uc berkeley creative writing minor

• UC Berkeley
• Letters & Science

Creative Writing Minor

The Creative Writing Minor Program at the University of California, Berkeley is offered by the Office of Undergraduate and Interdisciplinary Studies in the Division of Undergraduate Studies of the College of Letters and Science. The approved courses students take to satisfy the minor course requirements are offered by over thirty departments on campus. Interested undergraduate students in any major may earn an interdepartmental minor in Creative Writing by completing three approved upper-division creative writing courses and two approved upper-division literature courses from any department that offers them, satisfying the minor requirements, and declaring the minor.

Find out about our Requirements

Announcements.

• Fall 2024 Course List
• Summer 2024 Course List
• Spring 2024 Course List
• Berkeley Holloway Poetry Series – Spring 2024
• UC Berkeley Lunch Poems 2023-24
• Minor Declaration Form – Must declare no later than term before EGT.

Give to Creative Writing

Forms and downloads, student academic advising.

Get in touch

Administrative office.

Laura Demir 235 Evans Hall [email protected]

UGIS Office

231 Evans Hall

Creative Writing

Vikram chandra, cecil s. giscombe, cathy park hong, fiona mcfarlane, geoffrey g. o'brien, solmaz sharif.

Fall 2024 admitted students are not eligible to make appointments with L&S advisers until after July 19, 2024. New students will be advised during Golden Bear Advising .

Minors are concentrations of study, similar to majors, but require fewer courses and therefore represent less depth than a full major. Not all majors have a corresponding minor (e.g. we have an Economics major, but no Economics minor) and minors exist that do not have a corresponding major (e.g. we have a Creative Writing minor, but no Creative Writing major). It is therefore useful to explore the Academic Guide’s Degree Programs page thoroughly to review all of your options. 

All minors must be declared prior to the first day of classes in the term in which you intend to graduate. For Summer graduates, minors must be declared prior to the first day of Summer Session A. 

If you need a Minor Completion Form, see our Forms and Petitions page. 

Plan for or declare a minor

Program planning for a minor and declaring a minor is overseen by the minor department. You can find contact information for minor departments and their advisers in the Academic Guide or by visiting the website for the minor in which you are interested. 

Once you have an idea for what your minor program plan will look like, if you need additional support examining how it will fit into your academic plan as a whole, check out the Create a Long Term Program Plan page.

Drop a minor

You can drop a minor through your minor department. The minor will remain on the official transcript during the terms in which you were declared.

Minor in a different College

It is okay to declare a minor in a different college as long as the minor department will permit you to declare. You will be responsible for the College requirements and general policies for the College that hosts your major, but not for the College that hosts your minor. 

For general policies around add/drop deadlines, late changes to class schedule, etc., you will follow the policies and procedures of the College that hosts your major

Meet with the Minor Adviser to understand requirements and policies for that minor.  If you are an L&S student pursuing a minor in another school or college with overlap policies that differ than L&S, the stricter of the two minor policies applies to the minor program. 

How many minors are allowed?

You are allowed to declare as many minors as will fit into your semester or unit limits. 

It is valuable to note that students sometimes overestimate the value minors will have on future opportunities. A minor that helps you explore an interest or a potential career direction, or which helps you build a skill set, can be very valuable. But if you are finding that taking on multiple minors means you have to sacrifice hands-on opportunities like research or internships, or doing so keeps you from doing programs like study abroad, you may wish to meet a counselor at Berkeley Career Engagement  to determine which opportunities would best fit your long term goals.

Minors and semester/unit limits

You will need to complete minors within your semester limit and unit ceiling to complete a minor. Your semester limit and unit ceiling do not change as a result of adding on a minor. If you are unable to finish your minor within your limits, you will need to drop your minor. 

If you are unsure whether or not your minor plan will fit within your time limits for your degree, bring your major and minor program plan to an L&S College Adviser for help understanding your options.

Course overlap rules

L&S allows you to overlap one upper division course (courses numbered 100-199) between a major and a minor. By “overlap” we mean that one upper division course can be used to satisfy requirements for both your major and your minor.

If you have multiple majors or multiple minors, you are still only allowed to overlap one course total between minors and majors. Ex: If you are majoring in Comparative Literature and minoring in both German and Russian Literature, you could overlap an upper division course between  either Comparative Literature and German  or Comparative Literature and Russian Literature.

Overlap of upper division courses is not allowed between L&S minors. 

If you are an L&S student pursuing a minor in another school or college with overlap policies that differ than L&S, the stricter of the two minor policies applies to the minor program. 

Minors on transcripts or diplomas

Minors are posted on the transcript alongside your major. Effective Fall 2023, Minors are noted on diplomas.

Should I take on a minor?

There are many great reasons to take on a minor. A minor that helps you explore an interest or a potential career direction, or that helps you build a skill set, can be very valuable, especially if your major is in a different area. 

It is valuable to note that students sometimes overestimate the value minors will have on future opportunities. If you are finding that taking on a minor means you have to sacrifice hands-on opportunities like research or internships or keeps you from participating in programs like Berkeley Study Abroad, you may wish to meet a Berkeley Career Engagement Counselor  to understand which opportunities will best support your long term goals.

Still Have Questions?

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Related Pages

Explore Majors & Minors

Create a Long-Term Program Plan

Preparing for Graduation

Summer Creative Writing Workshops

Our unique three-week programs offer aspiring, practicing, and experienced creative writers a community in which to create and connect., all interested students are welcome you do not need to be a berkeley student to enroll., program overview.

Our program offers daily creative writing classes in short fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama. You will also have the opportunity to participate in a workshop that teaches you to present your work and listen and critique the creative writing of others. And, most of all, you will meet and socialize with like-minded creative writers and faculty.

Berkeley Students : Two 3-week creative writing courses count as one course for the  Creative Writing Minor . ( Visit other creative writing courses  for Summer 2024) .

Summer Creative Writing Courses

In the Academic Guide

The following four classes meet Monday through Friday and are worth 2 units.

Classes meet either face to face or online. When registering, be sure you enroll for the format you prefer. Enroll at summer.berkeley.edu

COLWRIT N131, The Craft of Creative Nonfiction

This course in creative writing focuses on the craft of reading and writing creative nonfiction. The course emphasizes an introduction to craft—how creative nonfiction is generated, what its elements are, and how finished pieces work—which students will explore through careful study of models by published writers, and through writing and revising their own short pieces.

COLWRIT N132, The Craft of Short Fiction

This two-unit creative writing course on the short story emphasizes an introduction to craft—how short stories are created, what their elements are, and how the finished pieces work—which you will explore through careful study of models by published writers and through writing and revising your own original pieces generated for this class.

COLWRIT N133, The Craft of Dramatic Writing

College Writing N133 is a creative writing course offering an introduction to the craft of dramatic writing through the study of works by professional playwrights and through composition and revision of your own playscripts. You will come to understand dramatic writing as an art and as a set of skills; you will receive an introduction to some of the elements involved in the creation of written scripts. Particular emphasis will be given to the work of generating and revising writing and, to a lesser degree, for the screen.

COLWRIT 134, The Craft of Poetry

This two-unit creative writing course on poetry & poetics emphasizes an introduction to craft—how poems are created, what their elements are, and how the finished pieces work—which you will explore through careful study of models by published writers, and through writing and revising your own original pieces generated for this class.

COLWRIT 135 The Craft of Creative Writing: Workshopping & Performance*

This is a practical and personalized class that will help writers workshop and perform their creative work. Open to multiple genres--fiction, nonfiction, drama, poetry--we will discuss how to ask good questions to and integrate feedback from peers in workshop. We will help you revisit your work and produce a sustainable revision process for yourself. We will discuss how to select your work for public reading and presentation, and we will practice effective performance strategies. Above all, the class will be tailored to support your goals through individual consultation with the instructor.

*Note: COLWRIT 135 is worth 1 unit and meets twice a week.

Summer Creative Writing Workshops Instructors

Tory adkisson, miriam bird greenberg, joseph horton, judy juanita, belinda kremer, michael larkin, john levine, eric longfellow, matthew j. parker, brice particelli, bridgette dutta portman.

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Choosing a Major & Minor

Photo Courtesy of Dept. of Psychology

If you are still deciding what to study, here are some considerations and tips that were really helpful for me. (My most important and insightful tip is at the bottom.) While it may be uncomfortable to be uncertain in this aspect, it is not uncommon; remember, you are trying your best and the pieces will fall into place with time.

