General Education Program

The General Education Program requirement for Rhetoric is generally satisfied by courses offered by the Department of Rhetoric. Courses in rhetoric help students read with understanding and enjoyment, and write and speak about reading with personal authority and analytical skill; use writing and speaking to discover and explain, question and defend ideas; take into account fundamental rhetorical concepts such as audience, purpose,and appropriateness in devising effective communication.

Rhetoric General Education courses are sometimes organized around a special topic, but the primary emphasis is always on rhetorical practice and analysis.

All undergraduates--including transfer students--must satisfy the rhetoric requirement. During their first year at the University, students should enroll in the rhetoric course indicated on their degree evaluations (unless a delay is required). Students must enroll in a rhetoric course each semester until the requirement has been satisfied. Students must complete all ESL prerequisites before registering for any rhetoric course. Ordinarily, once enrolled in a rhetoric General Education course, a student may not drop the course.

Placement is ordinarily determined by American College Testing (ACT) scores and any available transfer credit. Students who question their placement should bring their degree evaluations and their ACT scores to the Rhetoric Department office: 171 EPB, during registration.

Satisfactory completion of the rhetoric requirement is a prerequisite for the required General Education Program course 08G:001 The Interpretation of Literature.
The Department of Rhetoric also occasionally offers courses approved in other areas of General Education.