Style and Rhetoric

Catalog description

This course focuses on the two related disciplines of style and rhetoric as immediate and usable aspects of form and function in writing. We explore elements of style and rhetoric as tools readily applicable to students’ work in other courses and professional projects. This exploration includes creating documents for specific rhetorical purposes and real-world functionality. While there will be some revisiting of classical Aristotelian rhetoric, we’ll focus on exploring forms of contemporary organizational voice and persuasion. Students will develop the ability to analyze existing/modern content for style, intent, and impact on target audiences. Students will also learn how to analyze an audience’s needs and skillfully shape their writing to persuade, inform, and influence. Students will consult well-known and established manuals of style so they can use them in everyday professional discourse.