Rhetoric & Professional Writing

Professional writers are the bridge between art and science. They are the artists who bring to life the science of business, technology, discoveries, and world events. They are the storytellers who translate complex phenomena to a target audience, connecting ideas and people.

Professional writers do more than just put words on paper. They design. They create. They promote. They edit. They analyze. They construct ideas. They illustrate characters. They deliver results. You can be a professional writer. You can learn to harness the creative power of verbal and visual discourse. You can employ new technologies in designing effective communication. You can go beyond words.

Requirements

 
  • A minimum of 36 credit hours is required, with at least 15 hours in the chosen track.
  • English Composition (ENGL 1001) is prerequisite to any Rhetoric & Professional Writing coursework.
  • Although not required, it is highly recommended to complete the composition sequence (ENGL 2089: Intermediate Composition or equivalent) prior to beginning Rhetoric & Professional Writing coursework.

Core Courses for All English Majors 

ENGL 2159 - Intro to Professional Writing

ENGL 2070 - Desktop Publishing 

Three RPW Electives (at least one at 5000+ level)*

Take One Advanced Writing Course

  • ENGL 4091- Writing for Business 
  • ENGL 4092 - Technical and Scientific Writing
  • ENGL 4093 - Environmental Writing

ENGL - 5095 Professional Writing Capstone (Offered in Spring Only) — Prerequisites for the capstone are ENGL - 2159, ENGL - 2070, and at least 3 additional RPW courses completed; students make take it either the spring they are graduating, or the spring before they graduate in the summer or fall immediately following. 

* See full list of RPW Electives below.

  • ENGL 2060 - Language, Power, and Community
  • ENGL 2072 - Writing for Parks and Museums 
  • ENGL 2073 - Writing for Justice
  • ENGL 2074 - Social Media and Society
  • ENGL 2093 - Cross Cultural Communication
  • ENGL 2144 - Social Media- Justice/Activism
  • ENGL 2193 - Intro to Environmental Writing
  • ENGL 3067 - Research Methods: Rhetoric/PW
  • ENGL 3068 - Topics: Rhetoric and PW
  • ENGL 3069 - Introduction to Web Authoring
  • ENGL 3072 - Multimedia Writing
  • ENGL 3075 - Professional Writing and Pub
  • ENGL 3076 - Writing With Style
  • ENGL 3077 - Visual Persuasion
  • ENGL 3159 - Writing with A.I.
  • ENGL 4095 - Theory in Rhetoric and PW
  • ENGL 4098 - Portfolio Development
  • ENGL 4099 - Internship in Rhetoric and PW (by permission only)
  • ENGL 5029 - Creating Accessible Content
  • ENGL 5080 - Writing Cincinnati
  • ENGL 5121 - Instructional Design
  • ENGL 5122 - Promotional Writing
  • ENGL 5123 - Grants and Proposals
  • ENGL 5124 - Editing Professional Documents
  • ENGL 5125 - Infographics and Doc Design
  • ENGL 5126 - Usability Testing
  • ENGL 5127 - Topics in Professional Writing
  • ENGL 5128 - Publishing and New Media
  • ENGL 5129 - Creating Accessible Content
  • ENGL 5144 Document Design
  • ENGL 5145 PW for Intl Audiences