Writing Minor

Effective Fall 2014-Fall 2015

The Minor in Writing is designed for undergraduate students who are interested in developing their disciplinary and professional writing abilities while pursuing concentrations across the liberal arts and sciences. This minor complements students' primary course of study by promoting discipline-specific writing competence, expertise in new media, and rhetorical awareness across a range of genres and modes. This minor is particularly advantageous for students who may already be completing writing-related coursework (or have an interest in completing such coursework) and wishes to earn a credential that certifies their writing expertise to prospective employers and graduate programs.

Students completing the Minor in Writing develop an electronic portfolio of the writing they produce throughout their undergraduate career. The e-portfolio provides students with the opportunity to reflect on their development as writers, demonstrate their proficiency in visual rhetoric and new media writing, and showcase their writing abilities. Students have the opportunity to create an e-portfolio in WRITING 220 and another one in WRITING 420 that builds on the skills they've acquired.

Students who complete the Minor in Writing will demonstrate the ability to:

• Produce complex and well-supported arguments that matter in academic contexts.
• Use flexible strategies for organizing, revising, and proofreading writing of varying lengths and genres.
• Identify and implement rhetorical choices responsive to the demands of specific genres, audiences, and rhetorical situations, both academic and non-academic.
• Compose in a variety of modes, including a range of new media.
• Identify the expectations that characterize writing in their concentration, and use this knowledge to write effectively in a range of genres in that discipline.
• Use meta-language regarding writing processes, rhetorical choices, genre expectations, and disciplinary discourse to discuss writing-in-progress and writing development over time.
• Collaborate with other writers to improve writing-in-progress and produce co-authored documents.

Prerequisites to the Minor:

Students must have satisfied the First-Year Writing Requirement with a final grade of C or higher, have declared a major by the end of the term they apply to the Minor in Writing, and have at least three full terms remaining in their program. Transfer students who satisfy the FYWR with a transfer course approved by Sweetland will need to show proof of receiving a grade of C or higher.

Students must apply to and be accepted by the Sweetland Center for Writing to be declared in the minor. Students must be able to enroll in WRITING 220 in their first term in the minor.

Requirements for the Minor: 

At least 15 credits of courses. Students must complete the following courses, with an average minimum GPA of 3.3 for courses applied toward the minor:

1. WRITING 220: Introduction to the Minor in Writing (3), which must be taken in the student’s first full semester after being accepted into the minor.
2. One of the following courses:
   • WRITING 200: New Media Writing (only when taken for 3 credits)
   • ENGLISH 225: Academic Argumentation (4)
   • ENGLISH 229: Professional Writing (4)
   • ENGLISH 325: Art of the Essay (3)
   • LHSP 230: Writing and the Arts II (effective Winter 2016, retroactive to Fall 2012)
3. One Upper-Level Writing Requirement course in the major, which may also satisfy a requirement for the major (3-4)
4. One additional Upper-Level Writing Requirement course which cannot satisfy a requirement for the major (3-4)
5. WRITING 420: Minor in Writing Capstone (3)

Admission Policies and Application Procedures

Applications will be considered twice a year, in March and October. Students must apply to and be accepted by the Sweetland Center for Writing in order to declare the Minor in Writing.

Requirements for the application:

• Applicants must have completed their First-Year Writing Requirement with a final grade of C or higher. Transfer students who completed the FYWR with a transfer course approved by Sweetland will need to show proof of receiving a grade of C or higher.
• Applicants must have at least three full terms remaining in their program.
• Applicants must be able to enroll in WRITING 220 in their first semester in the minor.

Materials for application:

• Completed application form available on Sweetland’s website
• Letter of interest
• Writing sample from any college course
• Unofficial U-M transcript (available through Wolverine Access)

Admissions process and criteria:

• Submit all materials by the posted deadline. The admission process is competitive and space is limited.
• Application materials are reviewed by a committee of Sweetland faculty, who make admissions recommendations based upon the quality of the writing sample, the reasons given for applying to the minor and student’s overall academic performance.
• Students are notified of the decision via email prior to the beginning of registration.

Effective Winter 2014-Summer 2014

The Minor in Writing is designed for undergraduate students who are interested in developing their disciplinary and professional writing abilities while pursuing concentrations across the liberal arts and sciences. This minor complements students' primary course of study by promoting discipline-specific writing competence, expertise in new media, and rhetorical awareness across a range of genres and modes. This minor is particularly advantageous for students who may already be completing writing-related coursework (or have an interest in completing such coursework) and wishes to earn a credential that certifies their writing expertise to prospective employers and graduate programs.

Students completing the Minor in Writing develop an electronic portfolio of the writing they produce throughout their undergraduate career. The e-portfolio provides students with the opportunity to reflect on their development as writers, demonstrate their proficiency in visual rhetoric and new media writing, and showcase their writing abilities. These e-portfolios are created in WRITING 220 and finalized in the capstone course, WRITING 400 (or 420 [effective Winter 2015, retroactive to Fall 2013]).

