Lower Division Courses numbered 1–99 are designed primarily for freshmen and sophomores but are open to all students for lower division credit. (Graduate students requesting to enroll in lower-division undergraduate courses will not receive unit credit nor will the course fulfill degree requirements.) Upper Division Courses courses numbered 100–199 are open to all students who have met the necessary prerequisites as indicated in the catalog course description. Preparation should generally include completion of one lower division course in the given subject or completion of two years of college work.
GRADUATE COURSES
Courses numbered 200–299 are open to graduate students. (Undergraduate students must obtain the signature of the instructor, School Dean, and the Dean of Graduate Studies. Graduate level units will count towards the required 120 units for graduation; however students are urged to meet with their academic advisor in order to determine if graduate course units may be used to fulfill a graduation requirement.)
CROSS-LISTED/CONJOINED COURSES
Cross-listed Courses are the same course offered under different course subjects at the same level (either undergraduate or graduate) that share the same meeting time, requirements, units, etc. Conjoined Courses are the same course but one is undergraduate and one is graduate.
COREQUISITE COURSE
A corequisite course is a course that must be taken at the same time as another course.
PREREQUISITES
Prerequisites for courses should be followed carefully; the responsibility for meeting these requirements rests on the student. If you can demonstrate that your preparation is equivalent to that specified by the prerequisites, the instructor may waive these requirements for you. The instructor also may request that a student who has not completed the prerequisites be dropped from the course. If the prerequisite for a course is not satisfied, students must obtain the approval of the instructor (or school designee) of the course they wish to take.
For all undergraduate courses a “C-” or better grade is required for a course to be used as a prerequisite for another course. If a course was taken for a “P/NP” grade then a “P” grade is required.
For all graduate courses a “B” or better grade is required for a course to be used as a prerequisite for another course. If a course was taken for a “S/U” grade then a “S” grade is required.
WORLD LANGUAGES
No credit is allowed for completing a less advanced course after successful completion (C-or better) of a more advanced course in the world languages. This applies only to lower division world language courses, not upper division courses.
GRADING OPTIONS
Unless otherwise stated in the course description, each course is letter graded with a P/NP or S/U option (unless required for your major or graduate program). The policy regarding Grading Options, can be found in an alternate section of the catalog.
An emphasis on development of style, voice and syntax within writing projects. As a pre-professional writing course, it will include readings and writing in creative non-fiction as well as writing for popular and academic periodicals.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: No Normal Letter Grade only
GE Requirements
Upper Division: Crossroads
Upper Division: Writing in the Discipline
Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 010 or equivalent exam Open only to the following class level(s):
Intended for psychology majors and majors in closely related disciplines, this course refines a student’s ability to analyze, synthesize, and explain complex information by producing professional written texts and oral reports for appropriate audiences. Using APA style, each student will also collaborate on a research project.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: No Normal Letter Grade only
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 010 or equivalent exam Instructor Permission Required: No
Examining current and historical issues of grammar, style, and usage, students will refine their personal style as writers while they also strengthen their command of formal academic discourse.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: No Normal Letter Grade only
GE Requirements
Upper Division: Writing in the Discipline
Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 010 or equivalent exam Instructor Permission Required: No
An introduction to some basic principles of language study, including the key distinction between classifying and explaining grammatical forms and functions. Building on principles of grammar study, students will analyze style in texts representing various genres and formats that range from literary to conversational to disciplinary discourse.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: No Normal Letter Grade only
GE Requirements
Upper Division: Writing in the Discipline
Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 010 or equivalent exam Open only to the following class level(s):
To gain experience in the tutoring process, students will examine theoretical and practical parameters of learning to write. Pedagogies for working with a diverse student population are addressed through readings, reflective journals, research, writing projects and a practicum.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: No Normal Letter Grade only
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 010 or equivalent exam Instructor Permission Required: No
Provides opportunities to engage in reflective practices, review of composition theory, research peer education pedagogy and to gain experience tutoring and assisting in classroom and consultative support to entry-level writers. Students reflect and synthesize through readings, reflective journals, writing projects and a practicum.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: No Normal Letter Grade only
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 110 Instructor Permission Required: No
An upper-division course within our Writing Minor Program and a General Education requisite, with subjects including Studio Art, Art History, Music, Cinema and Media, Performance Studies and Architecture. This course will use the medium of Arts to build critical inquiry and advanced composition skills.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: No Normal Letter Grade only
GE Requirements
Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 010 or equivalent exam Instructor Permission Required: No
Technical, scientific, policy, journalistic, and nonfiction writing focused on environmental science, for the purposes of critical inquiry and advanced composition skills. With potential applications in environmental research, advocacy, art, this course provides opportunity to theorize the idea of place, analyze local environmental issues, and explore integrated and applied writing processes.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: No Normal Letter Grade only
