Course Schedule and Catalog
Course Catalog - 2026-2027
COMM 105 - LEARNING & WRITING IDENTITIES
Long Title: LEARNING IDENTITIES, WRITING IDENTITIES
Department: Program Writing Communication
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Undergraduate Professional
Visiting Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Description: What we learn can change how we see ourselves, and how we see ourselves can influence the way we learn. This course will examine the relationship between identity, writing, and learning, allowing students to reflect on their own identities and the complex forces and factors that can strengthen or challenge our identities as learners and people. Students also will be developing the writing and reading skills needed to engage with college-level readings and to communicate effectively in a number of forms and situations.
COMM 110 - WRITING STUDIO - FOUNDATIONS
Long Title: WRITING STUDIO - FOUNDATIONS
Department: Program Writing Communication
Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Studio
Credit Hours: 1
Restrictions:
Corequisite: UNIV 110 Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Undergraduate Professional
Visiting Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Description: In this writing studio, to be taken in conjunction with UNIV 110, students will participate in targeted writing instruction and hands-on workshops designed to build fundamental literacy and self-editing skills and will cultivate collaboration in a writing community.
COMM 120 - FWIS WRITING STUDIO
Long Title: FWIS WRITING STUDIO
Department: Program Writing Communication
Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Studio
Credit Hours: 1
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Undergraduate Professional
Visiting Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Description: In this writing studio, to be taken in conjunction with a FWIS (101+) course, students will participate in targeted writing instruction and hands-on workshops designed to build on students’ existing literacy and self-editing skills and cultivate collaboration in a writing community.
COMM 220 - FWIS WRITING STUDIO
Long Title: FWIS WRITING STUDIO
Department: Program Writing Communication
Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Studio
Credit Hours: 1
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Undergraduate Professional
Visiting Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Description: In this writing studio, to be taken in conjunction with a FWIS (201+) course, students will participate in targeted writing instruction and hands-on workshops designed to build on students’ existing literacy and self-editing skills and cultivate collaboration in a writing community.
COMM 237 - THEORIES OF ORAL COMMUNICATION
Long Title: ORAL COMMUNICATION IN PRACTICE AND THEORY
Department: Program Writing Communication
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Undergraduate Professional
Visiting Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Description: This class will aim to provide students with both a practical and theoretical framework for improving their oral presentation skills while fostering a level of self-awareness regarding the social constructions governing traditional “best practices.”
COMM 238 - SPECIAL TOPICS
Long Title: SPECIAL TOPICS
Department: Program Writing Communication
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Independent Study, Internship/Practicum, Laboratory, Lecture, Lecture/Laboratory, Seminar
Credit Hours: 1 TO 4
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Undergraduate Professional
Visiting Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Description: Topics and credit hours vary each semester. Contact department for current semester's topic(s). Repeatable for Credit.
COMM 239 - RHETORIC AND POPULAR WRITING
Long Title: A QUESTION OF STYLE, RHETORIC AND POPULAR WRITING
Department: Program Writing Communication
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Undergraduate Professional
Visiting Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Description: This course examines the rhetoric of popular writing in outlets such as National Geographic and Sports Illustrated. Through critical reading and writing workshops, students will acquire a nuanced understanding of available stylistic choices as they build the skills they need to develop their own voice with clarity, confidence, and style.
COMM 300 - COMMUNICATION IN DIGITAL AGE
Long Title: COMMUNICATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Department: Program Writing Communication
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Undergraduate Professional
Visiting Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Description: Students will develop writing skills by maintaining a blog, generating Webpage content, and using social media. We will also produce video and audio content while remaining aware of how the form of the work impacts its content.
