Minor in Writing

It is the responsibility of the University to ensure that their graduates communicate effectively and write proficiently. A minor in writing explicitly engages students in the writing process and fosters their development as writers in academic and pre-professional contexts.

Writing courses train students in academic discourse and provide them with extensive opportunities for professional development within and across the disciplines. Emphasizing writing as a process, writing minor courses offer challenging curricula that develop students’ abilities to research, synthesize, and innovate. Within these courses, students demonstrate individual and collaborative responsibility, applying their studies from other courses. The analytical approaches they practice in writing courses are applicable to any course that they take at the University.

The writing minor enhances students’ understanding of the theoretical, interdisciplinary and professional aspects of writing, and helps them develop the vocabulary, syntax, style and voice appropriate to the practice of composition in diverse fields. By using the writing process to strengthen their ideas, students develop strategies for participating in research, policy-making, professional advancement, and creative expression. The writing minor fosters respect for language, for the contributions of peers, and for the value of effective communication.

The minor in writing is open to—and appropriate for—students majoring in any field, and prepares those proceeding on to graduate work for the challenges of advanced academic writing. By representing the student’s intensive work in writing, the minor also signals to prospective employers the student’s distinguished preparation for the demands of the professional workplace.

Students can follow one of two tracks in the minor, focusing either on Professional Writing or Creative Writing.

Minimum Requirements*1

  • One lower-division course from the following list:
    • WRI 025 Introduction to Creative Writing
    • WRI 030 Introduction to Professional Writing
    Four additional upper-division courses from the following list:
    • WRI 100 Advanced Writing
    • WRI 105 Language and Style
    • WRI 110 Tutor Training
    • WRI 115 Science Writing
    • WRI 116 Science Writing in Natural Sciences
    • WRI 117 Writing for Social Sciences and Humanities
    • WRI 118 Management Communication
    • WRI 119 Writing for Engineering
    • WRI 125 Topics in Creative Writing
    • WRI 130 Topics in Professional Writing
    • WRI 131 Journal Production
    • SPAN 103 Spanish Composition and Conversation
      With an instructor’s permission, students may repeat WRI 125 and WRI 130 as their specific topics change.

* With the approval of the Director of Writing, one writing-intensive course may be substituted for any of the required minor program courses. The Director may also allow applying one lower division writing course completed elsewhere towards fulfillment of this minor program.

1 All requirements are for informational purposes only. Please consult the current UC Merced catalog, or your advisor for official requirements.