Writing, Minor
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Program Description
Introduction
The Stockton Writing program involves faculty from all schools within the University, as well as a core Writing faculty located in General Studies. Writing-designated courses are offered under both General Studies and program acronyms; therefore, students can fulfill distribution requirements toward graduation while they incorporate writing as a vital part of their education.
Mission Statement
Stockton’s Writing program offers students a variety of writing courses at all levels of the curriculum. These courses help students grow as writers, both by improving their writing and by providing them opportunities to learn about and to practice diverse forms of writing, such as expository writing, creative nonfiction, poetry, research writing, and digital writing. We also offer students opportunities to use their writing outside of the classroom and to develop the foundation for producing purposeful, socially engaged work after they graduate. Whether students take only required writing courses or earn a Writing Minor while they are at Stockton, they can build their confidence as writers; enhance their knowledge of writing genres; and create writing habits that will serve them during school, at work, and in their personal lives.
Writing-Designated Courses
Stockton students may choose from hundreds of writing-designated courses. The course number indicates the level: 1000 level indicates an introductory writing-designated course; 3000 level indicates a more advanced writing-designated course.
Writing-designated courses are of two kinds: Writing-Intensive courses (W1) and Writing Across- the-Curriculum courses (W2). The designation W1 or W2 indicates the role and function of writing in the course, not the degree of writing difficulty.
W1 - Writing-Intensive courses focus on writing as the subject of the course. The quality of writing is the major criterion for evaluating the student’s performance, whether it be an introductory W1 course, such as FRST 1101 College Writing, or an advanced W1 course, such as GIS 3307 Why Poetry Matters.
W2 – Writing Across-the-Curriculum courses focus on disciplinary or interdisciplinary content. They use writing as a way of learning subject matter and expressing that learning. These courses also provide students with opportunities and support to improve their writing skills. The quality of writing, not only the mastery of content, is an important criterion in evaluating a student’s performance in the course. W2 courses assume minimal competence in writing and in most cases should not be attempted by a student concurrently enrolled in FRST 1101 College Writing.
W1 and W2 courses are offered as part of Stockton’s interdisciplinary General Studies curriculum and in most programs. They are also identified within the Schedule of Courses each term.
First-Year Placement
Based on their SAT, ACT, or Accuplacer scores, some first-year students are required to take FRST 1101 College Writing; all others are required to take a 1000- or 2000-level W1 course, such as FRST or GEN 12120 Rhetoric and Composition. or FRST or GEN 2240 Introduction to Research.
Writing Requirement for Graduation
Stockton students write throughout their college careers and are advised to take one or more writing-designated courses each year, depending on their interest and needs. All students must fulfill the University’s writing requirement in order to graduate. They must earn a C or better in each of four writing-designated courses: one W1 course taken during the first year and three other writing-designated courses (W1s or W2s), at least one of which must be a 3000- or 4000-level course. Transfer students are subject to the writing requirement. Up to two transfer courses in composition or writing will be credited as W1 courses and counted toward the requirement. All W2 courses must be completed at Stockton. Writing-designated courses that carry fewer than four credits or transfer courses that carry fewer than three credits do not count toward the writing requirement.
Writing Minor
The Writing Minor provides students with a way to structure and document their interests and talents as writers. Students working toward a Writing Minor have a choice of four focuses: Professional Writing, Creative Writing, Academic Writing, or Journalism. Within their focus, students have a variety of writing (W1) courses to choose from; they can design their minor curriculum to suit their personal, academic or career goals.
The Writing Minor requires a total of six W1 courses. Each student must complete a minimum of two courses in his or her focus, at least one of which must be at the 3000 level or above. This requirement is intended to provide depth in a chosen genre. To further ensure depth, no more than one First-Year Writing course may count toward the minor.
To provide practical writing skills needed to succeed in their workplaces or avocations, students in all four focuses must complete at least one course from the Professional Writing category. In addition, all students must complete the capstone course, GIS 4619 Writing Senior Seminar, in either their junior or their senior year. This seminar is designed to help students transition from undergraduate writers to people who write in their careers or as working artists. Seminar topics include advanced editing, revision, and reflection; an introduction to writing life after graduation; and the development of a capstone project appropriate to the student’s personal, academic, or career goals. Although the capstone project is a component of the student’s grade in the Writing Senior Seminar course, it is also a separate requirement for earning the minor. The final capstone project must pass a review by the core Writing faculty in order for the student to receive the minor.
Requirements for Completion of the Writing Minor
To earn the minor a student must complete the following:
Declare a Writing Minor.
Choose a Writing Minor focus and complete six W1 courses as specified below (at least five of the six must be taken at Stockton).
Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.2 in the six W1 courses counted towards the minor; and
Submit a final capstone project approved by the core Writing faculty.
Professional Writing Focus: Six W1 courses
Two courses from the Professional Writing category, at least one of which must be at the 3000 level or above
Three electives from any of these categories: First-Year Writing, Professional Writing, Journalism, Creative Writing, and/or Academic Writing, but no more than one of the three may be from the First-Year Writing category
GIS 4619 Writing Senior Seminar
Creative Writing Focus: Six W1 courses
Two courses from the Creative Writing category, at least one of which must be at the 3000 level or above
One course from the Professional Writing category
Two electives from any of these categories: First-Year Writing, Professional Writing, Journalism, Creative Writing, and/or Academic Writing, but no more than one of the two may be from the First-Year Writing category.
GIS 4619 Writing Senior Seminar
Academic Writing Focus: Six W1 courses
LITT 1101 Literary Interpretation
One 3000-level or higher course in the student’s area of scholarship (where appropriate and approved by the student’s Writing Minor Preceptor, a W2 may be substituted for a W1)
One course from the Professional Writing category
Two courses selected from any of these categories: First-Year Writing, Professional Writing, Journalism, Creative Writing, and/or Academic Writing, but no more than one of the two may be from the First-Year Writing category
GIS 4619 Writing Senior Seminar
Journalism Focus: Six W1 courses
COMM 2304 Principles of Journalism
COMM 3314 Journalistic Writing or COMM 3402 Reporting and Interviewing
Three electives: One must be from the Journalism category, and the other two may be chosen from any of these categories: First-Year Writing, Professional Writing, Journalism, Creative Writing, and/or Academic Writing, but no more than one of the six courses for the Journalism Focus may be from the First-Year Writing category.
Where appropriate and approved by the student’s Writing Minor Preceptor, one of the following non-W1 courses may be substituted for the electives: COMM 2210 Digital Storytelling, COMM 3501 Sports Broadcasting, COMM 4610 Journalism Practicum, COMM 4909 Stories of Atlantic City Internship, COMM 4901 Internship with the Atlantic City Press, and LITT 3918 Editing Internship.
GIS 4619 Writing Senior Seminar
Communication Studies Majors pursuing a Journalism Focus within the Writing Minor may count no more than three courses toward both the Communication Studies Major and the Writing Minor. Put another way, at least three courses that they complete for the Journalism Focus must be in addition to the courses required within the Communication Studies Major. These three may come from the Cognate area, for example.
Full details about the curriculum are accessible on the Writing website.
