You can find information about the general education courses you can take with your degree.
AP/WRIT 1700 9.00 Writing: Process and Practice
Note: This is an approved LA&PS General Education course: Humanities.
This course considers a wide range of written expression including fiction, nonfiction, poetry and other genres, with an emphasis on the theory and practice of writing.
This is not a technical writing course; the focus is on developing critical reading, writing and thinking skills through a close and thoughtful consideration of readings and other resources. Students will explore and practice a variety of writing methods, such as how to write persuasively for different audiences and how to write collaboratively. Students will also read and practice different forms and genres of writing, such as argument, personal essay, blog post, journals and short (no-pressure) writing experiments.
Writing in ways we are not necessarily familiar with strengthens writing skills in general. By becoming more aware of how and why different texts are written, we become more aware of our writing practices and of what is needed to improve such practices. An important aim of the course is to help students develop greater confidence when writing in different contexts, whether academic, professional or personal.
Course Credit exclusions: AP/WRIT 1980 9.00 (prior to Fall 2012). PRIOR TO FALL 2009, AS/EN 1980 9.00, WRIT 1701 9.0, 1702 6.0, 1703 6.0
AP/WRIT 1702 6.00 Becoming a Better Writer: Methods and Models
Note: This is an approved LA&PS General Education course: Humanities.
This course combines practical strategies for writing improvement in academic and professional contexts by having students study the diverse social, political and cultural challenges writers face. The course emphasizes transferable skills via writing academic essays, film criticism and professional projects.
Writing is a crucial, transferable skill that can be improved by conscious awareness of process and ongoing practice. We benefit by being able to clearly express our thoughts to the world, whether that context is in an academic essay, through digital media, or via a convincing project proposal. Accordingly, WRIT 1702 will carefully explore the principles of essay writing, and help students develop effective methods for composing university papers. By completing portfolios on Academic Criticism and Life Writing, students will receive feedback on summarizing sources, using secondary sources to interpret primary texts, and conducting effective research for composing convincing essays in multiple genres. The course also illustrates (and requires) professional standards in e-mail and report writing, and includes a substantial group work component where, working together, students complete a substantial piece of film criticism.
But students taking WRIT 1720 can also expect to learn about the composing struggles and strategies of successful writers. Writers such as Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath, and Gloria Anzaldúa have much to teach us about writing from the margins; others, like George Orwell, Michael Goulish and Ursula K.LeGuin have helpful advice for clear, resonant writing. The course also explores the persistent challenges all writers must face, as censorship, propaganda and conflict rhetoric hamper their ability to express their ideas.
Course credit exclusions: AP/WRIT 1700 9.0, AP/ WRIT 1701 9.0, AP/WRIT 1703 6.0