Interdisciplinary Writing
Overview
Writing classes provide students with the intellectual and technical frameworks that enable them to approach course materials and disciplines critically. Writing well is not a skill-set to be mastered, but an intricate interaction of cognitive and rhetorical processes performed for a variety of purposes, in multiple circumstances, and for diverse audiences. This minor allows students to practice these processes in a range of writing situations, and exposes students to comparative approaches to modes of writing: prose, creative nonfiction, playwriting, poetry, journalism, screenwriting, professional writing, and multimedia.
The interdisciplinary approach of this minor helps students develop strong writing skills, techniques, and practices through varied pedagogical styles and methods. A main benefit of this minor is that students will have opportunities to learn from faculty in different disciplines, gaining knowledge of those disciplines while writing in various genres. These courses provide a strong writing foundation for students interested in any number of academic and career fields.
Requirements
Minor
The Interdisciplinary Writing minor is a five-course program consisting of one required 200-level core class (CWP 295) and four electives, described as follows.
Note: Typically students will complete the minor with no more than 3 courses from any one department; however, students may complete the minor with 4 courses from any one department with IW minor chair approval.
Required Course
| CWP 295 | Argument and Rhetoric Across the Disciplines | 4 units |
Electives
The below courses are offered regularly in the Interdisciplinary minor, though some may not be offered every year. Check Course Counts for the available courses each semester.
| AMST 265/CWP 265 | Feminist Rhetorics and Social Change | 4 units |
| ARTS 301 | Writing Art and Writing as Art | 4 units |
| BLST 240 | Black Women Write Social Justice | 4 units |
| CTSJ 215 | Language and Power | 4 units |
| CWP 235 | Visual Rhetoric: Communication through Pictures and/or Words | 4 units |
| CWP 250 | Topics in Writing with the Community | 4 units |
| CWP 275 | Popular Science Writing | 4 units |
| CWP 285 | Principles of Journalism I: Covering News Across Media | 4 units |
| CWP 286 | Principles of Journalism II: Narrative Nonfiction: True Stories Told Well | 4 units |
| CWP 287 | Rhetorical Fault Lines: Journalism, Persuasion, Propaganda | 4 units |
| CWP 301 | Creative Nonfiction | 4 units |
| CWP 395 | Theory and Pedagogy of Writing | 2 units |
| ENGL 280 | Creative Writing: Introduction to Fiction Writing | 4 units |
| ENGL 281 | Creative Writing: Poetry | 4 units |
| ENGL 290 | Introduction to Literary Methods | 4 units |
| ENGL 380 | Creative Writing: Advance Fiction Writing | 4 units |
| ENGL 382 | Advanced Creative Writing | 4 units |
| FREN 350 | Theory and Practice of Translation (Thème et Version) | 4 units |
| MAC 220 | Introduction to Screenwriting and Narrative Practices | 4 units |
| MAC 222 | Creating and Writing Television/Streaming Series | 4 units |
| MAC 320 | Advanced Screenwriting and Narrative Practices | 4 units |
| THEA 101 | From Page to Stage: Introduction to Reading and Writing for Performance | 4 units |
| THEA 201 | Voices in American Theater | 4 units |
| THEA 204 | Comedy and Social Change | 4 units |
| THEA 380 | Playwriting | 4 units |
Students may also apply MAC 250 as an elective for the Interdisciplinary Writing minor if they have enrolled in the "The Video Essay" section of the course.
Students may also apply CTSJ 395 as an elective for the Interdisciplinary Writing minor if they have enrolled in the "Writing Trauma" section of the course.
Transfer Credit Policies
Courses approved for transfer by the appropriate department or program will be considered to apply toward the Interdisciplinary Writing minor. Students should reference the Transfer Credit section for details.
Faculty
Julie Prebel, chair
Associate Professor; Director of Writing Center and Programs
B.A., University of California, Berkeley; M.A., California State University, San Francisco; Ph.D., University of Washington
Other faculty associated with the Interdisciplinary Writing minor can be viewed here.