Major Considerations

For me, picking what to study came down to how I saw myself and where I wanted to be. 

I genuinely and honestly reflected on my interests, values, and strengths. This process is backed by a lot of psychology and advice from my elders. 

My curiosity inherently makes me a good student: I have the eagerness and motivation to learn, and I retain and perform a lot better when I demonstrate interest. If I naturally shine in one area, I want to maximize my potential; research on successful business people found that they focused on capitalizing on their strengths rather than improving their weaknesses. I also had to think about my identity in terms of what is important to me and what I want to bring to the world. Lastly, research has shown that exercising your strengths makes you happy!

Next, I asked, “Where do I see myself after I graduate and how will my coursework propel me in that direction?” The average person spends around 30% of their lives working , so we should be selective about where we spend that time and energy. This question led to my switch out of environmental sciences. I realized that while I was passionate about the subject, the careers the degree entailed were not where I personally wanted to be in life. 

By approaching how I chose my majors (and minors) with these considerations, I’ve been able to have a really positive college and classes experience. I am also able to feel good about my future because I have been anchored in what matters to me.

Find degrees, majors, and minors: guide.berkeley.edu

Wait, Why Minors?

You may be wondering why someone would want to add minors. There are actually many benefits they bring for your academic curiosity and professional experience. 

Maybe you really enjoy a topic but cannot practically major in it; consider a minor! My creative writing minor was something I wanted to do for my own passion and interests. The classes I took for this minor were mandated trips to an oasis in the desert if my other classes were ever dry or arduous. In other words, classes for your minors can diversify your coursework (say no to four technical classes a semester) and satiate your pure interests to keep you happy and engaged as a student. 

Professionally, minors are a great way to stand out and indicate your emphasis and specialty in your major and skill set: What unique perspective can you bring into synergy with your major? Although my creative writing minor was something I started off doing for fun, I soon found that my concentration in poetry was relevant in content design, which I hope to get into career-wise. My data science minor helps me navigate the research side of my job prospects in user experience. When people hear about what I study, a lot of them comment on how I have a unique and applicable academic foundation. It all started with the considerations above.

How I Explored What to Study

Now, for how I went about choosing the specific majors and minors: I first brainstormed all the majors and minors offered that I would potentially be interested in and then I decided on ones that fit me and my considerations the best.

To see what was out there, I looked through the list of majors and minors UC Berkeley offers. I talked to my friends and family and searched on the Internet and YouTube. I inquired into things like a major’s projected salary, what careers it can lead to, what it’s like to do that kind of work, and what knowledge and skills I can gain. The Berkeley Career Center also offers major-to-career resources .

During the summer before freshman year started, I also took the class L&S W1 (Exploring the Liberal Arts) . It provided a weekly survey of material from many different majors and helped me determine what appealed to me. There, I discovered that my brain turned off when learning about molecular cell biology, so I eliminated that from my potential majors list. (The summer I took the class, it was advertised as free if students passed [in p/np grading], and passing was straightforward.)

My Most Important Tip

For each major you are interested in, look at the classes it requires (you can Google a major’s course requirements).

A major in practical terms is the set of classes you have to take under that topic. You may be interested in the idea of a major by its title, but looking at the classes you’d have to take may actually leave you disinterested. For example, I initially considered majoring in media studies but, after looking at the course requirements, I realized there were too many history classes that lie outside my interests. 

You can even go as far as to search up syllabi for classes you’re curious about to see if the content is what you imagined. In any case, you would be more informed about what exactly you’ll learn in a major in the process of narrowing down potential majors this way. 

Best Wishes & Have Fun!

While planning your academic journey, remember that you are the expert on yourself and what you love. The adages exist for a reason: Do what you love and love what you do, and if you choose work you enjoy, you’ll never have to work a day in your life. On a logistical note, you are able to change/add majors, add minors, and switch colleges as needed in most cases. You can learn more about this process on your college’s website or with a major advisor.

Be patient with and kind to yourself, and have fun exploring who you are and what gets you smiling while talking. You never know where you’ll serendipitously end up. 

Hosea Chen is a rising fourth-year at UC Berkeley majoring in cognitive science and minoring in creative writing and data science.

• As mentioned, classes really influence your college experience so here are some resources I use when picking them.
• If you’re a new student, here is a collection of Berkeley Life blogs to get you started.
• If you’re a transfer student, check out this article on finding success as a transfer.

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Exploring Creative Writing

ENGLISH X438

Get an overview of common forms and genres of written self-expression, including personal essay/memoir, poetry, short fiction and novel. You experiment and discover in a safe environment. The course curriculum helps you learn and practice a variety of genres, forms and styles toward further developing your skills as a creative writer.

In class assignments, you focus on the shorter forms to maximize the number of genres in which you can experiment.

Course Outline

Course Objectives

• Share a structural overview of several different forms of written self-expression, and write in each of those forms
• Develop the discipline of regular writing in order to understand the importance of revision and develop your ability to revise
• Apply feedback on your work and assess your own strengths and areas of interest
• Offer constructive advice on the work of others

What You Learn

• Personal essay 
• Voice and humor
• Poetry craft
• Short story craft
• Novel synopsis
• Beginning a Long Form (novel, memoir, poetry collection) 
• On being a writer

How You Learn

• Discussion assignments
• Written assignments, including essays, poems, short stories, novel synopsis and long form opening
• Reading assignments

Summer 2024 enrollment opens on March 18!

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Berkeley Berkeley Academic Guide: Academic Guide 2023-24

About the Program

Bachelor of arts (ba).

Rhetoric majors are trained in the history of rhetorical theory and practice, grounded in argumentation and in the analysis of the symbolic and institutional dimensions of discourse. The department offers both a pragmatic understanding of the elements of rhetorical analysis, with special attention to logic, style, tropes, figures, and images, and a thorough grounding in the historical development of these elements in rhetorical theory. The combination allows students to make a disciplined grasp of the contemporary character of rhetoric and language. Through its emphasis on the history and theory of rhetoric, the department provides an understanding of the format of contemporary theories of interpretation as well as an opportunity, within this framework, to explore the role of persuasion in pragmatic and aesthetic contexts.

The major is not intended to provide skills-based training in oral argument or communication.

Major Concentrations

Students in the Rhetoric major choose one area of concentration: history and theory of rhetoric, public discourse, or narrative and image.

History and Theory of Rhetoric

This area of concentration focuses on understanding the development of rhetorical theory and practice from its genesis in the classical period to its situation in the present. Students will consider how the discipline of rhetoric has both shaped and itself been shaped by social, political, technological, and intellectual developments over the course of two millennia. Individual courses will enable close study of the process of rhetoric's influence and adaptation, both in theory and in practice, in specific contexts throughout its history.

Public Discourse

This area of concentration focuses on understanding rhetoric in its symbolic and institutional dimensions, with special emphasis on legal and political forums. Students consider the discourse of law, politics, and society both in theory and in practice, in an attempt to understand the rhetorical nature of political judgment, action, justice, and legitimacy. Individual courses will enable close study of specific problems, concerns, vocabularies, modes of interpretation, and strategies of argumentation arising in public forums of the past and present.

Narrative and Image

This area of concentration focuses on understanding the function of rhetoric in literary, cinematic, and visual texts, with emphasis on the role of figure and image in the representation of reality. Students consider the production and reception of narrative literature—oral, epic, folktale, lyric poem, novel, and film—in an attempt to understand the boundaries of the aesthetic text as a rhetorical analysis of particular literary and visual genres arising in a variety of cultures and historical epochs. 

Declaring the Major

 For details on how to declare, please contact our department directly.

Honors Program

Seniors must complete RHETOR 10 , RHETOR 20 , RHETOR 103A , and RHETOR 103B and maintain a minimum 3.7 grade-point average (GPA) in rhetoric and a 3.5 overall Berkeley GPA to undertake the two-semester honors thesis series, RHETOR H190A - RHETOR H190B . Students work under the supervision of a selected rhetoric faculty member. Four units of credit (2 units each semester) for the RHETOR H190A to RHETOR H190B sequence may be applied toward graduation as upper division units and fulfillment of one major upper division course. Honors candidates who complete the 4-unit course with a letter grade of A- or better and maintain the required GPAs will receive a BA with honors in the major.

Seniors eligible to enroll in the honors program must begin arrangements with the faculty member who is willing to direct their honors thesis in the semester before they enroll in RHETOR H190A . See the undergraduate assistant for honors information and an application. Warning: Graduating honors candidates who complete the major requirements but take an incomplete in the RHETOR H190A - RHETOR H190B series must drop themselves from the degree list or honors will not appear on their official transcripts or diplomas.

