Professional Writing Courses

English 390 satisfies the Professional Writing requirement for undergraduates. The course is appropriate for science majors interested in further study in the physical and biological sciences.

Students learn the conventions of scientific prose used in research articles and proposals; they also learn to accommodate scientific information to general audiences. In addition, students learn how to use stylistic and visual devices to make information more accessible and how to edit their own work as well as that of their peers.

Assignments parallel the writing demands that students face both in college and in the workplace. Students complete five to six major writing assignments encompassing approximately 6500 words, in addition to in-class exercises, readings, peer review workshops, group work, and oral presentations. Assignments are drawn from the following: IMRAD analysis, review of research, application package, procedure assignment, major project (research presentation, proposal, or accommodation), poster, design of scientific information for a lay audience.

Prerequisites: 

English 101 or equivalent and a minimum of 60 credits. 

How students are assessed: 

Each major assignment is evaluated according to a set of criteria provided to students with the assignments sheets. Students are responsible for the information provided on the course syllabus, as well as on ELMS or other class websites, and for any material provided in a course packet or on handouts distributed in class. Readings may come from an assigned textbook and from other relevant, timely sources. Students are responsible for the readings, which form the basis of class discussion; students may also be required to write responses to reading assignments.

ENGL390H: Science Writing for Honors Program Students
These courses are reserved for students in University Honors programs or Departmental Honors programs.

English 391 satisfies the Professional Writing requirement for undergraduates at the University of Maryland, College Park. This course is appropriate for a broad range of majors. Students learn to distinguish between types of arguments–definitions, claims of fact and cause, evaluative critiques and proposals–and to accommodate their ideas to various audiences. English 391 emphasizes rhetorical analysis and the preparation of persuasive evidence through careful research.

Assignments include a series of linked papers on a topic within a student's professional/academic expertise. English 391 also teaches students how to edit their own work as well as that of their peers. Core assignments include a topic prospectus, definition argument, causal argument and proposal assignment. Other assignments may include an evaluative paper, personal statement/career package, and oral presentation.

Prerequisites:

English 101 or equivalent and a minimum of 60 credits.

How students are assessed:

Students complete five to six major writing assignments encompassing approximately 6500 words, in addition to in-class exercises, readings, peer review workshops, group work, and oral presentations. Each major assignment is evaluated according to a set of criteria provided to students with the assignments sheets. Students are responsible for the information provided on the course syllabus, as well as on ELMS or other class websites, and for any material provided in a course packet or on handouts distributed in class. Readings may come from an assigned textbook and from other relevant, timely sources. Students are responsible for the readings, which form the basis of class discussion; students may also be required to write responses to reading assignments.

English 392 satisfies the Professional Writing requirement for undergraduates. This course is appropriate for students who wish to pursue careers in law and public policy. It teaches students how to accommodate the many different audiences they will write for throughout their careers.

Students learn to read and write about cases and/or statutes, to apply legal principles to fact scenarios, and to organize and present a written analysis that meets the needs of a specialized reader. The course also teaches students how to edit their own work as well as that of their peers.

Assignments parallel the writing demands that students will face both in law school and in the workplace. Assignments may include law-school application essays, case briefs, legal memos, and client letters, as well as other genres that use forms of reasoning typical of the legal professions.

Prerequisites:

English 101 or equivalent and a minimum of 60 credits.

How students are assessed:

Students complete five to six major writing assignments encompassing approximately 6500 words, in addition to in-class exercises, readings, peer review workshops, group work, and oral presentations. Each major assignment is evaluated according to a set of criteria provided to students with the assignments sheets. Students are responsible for the information provided on the course syllabus, as well as on ELMS or other class websites, and for any material provided in a course packet or on handouts distributed in class. Readings may come from an assigned textbook and from other relevant, timely sources. Students are responsible for the readings, which form the basis of class discussion; students may also be required to write responses to reading assignments. 

English 393 satisfies the Professional Writing requirement for undergraduates. This course teaches students how to make the technologies they work with understandable to many different types of readers.

Students learn how to accommodate information to specific audiences; how to use stylistic and visual devices to make information more accessible; and how to edit their own work as well as that of their peers. Students learn the differences between posing (and answering) a scholarly question and a workplace one, and in the process, acquire both primary and secondary professional research skills, while gaining practice polishing the type of documents they’ll be producing during their professional careers.

Assignments parallel the writing demands that students will face in the workplace. Core assignments include topic proposals, technical descriptions, cover letters/resumes, instructions/ procedures, a research-based final project, and oral presentations. The final project may be a technical report, manual, proposal in response to an RFP, or another format, depending on the topic. Students may also write memoranda, progress reports, technical definitions, and comparative web analyses.

Prerequisites:

English 101 or equivalent and a minimum of 60 credits.

