The Power and Persuasion of Language
The Department of Rhetoric and Writing Studies (RWS) was founded on the belief that rhetorical study and advanced literacy are essential components of high-quality education and professional success in our multicultural, knowledge-driven, globalized society, as well as a condition for full and meaningful participation in democratic public life.
Explore Our Programs
Across the department, we feature small classes and personalized instruction delivered by knowledgeable faculty dedicated to helping students become stronger writers, critical thinkers, communicators, collaborators, and producers and interpreters of a wide variety of texts. We help facilitate the school-to-job transition for our majors and minors through a personalized internship program that places students in an array of organizational settings.
Most San Diego State undergraduate students enroll in at least one writing course in RWS, and many take more. In addition to our General Education writing courses, we offer:
The Latest from Us
Enroll in RWS 360W: Rhetoric of Board Sports in Spring 2025. This reading and writing-based course applies an academic lens to
board sports: surfing, skateboarding, and snowboarding. Completion of this course
satisfies the Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement.
Congratulations to Jacob Hubbard on his new novel, Sounds of Yesterday. The book explores the complex interplay between love and loss on the autism spectrum,
unpacking the diverse ways empathy and emotional agency interconnect in a neurodivergent
world.
Jennifer Sheppard offers some best practices and disparities for pedagogical preparation for online
writing in, "How the Pandemic Changed Us: Training, Technologies, and Pedagogies in COVID-Era Online
Writing Instruction."
RWS is happy to announce that Dustin Edwards recently co-published this collaborative article with other field-leading professors in the Journal of Technical Communication Quarterly.
Opportunities for Students
The promotes student success with writing across the university. The center tutors work with students from all disciplines to develop their writing and broaden their understanding of audience, genre, language, and context.
The program embeds successful undergraduate and graduate writers in Rhetoric and/or Linguistic courses to support students in becoming critical and reflective writers through an enriched collaborative learning experience.
The program offers opportunities for financial support and teaching experience to graduate students across the disciplines. TAs are hired to teach lower division general education writing classes.