Minor Program

The goal of the minor program in rhetoric is to introduce students to the methodological procedures and interdisciplinary approach of a field that examines all disciplines from the outside and poses questions such as the following: how is philosophy (or law, politics, etc.) constituted as a field? What kinds of discourses are considered legitimate within this field? And what kinds of knowledge are produced and institutionalized as a result?

Students should declare at least one semester prior to graduation. For details on how to declare, please contact our department directly.  The  Minor Completion  petition should be presented to the undergraduate adviser with a recent Bear Facts (available through summer 2016) or CalCentral (starting fall 2016) printout of the student's grades (unofficial transcript).

Visit Department Website

Major Requirements

In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, listed on the College Requirements tab, students must fulfill the below requirements specific to their major program.

General Guidelines

• All courses taken to fulfill the major requirements below must be taken for graded credit, other than courses listed which are offered on a  Pass/No Pass  basis only. Other exceptions to this requirement are noted as applicable.
• No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs, with the exception of minors offered outside of the College of Letters & Science.
• A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 must be maintained in both upper and lower division courses used to fulfill the major requirements.

For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.

Lower Division Prerequisites

Upper division requirements, history and theory of rhetoric concentration, public discourse concentration, narrative and image concentration, minor requirements.

Students who have a strong interest in an area of study outside their major often decide to complete a minor program. These programs have set requirements.

All minors must be declared before the first day of classes in your Expected Graduation Term (EGT). For summer graduates, minors must be declared prior to the first day of Summer Session A. 

All upper-division courses must be taken for a letter grade. 

A minimum of three of the upper-division courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements must be completed at UC Berkeley.

A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required in the upper-division courses to fulfill the minor requirements.

Courses used to fulfill the minor requirements may be applied toward the Seven-Course Breadth requirement, for Letters & Science students.

No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs.

All minor requirements must be completed prior to the last day of finals during the semester in which the student plans to graduate. If students cannot finish all courses required for the minor by that time, they should see a College of Letters & Science adviser.

All minor requirements must be completed within the unit ceiling. (For further information regarding the unit ceiling, please see the College Requirements tab.)

Requirements (five courses total)

College requirements.

Undergraduate students must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.

For detailed lists of courses that fulfill college requirements, please review the  College of Letters & Sciences  page in this Guide. For College advising appointments, please visit the L&S Advising Pages. 

University of California Requirements

Entry level writing.

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley. 

American History and American Institutions

The American History and Institutions requirements are based on the principle that a US resident graduated from an American university, should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

Berkeley Campus Requirement

American cultures.

All undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass this course in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of the United States. AC courses offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.

College of Letters & Science Essential Skills Requirements

Quantitative reasoning.

The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is designed to ensure that students graduate with basic understanding and competency in math, statistics, or computer science. The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course.

Foreign Language

The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and conversation in a foreign language equivalent to the second semester college level, either by passing an exam or by completing approved course work.

Reading and Composit ion

In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing, and critical thinking the College requires two semesters of lower division work in composition in sequence. Students must complete parts A & B reading and composition courses in sequential order by the end of their fourth semester.

College of Letters & Science 7 Course Breadth Requirements

Breadth requirements.

The undergraduate breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship. Engaging students in new disciplines and with peers from other majors, the breadth experience strengthens interdisciplinary connections and context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.

Unit Requirements

120 total units

Of the 120 units, 36 must be upper division units

• Of the 36 upper division units, 6 must be taken in courses offered outside your major department

Residence Requirements

For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters & Science. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement by attending classes here for four years, or two years for transfer students. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless you go abroad for a semester or year or want to take courses at another institution or through UC Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to meet an adviser to determine how you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.

Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.

Senior Residence Requirement

After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your BA degree), you must complete at least 24 of the remaining 30 units in residence in at least two semesters. To count as residence, a semester must consist of at least 6 passed units. Intercampus Visitor, EAP, and UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) units are excluded.

You may use a Berkeley Summer Session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence requirement, provided that you successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that you have been enrolled previously in the college.

Modified Senior Residence Requirement

Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP), Berkeley Summer Abroad, or the UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC) may meet a Modified Senior Residence requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have completed 90 units.

Upper Division Residence Requirement

You must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding UCEAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for your major.

Student Learning Goals

Students learn about different kinds of representation (and critiques thereof), how different genres shape and offer material for interpretation, and how different media forms produce a sense of reality. They learn to reflect on how various modes of presentation work (film, literary and philosophical texts, legal cases, political tracts, performances, archival materials), what kinds of meanings they have, and what kinds of effects they produce. They consider works of both high and low culture and bring various kinds of approaches to both. As they advance, students compare and bring genres together for analysis, working for instance with legal trials in film, philosophical uses of literary works, oral interpretation of texts, the textual and archival basis for the transition from orality to literacy, the political presuppositions of law, the aesthetic dimensions of political theory, and the influence of law on non-legal rhetorical practice.

Learning Goals for the Major

• Acquire basic knowledge and vocabulary of formal argumentation and its relation to informal spoken and written arguments.
• Analyze texts in terms of their arguments.
• Use arguments in the major’s own writing.
• Develop more sophisticated knowledge of argument and apply it.
• Recognize rhetorical figures and identify stylistic issues.
• Relate textual interpretations to media (oral, print, and digital/visual).
• Acquire an introduction to theories and methods of interpretation.
• Progress to more advanced exposure to interpretation.
• Read and understand ancient texts out of which rhetorical traditions come (to see how, for instance, the history of the notion of rhetoric and its opposition to philosophy from Plato on is implicated in our conversations about truth, sincerity, democracy, and ethics).
• Read and understand texts about rhetoric between ancient and modern periods.
• Read and understand texts that show how rhetoric is used or conceived in particular periods or cultures.
• Read and understand texts important to contemporary theory.
• Engage in rhetorical issues involving media, writing, reading, speech, and authorship.
• Engage critically in analysis and interpretation of such public discourses as law, politics, science, and religion.
• Understand elements of narrative in novel and other fictive discourses.
• Read visual and other productions that are beyond (or other than) the written word.
• Recognize what is common and what is different in the self-conception of various discourses (e.g., literature, philosophy, law, and history).
• Carry out close readings with a consciousness of the relevance of context.
• Specialize in a particular area or theme through the concentrations.
• Understand, reflect on, and evaluate the ways in which persuasive forces (broadly understood) are at work in the contemporary world.

Major Maps help undergraduate students discover academic, co-curricular, and discovery opportunities at UC Berkeley based on intended major or field of interest. Developed by the Division of Undergraduate Education in collaboration with academic departments, these experience maps will help you:

Explore your major and gain a better understanding of your field of study

Connect with people and programs that inspire and sustain your creativity, drive, curiosity and success

Discover opportunities for independent inquiry, enterprise, and creative expression

Engage locally and globally to broaden your perspectives and change the world

• Reflect on your academic career and prepare for life after Berkeley

Use the major map below as a guide to planning your undergraduate journey and designing your own unique Berkeley experience.

View the Rhetoric Major Map PDF.

RHETOR R1A The Craft of Writing 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Rhetorical approach to reading and writing argumentative discourse. Close reading of selected texts; written themes developed from class discussion and analysis of rhetorical strategies. Satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement. The Craft of Writing: Read More [+]

Rules & Requirements

Prerequisites: Satisfaction of the Entry Level Writing Requirement

Requirements this course satisfies: Satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement

Hours & Format

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks. Six hours of Lecture per week for 8 weeks. Seven and one-half hours of Lecture per week for 6 weeks.

Additional Details

Subject/Course Level: Rhetoric/Undergraduate

Grading/Final exam status: Final exam not required.

Formerly known as: 1A

The Craft of Writing: Read Less [-]

RHETOR R1B The Craft of Writing 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Intensive argumentative writing drawn from controversy stimulated through selected readings and class discussion. Satisfies the second half of the Reading and Composition requirement. The Craft of Writing: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Previously passed an R1A course with a letter grade of C- or better. Previously passed an articulated R1A course with a letter grade of C- or better. Score a 4 on the Advanced Placement Exam in English Literature and Composition. Score a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Exam in English Language and Composition. Score of 5, 6, or 7 on the International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examination in English

Requirements this course satisfies: Satisfies the second half of the Reading and Composition requirement

Formerly known as: 1B

RHETOR 2 Fundamentals of Public Speaking 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2022 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2020 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2019 Second 6 Week Session Basic principles of rhetoric as applied to the criticism and practice of public speaking. Fundamentals of Public Speaking: Read More [+]

Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Seven and one-half hours of lecture per week for 6 weeks.

Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.

Fundamentals of Public Speaking: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 10 Introduction to Practical Reasoning and Critical Analysis of Argument 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 An introduction to practical reasoning and the critical analysis of argument. Topics treated will include: definition, the syllogism, the enthymeme, fallacies, as well as various non-logical appeals. Also, the course will treat in introductory fashion some ancient and modern attempts to relate rhetoric and logic. Introduction to Practical Reasoning and Critical Analysis of Argument: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5-9 hours of lecture and 1-1 hours of discussion per week 8 weeks - 5.5 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week

Additional Format: Five and one-half hours of lecture per week for eight weeks. Seven and one-half to nine hours of lecture/discussion per week for six weeks.

Introduction to Practical Reasoning and Critical Analysis of Argument: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 20 Rhetorical Interpretation 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2022, Fall 2021 Introduction to the study of rhetorical interpretation, examining how language and performance generate and communicate meaning, from literature, art, film and politics to visual and material culture. Rhetorical Interpretation: Read More [+]

Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture and 2.5 hours of discussion per week 8 weeks - 5.5 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. Five and one-half hours of lecture and two hours of discussion per week for 8 weeks. Seven and one-half hours of lecture and two and one-half hours of discussion per week for 6 weeks.

Rhetorical Interpretation: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 22 Rhetoric of Shakespearean Drama 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 1996 10 Week Session This class examines the way in which a distinctively rhetorical concern with persuasion, tropes, topicality, and modes of appeal can be engaged in readings of Shakespearean texts. Using written documents from the period along with contemporary rhetorical criticism and theory, the class analyzes the importance of rhetoric in the production and performance of Shakespeare's plays, in their particular rendering of verbal conflict and the scene of persuasion , and in the analysis of their participation in larger cultural contests over the legitimacy of the prevailing political, legal, moral, or natural order. Rhetoric of Shakespearean Drama: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Seven and one-half hours of Lecture per week for 6 weeks.

Rhetoric of Shakespearean Drama: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 24 Freshman Seminars 1 Unit

Terms offered: Fall 2019, Spring 2019, Fall 2018 The Berkeley Seminar Program has been designed to provide new students with the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small-seminar setting. Berkeley Seminars are offered in all campus departments, and topics vary from department to department and semester to semester. Freshman Seminars: Read More [+]

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of seminar per week

Additional Format: One hour of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.

Grading/Final exam status: The grading option will be decided by the instructor when the class is offered. Final exam required.

Freshman Seminars: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 30 Theory and Practice of Public Speech 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2021 Theoretical and practical instruction prepare students to vocally address diverse audiences in a variety of situations across multiple media. Theory and Practice of Public Speech: Read More [+]

Objectives & Outcomes

Course Objectives: To recognize differences across social and media presentation contexts and skillfully compose and adapt presentations to suit these different situations. To recognize differences across social and media presentation contexts and skillfully compose and adapt presentations to suit these different situations.

Student Learning Outcomes: Mastery of contemporary issues of public presentation and refinements to personal public presentation skills.

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. Five and one-half hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week for 8 weeks. Seven and one-half to nine hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week for 6 weeks.

Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.

Theory and Practice of Public Speech: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 39 Freshman/Sophomore Seminar 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018 Freshman and sophomore seminars offer lower division students the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member and a group of peers in a small-seminar setting. These seminars are offered in all campus departments; topics vary from department to department and from semester to semester. Freshman/Sophomore Seminar: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Priority given to freshmen and sophomores

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Two hours of seminar per week.

Grading/Final exam status: The grading option will be decided by the instructor when the class is offered. Final Exam To be decided by the instructor when the class is offered.

Freshman/Sophomore Seminar: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 39I Freshman/Sophomore Seminar 1.5 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2014, Spring 2012 Freshman and sophomore seminars offer lower division students the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member and a group of peers in a small-seminar setting. These seminars are offered in all campus departments; topics vary from department to department and from semester to semester. Freshman/Sophomore Seminar: Read More [+]

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1.5-4 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: One and one-half to Four hours of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.

RHETOR 50 Big Words in Politics 4 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 What is everyone talking about when they talk politics? Do you wish you had an entry point into the conversation? Or a guide to its ABC’s? Do you wonder why everyone else seems to have such strong opinions? Or why your own opinions seem too strong–or not strong enough to go anywhere? Do you like to think about words and meanings and where they come from and how they change? Each week, students will read a selection involving one particular word and also a contemporary instance of it in discussion or debate. By the end of the course, students will understand that the words used in political and legal discourse have a history and philosophy that is worthy of further humanistic (or rhetorical) study. Big Words in Politics: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week 15 weeks - 4 hours of lecture and 0 hours of discussion per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture and 0 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. Four hours of lecture and zero hour of discussion per week. Seven and one-half hours of lecture and zero hour of discussion per week for 6 weeks.

Big Words in Politics: Read Less [-]

RHETOR C50 Big Words in Politics 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2021 What is everyone talking about when they talk politics? Do you wish you had an entry point into the conversation? Or a guide to its ABC’s? Do you wonder why everyone else seems to have such strong opinions? Or why your own opinions seem too strong–or not strong enough to go anywhere? Do you like to think about words and meanings and where they come from and how they change? Each week, students will read a selection involving one particular word and also a contemporary instance of it in discussion or debate. By the end of the course, students will understand that the words used in political and legal discourse have a history and philosophy that is worthy of further humanistic (or rhetorical) study. Big Words in Politics: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.

Instructor: Constable

Also listed as: L & S C60W

RHETOR 60 Big Words in Law 4 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 In this class we will consider big words in law that are key to our present, understood as plural and global. Each semester, the course will focus on twelve timely words that demand our attention and critical reflection. We will choose words that are often mobilized in political battles, approaching them not as fixed units of speech but as sites for arguments and visions for the planet we co-inhabit. The objective is not to secure a definition for the word; it is rather to open it up and to gain appreciation for its different layers, operations, and sometimes unrealized meanings. Because law and legal words are themselves contested, we will also consider the differing commitments that people display toward what counts as law for them. Big Words in Law: Read More [+]

Big Words in Law: Read Less [-]

RHETOR C60 Big Words in Law 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2022 In this class we will consider big words in law that are key to our present, understood as plural and global. Each semester, the course will focus on twelve timely words that demand our attention and critical reflection. We will choose words that are often mobilized in political battles, approaching them not as fixed units of speech but as sites for arguments and visions for the planet we co-inhabit. The objective is not to secure a definition for the word; it is rather to open it up and to gain appreciation for its different layers, operations, and sometimes unrealized meanings. Because law and legal words are themselves contested, we will also consider the differing commitments that people display toward what counts as law for them. Big Words in Law: Read More [+]

Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternate method of final assessment during regularly scheduled final exam group (e.g., presentation, final project, etc.).

Instructor: Esmeir

Also listed as: L & S C60X

RHETOR 98 Supervised Group Study 1 - 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Spring 2020, Fall 2018 Instruction for a small group of students on a topic initiated by those students. Supervised Group Study: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Consent of adviser

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-3 hours of directed group study per week

Additional Format: Three hours of work per week per unit.

Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.

Supervised Group Study: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 100 Writing at the University: A Writing Seminar for Transfer Students 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2023 Second 6 Week Session This course teaches skills necessary to succeed in major-specific research and writing tasks at UC Berkeley. Students read and discuss scholarship in writing studies and rhetoric to develop a framework for understanding the conventions of academic writing and complete a series of research tasks to determine what it means to write successfully in their major. The course culminates in an essay identifying challenges and opportunities specific to writing in a specific academic discipline. Writing at the University: A Writing Seminar for Transfer Students: Read More [+]

Course Objectives: Analyze the generic conventions for writing in their discipline to produce an essay explicating the challenges and opportunities specific to research and writing in their major. Identify exemplary writing and writers in their discipline to learn what it means to write successfully in their major. Read and discuss scholarship in writing studies and rhetoric to develop a framework for understanding conventions of writing (North American Academic English).

Student Learning Outcomes: Deepen awareness with the conventions and purposes of academic writing. Develop knowledge of best practices for research and writing in a specific major. Refine academic writing skills to better academic goals.

