Writing

Women's College

Gene Farrington, Ph.D., Coordinator

The writing major and minor are interdisciplinary programs offered to students in the Women's College. This major is completed only in conjunction with another disciplinary program of study as part of a double major. Thus, the writing program is designed to pair any major offered in the School of Arts and Sciences with an intensive writing curriculum. Students pursuing the degree complete the coursework for both a disciplinary major and a writing major, with a focus on writing within the student's discipline. The program develops both the fundamental skills essential to fluent writing and the in-depth knowledge necessary for mastery of a specific discipline. It offers an intensive study of writing and an application of writing skills to the knowledge base of a particular field.

Through pursuing majors in writing and an arts and sciences discipline, students learn to assess writing situations in a variety of contexts and to develop practical strategies to accomplish writing tasks effectively. Students develop an understanding that clear thinking and specific objectives are fundamental to clear writing. They also learn techniques of style and tone that result in fluent and appealing prose, and they become proficient in the terminology, analytical frameworks, and conventions of writing within a discipline. Students further sharpen their analytical, critical thinking, and editing skills by interacting with other students about their own writing and about the writing of professional authors in their chosen field.

To pursue the program, students complete all requirements for the major in their chosen discipline, along with the coursework stipulated for the writing major. Students in the program will be invited to join the Notre Dame Writers' Circle, which will provide priority access to the best writing internships as well as meetings with regionally and nationally recognized authors through the Eichner Endowed Writers Series. Students in the Writers' Circle may earn credits toward the dual major as staff members of Notre Dame student media, including the college newspaper and literary journal. And Writers' Circle members will be invited to meet, share, and workshop their materials with other members.

Because the program provides students in any field of study with a knowledge base in professional writing, it is excellent preparation for a variety of careers. Effective written communication skills are highly sought after by employers. Graduates of the program will be qualified for a range of job opportunities within their disciplinary field of study, as well as for specialized positions that focus on professional writing. These include technical and scientific communication, web authoring, information design, public relations, advertising, editing, grant writing, journalism, and advocacy work.

Programs of Study

To pursue a writing major or minor, a student must have earned a grade of B or higher in her general education writing requirement, or she may seek permission of the coordinator of the writing major/minor.

Required Courses for a Major in Writing

COM-101 Introduction to Media Writing (3)
COM-362 Copyediting (3)
COM-401 Writing for the Web (3)

Two courses in Techniques, chosen from
ENG-201 Techniques in Writing Poetry (3)
ENG-202 Techniques in Writing Short Fiction (3)
ENG-203 Techniques in Playwriting (3)
ENG-207 Techniques in Writing Creative Nonfiction (3)

Two Workshops, chosen from
ENG-302 Workshop in Creative Writing (3)
COM-301 Feature Writing (3)
COM-314 Reporting and Writing News (3)

One survey course in modern or contemporary literature, chosen from
ENG-213 Contemporary American Literature (3)
ENG-216 Twentieth-Century American Literature (3)
ENG-316 Twentieth-Century British Literature (3)
ENG-327 Contemporary World Literature (3)

Four courses selected from the following
COM-319 Advertising (3)
COM-331 Public Relations (3)
COM-461 Communication Practicum (3)
ENG-355 Special Topics in Creative Writing (3)
ENG-401 Writing Tutorial (3)
IDS-361 Career Internship (3)

Note: No more than two courses applied to the student’s first major may be applied to the writing major.
English majors can choose either the creative writing track within the English major or the writing major in conjunction with the English major.

Minor in Writing

The minor in writing is designed to offer the Women's College student an opportunity to enhance her writing and thinking skills, to focus on a dimension of writing that most interests her, to prepare for multiple careers that require writing, and to complement her major with the indispensable skill of writing.

The minor in writing consists of six courses beyond ENG 101.

Required Courses for a Minor in Writing

Two Workshops, chosen from
ENG-302 Workshop in Creative Writing (3)
COM-314 Reporting and Writing News (3)
COM-301 Feature Writing (3)

Two courses selected from the following
ENG-355 Special Topics in Creative Writing (3)
ENG-401 Writing Tutorial (3)
COM-319 Advertising (3)
COM-331 Public Relations (3)
COM-362 Copyediting (3)
IDS-361 Career Internship (3)

Note: No more than two courses applied to the student's first major may be applied to the writing minor.

Course descriptions for the writing major and minor requirements may be found in the English and Communication Arts catalog sections.