College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences > Academics > Writing, Rhetoric and Discourse > Undergraduate > Computer Science + Writing and Rhetoric (BS) > Major Requirements

Major Requirements

Course Title Quarter Hours
Modern Language Requirement
All students will be required to demonstrate competence in a modern language (i.e., a language other than English) equivalent to the proficiency attained from one year of college-level language study. This Modern Language Requirement (MLR) may be demonstrated by:
placing into 104 or above on the DePaul language placement exam
completing the last course or earning AP or BI credit for the last course in the first-year college sequence of any language (e.g., 103 for DePaul language classes)
completing a college course or earning AP or IB credit for a college course beyond the first-year level in any language (e.g., 104 or above for DePaul language classes)
completing the final course of a four-year sequence of the same modern language in high school *
completing a proctored exam by BYU and passing the exam (see the Department of Modern Languages website for registration details)
completing a proctored Written Proficiency Test (WPT) by Language Testing International (LTI) and achieving a score of Beginner High or above (see the Department of Modern Languages website for registration details)
*Students are strongly encouraged to take the DePaul language placement exam even if they have met the MLR via study of a language in high school. This will ensure continuation of language at the proper level.
Please note: Modern Languages courses with an E-designation are taught in English and may not be applied to the Modern Language Requirement.
Students who complete an Inter-College Transfer (ICT) to the College will abide by the MLR in place on the effective date of the ICT, regarless of when they first matriculated at DePaul.
MAJOR REQUIREMENTS (CS ICRS)
MAT 140DISCRETE MATHEMATICS I4
MAT 141DISCRETE MATHEMATICS II4
CSC 241INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE I4
CSC 242INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE II4
CSC 300DATA STRUCTURES I4
CSC 301DATA STRUCTURES II4
CSC 321DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF ALGORITHMS4
CSC 373COMPUTER SYSTEMS I4
CSC 374COMPUTER SYSTEMS II4
One course from the following:4
CSC 347
CONCEPTS OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
CSC 376
DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMS
SE 350
OBJECT-ORIENTED SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
Eight (8) additional credit hours, can be any 300-level CSC, CSEC, DSC or SE.8
MAJOR REQUIREMENTS (W&R ICRS)
Foundations Core
WRD 203STYLE FOR WRITERS4
WRD 210CULTURAL RHETORICS4
WRD 261DIGITAL CULTURE4
WRD 264LANGUAGE, SELF AND SOCIETY4
Applications Core
WRD 201DIGITAL WRITING4
WRD 204TECHNICAL WRITING4
Writing in Communities and Professions4
Select one of the following:
WRD 205
HISTORY OF LITERACIES AND WRITING
WRD 206
PROFESSIONAL WRITING
WRD 240
ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING
WRD 241
THE ESSAY FROM PRINT TO NEW MEDIA
WRD 242
WRITING WITH AI
WRD 280
WRITING IN THE SCIENCES
WRD 282
ETHICS OF PUBLIC AND PROFESSIONAL WRITING
WRD 283
ENVIRONMENTAL WRITING
WRD 284
SPORTS WRITING IN AMERICA: MYTHS, MEMORIES, HEROES AND VILLAINS
WRD 286
WRITING WITH PHOTOGRAPHS
WRD 300
COMPOSITION AND STYLE
WRD 301
WORKPLACE WRITING: THEORY AND PRACTICE
WRD 309
TOPICS IN WRITING, RHETORIC AND DISCOURSE
WRD 320
TOPICS IN PROFESSIONAL WRITING *
WRD 321
WRITING IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION
WRD 322
WRITING AND METADATA
WRD 323
EDITING
WRD 324
WRITING FOR PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE
WRD 325
RHETORIC IN CRISIS CONTEXTS
WRD 326
GRANT AND PROPOSAL WRITING
WRD 327
CONTENT WRITING
WRD 340
WRITING AND REVISING
WRD 371
MENTORING YOUTH IN COMMUNITY WRITING GROUPS
WRD 372
DIGITAL STORYTELLING
WRD 376
FIELDWORK IN ARTS WRITING
WRD 377
WRITING AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT
WRD 395
WRITING CENTER THEORY & PEDAGOGY
*May be repeated for credit when the topic is different
Rhetorical History, Theory, and Analysis4
Select one of the following:
WRD 209
GENRE AND DISCOURSE
WRD 220
HOW LANGUAGE WORKS
WRD 231
GOOGLING GOD: RELIGIOUS PRACTICES IN DIGITAL CULTURE
WRD 232
THE LANGUAGE OF DISABILITY
WRD 260
RHETORICAL ANALYSIS
WRD 262
THE RHETORIC OF EVERYDAY TEXTS
WRD 263
READING BETWEEN THE GROOVES: THE RHETORICAL POWER OF POPULAR MUSIC
WRD 265
SOCIAL MOVEMENT, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND AMERICAN IDENTITIES
WRD 266
LEVELING UP: THE SOCIAL RHETORIC OF VIDEO GAMES
WRD 281
WRITING CENSORSHIP
WRD 285
TRUTH IN DISGUISE: THE RHETORIC OF SATIRE
WRD 287
THE COMIC BOOK AS VISUAL ARGUMENT
WRD 288
RHETORIC AND POPULAR CULTURE
WRD 289
WRITING ABOUT RIGHTS
WRD 306
RHETORICAL TRADITIONS
WRD 360
TOPICS IN RHETORIC
WRD 361
TOPICS IN ALTERNATIVE RHETORICS
WRD 362
SEMIOTICS
WRD 363
VISUAL RHETORIC
WRD 364
CHICAGO WOMEN RHETORS
WRD 365
MIGRATION & STORYTELLING
WRD 368
GLOBAL ENGLISHES
WRD 378
TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE IN CHICAGO
WRD 390
RHETORIC AND PUBLIC WRITING
Major Field Electives12
The equivalent of three additional 4-hour electives may be drawn from the two elective categories above or from the following:
WRD 207
INTRODUCTION TO WRITING AND RHETORIC
WRD 290
WRITER'S TOOLS WORKSHOP
WRD 291
THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH POSTER
WRD 398
INTERNSHIP
WRD 399
INDEPENDENT STUDY

Note: CSC 243 Python for Programmers and a CS elective can take the place of CSC 241 & CSC 242

Experiential Learning (EL) Requirement

All Writing and Rhetoric majors are required to take one EL-designated course within the major. WRD courses designated both EL and LSP EL will fulfill the major’s EL requirement and the Liberal Studies Experiential Learning requirement simultaneously. An LSP EL course taken outside of WRD will not count toward the EL major requirement.

Senior Capstone Options

Students in the CS+W&R BS program have a choice of two Senior Capstone options, each of which is a course that fulfills the Liberal Studies Senior Capstone requirement.

Course Title Quarter Hours
One course from the following4
CSC 394
SOFTWARE PROJECTS
WRD 390
RHETORIC AND PUBLIC WRITING

Open Electives

Open elective credits are also required to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 quarter-credit hours.

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