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Majors & Minors
Rhetoric and Communication Studies
PROGRAM OVERVIEW Rhetoric and communication majors study public discourse with particular emphasis on the role of persuasion in the constitution of civil society and democratic governance. Subjects of study range from political speeches to religious texts, commercial advertisements to Supreme Court opinions, and classical treatises to postmodern theory. Analysis focuses on individual strategies and techniques as well as larger social and cultural patterns in the production and reception of persuasive texts. Theory and case studies are combined to address perennial concerns about the relationships between language, power, identity and community.
Rather than preparing students for professional work in a specific career, the department attempts to cultivate qualities of leadership that are common to many areas of professional, social, and political life. Each student's program includes study in a range of arts and sciences, focuses on specific problems of collective life, attends to questions of value and character, and develops analytical and communicative skills.
Courses emphasize the analysis of persuasive messages and the development of strong arguments. Students learn how to discover the sources of persuasive appeal in a wide range of settings, and how to use persuasion in order to compete, cooperate, and work creatively with others. Courses emphasize careful reading of primary texts, argumentative discussion of alternative interpretations, writing of interpretive essays and research papers, and oral presentations.
FACULTY The rhetoric and communications department includes 4 full-time faculty; all have earned their doctoral degrees. All full-time faculty are engaged in teaching classes from the introductory to advanced levels.
ACADEMIC PREPARATION There are no prerequisite high school courses or requirements needed for enrollment in the rhetoric and communications program, but students should have a well-rounded academic high school curriculum.
REQUIREMENTS FOR MAJOR A minimum of 30 credit hours are required for the major. The core consists of the following courses:
- RHET 24 - Rhetoric as a Liberal Art
- RHET 73 - Public Speaking
- RHET 150 - Classical Rhetoric
- RHET 151- Contemporary Communication and Rhetorical Theory
Six additional courses in the department are required. The curriculum is has 4 divisions: theory, method, practice and topical studies. These divisions and their courses are listed below. Departmental majors and minors are required to take at least one course from each division. Theory identifies foundational concepts, patterns, and problems as they have been developed in the study of effective communication from antiquity to the present. Courses include:
- RHET 24 - Rhetoric as a Liberal Art
- RHET 100 - Philosophy of Dialogue and Interpersonal Communication
- RHET 101- Communication and Conflict
- RHET 150 - Classical Rhetoric
- RHET 152 - Contemporary Communication and Rhetorical Theory
Criticism focuses on principles of judgment, techniques of analysis, and problems of interpretation in the study of discourse, as well as the conditions shaping public discourse, the use of discourse to understand society, and the nature of eloquence. Courses include:
- RHET 124 - Rhetorical Criticism
- RHET 120 - Introduction to Philosophical Hermeneutics
- RHET 122 - The Politics of Interpretation
- RHET 110 - History and Criticism of American Public Address
Practice develops skills in persuasive argument and performance. Courses include:
- RHET 73 - Public Speaking
- RHET 128 - Advanced Public Speaking
Topical Studies examine specific media, discourses, or communicative practices to understand how language operates in major forms of collective experience and why particular ideas or actions appear intelligible, rational, or powerful in specific settings. Courses include:
- RHET 142 - Political Communication
- RHET 140 - Communication and Law
- RHET 146 - Communication and Religion
- RHET 114 - Rhetorics of Race
- RHET 112 - Rhetoric and War
- RHET 106 - Aesthetics of Everyday Life
- RHET 144 - Photojournalism and Public Culture
All courses taught by departmental faculty can be counted toward a major or minor in the department, as long as other requirements are met. Upper-level courses from other departments may be included in the major as they fit into the department's curricular categories, contribute to a comprehensive and cohesive program of study, and advance the student's educational goals. For example, a student interested in the relationship between religion and politics might include courses from the Political Science and Religion/Philosophy Departments. Courses from other departments should not comprise more than 6 of the first 30 hours of the major, and all selections must be approved by a committee of the rhetoric and communication studies faculty. Students are responsible for fulfilling any prerequisites for such courses.
REQUIREMENTS FOR MINOR Eighteen hours are required for a minor. Departmental minor programs involve only courses taught by faculty in the department. There still is considerable flexibility for individual planning. Selection and scheduling will be done to optimize coordination with the student's other areas of study (e.g., another major, concentrations in Women's Studies or other interdisciplinary programs) and with other educational opportunities such as study abroad. In accord with our commitment to the liberal arts education, we encourage students to participate in additional disciplinary, interdisciplinary or international programs.
DRAKE CURRICULUM The Drake Curriculum, required of all undergraduates, is designed to help students meet personal and professional goals as they acquire fundamental knowledge and abilities in ten Areas of Inquiry, including communication, critical thinking, artistic experience, historical consciousness, information and technology literacy, international and multicultural experiences, scientific and quantitative literacy, values and ethics and engaged citizenship. Students work closely with their academic advisers to craft a program of study in general education that prepares students for civic and professional leadership.
The Drake Curriculum also requires first-year seminars, which foster development of critical thinking and written and oral communication skills through a topical focus; and a Senior Capstone, in which students demonstrate the capacity to bring information, skills and ideas to bear on one project.
INTERNSHIPS & OPPORTUNITIES Internships for credit are available when they can be arranged by the student and involve a component of academic reading and writing. Past internships have included work with political campaigns, advertising firms, and in community organizing.
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS AND ACTIVITIES Rhetoric and communication students typically have careers in business or public service, or attend law or graduate school in a number of disciplines (such as business, communication studies, and education). Many students also complete other majors or interdisciplinary concentrations.