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How is Our Degree Perceived Outside the University?

This major carries above-average prestige, since there are few such writing programs at the undergraduate level in universities across the United States. Moreover, the Writing and Rhetoric degree distinguishes our students from the massive numbers of Communication graduates with whom they will be competing. Potential employers are frequently attracted by the transcripts and applications of our students, owing to the more specifically identified skills such a major describes.

What Can I Do With This Degree?

We do have students who will ultimately be creative writers, teachers, or technical writers, but more of our majors go on to law school or various careers in non academic fields.

As surveys indicate, employers value writing skills as critical. And our major places great emphasis on teaching students "real world" writing suitable for business contexts--clear, succinct writing suited to particular readers, writing formatted in a layout appropriate for the targeted readers. In fact, several of our courses focus either completely or in large measure on this type of writing and graphic design. And we offer students very good internships in business settings.

A special note about the non-academic writing we teach: in several ENGW courses, students develop fliers, brochures, and handbooks. We encourage students to develop such texts for real businesses, so students end up with published documents they can list on their résumés. Many ENGW majors who have jobs on or off campus while at SEU develop employee handbooks for their employers. Many of our courses also have experiential learning components as well. So our majors graduate with very attractive evidence that they can write well, evidence that is especially valued by potential employers.

Who Should Consider a Writing and Rhetoric Major?

The types of students listed below would be most suitable for the major. These students should demonstrate some proficiency in writing through their high school record, or through writing classes at St. Edward's or some other college or university.

It is important to note that the degree is not designed exclusively for those who want to write fiction or poetry (although we offer a variety of courses in creative writing), who wish to teach English in high school, or who mean to earn a living as technical writers. Certainly, the writing major is highly appropriate for such individuals, but more of our graduates pursue a variety of different careers.

• Students interested in writing as a profession: journalism, technical writing, screenwriting, playwriting, or fiction writing.
• Students who plan to go to law school.
• Students who plan to get an M.B.A. and seek some career in business. (We advise such students to minor in General Business.)
• Students interested in jobs in the communications field: advertising, public relations, publishing.
• Students interested in teaching writing in high school or college. (Students interested in teaching high school will have to take whatever courses are necessary for certification, and those interested in college teaching will have to pursue advanced degrees.)

Who Should Consider A Minor?

Writing and Rhetoric is an excellent minor for many students who are certain they want to major in a field other than English Writing. Such a degree enhances their education, and it also adds an attractive feature to their transcripts.

Potential graduate schools and employers are very favorably impressed with this minor, for they consider a writing credential to be solid evidence that a student can write well, a skill they prize very highly.

• Students who major in Computer Science. (These students will have to beat potential employers off with a stick--they will be courted by prestigious computer science companies because of this combination.)
• Students who have a passion for History or Political Science or Criminal Justice and insist on majoring in one of them on their way to law school.
• Students who major in some area of business.