Bachelor of Arts: Rhetoric and Writing Emphasis
University Requirements
General Education
UMKC Essentials is the university-wide curriculum that all undergraduate students will complete. The 30-credit hour program includes a First Year Experience course; three critical thinking courses in the areas of Arts & Humanities, Natural & Physical Sciences, and Social & Behavioral Sciences; a Culture and Diversity course; a Civic & Urban Engagement course; two courses in Written Composition and one course in Oral Communication; and a Math Pathway course. Transfer students entering UMKC will elect from the UMKC Essentials General Education Program or the Missouri Core 42 General Education Curriculum. Academic advisors will meet with incoming transfer students to determine which option best serves the student’s educational needs. More information about General Education may be found here: https://catalog.umkc.edu/undergraduate-academic-regulations-information/general-education-requirements/
Constitution Course
Every undergraduate student must take a course covering the United States Constitution and the Missouri State Constitution before graduation. Course options are included in the program requirements section below.
Exit Examinations
Information on exit examinations is available in the Undergraduate Academic Regulations and Information section of the catalog.
Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination
In accordance with Missouri Senate Bill 807 (section 170.013.1), 'any student entering a public institution of higher education for the first time after July 2019 who is pursuing an associate's or bachelor's degree from such institution shall successfully pass an examination on the provisions and principles of American civics with a score of seventy percent or greater as a condition of graduation from such institution'. To satisfy this requirement at UMKC, students access the exam through the Canvas site. This requirement will be listed in the degree audit system as, 'Take State Mandated Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination', and listed on the transcript as 'Missouri Civics Examination'.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from this program will:
- Create coherent academic arguments that are built upon complex rhetorical and/or linguistic analysis.
- Analyze the language and rhetoric of various texts and media.
- Situate media in cultural and/or historical contexts.
- Engage in critical conversations.
- Present an essay in ways that reflect a sense of professional rules and conventions.
The Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis in Rhetoric and Writing is recommended for students interested in a broad background in the humanities with a focus in language and rhetoric and for those interested in obtaining a firm foundation for further study in graduate school. Students will receive intensive emphasis in the study of rhetoric and writing. This option is especially relevant for students considering law school and careers in communications, marketing, and business.
To graduate with a major in English, students must achieve a grade-point average of at least 2.0 in the 36-hour program described below, but no credit will be given for courses in which the grade is below C-. No course may fulfill more than one requirement. At least 18 hours must be taken in the English Department at UMKC. Students complete a capstone project in their final year.
Program Requirements
UMKC Essentials
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First Semester Experience Course (GEFSE) | 3 | |
| Written Communication: | ||
| ENGLISH 110 | Introduction to Academic Prose | 3 |
| ENGLISH 225 | English II: Intermediate Academic Prose | 3 |
| Oral Communication (choose one of the following): | 3 | |
| Fundamentals of Effective Speaking and Listening | ||
| Introduction to Communication | ||
| Argumentation And Debate (offered via dual credit only) | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Math Pathway (choose one of the following): | 3 | |
| Mathematics For Liberal Arts | ||
| Statistical Reasoning | ||
| Precalculus Algebra | ||
| Precalculus (5 credit hours) | ||
Any 200-level MATH or STAT course | ||
ACT Math Subscore of 28 or higher; or SAT Math Subscore of 660 or higher | ||
| Critical Thinking in Arts & Humanities (GECRT-AH) | 3 | |
| Critical Thinking in Natural & Physical Sciences (GECRT-SC) | 3 | |
| Critical Thinking in Social & Behavioral Sciences (GECRT-SS) | 3 | |
| Culture & Diversity Course (GECDV) | 3 | |
| Civic & Urban Engagement Course (GECUE) | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Constitution Course Requirement
Section 170.011.1 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, 2015, states that all candidates for a degree issued by a college or university in the state of Missouri must have “satisfactorily passed an examination on the provisions and principles of the Constitution of the United States and of the state of Missouri, and in American history and American institutions.”
Courses at UMKC that satisfy this state requirement are:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| The Supreme Court And The Criminal Process | ||
| U.S. History to 1877 | ||
| U.S. History Since 1877 | ||
| Honors American Government | ||
| American Government | ||
| Total Credits | 3 | |
There are a few other ways this requirement can be satisfied for students transferring to UMKC:
- Take an equivalent course from the list above at a regionally accredited institution.
- Earn credit for one of the above courses through AP, IB, or CLEP.
- Take a course that directly satisfies the Missouri Constitution Requirement at another Missouri institution.
- Have a previous bachelors degree (or higher) from a regionally accredited institution.
- Have an Associate of Arts degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- Complete the 42 Hour Core at a Missouri institution and have it listed on the official transcript.
School of Humanities and Social Sciences Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Writing Intensive Course (300-level or above; satisfied in major requirements below): | 0 | |
| Total Credits | 0 | |
Major Requirements
Students must successfully complete the major requirements below with at least 18 of the 36 required hours taken in the department at UMKC with 12 of those hours at the 300-level or above.
