Approved Courses

NB: This list includes all courses approved for the Rhetoric minor. Not all of these classes are taught every semester or every academic year. For a list of Rhetoric minor courses currently being offered, please see current course offerings.

Note on Courses numbered xx8 or xx9:  In the University of Maryland course numbering system, courses numbered xx8 or xx9 are repeatable for limited additional credit as long as the content is distinct.  Typically, these courses appear in the course schedule with a letter suffix and a subtitle indicating their specific subject matter.  When selecting these courses marked with an asterisk (*) in the list below, make certain that the course subtitle appearing in the class schedule matches the subtitle indicated on the list of approved rhetoric courses.  Not all sections of courses may qualify for minor credit, only those with approved subtitles.

+Courses being used to satisfy a Fundamental Studies General Education requirement may not be double counted toward the minor.

Rhetorical Theory and Analysis of Discourse

COMM 250 Introduction to Communication Inquiry

COMM 301 Rhetorical Theory

COMM 306 Rhetorical Methods

COMM 360 The Rhetoric of Black America

COMM 398X The Rhetoric of Food Activism

COMM 401 Interpreting Strategic Discourse
Prerequisite: COMM 250. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: COMM 401 or ENGL 487. Permission to enroll must be obtained from the COMM advisor.

COMM 450 Classical and Medieval Rhetorical Theory
Prerequisite: COMM 250. Permission to enroll must be obtained from the COMM advisor.

COMM 451 Renaissance and Modern Rhetorical Theory

COMM 454 Rhetoric of the 1960s

* COMM 458C Seminar in Political Communication: Civic Communication
COMM 458 is repeatable with different content to six credits maximum.

* COMM 458E Seminar in Political Communication: How Do Citizens Communicate?
COMM 458 is repeatable with different content to six credits maximum.

* COMM 458H Seminar in Political Communication: Rhetoric, Memory, and Culture
COMM 458 is repeatable with different content to six credits maximum.

* COMM 458P Seminar in Political Communication: Pivotal Presidential Campaigns
COMM 458 is repeatable with different content to six credits maximum.

* COMM 458P Seminar in Political Communication: Presidential Campaign Communication
COMM 458 is repeatable with different content to six credits maximum.

COMM 460 Public Life in American Communities, 1634-1900

COMM 461 Voices of Public Leadership in the Twentieth Century

*COMM 469G The Discourse of Social Movements: Rhetoric of Gender Activism

*COMM 469O The Discourse of Social Movements: Rhetoric of Oppressed Peoples in the U.S.

*COMM 498V Visual Rhetoric

*COMM 498Y Freedom of Speech and the First Amendment

ENGL 280 The English Language

ENGL 281 Standard English Grammar, Usage, and Diction

ENGL 282 How Rhetoric Works: Persuasive Power and Strategies

ENGL294 Persuasion and Cleverness in Social Media

ENGL 296 Reading and Writing Disability

ENGL 378A Medical Humanities: Science, Rhetoric, and Literature

ENGL 378Z Special Topics in Literature: Women and Memory in Material and Digital Worlds

ENGL 383 Language in Its Social Contexts

ENGL 384 Concepts of Grammar

ENGL 385 English Semantics

ENGL 387 Visual Rhetoric

ENGL 428I The Rhetoric of Us and Them: The Language of Political Alignment

ENGL 428J Wikipedia: Experts & Amateurs

ENGL 482 History of the English Language
Prerequisite: ENGL 280 or LING 200 or permission of department.

ENGL 483 American English(es)
Prerequisite: ENGL 280 or LING 200 or permission of department.

ENGL 484 Style and Grammar in Written English
Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENGL 484 or LING 402.

ENGL 487 Principles and Practices of Rhetoric
Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENGL 487 or COMM 401.

*  ENGL 488G Topics in Advanced Writing: Rhetoric of Style
ENGL 488 is repeatable with different content to nine credits maximum

* ENGL 489L Topics in Language and Rhetoric: Language and Humor
ENGL 489 is repeatable with different content to nine credits maximum

* ENGL 489N The Invention of “Proper English”: from the English Enlightenment to the American Experience
ENGL 489 is repeatable with different content to nine credits maximum

* ENGL 489P Topics in Language and Rhetoric: The Language of Political Persuasion
ENGL 489 is repeatable with different content to nine credits maximum

*ENGL 489T Topics in Language and Rhetoric: Analyzing Conversation
ENGL 489 is repeatable with different content to nine credits maximum

ENGL 491: Digital Rhetoric (formerly ENGL 489J)


Writing and Speaking Skills

COMM 230 Argumentation and Debate

COMM 330 Argumentation and Public Policy

ENGL 291 Writing, Revising, Persuading

ENGL 292 Writing for Change
Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENGL 292 or ENGL 278 Topics in Literature: Writing for Change.

