E-mail: wpinfo@writing.ucsb.edu
Website: www.writing.ucsb.edu (will open in a new browser window)

Faculty

Laurence Behrens, Ph.D., UC Los Angeles; M.F.A., Columbia University, Lecturer

Mashey M. Bernstein, Ph.D., UC Santa Barbara, Lecturer

Maureen K. Driscoll, M.A., University of Washington; M.T.S., Franciscan School of Theology, Lecturer

Jeffrey Hanson, M.A., UC Santa Barbara, Lecturer

LeeAnne G. Kryder, Ph.D., Bowling Green State University, Lecturer

Karen J. Lunsford, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Acting Assistant Professor

Susan McLeod, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison, Professor

Michael F. Petracca, M.A., M.Ed., UC Santa Barbara, Lecturer

Madeleine I. Sorapure, Ph.D., SUNY Binghamton, Lecturer

Norinne J. Starna, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, Lecturer

William N. Tingle, Ph.D., UC Santa Barbara, Lecturer

Leonard D. Tourney, Ph.D., UC Santa Barbara, Lecturer

Muriel Zimmerman, Ph.D., Temple University, Senior Lecturer with Security of Employment

Emeriti Faculty

Valerie A Hobbs, M.A., UC Santa Barbara, Lecturer Emerita

Judy Kirscht, M.A., M.F.A., University of Michigan, Lecturer Emerita

C. Hugh Marsh, B.A., Claremont, McKenna College, Lecturer Emeritus

Writing Program Advisory Committee

Susan McLeod, Chair, Ph.D. (Writing Program)

Charles Bazerman, Ph.D. (Education)

Mashey Bernstein, Ph.D. (Writing Program)

Maureen Driscoll, M.A. (Writing Program)

Jan Frodesen, Ph.D. (English as a Second Language)

Richard Helgerson, Ph.D., (English)

Claudine Michel, Ph.D. (Black Studies)

William Prothero, Ph.D. (Geology)

Robert Rinker, Ph.D. (Chemical and Nuclear Engineering)

The Writing Program offers required and elective courses at freshman and advanced levels, as well as a minor in professional writing. Students must satisfy the University Subject A requirement during their first year at UCSB. In addition, students in the College of Letters and Science must satisfy General Education Area A. Two courses are needed which may be chosen from Writing 2, 2E, or 2LK (which must be completed within the first six quarters) and one additional course from the following list: Writing 50, 50E, 50LK, 109AC, 109EC, 109ED, 109ES, 109F, 109HP, 109L, 109LA, 109SS, 109ST, 109V, or English 10. Writing 109 courses cover such topics as scientific, social science, and legal writing and writing for film studies, visual arts, and health sciences.

Writing 1LK, 2LK, and 50LK are referred to as LINKS courses and require co-enrollment with specific companion courses. The instructional aim of LINKS courses is to help students master academic writing and critical thinking skills within the context of a General Education or major course. Refer to the Schedule of Classes for a listing of LINKS writing courses.

Most freshmen in the College of Engineering take a special sequence of courses that fulfill the Subject A and Area A General Education requirements.

Academic Communities for Excellence (ACE), a component of the UCSB Writing Program, offers sections of writing classes to fulfill the Subject A and Area A General Education requirements. The program offers a unique opportunity for EOP students to develop their writing and critical reading skills. Small class size enables students to receive intensive conferences and close communication with support services.

Graduate students employed as teaching assistants in the Writing Program are required to take a two-quarter sequence: 501A in the spring prior to and 501B in the fall concurrent with their first teaching assignment. In addition, all TAs must be enrolled in Writing 500, Directed Teaching, every quarter they teach in the program.

Waiver Examinations

A Writing 50 Waiver Examination is offered to students in the College of Letters and Science with junior or senior standing. Students are required to register for the exam in the Writing Program office (South Hall 1520) prior to the exam. Source materials and directions for additional research required for the exam may be obtained in the Writing Program office. Students should register for the exam as early in the quarter as possible and plan to spend 15-20 hours preparing for the exam.

