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COMP 1403  English Fundamentals*

Credits: 3.00 Credits

English Fundamentals is a course designed specifically for the study and for the improvement of basic writing skills and techniques. As such, English Fundamentals allows the student to master a variety of sentence constructions and paragraph types, culminating in the ability to create a multi-paragraph essay. The emphasis is on grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, writing and revising techniques, and proofreading and editing to produce clear, concise, and information-rich sentences and paragraphs. This is a remedial/developmental course; it will not satisfy any graduation requirements. Student performance on the COMP 1503: Freshman Composition Competency Exam will affect the final course grade. This course is a Co-Requisite course, and it must be taken with a paired COMP 1503: Freshman Composition course.

COMP 1503  Freshman Composition

Credits: 3.00 Credits

Freshman Composition is intended to enable students to express themselves in essays. They will generate ideas, develop thesis statements, plan paragraphs, organize compositions, and select rhetorical strategies. Essays and a reference paper are required. Readings stimulate language use, critical thinking, and writing techniques.

COMP 2703  Into to Tech Comm & Emer. Med

Credits: 3.00 Credits

This course presents an introduction to the major in Technical Communication and Emergent Media and the related disciplines and professions. Students will explore the rhetorical situations of technical communication through various genres including reports, workplace and employment documentation, presentations, and visual communication. Emphasis will be placed on the media forms and intercultural contexts of technical communication.

COMP 2900  Directed Study

Credits: 1.00 TO 4.00 Credits

The student may contract for one to four credit hours of independent study through an arrangement with the instructor. The student must submit a plan acceptable for the instructor and the department chairperson. To be substituted for the listed humanities requirements, a directed study course must be so designated by the department chair. Writing is continued in assignments related to readings, class discussions, and lectures.

COMP 2903  English in a Global Context

Credits: 3.00 Credits

This course is an introduction to the history, evolution, and global context of the English language. The course will present a primer on the major methods and scope of linguistics and language change. Students will explore the history of English through texts of major linguistic periods. Major emphasis will be placed on a consideration of "Englishes," or English as a world language. The course will situate the evolution of English in context of material culture, focusing specifically on the development of technologies for the inscription, storage, and transmission of written and spoken language.

COMP 3503  Advanced Composition

Credits: 3.00 Credits

This course focuses on developing the student's ability to write at an advanced level about topics of broad cultural importance. Students will demonstrate assurance and skill in producing written communications on par with published prose. This class will go beyond the mechanics of proper English composition and explore concepts such as originality, honesty of both fact and presentation, clarity, sincerity of emotion, economy of expression, and naturalness of style. This course can be taught from many perspectives. It will strive to instill Alexander Pope's thought that "true ease in writing comes from art, not chance". Writing is emphasized in response to readings from accomplished essayists such as Plutarch, Montaigne, Johnson, Orwell, Emerson, Thoreau, Mencken, Didion, and Dillard, among others.

COMP 3603  Writing for Emergent Media

Credits: 3.00 Credits

This course is an introduction to writing for emergent media. Students will be taught basic principles of good writing as they apply to various media forms, practices, and online audiences. An emphasis will be placed on textual and visual development for use in different contexts: digital narrative, Web page content, blogging, screenwriting, online journalism, and hypertext styles. Students will design, edit and publish online content using current methods and tools across different platforms. Ethics in writing for emergent media will be a focus in the course.

COMP 5703  Technical Writing II

Credits: 3.00 Credits

This course will prepare students to handle typical workplace assignments in a competent and professional manner. It will also prepare students to communicate their ideas effectively in writing to persons in and out of their particular professional disciplines. The course centers on the knowledge and practice of format and style in technical writing when producing upper-level documents; this includes an emphasis on audience analysis and document design as well as research and editing decisions in the composition of long formats. A required component of this course is a Service-Learning project. An emphasis will be placed on oral presentations.

COMP 5900  Directed Study

Credits: 1.00 TO 4.00 Credits

The student may contract for one to four credit hours of independent study through an agreement with the instructor. The student must submit a plan acceptable for the instructor and the department chairperson. To be substituted for the listed humanities requirements, a directed study course must be so designated by the department chair. Writing is continued in assignments related to readings, class discussions, and lectures.

COMP 6003  Tech. Editing and Content Mngt

Credits: 3.00 Credits

This course will introduce students to content management with an emphasis on editing digital content for multiple platforms and audiences. Students will learn about content life cycles, genres and tools central to content management, collaboration and accessibility, content analysis, and technical editing. Editing foci will be on comprehensive editing, commenting strategies and psychologies, collaboration and validation tools, copyediting, and editing for global and cultural contexts.

COMP 7013  Design. & Edit. for Usability

Credits: 3.00 Credits

In this course, students will critique, edit, design, and create various media artifacts. Emphasis will be on the rhetorical situation. Students will apply principles of user access, user experience, media literacy theories, current and appropriate software competency, style, and edition as part of the publication process.

COMP 7603  Writing for Emergent Media II

Credits: 3.00 Credits

This course is a study of the theories and methods of writing for emergent media. Students will develop advanced skills in effective writing, knowledge of media history, and awareness of theoretical approaches. Readings and assignments will feature composition in creative, critical, and professional contexts. Examples of successful writing for emergent media from popular culture will inform students' own compositions in text-based, audio, video, and interactive formats. Students will also explore how media networks form discourse communities and impact marginalized groups in a global society. Emphasis will be placed on using emergent media for social good in the context of a civic engagement project.

COMP 8003  Capstone Seminar

Credits: 3.00 Credits

In this course, students will focus on professionalization and specialization within a targeted career field. Students will identify opportunities for membership in professional organizations and analyze the requirements of prospective employers and graduate schools. Students will create an original capstone project within their area of concentration. Students will reflect on their academic experiences and career readiness through the completion of their degree ePortfolio.

COMP 8103  Internship

Credits: 3.00 Credits

The goal of the internship is to assist students in developing an area of concentration and navigating the transition from academic to professional life. The internship will provide students with practical field experience and the opportunity to refine and reflect on academic and career goals. Students will complete supervised and documented field work in a relevant industry, government, or educational setting. Written and oral reports, journaling, and the creation of other relevant artifacts for the completion of a professional ePortfolio will be required.