The OSU Writing Minor

The School of Writing, Literature, and Film offers a Writing Minor that is distinctive and flexible. Coursework toward a the Writing Minor may be taken on-campus or through Ecampus, or with a combination of on-campus and Ecampus courses. Writing minors may also participate in on-campus and off-campus internships for credit (see the School of Writing, Literature, and Film undergraduate advisor Liddy Detar.

Preparation in a Writing Minor combines well with a variety of OSU majors to strengthen career and professional preparation.

A distinctive feature of the Writing Minor at OSU (Ecampus and on-campus) is that courses are taught by writing specialists (including tenure-line faculty) in the areas of creative writing and scientific, technical and professional writing.   The minor is flexible: you may elect to take courses that highlight your strengths and areas of interest within the writing field, prepare for applications in graduate writing programs (such as MFA in creative writing or professional/technical communication), and enhance communication skills for the workplace.

Some students with aspirations for graduate, law or medical school studies pursue the Writing Minor to better enable themselves to write more proficiently at higher academic levels, where work is more rigorous and written output is expected to be of a very high level. Others engage in the Writing Minor for the pure joy of expressing themselves, and working with ideas and words.

Many students in the writing minor publish works in student publications on campus and in external publications.

An Introduction to The Oregon State Guide to Grammar

Senior Lecturer J.T. Bushnell answers the question "What is Grammar?" for the Oregon State Guide to Grammar video series, one of many efforts within the School of Writing, Literature and Film towards public outreach and education.

Learning Outcomes

  • Students will be able to demonstrate ability with invention, drafting, and revision processes as both writer and critic, through activities such as workshops, peer reviews, and group projects.
  • Students will be able to demonstrate capability in writing in different genres, in different media, for different purposes, and for different audiences.
  • Students will be able to demonstrate aptitude to articulate, analyze, and justify features of their own compositions and the processes and theories followed in producing them.

Writing Minor Degree Requirements

A minimum of 27 total credits are required

 A:  11 or more credits from the following (at least one course must be 300-level):

  • WR 199 Special Studies (3)
  • WR 201 Writing for Media (3)
  • WR 214 Writing in Business (3)
  • WR 222 English Composition (3)
  • WR 224 Introduction to Fiction Writing (3)
  • WR 239 Intro to Writing: Fiction and Creative Nonfiction (3)—Online Course Only
  • WR 240 Introduction to Nonfiction Writing (3)
  • WR 241 Introduction to Poetry Writing (3)
  • WR 323 English Composition (3)
  • WR 324 Short Story Writing (4)
  • WR 327 Technical Writing (3)
  • WR 329 Writing for Law and Law School (3)—Online Course Only
  • WR 303 Writing for the Web (3)
  • WR 330 Understanding Grammar (3)
  • WR 340 Creative Nonfiction (4)
  • WR 341 Poetry Writing (4)
  • WR 353 Writing About Places (3)—Online Course Only
  • WR 362 Science Writing (3)
  • WR 383 Food Writing (4)

B:  12 credits from these courses:

  • WR 406 Projects (1-16)
  • WR 407 Seminar (1-16)
  • WR 408 Workshop (1-16)
  • WR 411 The Teaching of Writing (4)
  • WR 414 Advertising and Public Relations Writing (4)
  • WR 416 Advanced Composition (4)
  • WR 420 Studies in Writing (4)
  • WR 424 Advanced Fiction Writing (4)
  • WR 441 Advanced Poetry Writing (4)
  • WR 448 Magazine Article Writing (4)
  • WR 449 Critical Reviewing (4)
  • WR 466 Professional Writing (4)
  • WR 493 The Rhetorical Tradition and the Teaching of Writing (4)
  • WR 495 Introduction to Literacy Studies (4)
  • WR 497 Digital Literacy and Culture
  • ENG 410 Internship (1-16)

C:  Elective: 3-4 credits in a 300/400 Level Writing or Literature Course