The minor in rhetoric and persuasion educates students in responsible, credible, and effective methods to take active leadership roles in engaging social issues in personal, professional, and communal settings. The program empowers students to look at the world as a place open to change and receptive to influence and to view themselves as agents capable of improving the world and their place in it. The minor aims to professionalize students—whether in their capacity as individual citizens, members of the community, or leaders in the workplace—by guiding them to understand audiences and situations, to use language responsibly and strategically, and to develop the integrity and authority of their own voice.

The undergraduate minor in rhetoric and persuasion requires a minimum of 15 s.h., including 12 s.h. earned in courses taken at the University of Iowa and at least 12 s.h. earned in Department of Rhetoric courses. Students must maintain a g.p.a. of at least 2.00 in all courses for the minor and in all UI courses for the minor. Coursework in the minor may not be taken pass/nonpass.

The minor in rhetoric and persuasion requires the following coursework.

15 s.h. from these:
RHET:2055Persuasion and Advocacy3
RHET:2065Persuading Different Audiences: Launching a Successful Career3
RHET:2070Persuasive Stories3
RHET:2085Speaking Skills3
RHET:2090Conversation Practicum3
RHET:2095Fundamental Strategies of Persuasion3
RHET:2135/SJUS:2135Rhetorics of Diversity and Inclusion3
RHET:2350Forensic Rhetoric3
RHET:2620Body Language: Study of Movement and Gesture in Speaking3
RHET:3005Narratives of the Midwest3
RHET:3009/PBAF:3217/URP:3217Negotiation and Conflict Resolution3
RHET:3085Advanced Speaking Skills3
RHET:3250Persuasive Writing for Science and Health Care Professionals3
RHET:3260Persuasive Speaking for Science and Health Care Professionals3
RHET:3290Advanced Business Speaking3
RHET:3350Gaming (the) Systems3
RHET:3585Speak, to Change the World: The Art of Speechwriting and Speechmaking3
RHET:3630Apology and the Art of Verbal Self-Defense3
RHET:3700Advocacy and Sustainability: Crafting Stories of People, Place, and Resilience3
RHET:4980Special Projects for Undergraduates (can only be taken once)arr.
May include one of these:
RHET:2000/ARTS:2000/ASP:2000/EDTL:2000Big Ideas: Creativity for a Lifetime3
RHET:2610/THTR:2610Acting for Success3
RHET:3560/PBAF:3560/POLI:3560/SJUS:3560Public Policy and Persuasion3
BUS:3000Business Communication and Protocol3
CLSA:3742/WRIT:3742Word Power: Building English Vocabulary3
COMM:1816Business and Professional Communication3
GWSS:3138/SJUS:3138Writing to Change the World3
LATH:3000Latham Fellows: Science Communication Skill Building1-2
LATH:3001Latham Fellows: Science Outreach Project2
THTR:1140Basic Acting3

Focus Areas

Students who would like to choose courses in certain focus areas can select from the following, taking into account the maximum course requirements above.

The Skills of Speaking, Presenting, and Communicating Effectively

RHET:2065Persuading Different Audiences: Launching a Successful Career3
RHET:2085Speaking Skills3
RHET:2090Conversation Practicum3
RHET:2095Fundamental Strategies of Persuasion3
RHET:2610/THTR:2610Acting for Success3
RHET:3085Advanced Speaking Skills3
RHET:3260Persuasive Speaking for Science and Health Care Professionals3
RHET:3290Advanced Business Speaking3
RHET:3585Speak, to Change the World: The Art of Speechwriting and Speechmaking3

The Skill of Writing Professionally and Persuasively

RHET:2070Persuasive Stories3
RHET:2350Forensic Rhetoric3
RHET:3005Narratives of the Midwest3
RHET:3009/PBAF:3217/URP:3217Negotiation and Conflict Resolution3
RHET:3250Persuasive Writing for Science and Health Care Professionals3
RHET:3350Gaming (the) Systems3
RHET:3630Apology and the Art of Verbal Self-Defense3

Advocacy: Making the World a Better Place

RHET:2055Persuasion and Advocacy3
RHET:2070Persuasive Stories3
RHET:2135/SJUS:2135Rhetorics of Diversity and Inclusion3
RHET:3005Narratives of the Midwest3
RHET:3250Persuasive Writing for Science and Health Care Professionals3
RHET:3560/PBAF:3560/POLI:3560/SJUS:3560Public Policy and Persuasion3
RHET:3700Advocacy and Sustainability: Crafting Stories of People, Place, and Resilience3

Performance Rhetoric

RHET:2065Persuading Different Audiences: Launching a Successful Career3
RHET:2070Persuasive Stories3
RHET:2610/THTR:2610Acting for Success3
RHET:2620Body Language: Study of Movement and Gesture in Speaking3
RHET:3005Narratives of the Midwest3
RHET:3350Gaming (the) Systems3
RHET:4980Special Projects for Undergraduatesarr.
THTR:1140Basic Acting3