Undergraduate Bulletin
Document Number 3.03.05

Writing and Speech

Chair and Associate Professor: Dr. Harvey, 450-3344
Professor: Mr. Wright
Associate Professors: Dr. Bolter, Dr. Burley, Dr. Morgan, Dr. Selting, Dr. S. Vanderslice, Dr. Wu
Assistant Professors: Dr. Amy, Dr. Bedner, Dr. Castner, Dr. Corley, Dr. Standerfer, Dr. J. Vanderslice
Visiting Assistant Professor: Mr. Powell
Lecturers: Ms. Allen, Ms. Anderson, Ms. Bradford, Ms. Colaianni, Mr. Gifford, Ms. Grate, Dr. Henning, Dr. Lance, Ms. Milburn, Ms. Mongno, Dr. Stengel
Instructors: Mr. Baer, Ms. Bogoslavsky, Ms. Bowles, Ms. Bray, Ms. Burks, Ms. Clements, Ms. Deering, Mr. Enis, Ms. Fason, Ms. Fritzges, Mr. Gardner, Ms Grifford, Ms. Hilliard-Hervey, Ms. Lagergren, Mr. Lowery, Ms. Lucey, Mr. May, Mr. McCullars, Ms. Pattison, Ms. Phillips, Mr. Russell, Ms. Scaife, Ms. E. Smith, Ms. T. Smith, Ms. Spears, Ms. Tucker

[1] Purposes

The Department of Writing and Speech offers general education courses in communication skills supporting the university's emphasis on developing writing, speaking, and thinking skills across the curriculum. The department also offers courses in composition, linguistics, public relations, speech communication, rhetorical theory, and advanced courses in creative, professional, technical, and academic writing and offers majors in public relations, speech communication, and writing and minors in linguistics, speech communication, and writing.

[2] Baccalaureate Degrees

[2.1] Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science in Public Relations

The degree of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science with a major in public relations requires the successful completion of 124 hours, including (1) the general education component, (2) special degree requirements, (3) a major as described below, and (4) a minor as arranged through the student's minor advisor.

[2.1.1] Major in Public Relations (39 hours)

Core Courses (18 hours):

PRLS 2305 Introduction to Public Relations
SPCH 2313 Introduction to Communication Research
SPCH 2315 Communication Theory
SPCH 3301 Organizational Communication
SPCH 3312 Persuasion
MCOM 3301 Media Law and Ethics

Application Courses (18 hours):

MCOM 2300 Beginning Reporting
MCOM 3305 Publication Design and Makeup
PRLS 3305 Public Relations Techniques
PRLS 3310 Writing for Public Relations
PRLS 4305 Public Relations Cases and Campaigns
PRLS 4308 Public Relations Management

Electives (3 hours, chosen from the following):

SPCH 3303 Gender Communication
SPCH 3307 Interpersonal Communication
SPCH 3321 Communication Internship
SPCH 4315 Communication and Leadership
SPCH 4316 Special Topics in Communication
SPCH 4380 Directed Study in Communication

[2.2] Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science in Speech Communication

The degree of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science with a major in speech communication requires the successful completion of 124 hours, including (1) the general education component, (2) special degree requirements, (3) a major as described below, and (4) a minor as arranged through the student's minor advisor.

[2.2.1] Major in Speech Communication (34 hours)

Required Courses (9 hours):

SPCH2308 Perspectives in Communication
SPCH 2313 Introduction to Communication Research
SPCH3312 Persuasion or
SPCH3308 Argumentation & Advocacy

Electives (21 hours, chosen from the following):

SPCH 2341 Small Group Communication
SPCH 3301 Organizational Communication
SPCH 3303 Gender Communication
SPCH 3307 Interpersonal Communication
SPCH 3321 Communication Internship
SPCH3330 Event Planning
SPCH3370 Intercultural Communication
SPCH4316 Special Topics in Communication
SPCH 4325 Health Communication
SPCH 4330 Family Communication
SPCH4334 Political Communication
SPCH4380 Directed Study in Communication

Required Capstone Courses (4 hours):

SPCH4336 Advanced Communication Theory
SPCH 4130 Communication Practicum

[2.2.2] Minor in Speech Communication (21 hours)

Required Courses (9 hours)

SPCH 2308 Perspectives in Communication
SPCH 2313 Introduction to Communication Research
SPCH 3312 Persuasion or
SPCH 3308 Argumentation & Advocacy

Electives (12 hours, chosen from the following, with at least 9 hours at the 3000/4000 level):

[2.3] Bachelor of Arts in Writing

The degree of Bachelor of Arts in Writing requires successful completion of 124 hours, including (1) the general education component, (2) specific degree requirements, (3) a major as described below, and (4) a minor as arranged through the student's minor advisor.

