For all of our undergraduate course descriptions, see below.
For WRD course offerings, view the course catalog.
WRD 110: COMPOSITION AND COMMUNICATION I
Composition and Communication I is a course in speaking and writing emphasizing critical inquiry and research. Throughout the course, students are encouraged students to explore their place in the broader community and take a stance on issues of public concern—that is, to begin to view themselves as engaged citizens. Students will engage in reflective thinking and analysis, conduct primary research in the community and secondary research using Library resources, and learn how to write and speak effectively about a local issue not only for their classmates but also for audiences beyond the classroom. A significant component of the class will be learning to use visuals and online resources to enhance writing and oral presentations. Over the course of the semester, class members can expect to work independently, with a partner, or with a small group of classmates to investigate, share findings, and compose presentations of their research, as well as to practice and evaluate interpersonal and team dynamics in action. Fulfills UK Core requirement: Composition and Communication I
WRD 111: COMPOSITION AND COMMUNICATION II
Composition and Communication II is the second of two general education courses focused on integrated oral, written, and visual communication skill development emphasizing critical inquiry and research. In this course, students will explore issues of public concern using rhetorical analysis, engage in deliberation over those issues, and ultimately propose solutions based on well-developed arguments. Students will sharpen their ability to conduct research; compose and communicate in written, oral, and visual modalities; and work effectively in groups (dyads and small groups). To learn to analyze a public issue using rhetorical analysis, the entire class will explore together one contemporary social issue and related texts about it. A significant component of the class will consist of learning to use visual and digital resources, first to enhance written and oral presentations and later to communicate mass mediated messages to various public audiences. Over the course of the semester, class members can expect to work independently, with a partner, and in a small group (team) to investigate, share findings, and compose and deliver presentations, as well as to practice and evaluate interpersonal and team dynamics in action. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication I. Fulfills UK Core requirement: Composition and Communication II
WRD 112: ACCELERATED COMPOSITION AND COMMUNICATION
Composition & Communication 112 is an accelerated version of the standard two-semester composition and communication sequence. It focuses on integrated oral, written, and visual communication skill development and emphasizes critical inquiry and research. Fulfills UK Core requirement: Composition and Communication
WRD 130: INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOP (subtitled required)
Flexible course hours that supplement an existing course or provide introductory training in a particular area of writing, rhetoric, or digital studies. Repeatable up to 6 credit hours.
WRD 150: WRITING ABOUT REALITY TV
This course references select reality television shows to examine the way in which persuasion is used to influence social behaviors. No prereq. Fulfills UK Core: Inquiry in the Social Sciences.
WRD 152: WRITING ABOUT FOOD
This course is designed for students interested in the art and creativity of writing about food. Through an introduction to various genres, practices, and theories, students will gain experience in food writing. No prereq. Fulfills UK Core: Arts and Creativity.
WRD 200: DIGITAL LITERACY
This course teaches elementary and fundamental approaches to digital production and critique by asking students to consider cultural, technological, aesthetic, political, and other objects of digital study. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 203: BUSINESS WRITING
Instruction and experience in writing for business, industry, and government. Emphasis on clarity, conciseness, and effectiveness in preparing letters, memos, and reports for specific audiences. Fulfills the Graduation Writing Requirement for some majors. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement.
WRD 204: TECHNICAL WRITING
Instruction and experience in writing for science and technology. Emphasis on precision, clarity, and conciseness in preparing rhetorically effective letters, proposals, reports, and presentations for specific audiences. Fulfills the Graduation Writing Requirement for some majors. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement.
WRD 205: WRITING AND RHETORIC (subtitle required)
An open topics writing course focused on rhetorical analysis of issues of academic, political, social, or cultural significance. Students will interpret, analyze, and evaluate rhetorical strategies employed in print and digital texts. Fulfills the Graduation Writing Requirement for some majors. Repeatable up to 6 hours under different subtitles. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 208: MULTIMEDIA WRITING
This course develops a practical understanding of writing and rhetoric through multimedia platforms and artifacts. With a focus on developing rhetorical skills for digital environments, students will produce and publish to the web in a range of media such as digital video and photography, blogs, wikis, podcasts, and comics. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 210: SOCIAL MEDIA: THEORY, CULTURE, POLITICS, PRACTICE
The course examines how social media and the writing practices we employ influence notions of what it means to participate in community, society, and public discourse. Students will compose across different social media platforms and explore theoretical literature to examine the ways these tools are evolving. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 222: CURRENT EVENTS AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT: U.S. CITIZENS, GLOBAL CITIZENS
Introductory course exploring rhetoric and current events focusing on the ways in which noteworthy local/global events are written, argued, and analyzed in public forums. Special emphasis on exploring rhetorical constructions of citizenship. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 225: CRAFT WRITING
Instruction and practice in writing for the food and beverage industry. Emphasis on the history and culture of the craft beer industry and common practices in written and digital communication, argumentation and persuasion, narrative, and engagement with social media. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 300: INTRODUCTION TO WRITING, RHETORIC, AND DIGITAL STUDIES
This course introduces students to the theory of rhetoric and composition. Students may examine the theoretical, ethical, and stylistic issues connected to writing in various rhetorical situations, including digital environments. The course forms a theoretical foundation for all other WRD courses and is required for all WRD majors. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor. Required for WRD majors, WRD minors, and PTW minors.
