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Core Course Descriptions

Professional and Technical Writing

This course introduces you to the theory, research, and practice of professional writing. Through reading, discussion, projects, and writing workshops, you develop a rhetorically-grounded approach to analyzing communications problems and producing a range of professional documents. The user-centered approach views professional documents not as examples of generic formats but as a means to accomplish specific purposes, for example, learning to construct a web page, securing publicity for an organization, or getting funding for a project. Because writers need a range of skills that go well beyond the actual inscribing of words on a page or screen, you learn how to interview experts, work with clients, test documents on actual users, manage collaborative writing projects, and related professional skills. The course includes five or six major writing assignments and a final portfolio of finished work that serves as the foundation for the professional portfolio you'll use in applying for internships and full-time positions.

Style

This course is designed to help you develop the professional judgment to make stylistic choices appropriate for particular audiences and contexts, and the skill to implement those choices. Students develop a vocabulary of style, assess the effect of stylistic choices on readers, and become better editors of their own writing and that of others. The intellectual foundation for the course is derived from the "Plain English" movement; its principles help professional writers achieve clarity, precision, coherence, and conciseness in their writing. Students also gain experience working with clients and explaining the rationale for recommended stylistic changes.

Rhetorical Grammar

The primary objective of this course is to provide professional writers with a framework for identifying and authoritatively discussing the grammatical forms and constructions they will be using. The course also includes some linguistic analysis, a consideration of English orthography, and discussion of the notions of standards and correctness in language. The concern throughout is to develop an understanding of those elements of grammar and usage that are the foundation for good professional writing and for leadership in professional writing settings.

Document & Information Design

Today, many professionals are responsible for the visual design of documents. This course provides students who have already learned the foundation of written communication with an opportunity to develop the ability to analyze and create visual-verbal synergy in printed documents. Students will be introduced to the basic concepts and vocabulary, as well as the practical issues of visual communication design through a series of hands-on projects in various rhetorical situations. Assigned readings will complement the projects in exploring document design from historical, theoretical, and technological perspectives. Class discussions and critiquing are an essential part of this course. Adobe Creative Studio (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator) will be taught in class, and used to create the assigned projects.

Information Architecture & Content Strategy

In the digital age, the vast amount of information available online can be overwhelming, and even individual websites often struggle to present their content in a user-friendly manner. In this course, students will immerse themselves in a semester-long real-world project with practical exercises to address this challenge. This course equips students with the skills necessary to develop user-centered information architecture and content strategy, enabling them to create user-friendly websites that align with user expectations and industry best practices. Throughout the course, students will adopt a user-centered approach, utilizing essential usability methods to gain insights into the information needs, behaviors, and preferences of users. They will develop the ability to identify and rectify usability issues on websites. Additionally, students will delve into the principles of online information design, encompassing topics such as information architecture, navigation, and effective labeling. In the required lab section of the course, students will gain hands-on experience with core web technologies. They will learn how to use HTML5 and CSS to shape and style web content while gaining an understanding of JavaScript and APIs, which play a pivotal role in integrating data and services into websites.

Research Methods in Technical & Professional Communication

This course provides you with practical, hands-on experience with designing, collecting, and analyzing research in Technical and Professional Communication. These same research methods are also applicable to Writing Studies and classroom research. We will go into depth on three main methods in this class: interviews, surveys, and think-aloud protocols. In addition, we will touch on focus groups, eye-tracking analysis, and collaborative analysis techniques. More specifically, in this class you will learn how to design well-worded questions that produce reliable information; critically reflect on and improve your interview technique; explore software designed to aid in open-ended analysis of qualitative data; design an A/B (or control/experimental) study; write a data-driven research report, and experiment with a range of data collection techniques.

Professional Seminar

In this once-a-week seminar, practicing professionals in fields ranging from science journalism to public relations, corporate communication, marketing, print journalism, web design and information architecture come to campus to talk informally with students about the fields in which they work. Interaction with these professionals provides both workplace contacts and overviews of possible internship and career paths. Visiting professionals talk about their own and related careers, show samples of their work, and answer student questions. Related activities include resume workshops and portfolio reviews. 

Align your career aspirations with personalized program experiences through flexible elective options

Personalize your degree

You will build foundational skills in rhetoric, writing, document & information design, and research methods through the program’s core courses. These core courses are complemented through self-selected electives that allow you to personalize your degree to support your career path.

Our program offers electives in a diverse range of specialized areas of communication including

• Science & Healthcare Communication
• Technical Writing
• Persuasion/Advocacy
• Communicating Globally
• Equity & Communication
• News/Journalism
• Creative Nonfiction

Your MAPW advisor will help you evaluate which electives best support your academic and professional goals.

MAPW students commonly enroll in these electives to develop their existing skills or build new ones:

• Science Writing
• Healthcare Communications
• Rhetoric of Science
• Rhetoric, Science, and the Public Sphere
• Software Documentation
• Coding for Humanists
• Introduction to Multimedia Design
• Argument
• Communication in the Global Marketplace
• Equity & Communication
• Construction of Race
• News Writing
• Watchdog Journalism
• Creative Nonfiction Workshop
• Literary Journalism Workshop