The Rhetoric, Writing, and Social Change track explores writing as civic action. Working with community partners in the city of Tacoma and beyond, students will engage ethically in multi-modal composition for public audiences with an aim to bring about social change. Students will examine how power shapes writing contexts and develop their own sense of agency within the local and global communities to which they belong. With the Rhetoric, Writing and Social Change track, students can pursue their learning on careers such as social work, journalism, and even campaign management! For more information on possible career paths, check out the Alumni page.



Grounded in the interdisciplinary orientation of the faculty in Writing Studies, this track centers anti-racist pedagogy, critical methodologies in Rhetoric and Composition, and problem-posing skills that will prepare students for professional and real-world scenarios.

Completion Requirements  

To be eligible for graduation with the Bachelor of Arts degree, students enrolled in the program must meet the UW Tacoma scholastic standards (2.0 UW GPA), credits required (minimum 180) and the final-year residency requirement and complete the following program requirements: 

  • Complete all general education requirements not met with transfer courses. See advisor for details. 
  • Complete a minimum of 45 credits of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences course work. Some majors or concentrations may require more. 
  • Complete a minimum of 45 credits of upper-division course work, including transfer courses and UW Tacoma courses. 
  • Complete 5 credits of (C) Composition designated course with a minimum 2.0 grade.  
  • Complete the requirements for a major (minors are optional). 
  • No more than 15 elective credits can be taken for a Satisfactory/Not Satisfactory grade. See advisor for details. 
  • Complete at least 45 of last 60 credits in residence at the University of Washington Tacoma. 
  • 45 upper-division credits and 45 credits of SIAS courses are required for graduation from SIAS. 
  • Meet with an advisor to complete a graduation application no later than the second week of the quarter in which the student plans to graduate.

For the Rhetoric, Writing, and Social Change Track, you need to complete 60 credits. You need to earn 45 upper-division credits and 45 credits of School of IAS courses to meet degree requirements. You must earn a total of 180 quarter credits, or 225 quarter credits for a double degree, in order to earn a bachelor of arts degree in your chosen major.



Rhetoric Foundation: 10 credits

Rhetoric and Writing Electives: 25 credits

Social Change Electives: 25 credits

Rhetoric Foundation: 10 credits

Two required courses

  • TWRT 211 Argument and Research (5)
  • TWRT 388 Writing for Social Change (5)
Rhetoric and Writing Electives: 25 credits

Choose 25 credits, see Writing Studies website for approved list of Rhetoric and Writing Electives. These courses can only be taken for credit once, as either Rhetoric and Writing Electives or Social Change Electives. 

  • TWRT 320 Rhetoric, Public Life, and Civic Engagement  
  • TWRT 330 Written and Visual Rhetoric  
  • TWRT 333 Writing Through Comics  
  • TWRT 340 Asian American Rhetorics, Literacies, and Activism 
  • TWRT 353 UX Writing  
  • TWRT 364 Food Writing for Cultural Exploration 
  • TWRT 420 Rhetoric and the City: Composing Urban Landscapes 
  • TWRT 440 Cross Cultural Communication Design  
  • TNPRFT 451 Essentials of Grant Writing   
  • TWRT 492 Special Topics in Rhetoric and Composition   

     
Social Change Electives: 25 credits

Choose 25 credits, see Writing Studies website for approved list of Social Change Electives. These courses can only be taken for credit once, as either Rhetoric and Writing Electives or Social Change Electives. 

