UBC undergraduate students looking to build their writing and communication expertise now have a new pathway that sets them up for success in their field and beyond.
UBC launches new Minor in Writing & Communication for undergraduate students
The Writing, Research, and Discourse Studies (WRDS) unit in the School of Journalism, Writing, and Media (JWAM) has launched a new Minor in Writing and Communication, open to undergrad students across faculties at UBC. The minor will strengthen students’ writing and communication skills and provide them with a way to explore the role of writing and communication in their own academic discipline, as well as in other disciplines, cultural communities, and public contexts. It is designed to help students gain confidence in writing and communicating across contexts and think critically about the diversity and complexity of writing and communication practices.
“Students who take this minor are going to become agents of change and foster understanding and build bridges. They will be able to mobilize writing and communication in a way that they will be heard across different contexts, faculties and programs.”
Who can enrol in the Minor?
The minor is open to all UBC undergraduate students in degree programs that allow them to complete a minor in the Faculty of Arts. This includes the following degrees: BA, BFA, BIE, BMS, BMUS, BComm, and BSC.
What are the completion requirements?
Students are required to take one 200-level foundations course (WRDS 200), one 400-level capstone course (WRDS 400), and two 300-400 level WRDS courses. Students pursuing the Minor will also need to take nine credits from an exciting list of suitable courses.
“We are excited for this minor as it is a unique opportunity for students at UBC to learn with and from each other. It is a flexible and low-barrier minor with lots of choices tailored to student interests. It offers a place to make connections that students wouldn’t have in their own disciplines and faculties.”
What are WRDS 200 and WRDS 400?
WRDS 200: Writing and Communication Foundations introduces students to key principles of writing and communication issues through team-based engagement.
WRDS 400: Writing and Communication Capstone gives students the opportunity to apply these key principles to public and professional domains relevant to their individual fields.
What upper-level courses can students choose from?
Aside from the mandatory WRDS 200 and WRDS 400, students must take two 300-400 level WRDS courses and three other courses from an approved list.
Upper-level WRDS courses
The upper-level WRDS courses address a number of pressing research-related and social issues and queries: What are the hidden powers of communication? Who decides what stories matter? Why do disciplines communicate the way they do? How does digital media transform academic research? How are marginalized groups changing research writing? How does crip writing challenge ableism? How will you write your future? How do you share your work with other scholars? For individual course descriptions, visit this page.
Other upper-level courses
The Minor in Writing and Communication empowers students to tailor the Minor to their needs. It recognizes and values the courses that students are already taking, or have previously taken, or are planning to take as long as they belong to the long list of other upper-level courses that support the writing and communication minor. For the full list of approved courses, visit this page.
Can students take any WRDS courses without enrolling in the minor?
Yes! Any student can take these courses whether they are declaring the minor or not.
