English Major - Professional Writing and Rhetoric Concentration (BA)

The English major with a concentration in professional writing and rhetoric requires 12 courses, through which students integrate a liberal arts grounding in critical analysis, rhetorical theory, and textual study with rigorous training in professional writing.

Students interested in an English major with a concentration in professional writing and rhetoric are encouraged to take an introductory course (ENG 1200 - Introduction to English Studies) in their first year and to declare the major as sophomores.

In conjunction with declaring an English major with a concentration in professional writing and rhetoric, students must take ENG 1800 - Introduction to Professional Writing and Rhetoric and the sequence of “gateway” courses in critical methods and contemporary theory, ENG 1900 - Introduction to Literature and Criticism, and ENG 3020 - Literary and Cultural Theory. Juniors and seniors should take 3000-level courses numbered above 3020, two of which must be literature courses, and at least four of which must be professional writing and rhetoric courses.

A senior seminar is the capstone course, in which students study a topic in depth and develop independent research projects. ENG 3020 and the senior seminar must be taken at Hamline. ENG 1900 and ENG 3020 must be taken at least one semester before the senior seminar and are strongly recommended before taking 3000-level literature courses numbered above 3020.