School of Humanities

Build strategies and routines for writing about reading. Through short readings, demonstrations, and guided practice, students study writing about texts in a variety of genres, including the literary essay, personal narrative and memoir, and the researched essay. Requirements offer the opportunity to apply class exercises to reading and writing assignments in other courses.

Credits: 2

Students receive supplemental instruction in critical thinking and writing, writing mechanics, organization, and style. They also learn techniques for effective workshopping and provide regular feedback on each other’s work.

Credits: 1

The ability to express ideas clearly and effectively in writing is essential to success as a student and citizen. Students learn and practice these skills throughout their academic career at Purchase College, beginning with College Writing. This is an intensive course that teaches students to:

1. produce strong written work at the college level
2. read and think critically
3. take a position and develop an argument of their own
4. research a topic and write a well-organized paper that develops their claims in dialogue with the sources
5. revise and improve their papers
6. present their ideas orally

Credits: 4

This course builds on the writing, research, and oral discourse skills practiced in College Writing and invites students to immerse in the research process, from generating and developing ideas, to pursuing focused research questions, to writing and revising analytical essays. Source materials are diverse, including popular books, film, and television. Students leave feeling more prepared for upper-level coursework.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: WRI1110

How do we create meaningful writing for an online readership that scrolls quickly and relies less on the printed page than any other generation? Students will write essays, features, and criticism and identify online publications that suit each project, while guest lecturers offer insight on engaging social media to share reported stories. Students co-edit Expose, Purchase's online expository writing magazine.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: WRI1110

Students develop strategies for overcoming creative writer’s block. Through a series of physical exercises, visualizations, and writing prompts, students learn to overcome obstacles that prevent them from writing or completing a written work. By building a toolkit of simple tactics, students learn how to become more productive creative writers.

Credits: 2

By first writing critically about popular books, film, and television, students build upon the analytical writing skills they practiced in College Writing. Students then learn to research and integrate theoretical and scholarly perspectives alongside their own insight to write works of literary criticism about texts that are important to them.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: Or WRI1110

Students explore research on why stories matter and build strategies for telling a good story. Students practice sharing stories aloud and in writing, and they develop skills for facilitating small group story exchanges using the core methodology of Narrative4.* Delivery: hybrid, including virtual (synchronous and asynchronous) and in-person sessions.* Students receive Narrative4 virtual facilitator training certification.

Credits: 2

Though often seen as simply a test of students’ knowledge and ideas, essays go far beyond what is generally required in courses. Students in this course read and experiment with a wide variety of critical, journalistic, academic, personal, and experimental essay forms. In the process, they further develop their skills as critical thinkers and writers.

Credits: 3

PREREQ: WRI1110 Or WRI2110

In the personal essay, writers adopt distinct points of view, moving beyond the emotional to analytical and reasoned positions. Topics can include personal reflections, thoughts on daily life, art analysis, and political arguments. Students read and analyze contemporary essays and “workshop” each other’s writing. Requirements include attending instructor-supervised events (films, performances, guest speakers) outside of class for some writing assignments.

Credits: 4

Students develop basic language skills through reading, writing, speaking, and listening. They learn components of academic writing, including paragraphs and thesis statements, and gain critical reading and analytical skills through work with basic texts. Students share ideas and experiences both verbally and in writing, and improve grammar and vocabulary through writing activities, academic exercises, and workshops.

Credits: 4

Students gain advanced language skills through reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Working with more advanced texts, they further develop critical reading and analytical skills. They gain experience with the essay form, and learn to write definition, process analysis, descriptive, and opinion pieces. Students share ideas and experiences both verbally and in writing, and continue to strengthen grammar and vocabulary.

Credits: 4

Students develop advanced language skills through reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Working with advanced texts, they further develop critical reading and analytical skills. They gain experience with academic writing, including cause and effect, comparative, narrative, and opinion pieces, and learn basic research skills. Students practice analyzing information and expressing ideas verbally and in writing, and continue to strengthen grammar and vocabulary.

Credits: 4