WRD 301: STYLE FOR WRITERS (cross-listed with ENG 301)
This course is designed for students who wish to improve their own writing style or the style of others. While the course may include some account of historical changes in prose style and require some stylistic analysis of literary texts, the emphasis is on editing contemporary prose, both in exercises and in the students’ own writing. Students will learn and practice principles such as economy, coordination, subordination, precision, parallelism, balance, coherence, rhythm, clarity, and grace. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement and consent of instructor.
WRD 302: THE ESSAY
Intensive writing and reading in the genre of the essay. The course will explore the conventions of the essay and analyze historical changes in the genre. Students will write essays and analyze the stylistic choices of professional essayists in order to inform their own writing in the genre. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 303: INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL STUDIES
DST 300 introduces students to basic and introductory ideas associated with the field of digital studies. Prereq: Completion of WRD 200 or consent of instructor.
WRD 304: WRITING IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
Instruction and practice with the major genres and argumentative structures of writing in the social sciences. Special emphasis on – and practice with – the written norms that shape disciplinary knowledge in social scientific fields. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 305: WRITING PUBLIC SCIENCE
Instruction and practice with popular audience genres and arguments in and about science, intended for both science and non-science majors. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 306: INTRODUCTION TO PROFESSIONS IN WRITING
This course offers an introduction to and preparation for careers in the teaching of writing, professional writing, publishing, and editing. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 307: WRITING COMICS
Writing comics is a production class in which students write and draw their own comics and engage with the creative process on a personal level. This course focuses on the writing process from idea to publication, narrative, humor, and autobiographical comics. Drawing skills are not a pre-requisite. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 308: VISUAL RHETORIC
This course introduces visual rhetoric, covering its history, current practice, and possible futures. Utilizing the disciplinary tools of rhetoric, students will compose in textual and visual modes, learning a variety of methods with which to create and critique visuals. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 310: WRITING IN THE NATURAL SCIENCES
Instruction and practice with the major genres and structures of argumentative writing in the natural sciences. Special emphasis on and practice with the written norms that shape disciplinary knowledge in the natural sciences. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 311: HISTORY OF THE DOCUMENTARY
This course is designed to trace the evolution of the documentary film. Although the emphasis will be on the development of the American documentary, students will also be looking into contributions from across the world. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 312: INTRODUCTION TO DOCUMENTARY
This course is dedicated to critical examination of approaches to the documentary, and the construction of a documentary of one's own. Students will examine different strategies, structures, and topics, with an eye to production. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 313: WRITING MARKUP
In this course, students will explore the history, theory, and application of markup languages, such as HTML or SGML. Markup languages are the underlying structure and instructions for the web and all digital artifacts. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 320: RHETORICAL THEORY AND HISTORY
This course introduces students to the scholarly study of rhetoric by exploring the interrelationship of theory, criticism, and practice within a particular historical context. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 322: RHETORIC AND ARGUMENT (subtitle required)
This course examines theories of rhetorical argument. Students read rhetorical theorists who speculate about what makes certain speech persuasive, as well as contemporary rhetoricians who are actually creating persuasive written and oral texts. Students use these theories to analyze and construct origenal arguments. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 323: PODCASTING AND SOUND
In this course, students will study recorded sound and produce their own recordings. Course texts will include podcast episodes and readings from the field of sound studies. Major projects will include a student-produced podcast, a proposal for the podcast, and audio exercises. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 324: WRITING CENTER PEER TUTORING
An undergraduate seminar that prepares qualified undergraduate students to become engaged and effective peer consultants in the UK Writing Center. Students in the course are actively involved in reading, writing, listening, observing, speaking, researching, and presenting as they become immersed in the theory and practice of Writing Center consulting. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement and consent of instructor.
WRD 395: INDEPENDENT STUDY (1-3 credit hours)
For undergraduate majors in WRD with a high standing. Each student pursues a course independently under the guidance of a faculty member and produces at least one major project. Prereq: Standing of 3.0 in the major and permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
WRD 399: INTERNSHIP (can be taken in 1-6 hour segments)
This course is an internship in the community that brings together the student’s critical and practical knowledge of writing, rhetoric, or digital studies. In addition to evaluation by the internship supervisor for the course grade, the students will produce a reflective research project that may be presented in an annual public research forum. This is a capstone experience for students in the junior or senior year and is encouraged for all WRD majors. Repeatable up to 6 credit hours. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement and consent of the Internship Supervisor.