How students are assessed:

Students complete five to six major writing assignments encompassing approximately 6500 words, in addition to in-class exercises, readings, peer review workshops, group work, and oral presentations. Each major assignment is evaluated according to a set of criteria provided to students with the assignments sheets. Students are responsible for the information provided on the course syllabus, as well as on ELMS or other class websites, and for any material provided in a course packet or on handouts distributed in class. Readings may come from an assigned textbook and from other relevant, timely sources. Students are responsible for the readings, which form the basis of class discussion; students may also be required to write responses to reading assignments. 

ENGL 393H: Technical Writing for Honors Program Students
These courses are reserved for students in University Honors programs or Departmental Honors programs.

ENGL 393Q: Technical Writing with NASA Service Learning
Students complete a service-learning project for NASA. 

English 393X: Technical Writing for English as a Second Language Students
X sections are limited to students for whom English is a second language who have extreme difficulty with written English. Students must provide a writing sample to Grace Crussiah (gjc@umd.edu). The same material is covered in X and non-X sections; the difference is the smaller class size.

English 394 satisfies the Professional Writing requirement for undergraduates. The course gives students both a theoretical background in rhetoric and a practical understanding of the common genres they will employ in professional settings. Students learn to write with clarity, style, and correctness, having practiced the tools of revising and editing.

Assignments parallel the writing demands that students will face in a business environment where workers produce texts both individually and collaboratively, incorporating visual rhetoric and technology. Core assignments include business correspondence (e-mails, letters and memos), a major course project (for example, a promotional package, a proposal, a business plan, a publicity campaign), collaborative projects (for example, a research report, an evaluative report, or a policy analysis), and an oral presentation. Other assignments may include instructions, press releases, brochures, and speeches.

Prerequisites:

English 101 or equivalent and a minimum of 60 credits.

How students are assessed:

Students complete five to six major writing assignments encompassing approximately 6500 words, in addition to in-class exercises, readings, peer review workshops, group work, and oral presentations. Each major assignment is evaluated according to a set of criteria provided with the assignments sheets. Students are responsible for the information provided on the course syllabus, as well as on ELMS or other class websites, and for any material provided in a course packet or on handouts distributed in class. Readings may come from an assigned textbook and from other relevant, timely sources. Students are responsible for the readings, which form the basis of class discussion; students may also be required to write responses to reading assignments. 

This course helps students interested in health professions make the transition from college-level writing to "real world" professional communication. The course exposes students to advanced research resources and strategies particular to the health professions in order to produce professional documents, including cover letters, resumes, personal statements, project proposals, and review articles. The course covers the complex process writers need to learn to accomplish this goal, including how to accommodate information to specific audiences; how to use stylistic and visual devices to make information more accessible; and how to edit their work as well as that of their peers.

English 398A satisfies the Professional Writing requirement for undergraduates at the University of Maryland, College Park. Students study the situations and genres in which working professionals write about art and artists, as practitioners, advocates, administrators, and educators. The course covers the complex process writers need to learn, including how to accommodate information to specific audiences; how to use stylistic and visual devices to make information more accessible; and how to edit their own work as well as that of their peers. 

Assignments parallel the writing demands that students will face in the workplace. Assignments may include analyzing and composing artist statements, an arts manifesto, art education guides, press releases about artists and their work, critical reviews of exhibits and performances, and proposals to funding agencies and foundations. 

Prerequisites:

English 101 or equivalent and a minimum of 60 credits. 

How student learning is assessed: 

Students complete five to six major writing assignments encompassing approximately 6500 words, in addition to in-class exercises, readings, peer review workshops, group work, and oral presentations. Each major assignment is evaluated according to a set of criteria provided to students with the assignments sheets. Students are responsible for the information provided on the course syllabus, as well as on ELMS or other class websites, and for any material provided in a course packet or on handouts distributed in class. Readings may come from an assigned textbook and from other relevant, timely sources. Students are responsible for the readings, which form the basis of class discussion; students may also be required to write responses to reading assignments.

Writing for Social Entrepreneurship is a course for students who want to develop the skills needed to start a successful social venture—a start-up businesses with a social mission or a new nonprofit program. The course will center on a major writing project such as a business plan, a website design plan, a fundraising proposal, or a concept paper for a new nonprofit organization. Students will also produce several other communication projects that social entrepreneurs use to develop and sustain their businesses and nonprofits, such as a presentation/pitch to prospective investors/donors, marketing materials, and a job announcement. Students can start class with an idea for a social venture they want to start, or they can develop a concept or group project over the course of the semester. Students will learn from local social entrepreneurs who visit class and share their experiences using writing to succeed in the field. In addition to learning to write effective documents for specific audiences, students will develop related collaboration and networking skills needed by effective social entrepreneurs. Through this course, students will learn how to use writing throughout the entire process of developing a socially-minded entrepreneurial venture.

This class was developed with the support of the Center for Social Value Creation and the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.

