Minor

Designed for students from across the disciplines, the RWS Writing Minor provides students with an enhanced awareness of the central role of language and textual practices in every discipline. Thus, both students who want to improve their critical reading, writing, and thinking skills, as well as students interested in pursuing graduate work or entering more writing-intensive professions, will benefit from the minor. The minor includes core courses intended to introduce students to the study of rhetoric, which incorporates a broad range of topics, including rhetorical theory, cultural rhetoric, and literacy and technology. The minor is also interdisciplinary in nature and includes course work in rhetoric, communication, linguistics, and education. Students select the courses that best suit their future career and educational goals.

While virtually all professions are enhanced by skills in writing, critical reading, and analytical thinking, the minor is particularly beneficial to students seeking careers in areas such as law, politics, journalism, business, science, engineering, public administration, and education.

The Department of Rhetoric and Writing Studies requires fifteen upper division units for the minor. The first two strands, Literacies and the Teaching of Writing and Rhetoric and Culture, require RWS 500W, 510, and 511 as the core classes and six units selected from one of those two strands. The Professional Writing strand requires two of the three core classes (RWS 500W, 510, 511) and nine units selected from the Professional Writing strand.

Core Units

RWS 500W Advanced Writing Strategies
RWS 510 Rhetoric and Culture
RWS 511 Literacy, Rhetoric, and Technology

Elective Units Selected from One of Three Strands:

Literacies and the Teaching of Writing

RWS 509 Introduction to the Teaching of Composition
Education 451 Introduction to Multicultural Education
Linguistics 430 English Grammar for Prospective Teachers
Linguistics 530 English Grammar
Linguistics 550 Theory and Practice of English as a Second Language

Rhetoric and Culture

Communication 441 Foundations of Critical and Cultural Study
Communication 470 Argumentation Theory
Communication 450 Rhetorical Theory
Communication 508 Media Literacy
Communication 446 Communication and Rhetorical Movements
Communication 482 Communication and Politics
Communication 492 Persuasion
Journalism and Media Studies 589 Ethical Issues in Mediated Communication

Professional Writing

RWS 305W Writing in Different Settings
RWS 501 Editing
RWS 503W Professional Writing
RWS 504 Advanced Professional Writing
RWS 505 Writing Project Management
RWS 506 Writing Internship
RWS 507 Professional Communication in Nonprofit Organizations
RWS 508W Scientific Writing

Prerequisites: Additional prerequisites are required for most classes.

The Interdisciplinary Minor in Rhetoric and Writing Studies is open to all undergraduates at San Diego State University. In designing their Interdisciplinary Minor, students may not include courses drawn from their major department.