Professional Writing & Rhetoric

Foundational Skills, Strategic Storytelling, Real-World Application

The professional writing and rhetoric major at Queens focuses on stories — how to analyze them, how to build strong arguments, and how to strategically choose the right message for the right moment. You’ll practice thinking and writing about a variety of subjects that intersect with our daily lives, such as citizenship, science, education, medicine, and art. Students engage in experiential learning, preparing them to think, speak, and write with agility for any given rhetorical context.

In this program, you will work with data, conduct research, design messaging, and employ language to help propel audiences to action. Our graduates have gone on to successful careers across a variety of fields including non-profits, business, and government, leveraging the education and connections they gained at Queens to access new and exciting opportunities in our vibrant 21st century lives.

Meet Grem McIntosh ’24

“Professional Writing and Rhetoric is like peeking behind the curtain of the entire world. Everywhere I look, I’m seeing the ways information is shared and appeals are made. From using audience analysis to create training materials during my internship, to breaking down arguments while reading the news, even while writing awkward texts to family, I use rhetoric every day. I will take the connections I’ve made and the skills I’ve learned in this program with me for the rest of my life.”

Program Highlights

• As part of the PWR program at Queens, you will explore the role of language in shaping and reflecting culture and how texts work to make meaning and shape action.
• You will practice civic engagement by understanding the relationship between power and language and critically reflecting on how our values impact our understanding of citizenship.
• You will use language to create connections, expand access, and promote change through storytelling.
• Your coursework will provide you with opportunities to practice critical consumption of information as well as the ethical creation of texts in a variety of contexts.
• Your experience will also support your research, problem-solving, project management, and presentation skills, preparing you for success in a dynamic workforce and for the public good.

Your Degree in Action

Employers consistently rank communication skills among the most important attributes they look for in the hiring process. Our graduates have held positions at a variety of organizations, including Bank of America, LEGO, Lowe’s, Diamonds Direct, Incoming & Outgoing Magazine, and more. Other students have pursued graduate degrees at such esteemed institutions as Syracuse, Oregon State, and UNCC. Since writing is a part of every career, a major in professional writing and rhetoric gives you tools to succeed in multiple employment sectors at a variety of jobs, including: 

• Publishing 
• Education 
• Marketing
• Public relations
• Strategic communication
• Human Resources
• Project management
• Cybersecurity

Selected Courses

• History of Rhetoric (ENG 360) 
• Visual Rhetoric (ENG 364) 
• Rhetoric of Social Movements and Social Change (ENG 365) 
• Promotional Writing (ENG 367) 

Program Contact

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