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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?

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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:

WRS Major Worksheet  Course Catalog wrs electives list 4-Year degree plan

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?

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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.

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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.

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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. 

 

How the WRS Major Works for Transfer Students

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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.

 

Last Updated: 7/2/25