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 010 or equivalent exam Instructor Permission Required: No
To better understand the difficult process of explaining technical information in clear, accessible, non-technical language, students read widely in the scientific literature, including works by established science journalists and by prominent scientists who have written for the general public. Oral presentations and group projects complement various writing tasks.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: Yes Repeat Limit: 1
Normal Letter Grade only
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 010 or equivalent exam Instructor Permission Required: No
To improve their command of scientific discourse, students in the School of Natural Sciences read widely in scientific literature, including research published in established scientific journals and articles or books by prominent scientists who have written for the general public. Oral presentations and group projects complement various writing tasks.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: No Normal Letter Grade only
GE Requirements
Badge: Scientific Method
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 010 or equivalent exam Instructor Permission Required: Yes Permission of instructor required for non-science majors
WRI 117: Writing for the Social Sciences and Humanities
Units: 4
Study and practice of reading and writing social science research, with an emphasis on the interpretation, articulation, and presentation of quantitative and qualitative data. With a focus on disciplinary conventions and style, writing projects may include research proposals, literature reviews, case studies, field notes, object/artifact analyses, interviews, ethnographies, academic posters.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: No Normal Letter Grade only
GE Requirements
Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 010 or equivalent exam Instructor Permission Required: No Open only to SSHA Majors
WRI 118: Management Communication Theory and Practice
Units: 4
Students analyze and demonstrate effective managerial communication skills, with an emphasis on public speaking, presentations, and writing. Topics include business ethics, media relations, intercultural communication, interviewing, persuasion, and the visual representation of data. Extensive work in impromptu oral and written communication in various managerial, organizational, interpersonal situations.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: No Normal Letter Grade only
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 010 or equivalent exam Open only to the following class level(s):
Intensive practice in the presentation of technical subject matter. Students survey the range of audiences to which engineering communities respond, and explore variations in the style and logic of written discourse within the profession. Assignments may include technical reports, design projects, project proposals, press releases, oral presentations, and collaborative projects.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: No Normal Letter Grade only
GE Requirements
Badge: Scientific Method
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 010 or equivalent exam Instructor Permission Required: No
Intensive study in classical and contemporary theories of written rhetoric. The course will enable students to analyze, criticize and deploy rhetorical strategies via readings in rhetorical theory, application of theory to the criticism of texts, and the imitation and production of arguments.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: No Normal Letter Grade only
GE Requirements
Upper Division: Crossroads
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 010 or equivalent exam Open only to the following class level(s):
Focused on non-Western authors writing in English (and sometimes in translation), students will identify and analyze various cultural contexts that shape rhetorical choices and styles. Centered on one or two specific geographic regions, historical moments or genres, this course fosters critical engagement with rhetorical analysis, linguistic adaptations, and composition styles.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: No Normal Letter Grade only
GE Requirements
Upper Division: Crossroads
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: (WRI 010 or equivalent exam) and (WRI 100 or WRI 105 or WRI 120) Instructor Permission Required: No
Provides an opportunity to pursue advanced work in creative writing by focusing on one genre: poetry, fiction, drama, or creative nonfiction. The course will follow a workshop format.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: Yes Repeat Limit: 2
Normal Letter Grade only
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 025 and WRI 090 Instructor Permission Required: No
Following the introductory creative writing coursework, students in this course deepen their understanding and process of writing and analyzing poetry. Students connect to genres and hybrid forms of poetry in contemporary literature and place their process and production of poems into contemporary context.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: Yes Repeat Limit: 1
Normal Letter Grade only
GE Requirements
Upper Division: Writing in the Discipline
Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 025 and WRI 090 Instructor Permission Required: No
Following introductory creative writing coursework, students in this course deepen their understanding and process of writing and analyzing fiction. In drafting, feedback, and workshop, students connect to genres and hybrid forms of fiction in contemporary literature and place their process and production of fiction into contemporary context.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: Yes Repeat Limit: 1
Normal Letter Grade only
GE Requirements
Upper Division: Writing in the Discipline
Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 025 and WRI 090 Instructor Permission Required: No
WRI 125C: Topics in Creative Writing: Creative Nonfiction
Units: 4
Following the introductory creative writing coursework, students in this course deepen their understanding and process of writing and analyzing creative nonfiction. Students connect to genres and hybrid forms of creative nonfiction and place their process and production of creative nonfiction into contemporary context.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: Yes Repeat Limit: 1
Normal Letter Grade only
GE Requirements
Upper Division: Writing in the Discipline
Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 025 and WRI 090 Instructor Permission Required: No
Following the introductory creative writing coursework, students in this course deepen their understanding and process of writing and analyzing drama. Students connect to genres and hybrid forms of drama and place their process and production of writing drama into contemporary context.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: Yes Repeat Limit: 1
Normal Letter Grade only
GE Requirements
Upper Division: Writing in the Discipline
Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 025 and WRI 090 Instructor Permission Required: No
Specialized instruction in one aspect of Professional writing. Topics will include, but not be limited to, Journalism, Technical Writing, Copy-Editing, Writing for the Internet, and Research for Writers. Each class will provide practical instruction in “real-world” writing scenarios.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: Yes Repeat Limit: 1
Normal Letter Grade only
GE Requirements
Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 030 and WRI 090 Instructor Permission Required: No
Intended for students working on the Undergraduate Research Journal, we examine issues of journal production in print and electronic forms, including editorial analysis of texts and principles of revision. Course work is adjusted to match each student’s experience in publication.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: Yes Repeat Limit: 4
Normal Letter Grade only
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 010 or equivalent exam Instructor Permission Required: No
WRI 131A: Journal Production: Technical Writing and Editing
Units: 2
Theoretical and practical approaches to journal editing in academic, creative, and professional genres. Engaging a range of stylistic, content, layout, and ethical concerns for digital and print journals, students address the demands of reviewing and editing various stages of manuscript preparation, from content to copyediting.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: No Normal Letter Grade only
GE Requirements
Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 010 or equivalent exam Instructor Permission Required: No
Practical approaches to editing the Vernal Pool, UC Merced’s undergraduate literary journal. Students coordinate the journal’s editorial flow and manage stages of submission. Students engage author inquiries and editorial board suggestions for sustainably producing the journal, engaging a range of content, layout, and ethical concerns for publication.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: Yes Repeat Limit: 3
Normal Letter Grade only
GE Requirements
Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 010 or equivalent exam Concurrent Prerequisites: WRI 131A Instructor Permission Required: No
WRI 131C: Journal Production: Undergraduate Research Journal (URJ)
Units: 2
Practical approaches to editing UC Merced’s Undergraduate Research Journal. Students coordinate the journal’s editorial flow and manage stages of submission, including layout. Students engage author inquiries and editorial board suggestions for sustainably producing the journal, engaging a range of content, layout, and ethical concerns for publication.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: Yes Repeat Limit: 3
Normal Letter Grade only
GE Requirements
Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 010 or equivalent exam Concurrent Prerequisites: WRI 131A Instructor Permission Required: No
Refines students abilities to analyze, synthesize, apply, and explain complex rhetorical forms for appropriate audiences. Intensive study in theories of oral and written rhetoric related to Chicana/o rhetorical discourses. The course emphasizes readings in rhetorical theory, criticism, and formal argument. Students will also submit a cumulative writing portfolio.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: No Normal Letter Grade only
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 010 or equivalent exam Instructor Permission Required: No
An integration of archaeological knowledge with narrative and analytical writing. Students develop research and writing skills while learning to use and disseminate knowledge gained by producing creative, culturally sensitive, and factually supported texts.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: No Crosslisted with: ANTH 141 Normal Letter Grade only
GE Requirements
Upper Division: Crossroads
Approaches to Knowledge: Social Science
Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities
Badge: Scientific Method
Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis
Badge: Societies and Cultures of the Past
Badge: Diversity and Identity
Badge: Global Awareness
Badge: Practical and Applied Knowledge
Badge: Ethics
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: ANTH 003 and (WRI 010 or equivalent exam) Instructor Permission Required: No
In this advanced workshop students will produce creative and critical work in one of the following genres: fiction, playwriting, poetry, or creative nonfiction.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: Yes Repeat Limit: 1
Normal Letter Grade only
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 125 Open only to the following class level(s):
This seminar is based on case studies representing different contexts of professional writing. Specific attention will be devoted to technical writing for the representation of complex information in a form that is accessible to general readers. Elements of translation theory will also be reviewed.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: No Normal Letter Grade only
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 130 Open only to the following class level(s):
This workshop course on editing examines grammar and style, documentation, manuscript solicitation, selection and review, as well as generating manuscripts. Concerns fundamental to editing, such as consistency of voice, integrity of the author’s concepts, and use of multiple languages, will be included as part of the editorial process.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: No Normal Letter Grade only
Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite: WRI 125 or WRI 130 Instructor Permission Required: No
Provides oversight and structure for a student’s internship in a field related to writing in community organizations, professional research projects, etc. connected to the study of writing. Students are required to write an original research paper or relevant product that demonstrates how the internship advanced their knowledge of writing.
Course Details Repeatable for Credit: Yes Repeat Limit: 2
Pass/No Pass only
Requisites and Restrictions Open only to the following class level(s):