Advising and Information

The Writing Program office is open for student advising Monday-Friday, 8:00-noon and 1:00-4:00 p.m. Students are encouraged to talk with Writing Program staff and faculty advisors to plan a program of writing courses that will help them to achieve their academic and professional goals.

Writing Prizes

The annual Specialty Merchandise Corporation Business Writing contest is open to individuals and groups of students who have taken Writing 109AC and Writing 109EC. Information about the contest, with application forms and deadlines, is available in the Writing Program office. Specialty Merchandise Corporation also sponsors the Annual Lecture in International Business Communications.

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Minor-Professional Writing

The Writing Program offers a minor in professional writing for intermediate and advanced students in all majors.

Students will experience both theoretical and practical coursework via research seminars in the rhetoric of professional writing, and in editing and publishing, as well as an internship.

All courses applied to the minor must be completed on a letter-grade basis. These include both courses offered in the Writing Program and those offered by other departments and applied to the minor. Students are subject to all course prerequisites and any major restrictions in enrolling for courses as established by departments, so please consult the UCSB General Catalog and the quarterly Schedule of Classes publications to ensure eligibility for enrolling.

Preparation for the minor. Writing 2 (or equivalent).

Upper-division minor. Twenty-two to 24 units, distributed as follows:

1. One course from Engineering 103, Writing 109AC, 109EC, 109ES, or 109ST.

2. One course from 109AA-ZZ.

3. At least 4 units chosen from among Writing 105NM, 105 MW, 109AA-ZZ, 120, 125, 156, or 199.

4. Ten to 12 units from Writing 150, 151A-B or 155A-B (choose from either the 151 series or the 155 series, but not from a combination of both).

Note: Substitutions and waivers are subject to approval by the chair of the department. Please see "Academic Minors" for special conditions governing minors in the College of Letters and Science.

Students who wish to minor in professional writing must meet with a Writing Program advisor to record their intention to pursue the minor, to review requirements, and to plan and record their progress.

Writing 150, 151A-B or 155A-B, are the final courses in a sequence of upper-division requirements for the minor in professional writing. Instructor permission is required for registration in these courses. Students who will have completed at least two of the three upper-division courses (Section A, B, and C) for the minor may, in their senior year, be admitted to Writing 151A-B or 155A-B by the following process:

Present a portfolio of representative work, a statement of interest in completing the minor, and an application form which asks students to describe their familiarity with communication software and hardware, as well as with a variety of writing genres. Deadline for application is the fourth week in the quarter prior to Writing 151A or 155A. (Consult the Writing Program office for the specific date at the beginning of each quarter.)

Placements in Writing 151A-B and Writing 155A-B are limited, and not all students who wish to complete the minor will be able to do so. Decisions will be based on the applicant's promise for profiting from and contributing to Writing 151A-B or 155A-B, as well as to the internship experience.

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Lower Division

1. Approaches to University Writing
(4) Staff
Open to students who have not satisfied the Subject A requirement. Not open for credit to students who have completed English 1 or Writing 1LK, or Writing 1E.
Principles of critical reading, thinking, and writing in the university. Students analyze academic discourse, develop rhetorical strategies for exposition and argument, practice examination writing, and write and revise papers. Completion with a grade of C or better meets Subject A requirement.

1E. Approaches to University Writing for Engineers
(4) Staff
Open to students who have not satisfied the Subject A requirement. Not open for credit to students who have completed English 1, Writing 1LK, or Writing 1.
Principles of critical reading, thinking, and writing in the university. Students analyze academic discourse, develop rhetorical strategies for exposition and argument, practice examination writing, and write and revise papers.

1LK. Approaches to University Writing
(4) Staff
Open to students who have not satisfied the Subject A requirement. Coenrollment in linked companion course. Not open for credit to students who have completed English 1 or Writing 1, or Writing 1E.
Principles of critical reading, thinking, and writing in the university. Students analyze academic discourse, develop rhetorical strategies for exposition and argument, practice examination writing, and write and revise papers. Completion with a grade of C or better meets Subject A requirement. This course is taught in conjunction with a specified companion course. Readings and assignments are related to the subject matter of the companion course.

