Stabler Hall 603 | (501) 916-6453 | ualr.edu/rhetoric

General Information

The department offers students first-year composition, a variety of specialized courses to help improve writing skills, a bachelor’s in professional and technical writing, and a master’s degree in professional and technical writing. The department also maintains the University Writing Center, where all students who wish to work on specific writing needs are welcome.

First-Year Composition

The first-year composition sequence consists of ENGL 10103 - (was RHET 1311) Composition I  and ENGL 10203 - (was RHET 1312) Composition II . These courses fulfill the UA Little Rock core curriculum requirements for written communication. Students must complete ENGL 10103  with a grade of C or greater before enrolling in ENGL 10203 . Together, these courses help students develop the writing skills needed to pursue a college degree. In addition, ENGL 03103 - (was RHET 0310) Writing and Reading Strategies  is offered for students who are not prepared for ENGL 10103 ; ENGL 03103  is taken concurrently with ENGL 10103 .

Honors composition

Students with an ACT English score of 27 or greater and who have an A or B in high school English are invited to enroll in ENGL 12033 - (was RHET 1320) Honors Composition . Students who feel they qualify for Honors Composition but who do not receive invitations should contact the Department of Rhetoric and Writing Office here. ENGL 12033  satisfies the core curriculum requirement in written literacy.

Exempting RHET 1311

Students with an ACT English score of 29 or greater are automatically exempted. They may enroll either in ENGL 12033  or in ENGL 10203  to complete the core curriculum composition requirement.

Testing Out of Composition

Students who feel they already have the requisite skills of either ENGL 10103  or ENGL 10203  may attempt to complete these requirements by examination. For information about test dates, required fees, and test content, students should contact the Office of Testing Services. The tests parallel the contents of ENGL 10103  and ENGL 10203 . A student who successfully tests out of a course will receive no grade but will receive three credit hours toward graduation.

Transfer Students

Students transferring with 60 or more hours to UA Little Rock and who met the first-year composition requirement at the college previously attended may be exempt from UA Little Rock’s first-year composition requirement.

Degrees

Major in Professional and Technical Writing

After admission to UA Little Rock, any student may declare a major in Professional and Technical Writing. To discuss the major, students are encouraged to visit the Chair of the Department of Rhetoric and Writing in Stabler Hall 603. Visit here to get in touch with the Rhetoric & Writing Department.

The Department of Rhetoric and Writing seeks to develop written and rhetorical literacy among its majors, UA Little Rock students, and the larger communities of which it is a part. Its alumni work as technical writers, grant writers, freelance writers, teachers, non-fiction writers, ghostwriters, web developers, user experience (UX) designers, and editors.

Minor in Writing

A minor in writing requires 18 hours beyond the core curriculum requirements, selected from the following rhetoric and writing courses.

Course Sequencing

The Department of Rhetoric and Writing strongly advises that, as much as possible, majors take required courses in the following sequence immediately after declaring the major:
ENGL 32293 - (was RHET 3322) Introduction to Professional and Technical Writing 
ENGL 30193 - (was RHET 3301) Editing for Usage, Style, and Clarity  

Note that ENGL 31593 - (was RHET 3315) Persuasive Writing , ENGL 31793 - (was RHET 3317) Nonfiction , and ENGL 30203 - (was RHET 3326) Technical Writing  are prerequisites for most 4000-level courses, so they should be taken as soon as possible after the introductory courses. ENGL 40573 - (was RHET 4305) Document Design  applies to all types of professional writing and should also be taken early in the major.

Students should take ENGL 40173 - (was RHET 4301) Theories of Rhetoric and Writing  in their first semester as a senior, and take ENGL 44091 - (was RHET 4190) Colloquium in Rhetoric and Writing  in their last semester before graduation. Departmental advisors will assist majors in sequencing the courses to fit their schedules.

Programs

• Professional and Technical Writing, B.A.

• Writing Minor

• Professional and Technical Writing Certificate of Proficiency