Department of Rhetoric and Writing
The Department of Rhetoric and Writing offers the required core course, Rhetoric and Writing 306, as well as lower-division and upper-division courses in rhetoric and writing, and a number of Writing Flag courses. The department also administers the Undergraduate Writing Center, which supports writing instruction in all undergraduate courses and the Digital Writing and Research Lab, which offers innovative approaches to writing in digital environments.
If a student has received either a passing or a failing grade or the symbol Q in Rhetoric and Writing 306, he or she may not earn credit by examination for the course.
The information in parentheses after a course number is the Texas Common Course Numbering (TCCN) designation. Only TCCN designations that are exact semester-hour equivalents of University courses are listed here. Additional TCCN information is given in Appendix A.
Rhetoric and Writing: RHE
Lower-Division Courses
RHE 306 (TCCN: ENGL 1301). Rhetoric and Writing.
An introductory writing course that includes instruction in practical reasoning and the principles of rhetoric. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: English 603A, Rhetoric and Writing 306, 306Q, Tutorial Course 603A. Prerequisite: A passing score on the writing section of the Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA) test (or an appropriate assessment test).
RHE 306Q. Rhetoric and Writing for Nonnative Speakers of English.
Enrollment limited to nonnative speakers of English. An introductory writing course that includes instruction in practical reasoning and the principles of rhetoric, as well as grammar and mechanics of standard American English. Five lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: English 603A, Rhetoric and Writing 306, 306Q, Tutorial Course 603A. Prerequisite: Students must present their scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) to the Rhetoric and Writing Office prior to registering.
RHE 309K, 409K. Topics in Writing.
A writing course focused on studying and practicing methods of rhetorical analysis within the contexts of disputed issues of academic, political, or cultural significance. Three or four lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated once for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Rhetoric and Writing 306 or 306Q.
RHE 309S. Critical Reading and Persuasive Writing.
A writing course designed to teach advanced rhetorical analysis and advocacy on public issues. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Rhetoric and Writing 306 or 306Q.
RHE 310. Intermediate Expository Writing.
An intensive writing workshop, focusing on style and readability. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: English 603A, Rhetoric and Writing 306, 306Q, or Tutorial Course 603A.
RHE 312. Writing in Digital Environments.
A writing course focused on using, interpreting, and analyzing traditional and emerging technologies. Taught using networked computers. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Rhetoric and Writing 306.
RHE 315. Introduction to Visual Rhetoric.
A writing course designed to teach students to analyze and produce visual and nonverbal forms of rhetoric. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Rhetoric and Writing 306.
RHE 317 (TCCN: ENGL 2311). Technical Writing.
Reading and writing in professional and technological environments. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: English 603A, Rhetoric and Writing 306, 306Q, or Tutorial Course 603A.
RHE 119S, 219S, 319S, 419S, 519S, 619S, 719S, 819S, 919S. Topics in Rhetoric and Writing.
This course is used to record credit the student earns while enrolled at another institution in a program administered by the University's Study Abroad Office. Credit is recorded as assigned by the study abroad adviser in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing. University credit is awarded for work in an exchange program; it may be counted as coursework taken in residence. Transfer credit is awarded for work in an affiliated studies program. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Upper-Division Courses
RHE 321. Principles of Rhetoric.
Examines major terms, issues, and approaches in the theory and practice of rhetoric and writing. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Completion of at least thirty semester hours of coursework, and English 316K.
RHE 325M. Advanced Writing.
An advanced course designed to improve and refine writing. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Completion of at least thirty semester hours of coursework, and English 316K.
RHE 328. Topics in Professional and Technical Writing for Liberal Arts Majors.
For liberal arts majors only. A professional and technical writing course exploring topics such as writing for nonprofit organizations, writing for government, and writing for industry. Designed for students in nontechnical fields. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Completion of at least thirty semester hours of coursework, and English 316K.
Topic 1: Magazine Writing and Publishing. Introduction to magazine writing, editing, and publishing, with an emphasis on the nonfiction article.
Topic 2: Writing for Nonprofits. Studies the writing genres and rhetorical strategies that are routinely used in nonprofit organizations. Covers business reports, grant writing, and feature writing.
Topic 3: Principles of Technical Writing. Writing practical documents that help readers follow procedures, make informed choices, and understand complex information.
RHE 129S, 229S, 329S, 429S, 529S, 629S, 729S, 829S, 929S. Topics in Rhetoric and Writing.