2. Academic Writing
(4) Staff
Prerequisite: satisfaction of Subject A requirement.
Not open for credit to students who have completed English 2 or Writing 2LK.
A writing course focusing on developing analytical skills, synthesizing multiple sources, sustaining coherent arguments, and revising for clarity of style. Reading and writing assignments are drawn from a range of academic disciplines.

2E. Academic Writing for Engineers
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: satisfaction of Subject A requirement.
Not open for credit to students who have completed English 2, Writing 2LK, or Writing 2.
A writing course focusing on developing analytical skills, synthesizing multiple sources, sustaining coherent arguments, and revising for clarity of style. Reading and writing assignments are drawn from a range of engineering disciplines.

2LK. Academic Writing
(4) Staff
Prerequisite: satisfaction of Subject A requirement and coenrollment in linked companion course.
Not open for credit to students who have completed English 2 or Writing 2.
A writing course focusing on developing analytical skills, synthesizing multiple sources, sustaining coherent arguments, and revising for clarity of style. Reading and writing assignments are drawn from a range of academic disciplines. This course is taught in conjunction with a specified companion course. Readings and assignments are related to the subject matter of the companion course.

50. Writing and the Research Process
(4) Staff
Prerequisite: Writing 2 or 2LK.
Not open for credit to students who have completed English 3 or Writing 50LK.
A writing course addressing the analytical skills underlying the research process of academic and professional communities. Sections vary in topic and disciplinary emphasis.

50E. Writing and the Research Process for Engineers
(4) Staff
Prerequisite: Writing 2 or 2LK.
Not open for credit to students who have completed English 3, Writing 50LK, or Writing 50.
A writing course addressing the analytical skills underlying the research process of academic and professional communities within engineering.

60. Practicum in Tutoring Writing
(2) Staff
Prerequisite: Writing 2.
May be repeated for credit to a maximum of 6 units.
Practicum in the peer tutoring process, emphasizing recent research in composition, to prepare students to tutor writing at the college level. Students respond to tutoring scenarios, respond to each others writing, learn to work with each other's writing, and learn to work with OWLS (online writing labs).

99. Independent Studies in Writing
(1-5) Staff
Prerequisite: lower-division standing; satisfaction of Subject A and Writing 2 requirement; consent of instructor.
Students must have a 3.0 GPA for the preceding three quarters and are limited to 5 units per quarter, 15 units per year, and 30 units total in all 98, 99, 198, 199, 199DC, and 199RA courses combined.

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Upper Division

105CN. Writing Creative Nonfiction
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: Writing 2; upper-division standing.
Course in creative nonfiction, a prose form whose practitioners consciously merge elements of traditional fiction and nonfiction. Students get extensive practice in reading and composing within this genre.

105MW. Magazine Writing for Publication
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: Writing 2; upper-division standing.
Focuses on writing interviews, reviews, and general articles for print media, and submitting them for publication. Students learn about audiences and the demands of each genre, as well as editing and the tyranny of deadlines.

105NM. Writing in New Media
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: Writing 2; upper-division standing.
Focuses on new modes of writing and publishing enabled by computer technology. Projects involve analyzing, creating, reading about, and reflecting on writing in new media. Students create works suitable for web or other digital formats.

109AC. Writing for Accounting Economics
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: Writing 2; Economics 136A (may be taken concurrently); upper-division standing.
Writing practices in academic and professional accounting. Research sources include publications, databases, case studies, interviews. Assignments include reports, correspondence, memorandum, presentations. Attention to critical thinking, research techniques, international context, use of information technology, and visual communications.

109EC. Writing for Economics and Business Economics
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: Writing 2 or 2LK; upper-division standing.
Not open for credit to students who have completed English 109C.
Strategy, style, format, and applications for various types of academic and professional writing including papers, reviews, abstracts, proposals. Attention to visual aspects of communication, design, and graphics.