Writing at the University: A Writing Seminar for Transfer Students: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 103A Approaches and Paradigms in the History of Rhetorical Theory 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 A broad consideration of the historical relationships between philosophy, literature, and rhetoric, with special emphasis on selected themes of the classical and medieval periods. Approaches and Paradigms in the History of Rhetorical Theory: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 10 or consent of instructor

Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week 10 weeks - 4.5 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture and One hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks. Four and one-half hours of Lecture and One hour of Discussion per week for 10 weeks. Six hours of Lecture and One hour of Discussion per week for 8 weeks. Seven and one-half hours of Lecture and One hour of Discussion per week for 6 weeks.

Formerly known as: 100

Approaches and Paradigms in the History of Rhetorical Theory: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 103B Approaches and Paradigms in the History of Rhetorical Theory II 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 A broad consideration of the historical relationship between philosophy, literature, and rhetoric, with special emphasis on selected themes within the early modern and modern periods. Approaches and Paradigms in the History of Rhetorical Theory II: Read More [+]

Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture and One hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks. Six hours of Lecture and One hour of Discussion per week for 8 weeks. Seven and one-half hours of Lecture and One hour of Discussion per week for 6 weeks.

Formerly known as: 101

Approaches and Paradigms in the History of Rhetorical Theory II: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 104 Rhetorical Theory and Practice in Historical Eras 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016 An examination of the relations between rhetoric, discourse, and knowledge in selected historical eras, for example the European Renaissance, the Atlantic Enlightenment, or Victorian Britain. Rhetorical Theory and Practice in Historical Eras: Read More [+]

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with instructor consent.

Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week 10 weeks - 4.5 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks. Four and one-half hours of Lecture per week for 10 weeks. Six hours of Lecture per week for 8 weeks. Seven and one-half hours of Lecture per week for 6 weeks.

Formerly known as: 105

Rhetorical Theory and Practice in Historical Eras: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 105T Rhetoric of Religious Discourse 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2015, Spring 2013 Consideration of the rhetoric of hermeneutics or biblical interpretation with special emphasis on the mythical, symbolic, and allegorical language as the bearer of persuasive intention. Rhetoric of Religious Discourse: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks. Seven and one-half hours of Lecture per week for 6 weeks.

Formerly known as: 131

Rhetoric of Religious Discourse: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 106 Rhetoric of Historical Discourse 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2017 A study of how historical knowledge is produced and interpreted. Topics might include narrative and representation, the uses of evidence, forms of historical argumentation, and historical controversies in the public realm. Rhetoric of Historical Discourse: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: 173

Rhetoric of Historical Discourse: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 107 Rhetoric of Scientific Discourse 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2018, Spring 2017 Examination of the characteristic functions of discourse in and about the natural sciences; with particular examination of the ways in which scientific language both guarantees, and at the same time, obscures the expression of social norms in scientific facts. Rhetoric of Scientific Discourse: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: 174

Rhetoric of Scientific Discourse: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 108 Rhetoric of Philosophical Discourse 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2020, Spring 2019 Introduction to theoretical issues involved in applying rhetorical analysis to philosophical discourse; intensive analysis of selected philosophical works. Rhetoric of Philosophical Discourse: Read More [+]

Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.

Formerly known as: 175

Rhetoric of Philosophical Discourse: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 109 Aesthetics and Rhetoric 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2019, Spring 2016 Study of the terms and means by which we make and defend judgments involving the exercise of aesthetic sensitivity or perceptiveness. Consideration of the relationship between aesthetic qualities and aesthetic value. Discussion of aesthetic criticism as the means by which the capacities and salience of works of art are called to our attention and brought into focus. Topics include questions of taste, expression, and affect. Aesthetics and Rhetoric: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Any 1A-1B sequence, upper division standing, and consent of instructor

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture/discussion per week.

Formerly known as: 140

Aesthetics and Rhetoric: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 110 Advanced Argumentative Writing 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2019 Second 6 Week Session, Fall 2014, Summer 2014 Second 6 Week Session Study and practice of advanced techniques of argumentation for students with well-developed writing skills. Ethical, logical and pathetic appeals; control of register and tone; assessment of a wide variety of real audiences; genre studies. Advanced Argumentative Writing: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Any 1A-1B sequence or upper division standing

Credit Restrictions: This course is equivalent to 110M.

Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 5.5 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture per week plus individual conferences.

Advanced Argumentative Writing: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 111 Reception of Antiquity 4 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 Participants in this course can expect to accomplish two goals: they will become familiar with a fair amount of the two epics attributed to Homer; and they will learn how classical texts are received by later generations, with Homer as the centerpiece example. That is, we will look at the way in which classical texts are transmitted from the past and how they have survived (or have failed to survive) from antiquity into the present; how readers have sought to make sense of them and to locate them in reality; and how Homer’s originally sung texts were changed while still remaining identifiably “Homeric,” and in this way came to constitute a Homeric tradition that continues to flourish today. Reception of Antiquity: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture per week.

Reception of Antiquity: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 112 Rhetoric of Narrative Genres in Nonliterate Societies 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2014, Spring 2013, Spring 2012 Investigation of the rhetorical and cultural principles common to various genres of narrative, both prose and poetic, in nonliterate societies. Mythic, epic and folk narratives considered as well as written works from cultures in transition. Rhetoric of Narrative Genres in Nonliterate Societies: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.

Formerly known as: 135

Rhetoric of Narrative Genres in Nonliterate Societies: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 113 Rhetoric of Ethics 4 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 Can you live ethically without following moral norms, that is, norms as these are given institutionally and reinforced by culture and/or convention? The question, which is at least as old as the Cynics, gathered steam again in the nineteenth century starting with Nietzsche, and it remains a vital problem today. Paradoxical though it may seem, some of the staunchest critics of moral systems and moral norms are at the same time powerful advocates of non-normative ethical reflection and action. This course will examine this phenomenon through close study. Rhetoric of Ethics: Read More [+]

Rhetoric of Ethics: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 114 Rhetoric of New Media 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Summer 2020 Second 6 Week Session, Fall 2018 This course examines a range of digital media practices including hypertext, interactive drama, videogames, literary interactive fiction, and socially constructed narratives in multi-user spaces. Through a mixture of readings, discussion, and project work, we will explore the theoretical positions, debates, and design issues arising from these different practices. Topics will include the rhetorical, ludic, theatrical, narrative political, and legal dimensions of digital media. Rhetoric of New Media: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: R1A-R1B, 10 or 20, consent of instructor

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture per week. Seven and one-half hours of lecture per week for 6 weeks.

Rhetoric of New Media: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 115 Technology and Culture 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2020, Spring 2018 This course will examine the place and meaning of technology in culture, emphasizing the ways in which technologies shape and inflect social and political interactions. The primary focus will be on the wider reception and perception of technological and cultural shifts as represented in imaginative scientific and cultural works, endeavors and ambitions. This course will then question the conditions for the production and sustainability of these technologies and technological dreams. Technology and Culture: Read More [+]

Technology and Culture: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 116 Rhetoric, Culture and Society 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Summer 2022 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2021 Second 6 Week Session Analysis of rhetorical practice in the context of social and cultural change with particular reference to the historical transition from pre-industrial to industrial society in the west. Rhetoric, Culture and Society: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 103A; upper division standing

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks. Five and one-half hours of Lecture per week for 8 weeks. Seven and one-half hours of Lecture per week for 6 weeks.

Formerly known as: 132

Rhetoric, Culture and Society: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 117 Language, Truth and Dialogue 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2020, Fall 2017, Spring 2016 Examination of philosophical dialogues from Plato to Heidegger. Focus on the interaction within the dialogue, the participation required of the reader/listener, and the relation of such interaction and participation to thinking, speaking and knowing. Language, Truth and Dialogue: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: 177

Language, Truth and Dialogue: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 118 Undergraduate Seminar on the Theory and Practice of Reading and Interpretation 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2020, Spring 2018, Fall 2014 An introduction to contemporary modes of reading and interpretation in the humanities, from structuralism through psychoanalysis, with an emphasis on theories of the sign (semiotics). Examples drawn from such fields as contemporary literature, architecture, history, painting, film, and popular culture. Undergraduate Seminar on the Theory and Practice of Reading and Interpretation: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Any 1A-1B sequence and consent of instructor

Formerly known as: 181

Undergraduate Seminar on the Theory and Practice of Reading and Interpretation: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 119 Rhetorical Places 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2014, Spring 2010 Studies in the history and theory of the rhetorics of place, space, and sites. Rhetorical Places: Read More [+]

Rhetorical Places: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 120 Rhetoric of the Self 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session, Spring 2024, Summer 2023 First 6 Week Session This course investigates discourses of the self, both contemporary and historical, in a variety of genres, including philosophy, theory, literature, visual media, and new media, depending on the instructor and year. Topics to be covered may include any of the following: problems of the self, identity (racial, ethnic, gendered), self-expression, self-fashioning, self-destitution, and the limits of the self as an experience or a category. No prerequisites. Rhetoric of the Self: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for RHETOR 120 after completing RHETOR 120 . A deficient grade in RHETOR 120 may be removed by taking RHETOR 120 .

Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture per week. Six hours of lecture per week for 8 weeks. Seven and one-half hours of lecture per week for 6 weeks. Seven and one-half hours of lecture per week for 6 weeks.

Rhetoric of the Self: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 121 Rhetoric of Fiction 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2024 First 6 Week Session, Spring 2024, Summer 2023 Second 6 Week Session Study of the form and content of fictional narratives. Definition and techniques including voice, point of view, and time orders. Attention to cultural and historical contexts of selected narratives to consider interplay of works, authors, and readerships. Rhetoric of Fiction: Read More [+]

Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture per week. Seven and one-half hours of lecture per week for 6 weeks. Seven and one-half hours of lecture per week for 6 weeks.

Rhetoric of Fiction: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 122 Rhetoric of Drama 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2015, Fall 2012, Fall 2004 Examination of the way character is created in drama by repetitive rhetorical patterns and the ways themes are defined by manipulation of such patterns. Rhetoric of Drama: Read More [+]

Rhetoric of Drama: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 123 Rhetoric of Performance 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Spring 2022, Fall 2021 This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of performance studies. While themes may vary, the course considers disciplinary genealogies from the performing arts, the social sciences, and speech act theory to investigate the many ways that humans constitute themselves and their world through performance. Rhetoric of Performance: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Any 1A-1B sequence, upper divison standing, and consent of instructor

Rhetoric of Performance: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 124 Rhetoric of Poetry 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2016, Fall 2014 Consideration of the relationship between the texture of poetic discourse largely defined by figures of speech and overall poetic structures. Rhetoric of Poetry: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: R1A-R1B sequence, upper division standing, and consent of instructor

Rhetoric of Poetry: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 125 Poetics and Poetry 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2012, Spring 2001, Fall 1999 Studies in the relationships between poetic theory and poetic practice from Aristotle's Poetics to the present day. Poetics and Poetry: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Upper division standing

Poetics and Poetry: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 127 Novel, Society, and Politics 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2019, Fall 2018 This course examines the complex links between novelistic discourse, society, and politics. Topics to be studied may include the social and political vocation of the and the realist novel; autobiography and the rise of liberal individualism; political censorship; and the role of the novel in imagining the nation. Novel, Society, and Politics: Read More [+]

Novel, Society, and Politics: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 128T The Rhetoric and Politics of Interviews 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Spring 2015, Spring 2013 As a common form of interacting, documenting, and informing, the interview plays a central role in the process of social and cultural inquiry. The interview is here not only studied in its popularized use as a form of oral witnessing and of privileged access to personalities. It is also explored in its critical and potentially creative dimensions as part of a mise en scene or a setting in which interviewer and interviewees function as social actors. The Rhetoric and Politics of Interviews: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 1A-1B sequence or 10, or 20, or consent of instructor

The Rhetoric and Politics of Interviews: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 129 Rhetoric of Autobiography 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2019, Spring 2017, Fall 2013 Rhetorical analysis of autobiographical discourse, with specific attention to the evolution of the genre in relation to changing modes of human subjectivity. Rhetoric of Autobiography: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: 139

Rhetoric of Autobiography: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 129AC Autobiography and American Individualism 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2019, Spring 2018 Rhetorical analysis of autobiographical discourse in American cultures, with special attention to the ideology of individualism. Autobiography and American Individualism: Read More [+]

Requirements this course satisfies: Satisfies the American Cultures requirement

Formerly known as: 139AC

Autobiography and American Individualism: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 130 Novel into Film 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2016 Close examination of the adaptation of written fiction to the cinema. Focus on the problems arising from the transformation of five novels, which will be read, into their filmed versions. Novel into Film: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 2 hours of laboratory per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture and 2 hours of laboratory per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory per week. Seven and one-half hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory per week for 6 weeks.

Novel into Film: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 131T Genre in Film and Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Spring 2019, Spring 2018 Study of a particular genre (e.g., detective/mystery, horror/thriller, melodrama) with attention to theories of genre in popular culture. Genre in Film and Literature: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Consent of instructor

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 3 hours of laboratory per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week.

Genre in Film and Literature: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 132T Auteur in Film 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2016, Fall 2015 The study of films from the perspective of directorial style, theme, or filmmaking career. This course may focus on a single or several directors. Auteur in Film: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Three hours per week plus viewing sessions.

Formerly known as: 133

Auteur in Film: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 133T Theories of Film 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2014, Spring 2013, Fall 2010 Classical theories of film by Eisenstein, Arnheim, Kracauer, Bazin, Metz, and others. Only one or two films will be analyzed in great depth to test the power of various theories. Theories of Film: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: One UC film course

Formerly known as: 129

Theories of Film: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 135T Selected Topics in Film 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2015 A study of a film topic not covered by the other film categories. This course might focus on a particular cinematic "theme," or a nonhistoric and nongeneric category. Examples: Feminist Film Practice, Gay and Lesbian Cinema, Race and Cinematic Representation. Selected Topics in Film: Read More [+]

Selected Topics in Film: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 136 Art and Authorship 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2018 Study of narratives and visual cultures of art and its authors, including questions of what is art, who authors it, the boundaries of works and artistic personae, and how aesthetic, economic, and legal regimes of artistic authorship are historicized. Art and Authorship: Read More [+]

Art and Authorship: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 137 Rhetoric of the Image 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2020, Spring 2019 This course surveys methods and theories of visual culture, including the rhetorics and discourses of images (still and moving), media (old and new), display, circulation, value, and interpretation. Topics explored will include: spectacle, reproduction, materiality, time, style, genre, archive, truth-value, and affectivity. Students will learn multi- and interdisciplinary uses of visual materials as objects of analysis, evidence, exchange, and argumentation. Rhetoric of the Image: Read More [+]

Rhetoric of the Image: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 138 Television Criticism 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Spring 2015, Fall 2013 An introduction to the close analysis and evaluation of television texts. Consideration of a range of examples drawn from classical television series, sitcoms, dramas, news programming, and contemporary reality television. Students learn the narrative, aesthetic, and stylistic aspects of television's story-telling modes and strategies through readings, screenings, short exercises, and a final project consisting of a substantial work of criticism and an oral presentation. Television Criticism: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Rhetoric 10 or Rhetoric 20

Television Criticism: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 139 Rhetoric of Visual Witnessing 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2018, Fall 2016 Studies of the theory and practice of the rhetoric of visual evidence relating to catastrophe. Themes may include witnessing, testimony, the photographic record, news media, and archival knowledge around such subjects as genocide and crimes against humanity, war and other forms of political violence, the AIDS epidemic, natural disaster. Rhetoric of Visual Witnessing: Read More [+]

Rhetoric of Visual Witnessing: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 145 Science, Narrative, and Image 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Spring 2019, Fall 2017 What is the role of narrative in science and conversely? How do images supplement or displace these narratives? How have scientific conceptions impacted narrative forms and theories of narrative? How important are images to the rhetoric of scientific persuasion? Finally, how can science itself be narrated or visually represented? This course will examine critical discussions of these questions. Science, Narrative, and Image: Read More [+]

Science, Narrative, and Image: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 150 Rhetoric of Contemporary Politics 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2021 First 6 Week Session, Fall 2020, Summer 2020 Second 6 Week Session Examination of the characteristic rhetoric of a variety of manifestations of modern politics. Emphasis on building a theoretical foundation for critically observing and participating in the contemporary political process. Rhetoric of Contemporary Politics: Read More [+]

Rhetoric of Contemporary Politics: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 151 Rhetoric of Contact and Conquest 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Fall 2012, Fall 2010 This course charts the discovery and conquest of the New World; it treats the ways in which New World peoples were understood--and exploited--by Europeans. It explores not only questions relating to the origins of New World peoples, but also climate and zonal theories of race, and racial ideas of degeneration and corruption. In examining Europe's multivalent relationship with the "other," the course investigates the legal, moral, and spiritual status of New World peoples. Rhetoric of Contact and Conquest: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 10 or 20 and R1A-R1B sequence

Rhetoric of Contact and Conquest: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 152 Rhetoric of Constitutional Discourse 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2019, Spring 2011, Spring 2002 The rhetorical context of . Examines the tradition of Anglo-American constitutional argumentation in the eighteenth century, its sources, and its implications. Readings include Locke, Hume, Montesquieu, pamphlets of the American Revolution, and Anti-Federalist writings. Rhetoric of Constitutional Discourse: Read More [+]

Rhetoric of Constitutional Discourse: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 152AC Race and Order in the New Republic 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2020 This course will explore how the social issue of race in the new American republic shaped the political founding of the United States in 1787. We will investigate perceptions of race at the time of the founding, and try to understand the origins of those perceptions. We will examine how those same perceptions affected the founding and establishment of a new nation and how they have affected our contemporary social and political discourse. Race and Order in the New Republic: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 4 hours of lecture per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 10 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Four hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks. Seven and one-half hours of Lecture per week for 8 weeks. Ten hours of Lecture per week for 6 weeks.

