Writing Studies is a research-based, interdisciplinary field that includes diverse areas of focus, such as digital media; professional and technical writing; academic, civic and cultural rhetorics; and the theory and practice of writing pedagogy. Students who pursue the writing studies minor will have the opportunity to take courses in these areas of focus offered by the Writing Initiative. The minor is meant to complement the work students do in other disciplines, with a recognition that being more reflective and skilled about writing will help them in their academic, civic, and professional lives. To that end, in addition to courses taken within the Writing Initiative, students may take and count toward the writing studies minor up to two courses from a wide variety of disciplines that emphasize the habits of mind and skills writers need to face ever-evolving rhetorical situations and texts. Students may also count approved writing-intensive internships toward completion of the minor. The Writing Initiative website lists the courses it offers for the minor, an ever-growing and evolving list of courses from other disciplines that may count toward the minor, and potential writing-intensive internships students can pursue for the minor.

Requirements for the Writing Studies Minor

• The writing studies minor requires 24 credit hours.
• At least 16 credits must come from the list of core courses offered by the Writing Initiative at Binghamton University; one of them must be WRIT 250 - Foundations in Writing Studies .
• Up to 8 credits can be taken outside of the list of core courses, but must come from the list of approved courses; additional courses may be submitted for approval by the Writing Initiative to count toward the writing studies minor.
• At least 12 credits must be taken at the 300- or 400-level.
• Up to 4 credits may be taken for an approved on- or off-campus internship, which are the only credits that may be taken for a P/F grade option.
  • An additional 4 credits of internship may be taken if a student opts to take WRIT 491 or WRIT 495 or both
• The minimum requirement for all courses taken for a letter grade in the minor is C-.
• Advanced Placement credits do not count towards the minor.
• At least 16 credits in the student’s minor program must be in addition to those counted toward fulfillment of the requirements for the student’s major(s) and/or other minor(s).