B.A. in Writing Rhetoric & Technical Communication

JMU’s Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication major occupies rarefied air.

The School of Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication is a community of exceptional faculty, dedicated staff, talented students, and energetic alumni in one of the only stand-alone programs in the U.S. dedicated to writing across a variety of modes and genres.

WRTC offers an expansive curriculum and a wide variety of opportunities for hands-on learning. Students learn the kinds of research, analytical and technical skills that allow them to become successful professional communicators as well as competitive candidates for a wide variety of graduate programs. Our faculty is comprised of practitioners and scholars from fields including rhetoric and writing, scientific and technical communication, creative nonfiction, professional communication, digital media, feminist studies, the rhetoric of health and medicine, and science studies.

The study of writing, rhetoric, and technical communication includes two concentrations in the undergraduate major: technical and scientific communication and writing and rhetoric. The WRTC major emphasizes scholarly, humanistic, and social scientific perspectives on the function and application of communication technologies, with instruction in areas such as:

• literacy studies
• rhetorical traditions
• writing pedagogy
• editing
• website theory and design
• publications management
• knowledge and information management
• writing for professional communities such as government, medical, scientific and academic

In addition to offering students the rhetorical tools with which to excel as professional communicators, the B.A. program also prepares graduates for academic studies in writing, rhetoric, and technical communication at the master's level as well as for professional programs such as law school.

The B.A. program in WRTC unites three disciplines into a flexible yet historically and theoretically grounded degree program. The WRTC degree teaches students to think in ways that cross disciplinary lines and to demonstrate accomplishment in multiple genres of writing, rhetoric, and technical communication.

Students work with their WRTC advisers to design a program that fits their unique educational needs and career aspirations.

Course requirements differ between the B.A. program and students are advised to maintain regular contact with their WRTC adviser to ensure timely graduation. Requirements and eligible courses for the B.A. in each of the two concentrations are outlined below.

We know that success requires equal parts intellect and action. At JMU, that’s what Being the Change is all about.

When students graduating from James Madison University proudly walk across the stage to receive their diplomas, they’re more than just educated. They’re members of a fellowship of doers. They know how to make things happen. They’ve honed their ability to think critically. They’ve learned the importance of a strong work ethic and they’ve become committed to and skilled at collaborating with others. Diplomas in hand, they leave campus determined to live lives of meaning and pursue careers of purpose.

Only two hours from Washington D.C., JMU is fast becoming one of the nation’s leading lights in higher education. That’s because students enjoy unusually engaged relationships with world-class faculty who are at JMU because they want to pursue knowledge and teach talented students.

JMU students, faculty and alumni are using equal parts intellect and action to succeed in every sort of pursuit: they’re boosting innovation and discovery, leading in business, advancing culture, improving health care, reforming education, renewing civil society, competing in athletics — they’re Being the Change in every imaginable way.