109ED. Writing for the Teaching Professions
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: Writing 2 or 2LK; upper-division standing.
Not open for credit to students who have completed English 106WP.
Research, discussion, and analysis of current issues in educational theory, practice, and policy. Appropriate for prospective credential students.

109ES. Writing for Environmental Studies
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: Writing 2 or 2LK; upper-division standing.
Not open for credit to students who have completed English 109I.
Analysis and practice of various forms of writing for environmental studies, both academic and professional. Attention to research methods, design of papers, development of graphics, stylistic clarity, and editing strategies.

109F. Writing for Film
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: Writing 2 or 2LK; upper-division standing.
Not open for credit to students who have completed English 109K or Writing 109FS.
Analysis and practice of various forms of writing for film, including argumentative writing, film reviews, and essays. Of special interest to majors in film studies, English, and social sciences.

109HP. Writing for Health Professionals
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: Writing 2 or 2LK; upper-division standing.
Not open for credit to students who have completed English 109M.
Strategy, analysis, format for various types of academic and professional writing in the health care field. Contemporary topics/issues will be the basis of study, discussion, research, and writing.

109HU. Writing for the Humanities
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: Writing 2 or 2LK; upper-division standing.
Not open for credit to students who have completed English 109H.
Analysis of various forms of writing for the humanities, both academic and professional. Attention to modes and methods of argumentation, research methods, design of papers, stylistic clarity, and editing strategies.

109L. Legal Writing
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: Writing 2 or 2LK; upper-division standing.
Not open for credit to students who have completed English 109D.
Practice in applying rules to facts in analyzing issues and in writing clearly, succinctly, and cogently in various forms of legal discourse.

109LA. Advanced Legal Writing
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: Writing 109L or English 109D; upper-division standing.
Not open for credit to students who have completed English 109L.
Practice for skilled writers on a variety of legal documents, letters, agreements, office memoranda, and appellate briefs. Fundamentals of legal research, including techniques for gathering evidence and for analyzing and applying statutory and case law to hypothetical problems.

109SS. Writing for the Social Sciences
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: Writing 2 or 2LK; upper-division standing.
Not open for credit to students who have completed English 109B.
Analysis and practice of various research methods and forms of writing in the social sciences including qualitative/ethnographic, quantitative, interpretive, and theoretical. Writing projects such as literature reviews, proposals, case studies, scientific reports, interviews. Attention to disciplinary resources, formal conventions, graphics, and style.

109ST. Writing for Science and Technology
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: Writing 2 or 2LK; upper-division standing.
Not open for credit to students who have completed English 109A.
Analysis and practice of various forms of scientific and technical writing, both academic and professional, such as reports, proposals, journal articles, and abstracts. Attention to research methods, design of papers, development of graphics, technical style, and editing strategies.

109V. Writing for the Visual Arts
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: Writing 2 or 2LK; upper-division standing.
Not open for credit to students who have completed English 109E.
Analysis and practice of various forms of writing for the visual arts, including reviews of film and art shows, grant proposals, and professional résumés. Of special interest to majors in the arts.

120. Advanced Topics in Writing
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: Writing 2; upper-division standing.
Not open for credit to students who have completed English 109F. May be repeated for credit to a maximum of 12 units.
Production of complex documents; visual aspects of communication; stylistic clarity; editing for varied purposes. Each section will have a special focus, such as electronic writing or proposal writing.

125. Special Topics in Academic and Professional Writing
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: Writing 2 or 2E or 2LK; and, Writing 50 or 50E or 50LK or 109AA-ZZ, or English 10; upper-division standing.
Directed group reading, writing, and discussion of specialized topics in writings such as manuscript preparation, editing of tables and figures, and writing of multimedia materials.

150. Internship in Writing
(2-4) Staff
Prerequisites: upper-division standing; consent of instructor.
May be repeated for credit to a maximum of 8 units.
Fieldwork experience and weekly seminar.

