FAQs for Prospective Students

What is Rhetoric and Professional Writing?

Rhetoric and Professional Writing is functional writing for business and industry. From memos and proposals to instruction manuals and speeches, professional writers work with documents that are found in almost every workplace. RPW majors learn to develop their writing skills by mastering key writing concepts that apply to even the simplest of emails. As you learn these concepts, you will develop and perfect your own writing style and apply it to your career.

How is this program different from the English program?

Majoring or minoring in RPW is very different from obtaining a degree in English. Rather than focusing on analyzing literature and poetry, the RPW program emphasizes critical thinking, audience analysis, and document design. Instead of creating fictional works, you will learn to use your creativity to appeal to particular audiences.