Race and Order in the New Republic: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 153 American Political Rhetoric 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2024 First 6 Week Session, Summer 2023 First 6 Week Session, Fall 2020 A survey of the ways in which Americans have discussed their existence as a distinct nation their rights and obligations, and the legitimate modes of political action open to them. Readings cover the 17th through the 20th centuries and may include discussion of sermons, novels, philosophy, social and political theory, autobiographies, declassified government planning documents, Congressional testimony , and films. American Political Rhetoric: Read More [+]

American Political Rhetoric: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 155 Discourses of Colonialism and Postcoloniality 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2019, Spring 2015 This course critically explores key concepts and figures used in the public discourse of European colonialism to justify territorial expansion in the 19th century such as "race," "culture," "civility," and "the Orient" and their disturbing legacies for the knowledges, practical projects, and problems of contemporary postcolonial societies in a globalizing world. Discourses of Colonialism and Postcoloniality: Read More [+]

Discourses of Colonialism and Postcoloniality: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 156 Rhetoric of the Political Novel 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2018, Summer 2016 Second 6 Week Session, Spring 2013 Investigation of major 19th and 20th century works of fiction in which political stances are exploited as dominant themes; close reading of authorial viewpoints and rhetorical strategies. Rhetoric of the Political Novel: Read More [+]

Rhetoric of the Political Novel: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 157A Rhetoric of Modern Political Theory 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2019, Fall 2012, Spring 2012 Study of the textual strategies of important works of modern European and American political theory from the 17th through the 19th centuries. Rhetoric of Modern Political Theory: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: 157

Rhetoric of Modern Political Theory: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 157B Rhetoric of Contemporary Political Theory 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2015, Spring 2013 Study of the textual strategies of important works of 20th century European and American political theory. Rhetoric of Contemporary Political Theory: Read More [+]

Rhetoric of Contemporary Political Theory: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 158 Advanced Problems in the Rhetoric of Political Theory 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Spring 2019, Spring 2018 Close study of selected works of modern political theory, including debates over the nature and interpretation of political theory and the role of the political theorist. Specific themes and readings vary from year to year. Advanced Problems in the Rhetoric of Political Theory: Read More [+]

Summer: 6 weeks - 8 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks. Eight hours of Lecture per week for 6 weeks.

Advanced Problems in the Rhetoric of Political Theory: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 159A Great Theorists in the Rhetoric of Political and Legal Theory 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2014, Fall 2011 This course explores the development of one or two theorists or an important theme or issue, with close readings of major texts as well as attention to important commentators. Great Theorists in the Rhetoric of Political and Legal Theory: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Permission of instructor

Great Theorists in the Rhetoric of Political and Legal Theory: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 159B Great Themes in the Rhetoric of Contemporary Political and Legal Theory 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2019, Fall 2012, Spring 2011 This course concentrates on aspects of 20th century political, social, and legal theory that are too complex to be treated comprehensively as one section of the courses in modern theory. Great Themes in the Rhetoric of Contemporary Political and Legal Theory: Read More [+]

Great Themes in the Rhetoric of Contemporary Political and Legal Theory: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 160 Introduction to the Rhetoric of Legal Discourse 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2015, Spring 2015, Spring 2014 The application of rhetorical methodology to all categories of legal texts. Introduction to the Rhetoric of Legal Discourse: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 10

Introduction to the Rhetoric of Legal Discourse: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 163 Law, Language, and Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 Through close readings of and about law and literature, the course explores the role of language in both law and literature and the relations between law, language, and literature. Focus may be on particular historical periods, authors, or law-related themes. Law, Language, and Literature: Read More [+]

Law, Language, and Literature: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 164 Rhetoric of Legal Theory 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2015, Fall 2014, Fall 2009 Rhetorical methodology applied to close analysis of the argumentative framework of important works in modern legal theory. Rhetoric of Legal Theory: Read More [+]

Rhetoric of Legal Theory: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 165 Rhetoric of Legal Philosophy 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2013, Spring 2012 Consideration of basic philosophical issues related to the political and moral foundations of the law. Rhetoric of Legal Philosophy: Read More [+]

Rhetoric of Legal Philosophy: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 166 Rhetoric in Law and Politics 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Summer 2022 8 Week Session Examination of the role of rhetoric in the legal and political thought of a particular era or culture. Course may compare societies or periods. All foreign texts will be studied in English translation. Rhetoric in Law and Politics: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 160 or consent of instructor

Rhetoric in Law and Politics: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 167 Advanced Themes in Legal Theory, Philosophy, Argumentation 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2016 Thorough consideration of particular rhetorical themes in the field of legal theory, legal philosophy, and legal argumentation. Advanced Themes in Legal Theory, Philosophy, Argumentation: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 160, consent of instructor

Advanced Themes in Legal Theory, Philosophy, Argumentation: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 168 Advanced Topics in Contemporary Law and Legal Discourse 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Fall 2012, Fall 2011 Thorough consideration of particular rhetorical themes in the fields of contemporary law and legal discourse. Sample topics include entertainment law, First Amendment law, copyright law. Advanced Topics in Contemporary Law and Legal Discourse: Read More [+]

Advanced Topics in Contemporary Law and Legal Discourse: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 170 Rhetoric of Social Science 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Spring 2016, Spring 2012 Analysis of the ways in which political scientists, sociologists, anthropologists, economists and psychologists establish the authoritativeness of their claims. Focus is on the presentation of data as fact, the use of quantitative methods, and other "strategies" through which social knowledge is transformed into objective information. Rhetoric of Social Science: Read More [+]

Rhetoric of Social Science: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 171 The Problem of Mass Culture and the Rhetoric of Social Theory 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2017, Spring 2017 Study of the textual strategies whereby the masses and mass culture emerge as objects of anxiety, hope, and scrutiny for social theorists of the 19th and 20th centuries. The Problem of Mass Culture and the Rhetoric of Social Theory: Read More [+]

The Problem of Mass Culture and the Rhetoric of Social Theory: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 172 Rhetoric of Social Theory 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2019, Fall 2011 Rhetorical analysis of theorists from Durkheim and Weber, as well as Marx, Ricardo and Bentham, to contemporary representatives of social and economic thought. Rhetoric of Social Theory: Read More [+]

Rhetoric of Social Theory: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 173 Science and Public 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2010, Fall 2007 Science in public takes different shapes. It is defended as universal knowledge essential to human thriving. It is critiqued as a particular form of knowledge that does not take stock of the historical and social conditions imposing on its claims. It is dismissed or vilified as false or fake. How then does modern science relate to social and political values? Can and should scientific facts be independent of these values? In what ways are the sciences constitutive of modern publics and republics? Should publics decide not only on the value of scientific projects, but on the truth of scientific claims? Through historical and contemporary case-studies and analyses, this course seeks to approach, investigate and refine these questions. Science and Public: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for RHETOR 173 after completing RHETOR 173 . A deficient grade in RHETOR 173 may be removed by taking RHETOR 173 .