ENGL 293 Writing in the Wireless World
Recommended: ENGL 101.  Credit granted for only one of the following: ENGL278Z or ENGL293

*  ENGL 381 MGA Legislative Seminar
Prerequisite: permission of department.

ENGL 388M MGA Pre-Professional Writing Internship

ENGL 388W Writing Internship: Writing Center Internship
ENGL 388 is repeatable with different content to nine credits maximum

+ENGL 390 Science Writing
Prerequisite: 60 credits and completion of ENGL101 or equivalent. This course may not be used toward the rhetoric minor requirements if it is used to fulfill the professional writing requirement. Junior standing. Not open to students who have completed ENGL393S. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENGL390 or ENGL393S.

+ENGL 391 Advanced Composition
Prerequisite: 56 hours of college credit which must include ENGL 101 or equivalent. This course may not be used toward the rhetoric minor requirements if it is used to fulfill the professional writing requirement.

+ENGL 392 Legal Writing
Prerequisite: 56 hours of college credit which must include ENGL 101 or equivalent. This course may not be used toward the rhetoric minor requirements if it is used to fulfill the professional writing requirement.

+ENGL 393 Technical Writing
Prerequisite: 56 hours of college credit which must include ENGL 101 or equivalent. This course may not be used toward the rhetoric minor requirements if it is used to fulfill the professional writing requirement.

+ENGL 394 Business Writing
Prerequisite: 56 hours of college credit which must include ENGL 101 or equivalent.  This course may not be used toward the rhetoric minor requirements if it is used to fulfill the professional writing requirement.

+ENGL 395 Writing for Health Professions
Prerequisite: 56 hours of college credit which must include ENGL 101 or equivalent. This course may not be used toward the rhetoric minor requirements if it is used to fulfill the professional writing requirement.

*ENGL398 Topics in Professional Writing; Writing for Social Entrepreneurship

*ENGL398 Topics in Professional Writing; Writing Case Studies and Narratives

+* ENGL 398A Topics in Professional Writing: Writing for the Arts
Prerequisite: 60 credits and completion of ENGL101 or equivalent. This course may not be used toward the rhetoric minor requirements if it is used to fulfill the professional writing requirement. ENGL 398 is repeatable with different content to six credits maximum

+* ENGL 398B Topics in Professional Writing: Writing for Social Entrepreneurship
Prerequisite: 60 credits and completion of ENGL101 or equivalent. This course may not be used toward the rhetoric minor requirements if it is used to fulfill the professional writing requirement. ENGL 398 is repeatable with different content to six credits maximum

+* ENGL 398C Topics in Professional Writing: Writing Case Studies and Narratives
Prerequisite: 60 credits and completion of ENGL101 or equivalent. This course may not be used toward the rhetoric minor requirements if it is used to fulfill the professional writing requirement. ENGL 398 is repeatable with different content to six credits maximum

+* ENGL 398E Topics in Professional Writing: Writing about Economics (3)
Prerequisite: 60 credits and completion of ENGL101 or equivalent. This course may not be used toward the rhetoric minor requirements if it is used to fulfill the professional writing requirement. ENGL 398 is repeatable with different content to six credits maximum

+* ENGL 398L Topics in Professional Writing: Scholarly Writing in the Humanities
Prerequisite: 60 credits and completion of ENGL101 or equivalent. This course may not be used toward the rhetoric minor requirements if it is used to fulfill the professional writing requirement. ENGL 398 is repeatable with different content to six credits maximum

+* ENGL 398N Topics in Professional Writing: Writing for Nonprofit Organizations
Prerequisite: 60 credits and completion of ENGL101 or equivalent. This course may not be used toward the rhetoric minor requirements if it is used to fulfill the professional writing requirement. ENGL 398 is repeatable with different content to six credits maximum

+* ENGL398R Topics in Professional Writing: Writing Non-Fictional Narratives
Prerequisite: 60 credits and completion of ENGL101 or equivalent. This course may not be used toward the rhetoric minor requirements if it is used to fulfill the professional writing requirement. ENGL 398 is repeatable with different content to six credits maximum

+* ENGL 398V Topics in Professional Writing: Writing about the Environment (3)
Prerequisite: 60 credits and completion of ENGL101 or equivalent. This course may not be used toward the rhetoric minor requirements if it is used to fulfill the professional writing requirement. ENGL 398 is repeatable with different content to six credits maximum

ENGL 467 Critical and Creative Approaches to Digital Textuality

ENGL 492 Graphic Design and Rhetoric

ENGL 493 Writing in Context
Prerequisite: satisfactory completion of professional writing requirement.

ENGL 494 Editing and Document Design (3)
Prerequisite: ENGL 391, ENGL 393 or equivalent. Credit will be granted for only one of the following: ENGL 379C or ENGL 494. Permission to enroll must be obtained from the ENGL advisor.