B.A. in Writing and Rhetoric - Department of Writing and Rhetoric

The writing and rhetoric major is designed to address the evolving nature of persuasion and written communication in the 21st century, with an emphasis on new media technologies and civic engagement. Tracks in professional writing, writing for new media and writing as a discipline are available, and course options include creative non-fiction, business writing, writing for human resource development and digital storytelling.

For information about placement in first year composition or transfer credits, see Course Placement. If you wish to major in Writing and Rhetoric, fill out a change of major form and go over the plan of study with an adviser. Download the checklist for the WRT major.

Capstone

WRT 491 is designed as the capstone experience for writing and rhetoric majors. Ideally, students will enroll in the course during their final semester at OU, but exceptions are made based on need and opportunity. Given the diverse nature of the field and the professional opportunities available to WRT graduates, the capstone experience can take many forms, each being tailored to the individual student's needs, interests, etc.

Prerequisites

Students must be of junior or senior standing and receive permission of the instructor to enroll in the class. The expectation is that students looking to enroll in the course will have completed at minimum the core requirements and the gateway requirement for their intended track.

Course Description

Internships provide students with the opportunity to make connections between their academic work and the professional world, while receiving course credit. WRT 491 is a four-credit course requiring at least 12 weeks and 150 hours of work over the course of a 15 week semester. For most organizations, this is the minimum commitment required of an intern. Some require a longer commitment, especially if it is a paid position. Internships are never retroactively approved, and should be a new experience for the student.

Theses provide students with the opportunity to expand their academic knowledge of the field and to develop their research capabilities through a guided scholarly/intellectual project. Each project is developed in coordination with a faculty mentor within the department of Writing and Rhetoric. The mentor and the internship coordinator (if they are different faculty members) will work closely with the student on the development and execution of the project.