  • TWRT 291 Technical Communication in the Workplace  
  • TWRT 320 Rhetoric, Public Life, and Civic Engagement  
  • TWRT 330 Written and Visual Rhetoric  
  • TWRT 333 Writing Through Comics  
  • TWRT 340 Asian American Rhetorics, Literacies, and Activism 
  • TWRT 292 Power, Privilege, and Bias in Technology Design  
  • TWRT 331 Writing in the Natural Sciences  
  • TWRT 350 Principles of User Centered Design  
  • TWRT 353 UX Writing  
  • TWRT 355 Usability Testing and Research  
  • TWRT 364 Food Writing for Cultural Exploration 
  • TWRT 391 Advanced Technical Communication  
  • TWRT 420 Rhetoric and the City: Composing Urban Landscapes 
  • TWRT 440 Cross Cultural Communication Design  
  • TWRT 450 Principles of Accessible Design  
  • TWRT 389 Nature Writing  
  • TWRT 492 Special Topics in Rhetoric and Composition   
  • TCOM 250 Media Activism   
  • TCOM 310 Contemporary Environmental Issues and the Media   
  • TCOM 387 Writing for Public Relations   
  • TCOM 484 Opinion Writing for Mass Media   
  • TEGL 306 Indigenous Peoples of the Pacific 
  • TEGL 401 Critical and Indigenous Methodologies  
  • TEGL 419 African American Culture and Consciousness    
  • TEGL 435 Migration in the Modern World  
  • TEGL 380 Gender and Sexuality Across Cultural and Historical Context  
  • TIAS 491 Professional Portfolio Design  
  • TLAX 380 Latinx Sexualities  
  • TLAX 333 U.S. Latino Histories  
  • TLAX 356 Latinx Urban Communities   
  • TLAX 476 Latin American Women Writers   
  • TNPRFT 451 Essentials of Grant Writing   
  • TSOC 254 Race and Ethnicity in the United States 
  • TSOC 335 Social Class and Inequality  
  • TSOC 365 Advanced Sociological Theories of Race and Ethnicity 
  • TSOC 434 Women Race and Class   
  • TSOC 436 History of Social Welfare Policy in the United States  
  • TSOC 437 Immigration Today  
  • TSOC 465 Asian and Asian American Laborers in the U.S.  
  • TSOC 455 The Sociology of Gender 
  • TWOMN 434 Women’s Voices: Transnational Testimonials
  • TWOMN 455 Contemporary Theories in Gender and Sexuality Studies
  • TEDUC 301 Community Education: Learning Beyond the Classroom  
  • TEDUC 310 Racism in Schools in the U.S: Critical Race Theory and the Maintenance of Societal Inequality  
  • TEDUC 471 Diversity and Equity in Schools and Curriculum  
  • TEDUC 474 Native American Education Narratives and Centering Tribal Sovereignty  
  • TARTS 395 Community-Based Arts Practice  
  • TARTS Eco-Art: Art Created in Response to the Environmental Crisis  
  • TARTS 405 Cultural Identity and Art  
  • TARTS 410 Community and the Public Arts  
  • TFILM 434 Disability in Film  
  • TFILM 438 Gender and Sexuality in Film  
  • TURB 312 Race and Poverty in Urban America   
  • TUDE 310 Social Production of Space   
  • TURB 480 Housing in the United States   
  • TSUD 475 Community and Economy  
  • TLIT 237 Introduction to Literature and Environment 
  • TLIT 320 African American Literature from Slavery to the Present   
  • TLIT 324 African American Women’s Literature   
  • TLIT 425 Literature and the Harlem Renaissance 
  • TLIT 431 Contemporary Native American Women’s Literature 
  • TLIT 432 American Indian Literature 
  • TPSYCH 312 Mental Illness Across Cultures  
  • TPSYCH 345 Stereotyping, Prejudice, and Discrimination  
  • TPSYCH 441 Diversity and Health Psychology 
  • TPSYCH 455 Immigrant Youth Development  
  • TESC 301 Sustainability in Action  
  • TESC 345 Pollution and Public Policy  
  • TSOC 270 Introduction to Asian American Sociological and Interdisciplinary  
  • TPOLS 317 The Politics of Race and Ethnicity in the United States 
  • TPOLS 343 Community and Labor Organizing 
  • TPOLS 410 Labor Rights and Human Rights  
  • TECON 360 Poverty in Developing Countries 
  • TLAW 452 Race, Ethnicity, and the Law  
  • TLAW 465 Law and Public Policy in the United States