Writing and Rhetoric Major

Requirements for the Major

A major in Writing and Rhetoric requires a minimum of eight full course credits plus the senior thesis requirements (Writing Studio and Senior Thesis). Students planning to study writing during their semester abroad should consult carefully with the Writing and Rhetoric faculty to determine which courses may be accepted toward the major. In keeping with Scripps policy, all courses must be taken for letter grades to fulfill major requirements.

Foundational Courses

Three courses, one from each of the three categories below (if you take more than one course from each category, the courses not counted toward the Foundational Courses requirement can be counted toward the Writing Workshop requirement or the Writing Studies, Discourse Studies, and Rhetoric requirement): 

1. Histories of Writing and Rhetoric   

• WRIT105 SC Writing and the Liberal Arts  
• WRIT110 SC Introduction to Rhetoric     
• WRIT119 SC A Genealogy of Writing  

2. Creative Nonfiction/Essay/Journalism

• WRIT135 SC Writing Social Media  
• WRIT140 SC Creative Nonfiction  
• WRIT146 SC Academic vs. Creative Non/Fiction  

3. Persuasive Multimodal Rhetorics

• WRIT153 SC Introduction to Podcasting  
• WRIT172 SC Rhetorics of Sustainability  
• WRIT175 SC Social Action Writing and Rhetoric  

Writing Workshop Courses

Three courses selected from among the following:

• ENGL093 PO Writing About Pop and Rock  
• WRIT016 PZ The Writing Process  
• WRIT020 PZ Writing Seminar: Representing LA  
• WRIT109 SC Writing Studio  (if taken twice)
• WRIT120 SC Tech Rhetorics   
• WRIT 122 SC Proposal and Application Writing   
• WRIT130 SC Literary Journalism I/O  
• WRIT132 SC Arts + Culture Review  
• WRIT135 SC Writing Social Media  
• WRIT137 SC The Newspaper Op-Ed  
• WRIT140 SC Creative Nonfiction  
• WRIT145 SC Women’s Memoir/Writing  
• WRIT146 SC Academic vs. Creative Non/Fiction  
• WRIT 155 SC - Writing Satire  
• WRIT165 SC - Prison Writing Center Praxis   
• WRIT175 SC Social Action Writing and Rhetoric  
• WRIT197 SC Special Topics in Writing   

Writing Studies, Discourse Studies, and Rhetoric Courses

Two full courses selected from among the following:

• ART189 PO Writing Art
• ENGL087 F PO-Writing, Theories, Processes, Practices (full course credit) 
• ENGL087H PO-Writing, Processes, Practices (half-course; must be taken for letter grade)
• ENGL 108 The Essay of Resistance  
• ENGL 164 PO Essay and Experiment  
• GOVT141 CM The Politics and Craft of International Journalism  
• GOVT142 CM International Political Feature Writing  
• GOVT143 CM Introduction to Political Journalism Writing   
• LIT 177 CM The Art of Oratory  
• POLI144 SC Legal Storytelling and the Rule of Law  
• MS 070 PZ Media and Social Change   
• WRIT010 PZ Writing Publics: Education, Literacies, and Culture  
• WRIT100A PZ Writing Center Theory Praxis (half-course credit)
• WRIT105 SC Writing and the Liberal Arts  
• WRIT110 SC Introduction to Rhetoric  
• WRIT112 SC Words Words, Words
• WRIT113 SC Prose Style and the Sentence  
• WRIT119 SC A Genealogy of Writing  
• WRIT139 SC Election Lab: Rhetoric, Commentary, and Podcasts   
• WRIT153 SC Introduction to Podcasting  
• WRIT160 SC Theories and Pedagogies of Writing  
• WRIT 161 IO SC Classroom-based Tutoring  
• WRIT163 IO SC Writing Center Literacies  
• WRIT172 SC Rhetorics of Sustainability   

Senior Thesis and Writing Studio

Senior Thesis may be completed in either fall or spring; Writing Studio may be taken one semester prior to or concurrent with Senior Thesis.Writing Studio may be repeated once for credit. 

• WRIT109 SC Writing Studio  (half-course credit)
• WRIT191 SC Senior Thesis

Honors Requirements

A student who wishes to graduate with honors in Writing and Rhetoric must achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.67 in the major and earn an A or A- on the senior thesis. The student must also present their thesis to an audience for questions, which takes place duiring Capstone Day.