Prerequisite: ENC 1101, ENC 1102, or equivalent credit
Classes focus on the technical and stylistic conventions of specific disciplines and cover major elements of organizational communication with emphasis on composition of reports, proposals, letters and memos, manuals, graduate school application essays, and oral presentations. Most of the individual sections focus on writing in a single area.
Objectives & Outcomes
By the end of a Writing in the Disciplines course, students will be able to:
- plan, draft, revise, edit, and proofread discipline-specific papers (research reports and/or review papers)
- develop research or clinical projects using critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- identify and write to specific audiences
- develop academic research skill using the library and research databases
- summarize, analyze, and synthesize academic sources
- participate in groups as peer reviewers and/or collaborators
- accurately cite and incorporate primary literature materials
ENC 3230, Writing in Graphic Design
Designed specifically for students interested in working in the field of graphic design, this course will strengthen communications skills needed for success in your field. Students will learn to write documents important to the graphic design industry (writing about your work, email etiquette with clients, peers, or superiors, giving information to clients, business reports, and copywriting) as well as documents that will be important to your individual careers (emails to prospective employers, résumés, and cover letters). The course also focuses on oral communication skills by providing practical experiences through practice interviews and in-class participation. We also will study basics in grammar and good writing style.
ENC 3246, Professional Communication for Engineers
Designed to help students master a variety of communication strategies and genres of writing relevant to engineering. Composing email, memos, letters, technical descriptions, instructions, academic research reports, and professional proposals, students respond to complex rhetorical situations, thus preparing for work in their professional communities. ENC 3254, Writing in the Disciplines by topic
ENC 3252, Writing for Strategic Communication
Designed to help students learn how to write, revise, and edit effectively for the professional writing community they will join. By the end of class, students will have begun a portfolio of writing to showcase their evolving topical interests and writing style.
ENC 3253, Writing in the Health Professions
Designed to help students master communication strategies and genres of writing relevant to the health professions. Students learn to compose clear messages to professionals, patients, and the public, preparing them for upper-division courses and building a foundation for work in their professional communities.
ENC 3360, Writing the Natural World
Designed to introduce students to the genre of nature writing. During the first half of the semester, we will read the canonical and the contemporary writers who have shaped the discourse from the nineteenth century through the present. We will focus in particular on the linguistic and rhetorical strategies the authors use to construct the natural world and our relationships to our environs. Class readings and discussion will cultivate a deep understanding of the nature writing field and the ability to think philosophically about the environment. The second half of the course moves toward our final project, a publishable piece of public-facing nature writing designed for a specific outlet and audience. Critical engagement with publication outlets and document design conventions provides the foundation for developing writing skills. We will learn about the techniques used to write for a public audience, analyze the generic conventions of a variety of published pieces, critically review a publication outlet, and design all the appropriate submission documents.
ENC 3459, Writing in the Medical Sciences
Students will practice communication in the medical profession. Students learn to do research using medical databases and other research tools, while discovering how best to organize and present their findings to medical professionals and patients. Students will also participate in a variety of speaking assignments in class, ranging from impromptu to prepared presentations, developing techniques for improving public speaking, interviewing and listening skills, and patient-doctor communication. Collaborative writing and presenting is also required so students practice working in teams, typical of medical practice.
ENC 3264, Writing in the Social Sciences
Designed to help students master communication strategies and genres of writing relevant to the social sciences. Conducting original research, students learn the relationship between clear, simple prose and thoughtful social analysis. Students write literature reviews, develop methodologies, present results, analyze data, and draft graduate or internship applications.
ENC 3465, Writing in the Law
Designed to help students master communication strategies and genres of writing relevant to law, with special emphasis on legal reasoning and logic. Students write legal briefs, a legal memorandum, business correspondence, and law school applications and are introduced to legal research and moot court debate.
ENC 3466, Writing in the Communication Sciences
Designed to improve the student’s writing skills in areas essential to a career in communication sciences, this course focuses on three types of writing used in graduate school and in the communication science profession: personal, research, and clinical. The syllabus has been developed in collaboration with communication sciences faculty and targets specific writing skills identified by faculty members.
ENC 3468, Writing in the Physical Sciences
This course is designed to improve writing and speaking skills necessary to the success of the physical scientist, both in graduate school and in the workplace. Students learn advanced library research, correct documentation, stylistic conventions for their major fields, and how to present research effectively. Students involved in a research project may continue that research using it to fulfill certain writing and speaking requirements. Students not currently conducting research will have an opportunity to investigate an area in of special interest.
ENC 3601, Professional Writing in AI
Explores professional writing situations in the AI sector. Applies rhetorical theory, employs research methods, and requires technical writing to articulate persuasive materials. Designed to help students imagine creative solutions with and for AI-driven innovations. For students interested in majors and careers for which AI figures.
ENC 4454, Writing the Scientific Thesis
Formerly called Writing in the Neurobiological Sciences, this course students will discover that just as good science stresses method as well as results, so does good writing require both clear style and sound content. We will examine exemplary articles in the field to evaluate their strategies, in order that you may put those strategies into practice in your own writing. Major assignments include a review article, an experimental research paper (thesis version and publication version), a non-specialist paper, a brief grant proposal, and a poster presentation.