Rhetoric and Professional Writing, Undergraduate Certificate

In addition to University Requirements:

• Complete individual plan requirements.

Please note that students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Purpose Statement

The Certificate in Rhetoric and Professional Writing emphasizes the importance of critical reading, reflection, writing, digital media, and spoken language to educate knowledgeable citizens who understand and appreciate their civic, professional, and personal responsibilities in an increasingly global community. Certificate courses prepare students for intercultural and interdisciplinary communication practices in digital and traditional work and community settings. Students gain experience with rhetorical theory and persuasive argumentation, global communication practices, social media literacy, digital literacies and multimedia writing, and professional and public discourse conventions through theory-based application projects. Certificate courses provide students from all disciplines with excellent foundations for workplace writing as well as for graduate programs in rhetoric, writing, digital media, communication, and composition studies.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students who receive an undergraduate certificate in Rhetoric and Professional Writing will work with text, images, and/or media to:

• Develop a systematic understanding of how arguments function in particular contexts and of the ethical dilemmas involved in persuasion and communication, building on historical and contemporary rhetoric and composition theory sources.
• Evaluate and investigate how societal, historical, and economic factors influence literacy and communication practices across global communication efforts.
• Analyze and apply processes for writing, designing, and communicating via text, image, and/or visual media to effectively negotiate academic, professional environments.
• Organize sentences, choose words, and orally deliver arguments in ways that demonstrate understanding of the rhetorical significance of phrases and sentences.
• Research, evaluate, and incorporate multiple information resources, use appropriate citations in a paper or project, and question current norms and dominant cultural assumptions expressed in text and digital media.
• Apply research on significant issues related to global learning, diversity, and sustainable educational and environmental practices to textual and digital projects.
• Demonstrate the depth and breadth of knowledge acquired in discipline-based and liberal studies coursework by identifying, analyzing, and engaging in important local, national, and global discussions from multiple interdisciplinary viewpoints, with an understanding of the interdependence of civic, political, economic, environmental, and/or social systems.