151A. Seminar in Professional Editing
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: Engineering 103 or Writing 109AC or 109ES or 109ST; a prior course from Writing 109AA-ZZ; consent of instructor.
Not open for credit to students who have completed Writing 154 or 151. Course required for credit in the minor.
Focus on grammatical and rhetorical expertise, genre and format, diction, style, tone, visuals, documentation style. Class projects include working as editors to help authors prepare texts for publication.

151B. Seminar in Professional Editing
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: Writing 151A; concurrent enrollment in Writing 150; consent of instructor.
Not open for credit to students who have completed Writing 154 or 151. Course required for credit in the minor.
Focus on grammatical and rhetorical expertise, genre and format, diction, style, tone, visuals, documentation style. Class projects include working as editors to help authors prepare texts for publication.

155A. Seminar in Technical Communication
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: Engineering 103 or Writing 109AC or 109EC or 109ES or 109ST; a prior course from Writing 109AA-ZZ; consent of instructor.
Not open for credit to students who have completed Writing 153 or 154. Course required for credit in the minor.
Information design in electronic and hardcopy documents; focus on grammatical and rhetorical expertise. Topics include communication practices in the workplace; oral, graphic, and electronic literacies. Project-based course culminating in multimedia portfolio.

155B. Seminar in Technical Communication
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: Writing 155A; concurrent enrollment in Writing 150; consent of instructor.
Not open for credit to students who have completed Writing 153 or 154. Course required for credit in the minor.
Information design in electronic and hardcopy documents; focus on grammatical and rhetorical expertise. Topics include communication practices in the workplace; oral, graphic, and electronic literacies. Project-based course culminating in multimedia portfolio.

156. Grammar and Stylistics
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: Writing 2; and, Writing 50 or 109AA-ZZ; upper-division standing.
Focuses on grammar and stylistics for professional writers and editors. The emphasis is practical and analytical, attending to issues of sentence structure and diction, and on the diversity of styles, formats, and audiences.

199. Independent Studies in Writing
(1-5) Staff
Prerequisites: upper-division standing; consent of instructor.
Students must have at least a 3.0 grade-point average for the preceding three quarters and satisfied Area A requirements. Students are limited to 5 units per quarter and 30 units total in all 98/99/198/199/199DC/199RA courses combined. Writing 199 may be repeated for credit to a maximum of 10 units.
Writing, reading, and conference with specialized research or focus topic.

199RA. Independent Research Assistance in Writing
(1-5) Staff
Prerequisites: upper-division standing; consent of instructor.
Students must have at least a 3.0 grade-point average for the preceding three quarters and satisfied Area A requirements. Students are limited to 5 units per quarter and 30 units total in all 98/99/198/199/199DC/199RA courses combined. Writing 199 may be repeated for credit to a maximum of 10 units.
Faculty-supervised research assistance.

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Graduate Courses

250. Seminar in the Teaching of Academic Writing
(2) Staff
Same course as Interdisciplinary 250.
Instruction in methods of teaching academic writing to undergraduates. Topics include syllabus design, sequencing of assignments, grading, and teaching students to master disciplinary conventions. Lecture plus laboratory.

251. Academic Research Writing
(2) Staff
Same course as Interdisciplinary 251.
Instruction in the writing of graduate academic documents, including proposals, theses, course papers, articles for publication, and C.V.'s. Emphasis on writing clearly and mastering disciplinary conventions. Lecture plus laboratory.

500. Directed Teaching
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: appointment as teaching assistant or associate.
Yields no unit credit for advanced degrees.
Teaching assistants must register during quarter of service for this course of supervision and instruction.

501A-B. Practicum in Academic Writing Instruction
(2-2) Staff
Prerequisite: application submitted for Writing Program TA appointment.
Preparatory orientation and concurrent training for newly appointed Writing Program teaching assistants. Topics include theories of composition pedagogy, academic literacies, principles of instructional design and curriculum development, effective classroom practices, and assessment of student writing.

596. Directed Reading and Research
(1-4) McLeod
Prerequisites: graduate standing; consent of instructor.
May be repeated for credit as determined by department chair.
Group or individual tutorial.

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