014: Writing in the Sciences (CW)
WRTG 3015: Professional Writing (CW)
WRTG 3016: Business Writing (CW)
WRTG 3610: Internship
WRTG 3860: Writing with Numbers
WRTG 4002: Grant Writing
WRTG 4030: Visual Rhetoric (HF; QB)
WRTG 4860: Writing for Health and Medical Contexts
Choosing Rhetoric & Writing Elective Courses
The Department of Writing & Rhetoric offers a selection of courses that you can choose from, based on your academic interests and your future career path.
To give you an idea of the course of study you might follow have put together a few class combinations that would fulfill the requirements of the program, while also working to fulfill the General Education requirements. But remember that you have a lot of flexibility and can choose courses that best suit your interests.
Student A is a science major who selected these electives*:
WRTG 3705: Rhetoric, Science and Technology Studies (BF; HF)
WRTG 4010: Writing Across Borders (CW, IR)
WRTG 4030: Visual Rhetoric (QB)
WRTG 4850: Technical Editing
Student B is planning to go to law school and selected these electives*:
WRTG 3510: Grammar & Stylistics (CW)
WRTG 3890: Under-Represented Rhetorics (DV)
WRTG 4010: Writing Across Borders (CW, IR)
WRTG 4905: Studies in Professional Discourses: Discourses of Law (CW)
Why Choose Writing and Rhetoric?
Strong Relationships with Faculty
The faculty have a broad and interesting range of research and pedagogical projects. Most of our courses are taught by full-time faculty members, and they are small enough that students and professors develop strong working relationships.
Powerful Double Major
The degree in Writing and Rhetoric is ideal for a double major, working well with courses of study in a range of disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Writing is a key component in nearly every career, after all.
Many Career Opportunities
Our program imparts versatile skills—rhetorical, writing, analytical—vital across fields like publishing, advertising, politics, and more. Beyond diverse careers, Writing and Rhetoric prepares students for success in various graduate programs.
If you have already earned an associate’s degree...
which is typically 60 credit hours, and want to complete a WRS major, which is 36 credit hours, that totals 96 credit hours. This means that you would need 26 more credit hours to complete the 122 semester hour graduation requirement for a bachelor’s degree. Remember, 40 of those 122 credits must be upper-division (3000-level or higher).
This flexibility makes WRS an ideal double major or a good major to combine with other minor(s), pre-professional concentrations, or participating in the honors program. WRS pairs well with disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, sciences, and professional programs. All WRS majors graduate with an e-portfolio that showcases their writing experiences and abilities for employers and graduate admissions committees.
The Office of Admissions determines the acceptability of transfer credit toward the 122 semester hour graduation requirement as well as awarding credit general education requirements. Academic departments determine if courses are considered equivalent to courses offered at the University of Utah and their applicability towards a bachelor's degree.