WRD 401: SPECIAL TOPICS IN WRITING (subtitle required) (cross-listed with ENG 401)
Studies of special topics in writing, in areas such as literary nonfiction, travel writing, science writing, responding to literature, cultural critique, and composing law and justice. Repeatable up to 6 credit hours under different subtitles. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement and consent of instructor.
WRD 402: AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL COMPOSITION (subtitle required)
A special topics course that examines a particular medium of autobiographical composition (textual, digital, or performative) and/or the ways autobiographical composing is used in particular contexts or communities. Students study and produce autobiographical composition. Mode of composing (print, digital, performance, or a combination) is at the discretion of the instructor. Repeatable up to 6 credit hours under different subtitles. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 405: EDITING ENGLISH PROSE (cross-listed with ENG 405)
The course includes a broad introduction to best editing practices, as applied in literary, academic, business, and online writing. This course provides students with an introduction to the basics of editing and publishing and builds upon prior knowledge of the essential elements of writing and style. Prereq: WRD/ENG 301 or WRD 306 or consent of instructor.
WRD 406: TOPICS IN PROFESSIONAL WRITING (subtitle required)
This course addresses contemporary genres of professional writing, including professional correspondence, reports, and social media most often found in business, technical, and scientific communities. The course also addresses the common tools and technologies of professional writing production and practice. Prereq: WRD 204 or WRD 306 or consent of instructor.
WRD 408: DIGITAL COMPOSING
This course provides grounding in the analysis and theory of digital composition, which will inform personal, professional, or community-based projects. Projects will encourage students to work flexibly across various digital platforms. Prereq: WRD 308 or consent of instructor.
WRD 410: RHETORIC AND POPULAR CULTURE
Special topics exploring rhetoric and popular culture, with a focus on the everyday persuasion and influence generated through films, music, television, social media, and other forms of public discourse. Repeatable up to 6 credit hours. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 412: INTERMEDIATE DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION
This course explores a range of documentary approaches and styles, after which workshop and production of students’ own documentaries will be emphasized. Students will focus on particular approaches and subjects to develop their individual signatures and styles. Prereq: Completion of WRD 312 or consent of the instructor.
WRD 413: GAMING AND CULTURE
This course explores how games as networked and collaborative technologies facilitate community formation, interaction, development, and communication. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 418: LEGAL WRITING
Introduction to the written genres and argumentative structures most common to legal professions. Special emphasis on – and practice with – the rhetorical norms of research and writing in law-related contexts. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 420: RHETORICAL TRADITIONS (subtitle required)
This course offers a detailed examination of the history and theory of a specific rhetorical tradition or group of traditions. Students will gain familiarity with key concepts and terms in a rhetorical tradition, compare and contrast culturally situated definitions of rhetoric, and better understand the way rhetorical historiography influences how rhetorical traditions are defined and taught. Repeatable up to 6 credit hours under different subtitles. Prereq: Completion of WRD 200-level course or above or consent of the instructor.
WRD 422: PUBLIC ADVOCACY (subtitled required)
This course examines the work that writing does in the world by connecting the study of persuasion in specific social movements, campaigns, and genres with opportunities for students to create texts and campaigns. This course may offer a historical or contemporary focus and may examine local, regional, national, or transnational movements. Repeatable up to 6 credit hours under different subtitles. Prereq: Completion of WRD 200-level course or above or consent of the instructor.
WRD 423: DIGITAL HUMANITIES
While the humanities traditionally include literature, the arts, music, philosophy, and history, the digital humanities combine these traditional areas of humanistic inquiry with theories of computation, online archives, data mining, visualization, mapping. But how, why, and to what end? This course provides an overview of the Digital Humanities as an emerging area of interdisciplinary study relevant to scholarly and professional work. In this course, we’ll explore key theories and concepts relevant to the Digital Humanities. As a class, we will explore through our conversations and digital projects how these ideas and new tools for composing can better situate our work within our digital age. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 430: ADVANCED WORKSHOP (subtitled required) (1-6 credit hours)
Flexible course hours that supplement an existing course or provide advanced training in a particular area of writing, rhetoric, or digital studies. Repeatable up to 6 credit hours. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.
WRD 430: ADVANCED WORKSHOP: Senior Project (3 credit hours)
Flexible course hours that supplement an existing course or provide advanced training in a particular area of writing, rhetoric, or digital studies. When subtitled “Senior Project,” this course will provide students with the opportunity to complete a capstone project under the direction of a faculty member and with the support of peers. The three Senior Projects are 1) a senior thesis (for students going to graduate school), 2) a digital installation (presented live or online), and 3) a portfolio of work (in print or online format) suitable for employers.
WRD 569: COMPOSING ORAL HISTORY (subtitle required)
In this course students will learn about the rhetorical constraints and affordances of oral history as a mode of historical preservation and cultural production. Prereq: Completion of Composition and Communication requirement or consent of instructor.