The Rhetoric and Communication Studies Program is devoted to the study of 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, from commercial advertisements to Supreme Court opinions, from 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.
Goals -- Requirements -- Curriculum
Goals:
The primary objective of instruction and advising in the program is to help
the student pursue a high-quality liberal arts education. This liberal arts
ideal combines study of a broad range of subjects with training in practical
reasoning and the analysis of discourse, and it should culminate in the articulate
citizen. 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 in Rhetoric and Communication Studies emphasize the analysis of persuasive messages and the development of
strong arguments. The student learns how to discover the sources of persuasive appeal in a wide range of settings, and
how to use the available means of 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.
Students who major in the program typically go on to careers in business or
public service, or to law school or graduate school in a number of disciplines
(including business, communication studies, education, and other fields as well).
Many of our students also complete other majors or interdisciplinary concentrations,
and we encourage such programming.
Requirements
We want to help each student have the richest possible education while at Drake University, and we believe that the best
preparation for the world of the 21st century requires a flexible approach to acquiring a broad range of experiences and
skills. Each student program for a major or minor in the department is developed individually. The major or minor
program is designed within a basic disciplinary framework that allows a range of options for addressing the student's
educational goals, strengths, and weaknesses in coordination with other programming.
A minimum of 30 credit hours are required for the major, and 18 hours are required for the minor.
Upper-level courses from other departments may be included in the major as
they fit into the program'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 six
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.
Students also develop a supporting program of at least 15 hours; this requirement can be met with another major, minor, or
concentration. (For example, a student preparing for a career in business might include courses from the College of
Business and Public Administration in management, marketing, and business law, while a student preparing for a career in
secondary education could include the courses in the College of Education taken for certification.) In every case, the
complete program of study should provide a sound background in the discipline, a strong liberal arts education, and the
flexibility needed to complete an educational program that can prepare the student for both specific career goals and
responsible leadership in a changing world.
All program decisions for the major or minor must be approved by the student's
academic advisor in the program.
Program majors and minors must take at least one course from each of the four
curricular areas listed below.
Curriculum:
The program curriculum is divided into four divisions: Theory,
Criticism, Practice, and Topical
Studies. These divisions and their courses are listed below.
Theory identifies foundational concepts, patterns, and problems as they have been developed in the study of effective
communication from antiquity to the present. Courses in this area include:
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 in this area include: