Welcome to the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures
The department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures is the heart of and home for writing at Michigan State University. Across our initiatives, in the research and scholarship we pursue, and in the teaching and learning opportunities we offer, we emphasize curiosity, discovery, and the robust exchange of ideas along with attention to the importance of writing and communication—drawing across techniques and media, being attentive to audience and purpose, and sharing one’s ideas with the world.
If you have any questions about enrolling in a Spring 2026 First-Year Writing course (WRA 101 or WRA 195H), please see our frequently asked questions page.
The Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures (WRAC) offers:
- the first-year writing experience for most MSU students, which prepares students to leverage their experiences as writers and learners as assets for informing their ongoing development as writers
- an undergraduate major in Professional and Public Writing, which provides students experience in the writing and communication strategies crucial for academic, professional, and personal success in today’s digital world
- an interdisciplinary undergraduate major in Experience Architecture, which provides students experience in developing strategies for UX research, design, development of digital applications, project management, coding, writing, and digital rhetoric for success in digital and professional spaces
- a graduate program in Rhetoric and Writing, offering MA programs and a PhD, helping graduate students develop the intellectual, pedagogical, and professional skills to be activists and leaders in academic and beyond-academic careers
we offer
First-year writing experience
Our First-Year Writing courses are the core composition experience for most MSU students, which prepares students to leverage their experiences as writers and learners as assets for their ongoing development as writers.
Undergrad major in professional and public writing
The BA in Professional and Public Writing (P2W) provides students experience in the writing and communication strategies crucial for academic, professional, and personal success in today’s digital world.
Minor in Writing
The Minor in Writing gives students collaborative experiences and writing tools to become great leaders, advocates, and communicators at work and in public spaces. The minor helps students reach their professional goals in any number of careers or graduate programs.
undergrad major in Experience Architecture
The BA in Experience Architecture (XA) provides students experience in developing strategies for UX research, design, development of digital applications, project management, coding, and writing for success in digital and professional spaces.
graduate program in Rhetoric and Writing
Our MA programs and our PhD program support graduate students develop the intellectual, pedagogical, and professional skills to be activists and leaders in academic and beyond-academic careers.
2019 Professional Writing Student of the Year
Emily Jenkins
2018 Professional and Public Writing
2018 Experience Architecture Student of the Year
Ashton Keys
2019 Experience Architecture
“This program has given me so much—the skills and tools to feel like I can enter the workplace at an advantage and people who I can count on along the way.”
SOPHIE SCHMIDT
Professional and Public Writing Alum
The Student Experience: Professional AND Public Writing Major
A quick look at the Bachelor of Arts in Professional and Pubic Writing (P2W) degree at Michigan State University, featuring P2W students, faculty, and alumni.
Spartan Strong: The Strength to Overcome Cancer
Justin Alexander (Experience Architecture ’20) was the picture of health. A baseball player and quarterback of his high school football team, there was no reason to be overly concerned when he developed a persistent cough. So it came as a shock when he first heard he had Hodgkin’s lymphoma, life as he knew it was placed on hold.
featured stories
Words that Ignite and Unite: Student Research Explores How Language Builds Community and Advocates for Change
Alex Guo, a third-year undergraduate student in the College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University, is researching the power of language to build community and advocate for change. With dual majors in Humanities-Prelaw and Experience Architecture and minors in Business and Leadership in Integrated Learning, Guo represented the College of Arts & Letters at this semester’s Ignite Talks MSU where she presented her undergraduate research project, “Beyond Rhetoric: Building Trans-Affirming Communities.” Hosted by the MSU Museum CoLab Studio, Ignite Talks MSU provides a dynamic platform for MSU students to share their research with a wider audience while
Experience Architecture Major Interns for Safety Science Organization with a Global Reach
TreShai Hubbard, a senior Experience Architecture (XA) major at Michigan State University who is from Battle Creek, Michigan, gained experience the past two summers interning remotely for UL Research Institutes, OREE (Office of Research Experience and Education), based in Evanston, Illinois.
Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures Helps Bring National Conference on Community Writing to Detroit
Hundreds of educators, activists, community partners, and writers from across the country will gather in Detroit this month for the Conference on Community Writing, a national, biennial event dedicated to using writing as a tool for social change. For the first time, the conference will be held in the Midwest and co-hosted by Michigan State University’s Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures (WRAC) and Wayne State University’s English Department. Founded by the Coalition for Community Writing, the conference offers a diverse range of programming, including keynote speakers, workshops, and intensive sessions for collaborative problem-solving and discussion. The 2025 theme,