Instructor: Zakariya

Science and Public: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 176 Rhetoric of Material Culture 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2014, Fall 2010 Where did the first collections originate? Why did people begin to collect? How did--and do--museums and museum collections contribute to the definition of the cultural values/power of elite groups? How do we define ourselves--as citizens, as members of a discipline or tribe, as nations--with reference to collections? What values/ideologies structure the debates and conflicts over definition, meaning, and ownership of collections? These are questions we will try to answer in the class. Rhetoric of Material Culture: Read More [+]

Rhetoric of Material Culture: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 182 Rhetorics of Sexual Exchange and Sexual Difference 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2020, Spring 2016, Spring 2015 This course examines the centrality of sexual difference and sexual exchange to the structuring of societies, cultures, and political life. Possible topics include theories of desire and corporeality; the figure of woman as object of exchange in historical and contemporary contexts such as Sati, prostitution, surrogacy and IVF, and the global traffic in female labor; and an examination of how sexual difference functions as a blind-spot in theories of culture, society, and economy. Rhetorics of Sexual Exchange and Sexual Difference: Read More [+]

Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks. Three hours of Lecture per week for 8 weeks. Seven and one-half hours of Lecture per week for 6 weeks.

Formerly known as: 179

Rhetorics of Sexual Exchange and Sexual Difference: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 184 Language and Movement 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2019, Spring 2018 How does one become more aware of oneself as mover, doer, learner, knower? How does one learn? Does one learn to do things with language - to read, to write, even to think - in the same ways as one learns to move? In this class, we will consider these sorts of questions through experiences with and responses to very basic movement lessons and to academic readings, as well as through writing and discussion. The primary aim is for you to become more aware of the way you move and the way you use language and, through this awareness, to become more skilled at what you want to say and do. Class meets 2 hours studio and 2 hours seminar per week. Language and Movement: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of seminar and 2 hours of studio per week

Additional Format: Two hours of studio and two hours of seminar per week.

Language and Movement: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 189 Special Topics 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Summer 2022 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2021 Second 6 Week Session Group instruction and investigation of topics not accommodated in regular course offerings. Special Topics: Read More [+]

Special Topics: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 189A Special Topics 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018 Group instruction and investigation of topics not accommodated in regular course offerings. Special Topics: Read More [+]

Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture and 2.5 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. Seven and one-half hours of lecture and two and one-half hours of discussion per week for 6 weeks.

RHETOR H190A Honors Thesis 2 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2022, Spring 2020 Independent study under guidance of a faculty director culminating in a written thesis. Required of all rhetoric majors desiring to earn the A.B. degree with honors. Honors Thesis: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Senior standing with a 3.7 GPA in rhetoric and 3.5 GPA overall

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 5 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: Tutorial. Students must take 2 units of H190A and 2 units of H190B.

Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. This is part one of a year long series course. A provisional grade of IP (in progress) will be applied and later replaced with the final grade after completing part two of the series. Final exam not required.

Formerly known as: H190A

Honors Thesis: Read Less [-]

RHETOR H190B Honors Thesis 2 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2019, Fall 2018, Spring 2018 Independent study under guidance of a faculty director culminating in a written thesis. Required of all rhetoric majors desiring to earn the A.B. degree with honors. Honors Thesis: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Senior standing with a 3.7 GPA in Rhetoric and 3.5 GPA overall

Credit Restrictions: Students must take 2 units of H190A and 2 units of H190B.

Additional Format: Tutorial.

Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. This is part two of a year long series course. Upon completion, the final grade will be applied to both parts of the series. Final exam not required.

RHETOR 197 Field Studies 1 - 3 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2019 Supervised field work in an off-campus organization or business. Field work should be relevant to themes or topics covered in the undergraduate curriculum studied in the department. Additional meetings with faculty sponsor required. Weekly journals and a final paper also required. Field Studies: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-6 hours of fieldwork per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 6-18 hours of fieldwork per week

Additional Format: Two to Six hours of Fieldwork per week for 15 weeks. Six to Eighteen hours of Fieldwork per week for 6 weeks.

Field Studies: Read Less [-]

RHETOR 198 Supervised Group Study 1 - 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023 Instruction for a small group of students on a topic initiated by those students. Supervised Group Study: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Junior standing and approval of adviser

Summer: 6 weeks - 1-3 hours of directed group study per week 8 weeks - 1-3 hours of directed group study per week

RHETOR 199 Supervised Independent Study 1 - 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2022, Summer 2019 8 Week Session, Summer 2019 First 6 Week Session For special projects that cannot be otherwise accommodated. Supervised Independent Study: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 3.0 GPA

Summer: 6 weeks - 1-3 hours of independent study per week 8 weeks - 1-3 hours of independent study per week

Supervised Independent Study: Read Less [-]

Contact Information

Department of rhetoric.

7408 Dwinelle Hall

Phone: 510-642-1415

Fax: 510-642-8881

Department Chair

James Porter

354B Dwinelle

[email protected]

Rhetoric Undergraduate Advising Office

[email protected]

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Misha Kapany Schwarz Named Marlon T. Riggs Fellow in Documentary Filmmaking

May 7, 2024

Misha Schwarz. Photo by Jule-Sofie Hermann (’24).

Producer/director Misha Kapany Schwarz (’24) has been awarded one of Berkeley Journalism’s top honors, the Marlon T. Riggs Fellowship in Documentary Filmmaking.

Named for the late filmmaker, alumnus and Professor Marlon T. Riggs (’81), the fellowship was created in 2014 with funding from Signifyin’ Works, the Ford Foundation, the Filmmaker Fund, and individual donors. The $10,000 Fellowship is awarded annually to a second-year student in the documentary program to support the cost of their academic pursuits, including the production of their thesis film.

“In awarding this fellowship to Schwarz, we recognize and celebrate a documentary filmmaker who brings integrity to her reporting and a strong visual imagination to her craft,” said Professor Jennifer Redfearn , head of the documentary program. “Her documentary film, produced in collaboration with Maarya Zafar (‘24), follows two first responders as they journey to Mexico to undergo psychedelic treatment. At the heart of the film is a powerful question: We turn to first responders in our darkest moments, but who do they turn to in theirs?”

We interviewed Schwarz via email about the honor…

Walk us through your reaction to receiving the marlon t. riggs fellowship, what it means for you as a filmmaker, what does his body of work mean to you.

Receiving the Marlon T. Riggs Fellowship is a tremendous honor. Riggs’ films showed the power of documentary filmmaking to bring underrepresented voices to the forefront; he challenged the status quo in creative and bold yet tender ways, and didn’t shy away from tough conversations. He’s the kind of filmmaker I aspire to be and I feel a deep sense of responsibility to carry his torch forward. I hope that my films, like Riggs’, can unearth and amplify the diverse perspectives held within unique human experiences and foster deeper empathy and understanding in our society.

Who have been your mentors been at the School and what specifically have they done for you in your journey?

Professor Jennifer Redfearn and Lecturer Cassandra Herrman have been instrumental to my success at the J-school. They’ve taught me the nuts and bolts of documentary filmmaking and have encouraged me to take creative risks. I especially appreciate their advice when it comes to combating imposter syndrome and handling sensitive stories in an ethical way.

What is special about the documentary film program at UC Berkeley, your cohort?

It’s been such an incredible experience to be a part of the documentary film program at UC Berkeley. The program encourages sharing diverse perspectives and emphasizes that filmmaking is a team sport, and I’ve really enjoyed collaborating with my peers and professors. Their feedback and support has been endlessly helpful and I am incredibly grateful for this special experience.

About the Documentary Program

The documentary program at UC Berkeley — widely regarded as one of the country’s most important graduate nonfiction film programs and one of the only two remaining two-year professional journalism programs in the country — was launched in the 1980s by veteran producer Andrew Stern and built upon by pioneering filmmaker Marlon T. Riggs.

Since then, award-winning filmmakers and professors Jon Else , Orlando Bagwell , Dawn Porter , Carrie Lozano , Cassandra Herrman , Jennifer Redfearn , Jason Spingarn-Koff and others have trained hundreds of filmmakers of remarkable talent, diversity and accomplishment. Grounded in the values of professional journalism — accuracy, eloquence, aggressive research and reporting, strong writing, ethics and analysis — combined with the fundamentals of the filmmaking craft, documentary at UC Berkeley emphasizes visual storytelling in a wide range of storytelling styles: investigative, historical, biography, personal essay and cinéma vérité.

Help the next generation by making a tax-deductible donation to our Fine Cut Fund today. The fund supports documentary and multimedia projects and helps defray the hard costs of production — travel and shooting expenses, outlays for equipment and research.

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Spring 2024 Dear Berkeley Journalism community: With great optimism about the future of our school, I share with you news of the largest gift in the history of Berkeley Journalism:…

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