This course is designed for students interested in becoming police investigators, educators, case workers, insurance adjusters, nurses, program evaluators, or in entering branches of the social sciences that investigate cases and value reports based on accurate descriptions and compelling narratives. Such reports must be factual and yet useful to decision makers, unbiased and yet focused. English 398C students study genres and language skills from careful summarizing to convincing storytelling. In addition to case studies and investigative reports, students also prepare professional resumes and personal statements.

English 398E satisfies the Professional Writing requirement for undergraduates at the University of Maryland, College Park. Students study the characteristic genres of writing in modern economics, including theoretical and empirically-based journal articles, reports for government and commercial clients, and economic information presented to a variety of non-professional audiences, such as citizen-oriented and public policy organizations. 

Students learn how to analyze these documents rhetorically and how to communicate economic information using the content, arrangement, and style best suited to the purposes and standards of particular audiences. Students also learn how to edit their own work as well as that of their peers. Core assignments include a genre-based journal and document analysis, presentations on economics-related topics for both economists and non-professional audiences, and a major research-based writing project for an audience outside of the classroom. A resume and cover letter assignment is frequently included. Students learn visual design elements characteristic of economic genres, such as graph and table designs. Readings include topical issues in the rhetoric of economics, such as the rhetoric of significance testing. Classroom discussions include informed responses to the readings. 

Prerequisites:

English 101 or equivalent and a minimum of 60 credits. 

How student learning is assessed: 

Students complete five to six major writing assignments encompassing approximately 6500 words, in addition to in-class exercises, readings, peer review workshops, group work, and oral presentations. Each major assignment is evaluated according to a set of criteria provided to students with the assignments sheets. Students are responsible for the information provided on the course syllabus, as well as on ELMS or other class websites, and for any material provided in a course packet or on handouts distributed in class. Readings may come from an assigned textbook and from other relevant, timely sources. Students are responsible for the readings, which form the basis of class discussion; students may also be required to write responses to reading assignments.

English 398L satisfies the Professional Writing requirement for undergraduates at the University of Maryland, College Park. This course treats academic scholarship as a genre of professional writing and comprises a series of assignments that investigate the norms and procedures of advanced academic writing; the course is aimed primarily at students considering graduate work in the humanities. Assignments parallel the writing demands that students will face in the academic workplace, and students learn how to edit their own work as well as that of their peers. Core assignments include a graduate school application essay, a genre review, an annotated bibliography, a journal article, and an oral presentation of article subject matter. 

Prerequisites: 

English 101 or equivalent and a minimum of 60 credits. 

How student learning is assessed:

Students complete five to six major writing assignments encompassing approximately 6500 words, in addition to in-class exercises, readings, peer review workshops, group work, and oral presentations. Each major assignment is evaluated according to a set of criteria provided to students with the assignments sheets. Students are responsible for the information provided on the course syllabus, as well as on ELMS or other class websites, and for any material provided in a course packet or on handouts distributed in class. Readings may come from an assigned textbook and from other relevant, timely sources. Students are responsible for the readings, which form the basis of class discussion; students may also be required to write responses to reading assignments.

Syllabus

Students analyze and compose writing typical of nonprofit organizations, such as artistic, civic, educational, and service institutions. Writing assignments include press releases and other public relations material, position papers, reports, and grant proposals. Students research and analyze the writing of local and national nonprofits and write for real-world situations. Students may also have the opportunity to choose a service learning component to the course by working with and for an area nonprofit.

English 398R satisfies the Professional Writing requirement for undergraduates at the University of Maryland, College Park. This course focuses on nonfiction narrative–a kind of writing influenced by fiction, magazine journalism, memoir, and personal essay—and is appropriate for students interested in traditional jobs in publishing, as well as careers involving proposal writing, work documentation, lobbying, social marketing, political commentary, etc. 

Students learn to use many of the same tools as fiction writers, such as dialogue, vivid description, developing characters, nonlinear structure, and shifts in tense, time and points of view. Students also learn how to edit their own work as well as that of their peers, doing multiple revisions of the major assignments that are assembled into a final portfolio. Major assignments include essays targeted to specific publications, query letters, audience analysis, and a publisher analysis. 

Prerequisites: 

English 101 or equivalent and a minimum of 60 credits. 

How student learning is assessed: 

Students complete five major writing assignments encompassing approximately 6500 words, in addition to in-class exercises, readings, peer review workshops, and group work. Each major assignment is evaluated according to a set of criteria provided to students with the assignments sheets. Students are responsible for the information provided on the course syllabus, as well as on ELMS or other class websites, and for any material provided in a course packet or on handouts distributed in class. Readings may come from an assigned textbook and from other relevant, timely sources. Students are responsible for the readings, which form the basis of class discussion; students may also be required to write responses to reading assignments.

This course is specially designed for students with a career interest in the environmental sciences. It applies principles of technical writing to a range of scenarios and issues particular to the intersection of scientific knowledge and environmental policy. Students practice writing to public audiences as well as decision-makers.