One of the courses taken below must be writing intensive.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| I. Introductory English Course | 3 | |
| Choose one of the following courses: | ||
| Myth and Literature | ||
| Foundations Of Ancient World Literature I | ||
| Introduction to Journalism | ||
| Literary Monstrosities | ||
| Popular Literature | ||
| World Literature in English | ||
| Introduction To Fiction | ||
| Introduction To Poetry | ||
| The Craft of Creative Writing | ||
| Women Writing/Women Reading | ||
| Writing Tutor Training Seminar 2 | ||
| Science Fiction | ||
| Asian American Literature | ||
| II. Literary Surveys | 12 | |
| Choose four of the following courses: | ||
| American Literature I 2 | ||
| British Literature I 2 | ||
| American Literature II 2 | ||
| Shakespeare 2 | ||
| British Literature II 2 | ||
| African American Literature I 2 | ||
| African American Literature II 2 | ||
| Classical Literature In Translation 2 | ||
| III. Rhetoric and Writing | 15 | |
| Choose five of the following, three of which must be at the 400-level: | ||
| Writing Tutor Training Seminar 2 | ||
| Writing And The Academy | ||
| Professional and Technical Writing | ||
| Theory And Practice Of Composition | ||
| Rhetorics of New Media | ||
| Rhetorics of Public Memory | ||
| Introduction To Linguistics/Language Science | ||
| Structure Of English | ||
| History Of The English Language | ||
| Women And Rhetoric | ||
| Multimodal Writing and Rhetoric | ||
| Composing Digital Environments | ||
| Technical Communication | ||
| Girls, Literacies, and Print Culture 2 | ||
| Studies in Rhetoric and Composition 1 | ||
| Studies in Digital Humanities 1 | ||
| External Internship | ||
| Publication Practicum | ||
| Publication Practicum | ||
| Publication Practicum | ||
| Senior Tutorial | ||
| IV. Electives | 6 | |
| Choose two of the following courses: | ||
| Ancient World in Cinema | ||
| Classical Literature In Translation 2 | ||
| Ancient Greek and Roman Medicine | ||
| Introduction to Screenwriting | ||
| American Literature I 2 | ||
| Creative Writing I Fiction | ||
| Creative Writing Poetry | ||
| Literary Nonfiction | ||
| British Literature I 2 | ||
| Bible As Literature | ||
| American Literature II 2 | ||
| Shakespeare 2 | ||
| Arthurian Legends | ||
| Modern Irish Literature | ||
| British Literature II 2 | ||
| African American Literature I 2 | ||
| Race and Literature | ||
| African American Literature II | ||
| Contemporary American Literature | ||
| Introduction to American Studies | ||
| Special Readings 1 | ||
| The Novel Before 1900 | ||
| Studies in Poetry | ||
| The Novel After 1900 | ||
| Introduction to Latinx Literature | ||
| Old English | ||
| Histories Of Writing, Reading, And Publishing 1 | ||
| Girls, Literacies, and Print Culture | ||
| Theory and Criticism in English Studies | ||
| Special Readings 1 | ||
| Paleography | ||
| Classical Studies 1 | ||
| Early Modern Studies 1 | ||
| 18th-Century Studies 1 | ||
| Medieval Studies 1 | ||
| 19th-Century Studies 1 | ||
| Studies in Authorship 1 | ||
| Studies in Genre 1 | ||
| 20th- and 21st-Century Studies 1 | ||
| Concepts of the Hero in Ancient Literature and World Cinema | ||
| Total Credits | 36 | |
| 1 | These courses, when offered with different content, are repeatable for credit. |
| 2 | These courses, which may fit in more than one category, may only be used once towards the 36 credit hour total. |
General Electives
Students must take elective credit hours to meet the minimum credit hour requirement for their degree, including at least 36 credit hours of coursework at the 300-level or above. The minimum required by the university is 120 credit hours, of which at least 30 credit hours must be taken at UMKC, but some degree programs require more.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Electives | 51 | |
| 1 | No course may be used to fulfill more than one requirement, but courses not used for "Language" or "Rhetoric" categories above may be taken for the "Language/Rhetoric/Theory" category. |
| 2 | Only one course at the 100- or 200-level may be used to fulfill an elective requirement. No more than one course in Creative Writing may be counted toward the 36-hour requirement for the Language and Rhetoric Emphasis. No course in expository writing or journalism may be used to fulfill the 300-level or above elective requirement. Elective coursework may be offered on a rotation basis. Please consult with your advisor for current availability. |
Minimum GPA: 2.0
Total Credit Hours: 120
Tools for Planning and Fulfilling Academic Requirements
UMKC's Major Maps are detailed, semester by semester plans that lead a student to complete all degree requirements within four years. Plans include benchmarks and critical courses by term that assist a student’s evaluation of progress and major “fit”. In order to ensure that the appropriate courses are taken, students are encouraged to consult with the undergraduate advisor for this major. Please see the tab above to view the major map for this program.
UMKC’s Transfer Guides provide detailed guidance on recommended transfer coursework, plans of study, transfer timelines, and transfer contact information. To ensure a seamless transfer experience, students are encouraged to work with both their community college advisor and a UMKC advisor when planning their coursework.
UMKC’s PlanMyDegree ‘Audit’ degree audit system provides an individual evaluation of all degree requirements (General Education, Degree Specific, Major Specific, etc.) for students' officially recorded (Office of the Registrar) and “what if” exploratory plans of study. This evaluation is used to certify all graduation requirements.
UMKC’s PlanMyDegree ‘Plans’ degree planning tool enables students to develop a personalized semester by semester plan of study towards completion of degree requirements for student’s officially recorded (Office of the Registrar) and “what if” exploratory plans of study. Update and edit your full plan to degree completion each term and confirm accuracy each semester with your Academic Advisor(s).