Students who complete the Minor in Writing will demonstrate the ability to:

• Produce complex and well-supported arguments that matter in academic contexts.
• Use flexible strategies for organizing, revising, and proofreading writing of varying lengths and genres.
• Identify and implement rhetorical choices responsive to the demands of specific genres, audiences, and rhetorical situations, both academic and non-academic.
• Compose in a variety of modes, including a range of new media.
• Identify the expectations that characterize writing in their concentration, and use this knowledge to write effectively in a range of genres in that discipline.
• Use meta-language regarding writing processes, rhetorical choices, genre expectations, and disciplinary discourse to discuss writing-in-progress and writing development over time.
• Collaborate with other writers to improve writing-in-progress and produce co-authored documents.

Prerequisites to the Minor:

Students must have satisfied the First-Year Writing Requirement with a final grade of C or higher, have declared a major by the end of the term they apply to the Minor in Writing, and have at least three full terms remaining in their program. Transfer students who satisfy the FYWR with a transfer course approved by Sweetland will need to show proof of receiving a grade of C or higher.

Students must apply to and be accepted by the Sweetland Center for Writing to be declared in the minor. Students must be able to enroll in WRITING 220 in their first term in the minor.

Requirements for the Minor: 

At least 15 credits of courses. Students must complete the following courses, with an average minimum GPA of 3.3 for courses applied toward the minor:

1. WRITING 220: Introduction to the Minor in Writing (3), which must be taken in the student’s first full semester after being accepted into the minor.
2. One of the following courses:
   • WRITING 200: New Media Writing (only when taken for 3 credits)
   • ENGLISH 225: Academic Argumentation (4)
   • ENGLISH 229: Professional Writing (4)
   • ENGLISH 325: Art of the Essay (3)
   • LHSP 230: Writing and the Arts II (effective Winter 2016, retroactive to Fall 2012)
3. One Upper-Level Writing Requirement course in the major, which may also satisfy a requirement for the major (3-4)
4. One additional Upper-Level Writing Requirement course which cannot satisfy a requirement for the major (3-4)
5. WRITING 400: Advanced Rhetoric and Research  or WRITING 420: Minor in Writing Capstone (effective Winter 2015, retroactive to Fall 2013)

Admission Policies and Application Procedures

Applications will be considered twice a year, in March and October. Students must apply to and be accepted by the Sweetland Center for Writing in order to declare the Minor in Writing.

Requirements for the application:

• Applicants must have completed their First-Year Writing Requirement with a final grade of C or higher. Transfer students who completed the FYWR with a transfer course approved by Sweetland will need to show proof of receiving a grade of C or higher.
• Applicants must have at least three full terms remaining in their program.
• Applicants must be able to enroll in WRITING 220 in their first semester in the Minor.

Materials for application:

• Completed application form available on Sweetland’s website
• Letter of interest
• Writing sample from any college course
• Unofficial U-M transcript (available through Wolverine Access)

Admissions process and criteria:

• Submit all materials by the posted deadline. The admission process is competitive and space is limited.
• Application materials are reviewed by a committee of Sweetland faculty, who make admissions recommendations based upon the quality of the writing sample, the reasons given for applying to the minor and student’s overall academic performance.
• Students are notified of the decision via email prior to the beginning of registration.

1. , which must be taken in the student's first full semester after being accepted into the minor.
2. One of the following courses:
   • ENGLISH 225: Academic Argumentation (4)
   • ENGLISH 229: Professional Writing (4)
   • ENGLISH 325: Art of the Essay (3)
   • LHSP 230: Writing and the Arts II (effective Winter 2016, retroactive to Fall 2012)
3. One Upper-Level Writing Requirement course in major, which may also satisfy a major requirement (3-4)
4. One additional Upper-Level Writing Requirement course which cannot satisfy a major requirement (3-4)
5. WRITING 400: Advanced Rhetoric and Research [or WRITING 420: Minor in Writing Capstone [effective Winter 2015, retroactive to Fall 2013])

Advising

Students will develop their initial course plans for the Minor in Writing within the context of the gateway course (WRITING 220). Ongoing advising regarding course selection for the minor will be handled by Sweetland lecturers. Students will complete their electronics portfolio within the context of the capstone course (WRITING 400 or 420). Ongoing advising regarding progress-to-degree will be handled by Sweetland's student services staff using the student online file and degree audit.

To set up an advising appointment, please email sweetlandwritingminor@umich.edu.

Admission Policies and Application Procedures

Applications will be considered twice a year, in March and October. Students must apply to and be accepted by the Sweetland Center for Writing in order to declare the Minor in Writing.