This course is used to record credit the student earns while enrolled at another institution in a program administered by the University's Study Abroad Office. Credit is recorded as assigned by the study abroad adviser in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing. University credit is awarded for work in an exchange program; it may be counted as coursework taken in residence. Transfer credit is awarded for work in an affiliated studies program. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
RHE 330C. Advanced Studies in Digital Rhetoric.
An advanced course that examines the role of information technologies in communication. Taught using networked computers. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Completion of at least thirty semester hours of coursework, and English 316K.
Topic 1: Rhetorics of Cyberculture. Examines the ways cyberspace is represented, critiqued, and employed in writing and film. Explores the social, ethical, and political implications of networked culture.
Topic 2: Designing Text Ecologies. Explores the function and interaction of texts in the workplace. Emphasis on research, analysis, and design of the strategic, tactical, and operational aspects of texts.
RHE 330D. History of Rhetoric.
An advanced survey of figures and movements in the history of rhetoric, from classical to contemporary. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Completion of at least thirty semester hours of coursework, and English 316K.
Topic 1: Sophistry and the Invention of Rhetoric. Examines the role of sophists and sophistry in the development and practice of rhetoric as an art, from antiquity to modern times.
Topic 2: Kairos and the Rhetorical Situation. Introduction to kairos, a key concept in rhetorical theory from ancient to modern times, that focuses attention on making a text appropriate for its historical situation. Explores why some writing succeeds at attracting attention and inspiring action, while some writing fails.
Topic 3: Deliberating War. Studies the recurrent means of making arguments for and against war, and the role of rhetoric in public deliberation. Rhetoric and Writing 330D (Topic: Pro- and Anti-War Rhetoric) and 330D (Topic 3) may not both be counted.
Topic 4: Rhetoric and Racism. Explores theories of rhetoric by examining arguments about group identity, from Athenian discussions of "barbarism" in the fourth century BC to nineteenth-century arguments about citizenship.
Topic 5: History of Public Argument. A survey of the practice and theory of argumentation, with particular attention to its civic and political uses and implications.
Topic 6: Classical to Modern Rhetoric. Surveys the works of major rhetorical theorists and practitioners in the Western tradition from the ancient Greeks to the present.
RHE 330E. Rhetorical Theory and Analysis.
An advanced examination of rhetorical theories and their applications. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Completion of at least thirty semester hours of coursework, and English 316K.
Topic 1: Rhetoric of Science in Popular Media. Rhetorical analysis of scientific discourse and how it is represented in popular media, including news reports, magazines, and popular nonfiction.
Topic 2: Demagoguery. Examines material produced by rhetors commonly considered demagogues and assesses the scholarly discussions of these individuals.
Topic 3: Democracy and the Media. Rhetorical analysis, with particular attention to the effects of technologies and journalistic institutions on public deliberation.
RHE 360M. Rhetoric and Writing for Teachers of English.
Designed for students seeking a secondary school teaching certificate or those in the UTeach-Liberal Arts program. An advanced course that examines theories of writing and writing pedagogy. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Completion of at least thirty semester hours of coursework, and English 316K.
RHE 366. Internship in Rhetoric and Writing.
Research and staff experience working in an appropriate nonprofit, public-, or private-sector entity. Ten to twelve hours a week for one semester. May be repeated once for credit when the internships vary. Offered on the pass/fail basis only. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, twelve semester hours of coursework in rhetoric and writing, and consent of instructor.
RHE 367R. Conference Course in Rhetoric and Writing.
Supervised work on specific projects in rhetoric and writing. Three conference hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Completion of at least thirty-six semester hours of coursework; English 316K; and approval of written application by the supervising instructor.
RHE 368C. Writing Center Internship.
Intensive reading, writing, and discussion in writing center theory and philosophy, tutoring methods, and writing pedagogy, as well as a review of standard American English usage and mechanics; followed by a supervised apprenticeship as a peer consultant in the Undergraduate Writing Center. Two lecture hours and two apprenticeship hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Completion of at least thirty semester hours of coursework; English 316K; and approval of written application by instructor.
RHE 368E. Editing for Publication.
Advanced instruction in revising and editing for publication. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Completion of at least thirty semester hours of coursework, and English 316K.
Topic 1: The Book: Prospectus to Proofs. Designed to make students better writers and more careful editors, the course includes creation of a simulated book from proposal stage to editing of final page proofs.
RHE 375. Capstone Seminars in Rhetoric.
Allows the student to integrate the knowledge gained in rhetoric and writing through a major independent project. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, and Rhetoric and Writing 321, 330C, 330D, and 330E.
RHE 379C. Advanced Topics in Rhetoric and Writing.
An advanced course focused on specific theories or practices of rhetoric and writing. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Completion of at least thirty semester hours of coursework, and English 316K.