PW Major
Requirements | Minimum Units |
---|---|
Scientific or Technical Concentration* | 6 |
Writing & Rhetoric (WR) Concentration | 3 |
Major Qualifying Project (MQP) | 1 (or 4/3) |
*Scientific or technical concentration can double count from a second major.
Writing & Rhetoric Concentration
Writing & Rhetoric Courses (2 Units)
Professional Writing (PW) majors must complete 2 units (6 courses) in WR. Students have a variety of options, and 5 of these courses can double count toward the Humanities and Arts (HUA) requirement.
WR 1010 Elements of Writing (Cat I)
WR 1011 Writing about Science & Technology (Cat I)
WR 1020 Introduction to Rhetoric (Cat I)
WR 2010 Elements of Style (Cat I)
WR 2210 Business Writing and Communication (Cat I)
WR 2310 Visual Rhetoric (Cat I)
WR 2400 Writing Characters for IMGD (Cat II)
WR 3011 Teaching Writing (Cat II)
WR 3112 Rhetorical Theory (Cat I) Required for all PW majors and minors
WR 3210 Technical Writing (Cat I)
WR 3214 Writing About Disease & Public Health (Cat I)
WR 3300 Cross-Cultural Communication (Cat II)
WR 3400 Writing Narratives for IMGD (Cat II)
WR 4111 Research Methods in Writing (Cat I)
WR 401X Topics in Writing and Rhetoric (Cat II)
WR 421X Medical Writing (Cat II)
HU 3900 Memoir Writing
HU 3900 Loaded Language
HU 3900 Intercultural Communication
HU 3900 Human Factors of Medicine
HU 3900 Robots, AI and Ethics
HU 3900 Writing for Social Media
HU 3900 Rhetoric and Motivation in Exercise Physiology
HU 3900 Universal Language? From the Garden of Eden to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
HU 3910 Writing Software Tutorials
HU 3910 Writing for the Web
HU 3910 Writing for the Software and Electronics Industries
Electives (1 Unit)
The 1 unit (3 courses) of electives must be coherently defined and approved by the review committee. Please refer to the undergraduate catalog for a list of courses, and/or discuss course options with the program director. Electives can double count elsewhere unless prohibited by another program.
Major Qualifying Project
For any major at WPI, students are required to complete an MQP. If PW is your only major, then you will need to complete 1 unit of MQP work. If PW is a second major, then you have two options:
- Two MQPs, one for each major. In this option, you will need to complete 1 unit for your scientific or technical major and 1 unit for your PW major. Remember that 1 unit is the equivalent of 3 courses.
- A 4/3-unit interdisciplinary MQP that satisfies both majors. In this option, you would have two advisors, one for each major, but you would only work on one MQP project. That project would be spread out over the equivalent of four courses instead of three.
Comparing the Major to the Minor
Some students ask about the difference between the PW major and Writing & Rhetoric minor, so this comparison should help to clarify that.
Writing & Rhetoric Minor | Professional Writing Major |
---|---|
1-2/3 unit (5 courses) in Writing & Rhetoric Must include:
Note: 3 WR courses from the HUA requirement can double count toward this requirement (may include a WR-focused HU3900/10). |
2 units (6 courses) in Writing & Rhetoric Must include:
Note: 4 WR courses and a WR-focused HU3900/10 (total of 5 courses) from the HUA requirement can double count toward this requirement. |
No requirement for electives | 1 unit (3 courses) electives (from HUA, IMGD, Management, Foreign Languages, etc. that provides depth in communication)
Note: All 3 of these courses can double count elsewhere (unless prohibited by another program) and can include WR courses not being used to fulfill the 2-unit requirement. |
1/3 Unit Capstone Project (ISU or linked to a 3000-level or above WR course upon instructor’s permission). | 1 unit PW MQP -or- 4/3 unit interdisciplinary MQP
Note: If you do a 4/3 unit interdisciplinary MQP, it’s only an additional 1/3 unit. |
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For more information about Professional Writing as a major, second major, or minor contact: