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 Fall 2024 or Spring 2025 First-Year Writing courses (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
“I think you just have to do it. You really just have to throw yourself into it—and see what happens, and eventually you adjust and it kind of fits into a groove, and you grow used to the program and you kind of find your own way.”
John Castro
Professional and Public Writing Major
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
Program Offers Cross-Cultural Teaching and Learning Experience with Faculty and Students in South Africa
Trixie Long Smith, Professor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures at Michigan State University, is part of the second cohort of the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Faculty Fellows Program-Africa and is partnering with a faculty member at the University of Pretoria in South Africa during the 2024-2025 academic year. An online cross-cultural teaching and learning method, the COIL program links university courses, faculty, and students in different countries to offer a collaborative intercultural experience. As part of the program, faculty from different countries partner to design a class module. Students who enroll in this shared module
Student-Produced Publication Wins International Award for Excellence
East Lansing’s only full-color arts and culture magazine, The Current, which is developed for and by Michigan State University students, has received a 2024 MarCom Gold Award for its June/July 2024 edition. This international recognition celebrates excellence in marketing and communication and recognizes the outstanding work of The Current staff.
WRAC Faculty and Graduate Students Make an Impact at SIGDOC 2024
On October 21 and 22, 2024, several WRAC faculty, staff, and students attended the Association for Computing Machinery, Special Interest Group on Design of Communication (ACM SIGDOC) conference in Arlington, Virginia. The ACM Special Interest Group for Design of Communication, or “SIGDOC”, is a community dedicated to advancing the practice and research of information communication. The SIGDOC conference offers a collaborative space where technical communicators, usability experts, information architects, software engineers, educators, researchers, web designers, IT professionals, and managers come together to discuss innovations, share resources, and collectively address questions related to information communication. Workshops and presentations explore innovative