The University of Iowa has an international reputation as a writing university. Home to the graduate-level Iowa Writers’ Workshop and the International Writing Program, the University offers a literary environment where writers at all stages of their development can grow and thrive. Every year, many undergraduates come to Iowa specifically to participate in the writing life available here.

• Why Study Writing at Iowa?
• Rhetoric
• English
• Journalism and Mass Communication
• Communication Studies
• Cinema and Comparative Literature
• Other Resources

Why Study Writing at Iowa?
The literary scene in Iowa City isn’t just a result of the Writers’ Workshop, though for more than 50 years the workshop has been widely regarded as the nation’s best creative writing program. But the Writers’ Workshop does help form the center of year-round activities for those who love writing.

Almost every evening you can find famous—and soon-to-be-famous—writers reading on campus, in local bookstores, and at “open mike” nights in coffee shops and local restaurants.

There’s a global feel to Iowa’s campus, with students and visiting lecturers from around the world in many disciplines, including writing. For example, a recent International Writing Program group included accomplished writers from Argentina, Cameroon, Greece, Iran, Myanmar, and New Zealand.

The small press is alive on campus. The Iowa Review and Walt Whitman Quarterly Review are published here, and undergraduate students have created literary magazines in programs offered by the residence halls and the University of Iowa Honors Program. The Daily Iowan, a daily campus newspaper and training ground for hundreds of creative students, has been recognized as one of the top six college newspapers in the country.

If you enjoy writing, as an Iowa undergraduate you’ll find many opportunities. No matter what your major, you’ll find that communication skills, especially writing skills, are nurtured. Even technically oriented colleges, such as the Tippie College of Business and the College of Engineering, have programs to help students become better writers. And in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, development of student communication skills is a fundamental goal of the General Education Program.

Rhetoric
Almost every undergraduate begins by taking courses from the Department of Rhetoric. Students in General Education Program rhetoric courses learn reading, writing, and speaking strategies that prepare them for future college and professional work. The department also is home to the University of Iowa Writing Center, the oldest writing center in the United States. Students interested in developing their academic or personal writing styles can either sign up to work in the center for a semester at a time or make a one-time appointment to get assistance in improving researching, organizing, drafting, editing, and revising.

The Department of Rhetoric also offers upper-level courses for students who want to explore topics such as Classical Rhetoric and Contemporary Controversy.

English
Many undergraduates interested in writing will gravitate to the Department of English for a major or minor. The department has nearly 1,000 undergraduates, making it one of the most popular majors for incoming first-year students at Iowa. Even so, most classes are still small enough to encourage discussion and offer numerous writing opportunities. 

Students majoring in English can pursue a creative writing track, and they can take other courses as electives. Poets and fiction writers earning a master of fine arts degree from the Writers’ Workshop share their skills by offering a number of courses in creative writing for undergraduates. Advanced undergraduates may apply for admission to special undergraduate workshop courses in poetry and fiction by submitting a portfolio of their work.

Nonfiction writing courses for undergraduates also are available from the Department of English, including courses on Prose Style and Multimedia Writing.

Journalism and Mass Communication
Another option for students interested in writing is a major in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Pre-journalism is one of the most popular areas of study for first-year students. This nationally accredited program is firmly grounded in Iowa’s liberal arts tradition, while emphasizing professional development.

Journalistic writing is the core of the school’s professional program, which prepares students for writing positions with newspapers, magazines, radio, television, the web, and in public relations. Students complete a core course in Journalistic Reporting and Writing and then choose from three other advanced courses or workshops to complete the writing segment for the degree.

The school features outstanding facilities, including special laboratories for photography, typography, audio, video, electronic newswriting, and desktop publishing.

Communication Studies
The Department of Communication Studies also is a possibility for students who want to focus on writing. This department has a long-standing reputation as one of the top-ranked departments of its kind in the nation.

In communication studies, students examine both the theory and the practice of communication. This program offers solid preparation for employment in industry, public relations, media, teaching, and jobs requiring excellent communication skills.

The department boasts outstanding facilities, including the Becker Communication Building, which has TV and radio studios, digital nonlinear editing stations, the A. Craig Baird Center for Public Advocacy and Debate, and numerous studios. Admission is selective; scholarships are available based on grade-point average.

Cinema and Comparative Literature
The Department of Cinema and Comparative Literature is home to a course in screenwriting and courses on writing about film. Faculty members also address issues of translation from other literatures.

Among the department’s strengths are an internationally recognized, interdisciplinary faculty with expertise in a variety of fields, as well as extensive facilities and equipment for film production. Also, the department is known for its integration of creative and scholarly work.

Faculty members offer expertise in the languages and cultural study of the Americas, China, England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, North Africa, Spain, and sub-Saharan Africa. Specific expertise and direction are available in translation, film and audiovisual history, production, and theory.

Other Resources
Undergraduates can take course work in playwriting from the Department of Theatre Arts and may even see their plays produced.

All language departments stress that students learn writing skills in other languages, and the Department of Classics offers several courses on specialized vocabularies (medical and technical terminology) and increasing one’s English vocabulary. The Department of History has organized a writing center, a resource for students who want to learn more about the writing of history and improve their history-writing skills.

Undergraduates can attend readings, workshops, and panel discussions sponsored by the International Writing Program and can take advantage of the many opportunities for informal contact with these writers, who come to Iowa from across the world. Some students also take advantage of the Iowa Summer Writing Festival, which offers week-long and weekend noncredit courses led by working writers in many genres, from mystery to autobiography.

The Center for the Book offers classes in book-related topics, hosts lecturers, sponsors conferences, publishes a journal, and encourages the exchange of ideas among individuals with interests in the book. The center has close ties with the School of Art and Art History, and students who are interested in the art and technology of the book will find the center’s programs and courses engaging.

For a compendium of writing programs and resources at Iowa, plus writing news and upcoming events, visit www.writinguniversity.org.