Requirements for the application:

• Applicants must have completed their First-Year Writing Requirement with a final grade of C or higher. Transfer students who completed the FYWR with a transfer course approved by Sweetland will need to show proof of receiving a grade of B or higher.
• Applicants must have declared a major by the end of the term they apply to the Minor in Writing
• Applicants must have at least three full terms remaining in their program
• Applicants must be able to enroll in WRITING 220 in their first semester in the minor

Materials for application:

• Completed application form, available on Sweetland's website
• Letter of interest
• Writing sample from any college course
• Unofficial U-M transcript

Admission process and criteria:

• Submit all materials by the posted deadline. The admission process is competitive and space is limited.
• Application materials are reviewed by a committee of Sweetland faculty, who make admissions recommendations based upon the quality of the writing sample, the reasons given for applying to the minor, and student's overall academic performance.
• Students are notified of the decision via email prior to the beginning of registration.

Effective Fall 2012

Students completing the Residential College's Creative Writing and Literature major or the  minor in Creative Writing will be prohibited from electing the minor in Writing.

The minor in Writing is designed for undergraduate students in LSA who are interested in developing their disciplinary and professional writing abilities while pursuing majors across the liberal arts and sciences. This minor complements students' primary course of study by promoting discipline-specific writing competence expertise in new media and rhetorical awareness across a range of genres and modes. This minor is particularly advantageous for students who may already be completing writing-related coursework (or have an interest in completing such coursework) and wishes to earn a credential that certifies their writing expertise to prospective employers and graduate programs.

Students completing the minor in Writing are required to develop an electronic portfolio of the writing they produce throughout their undergraduate career. The e-portfolio provides students with the opportunity to reflect on their development as writers, demonstrate their proficiency in visual rhetoric and new media writing, and showcase their writing abilities. These e-portfolios are created in WRITING 220 and finalized in WRITING 400.

Students who complete the undergraduate minor in Writing will demonstrate the ability to:

• Produce complex and well-supported arguments that matter in academic contexts.
• Use flexible strategies for organizing, revising, and proofreading writing of varying lengths and genres.
• Identify and implement rhetorical choices responsive to the demands of specific genres, audiences, and rhetorical situations, both academic and non-academic.
• Compose in a variety of modes, including a range of new media.
• Identify the expectations that characterize writing in their major, and use this knowledge to write effectively in a range of genres in that discipline.
• Use meta-language regarding writing processes, rhetorical choices, genre expectations, and disciplinary discourse to discuss writing-in-progress and writing development over time.
• Collaborate with other writers to improve writing-in-progress and produce co-authored documents.

Prerequisites to the Minor

Students must have satisfied the First-Year Writing Requirement with a final grade of B or higher, have declared a major by the end of the term they apply to the Minor in Writing, and have at least four full terms remaining in their program. Transfer students who satisfy the FYWR with a transfer course approved by Sweetland will need to show proof of receiving a grade of B or higher.

Students must apply to and be accepted by the Sweetland Center for Writing to be declared in the minor.

Academic Minor Program

At least 15 credits of courses. Students must complete the following courses, with an average minimum GPA of 3.3 for courses applied toward the minor:

1. WRITING 220: Introduction to the Minor in Writing (3), which must be taken in the student's first full semester after being accepted into the minor.
2. One of the following courses:
   • ENGLISH 225: Academic Argumentation (4)
   • ENGLISH 229: Professional Writing (4)
   • ENGLISH 325: Art of the Essay (3)
   • LHSP 230: Writing and the Arts II (effective Winter 2016, retroactive to Fall 2012)
3. One Upper-Level Writing Requirement course in major, which may also satisfy a major requirement (3-4)
4. One additional Upper-Level Writing Requirement course which cannot satisfy a major requirement (3-4)
5. WRITING 400: Advanced Rhetoric and Research (3)

Advising

Students will develop their initial course plans for the minor in Writing within the context of the gateway course (WRITING 220). Ongoing advising regarding course selection for the minor will be handled by Sweetland lecturers. Students will complete their electronics portfolio within the context of the capstone course (WRITING 400). Ongoing advising regarding progress-to-degree will be handled by Sweetland's student services staff using the student online file and degree audit.

To set up an advising appointment, please email sweetlandwritingminor@umich.edu.

Admission Policies and Application Procedures

Applications will be considered twice a year, in March and October. Students must apply to and be accepted by the Sweetland Center for Writing in order to declare the Academic Minor in Writing.

Requirements for the application:

• Applicants must have completed their First-Year Writing Requirement with a final grade of B or higher. Transfer students who completed the FYWR with a transfer course approved by Sweetland will need to show proof of receiving a grade of B or higher.
• Applicants must have declared a major by the end of the term they apply to the Academic Minor in Writing
• Applicants must have at least four full terms remaining in their program
• Applicants must be able to enroll in WRITING 220 in their first semester in the Academic Minor

Materials for application:

• Completed application form, available on Sweetland's website
• Letter of interest
• Writing sample from any college course
• Unofficial U-M transcript

Admission process and criteria:

• Submit all materials by the posted deadline. The admission process is competitive and space is limited.
• Application materials are reviewed by a committee of Sweetland faculty, who make admissions recommendations based upon the quality of the writing sample, the reasons given for applying to the minor, and student's overall academic performance.
• Students are notified of the decision via email prior to the beginning of registration.