[2.3.1] Major in Writing (36 hours)

Required courses (21 hours):

WRTG 2310 Introduction to Creative Writing
WRTG 2320 Introduction to Linguistics
WRTG 3305 Writing for New Technologies
WRTG 3310 Technical Writing
WRTG 4305 Contemporary Composition: Theory and Application
SPCH 3312 Persuasion
SPCH 4311 Evolution of Rhetorical Theory

Electives (15 hours, chosen from the following):

Linguistics:

WRTG 4315 Semantics
WRTG 4325 Sociolinguistics
WRTG 4330 Linguistics for Educators
ENGL 3312 Modern Grammars

Writing and Rhetoric:

WRTG 3301 Rhetoric & Composition
WRTG 3315 Teaching & Tutoring Writing
WRTG 3340 Teaching Writing in the Mid-Level Grades
WRTG 4320 Rhetoric & Cross-Cultural Communication
MCOM 2300 Beginning Reporting & Editing
PRLS 3310 Writing for Public Relations

Creative Writing:

WRTG 2315 Introduction to Dramatic Writing
WRTG 3300 Creative Writing: Poetry
WRTG 3300 Creative Writing: Creative Nonfiction
WRTG 3300 Creative Writing: Fiction
WRTG 3300 Creative Writing: Screenwriting
WRTG 3300 Creative Writing: Writing for Children
WRTG 3320 Forms of Scriptwriting
WRTG 3325 Forms of Poetry
WRTG 3330 Forms of NonFiction
WRTG 3335 Forms of Fiction
WRTG 4324 Topics in Creative Writing
WRTG 4340 Teaching Creative Writing

[2.3.2] Minor in Linguistics (24 hours)

Students seeking a minor in linguistics are required to complete WRTG 2320, PHIL 4330 or ENGL 4360, WRTG 4315, and WRTG 4325; one of the following: FREN 2310, GERM 2310, JAPN 2310, LAT 2310, RUSS 2310, or SPAN 2310; and 12 hours of electives selected in consultation with the student's minor advisor.

[2.3.3] Minor in Writing (24 hours)

Students seeking a minor in writing are required to complete WRTG 2310, 3300, 3305, 3310, SPCH 3312 and 9 hours of electives selected in consultation with the student's minor advisor.

[3] Resources

[3.1] The University Center for Communication Support

The University Center for Communication Support, located in Thompson Hall 109, offers individual assistance with all types of writing and oral presentations. Students may schedule time with a trained writing or speech communication assistant and use the center's computers, video cameras, and writing materials to develop essays or presentations for any course at the university. The center also provides handouts explaining documentation styles, common problems in college writing, and electronic research. Call 450-5123 for appointments.

[3.2] Online Writing Lab (OWL) and Webster Helpline

The OWL website available at the www.uca.edu/cfac/wrsp/OWL provides students and faculty with information about the University Center for Communication Support and offers links to other pages containing condensed information about common grammar and punctuation problems, documentation styles, and various elements of college writing and presentations.

[3.3] The Writing Across the Curriculum Initiative

The University Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Initiative encourages the integration of activities in courses across the disciplines that help students to develop their writing skills as tools both for learning and for communication. The Department of Writing and Speech and the University Center for Communication Support offer a number of resources to assist the UCA teaching community in achieving this integration. These include professional development forums where interested instructors can work with writing-across-the-curriculum specialists, brown bag discussions that focus on more specific WAC topics, consultants from the Department of Writing and Speech who may meet with individual departments and faculty members upon request, and extensive assistance from the University Center for Communication Support. For more information on this initiative, call 450-3340.

[3.4] The National Writing Project of Central Arkansas

The National Writing Project of Central Arkansas is one of three Arkansas sites of the National Writing Project, a federally funded program that seeks to improve student writing in grades K-12. It has been recognized by the American Association for Higher Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as an "outstanding and nationally significant example of how schools and colleges can collaborate to improve American education." Each year the site offers a four-week invitational summer writing institute for K-12 teachers across subject matter areas during which they study contemporary composition theory, experience the act of writing, devise effective pedagogy, and earn 6 graduate credits. Graduates of this institute become teacher-consultants able to provide in-service workshops to local educators in teaching writing-across-the-curriculum and join a network of colleagues who meet regularly to renew and update skills and knowledge.

[3.5] The Central Arkansas Writing Arts Series

The Central Arkansas Writing Arts Series invites four to six distinguished writers to the campus each year. Visiting writers conduct workshops for students interested in creative writing and perform readings open to the community.

[4] Courses in Public Relations (PRLS)

Follow this link to PRLS course descriptions: course link.

[5] Courses in Speech Communication (SPCH)

Follow this link to SPCH course descriptions: course link.

[6] Courses in Writing (WRTG)

Follow this link to WRTG course descriptions: course link.