Student Union-B 100 | (501) 916-3476 | 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 RHET 1311 - Composition I  and RHET 1312 - Composition II . These courses fulfill the UA Little Rock core curriculum requirements for written communication. Students must complete RHET 1311  with a grade of C or greater before enrolling in RHET 1312 . Together, these courses help students develop the writing skills needed to pursue a college degree. In addition, RHET 0310 - Composition Fundamentals  is offered for students who are not prepared for RHET 1311 ; RHET 0310  is taken concurrently with RHET 1311 .

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 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 at (501) 569-3160. RHET 1320  satisfies the core curriculum requirement in written literacy.

Exempting RHET 1311

Students with an ACT English score of 29 or greater or a COMPASS score of 99 or greater are automatically exempted. They may enroll either in RHET 1320  or in RHET 1312  to complete the core curriculum composition requirement.

Testing Out of Composition

Students who feel they already have the requisite skills of either RHET 1311  or RHET 1312  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 RHET 1311  and RHET 1312 . 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 SUB 100. Appointments may be arranged by calling (501) 916-3476.

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:
RHET 3322 - Introduction to Professional and Technical Writing 
RHET 3301 - Editing for Usage, Style, and Clarity  

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

Students should take RHET 4301 - Theories of Rhetoric and Writing  in their first semester as a senior, and take 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.