COMM 301 - WRITING CENTER THEORY/PRACTICE
Long Title: THEORIES OF WRITING CENTER PRACTICE
Department: Program Writing Communication
Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 1
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Undergraduate Professional
Visiting Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Description: Students taking this course will read a wide body of scholarly work concerning writing center theory and practice, while also engaging in discussion with peer colleagues. Topics that will be covered in this course include, but are not limited to defining the writing center, second language acquisition theory, tutoring strategies for specific student populations, social justice in the writing center, and consulting on new media. In addition, students will have a chance to observe and learn from experienced writing center tutors. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: COMM 501. Recommended Prerequisite(s): Completion of FWIS requirement
COMM 314 - CIVIC-ENGAGED DATA COMM
Long Title: CIVIC-ENGAGED DATA COMMUNICATION
Department: Program Writing Communication
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture/Laboratory
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Undergraduate Professional
Visiting Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Prerequisite(s): DSCI 304
Description: Data locked away on computers, crammed into indecipherable coefficient tables, or thrown into senseless scatterplots cannot make a meaningful difference in the world around us. In this course, students will collaborate with community partners to create a series of advanced visual tools that showcase data to the outside world. Building on principles of communication and aesthetic design, students will explore how to effectively coalesce complicated and nuanced data into approachable and readily understood visuals.
COMM 415 - MEDICAL COMMUNICATION
Long Title: MEDICAL COMMUNICATION
Department: Program Writing Communication
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Undergraduate Professional
Visiting Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Must be enrolled in one of the following Class(es):
Senior
Junior
Description: This course introduces students to key issues, theories, and debates related to medical communication, while also helping students develop and reflect on their own communication strategies, and skills as future health care professionals. Sophomores and Freshmen who have fulfilled Rice's First-year Writing-Intensive Seminar requirement for graduation may register by a Special Registration Form. Recommended Prerequisite(s): Successfully completed one course, FWIS 101 to 199, to fulfill the Rice's First-year Writing-Intensive Seminar requirement for graduation.
COMM 501 - WRITING CENTER THEORY/PRACTICE
Long Title: THEORIES OF WRITING CENTER PRACTICE
Department: Program Writing Communication
Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 1
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Students taking this course will read a wide body of scholarly work concerning writing center theory and practice, while also engaging in discussion with peer colleagues. Topics that will be covered in this course include, but are not limited to defining the writing center, second language acquisition theory, tutoring strategies for specific student populations, social justice in the writing center, and consulting on new media. In addition, students will have a chance to observe and learn from experienced tutors. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: COMM 301.
COMM 600 - ACADEMIC READING AND WRITING
Long Title: INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC READING AND WRITING FOR INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE STUDENTS
Department: Program Writing Communication
Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 2
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: This course teaches fundamental academic reading and writing skills to international graduate students in the first two years of their studies. Students will learn how scholars construct arguments and use evidence to support claims, and they will practice writing texts that are relevant to their own courses and careers.
COMM 601 - ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Long Title: ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE STUDENTS
Department: Program Writing Communication
Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 2
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: This course provides students with strategies to improve oral communication skills necessary for academic and professional success in North American contexts. Students will learn how to overcome common and individual challenges related to pronunciation clarity, small group interactions, and formal presentations. Final projects will be related to students' studies or research. Repeatable for Credit.
COMM 602 - ADVANCED ACADEMIC WRITING
Long Title: ADVANCED ACADEMIC WRITING FOR INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE STUDENTS
Department: Program Writing Communication
Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 2
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: This course addresses writing at both the macro- and micro- level, engaging students in such academic writing tasks as critiquing, reporting, and interpreting research findings, illustrating and justifying the significance of research, while also attending to mechanical topics. Writing assignments in the course will be linked to students' studies, courses, or research. One-on-one conferences with instructors will be required.
COMM 605 - ADVANCED ENGLISH COMMUNICATION
Long Title: ADVANCED ENGLISH COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE STUDENTS
Department: Program Writing Communication
Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Independent Study
Credit Hours: 1
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: This independent study course may be taken on its own or in conjunction with one of the other credit-bearing English communication courses. Students will work on a particular communication skill (reading, writing, speaking, listening) or combination of skills under the guidance of an ESL expert. Instructor Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.
COMM 677 - SPECIAL TOPICS
Long Title: SPECIAL TOPICS
Department: Program Writing Communication
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Independent Study, Internship/Practicum, Laboratory, Lecture, Lecture/Laboratory, Seminar
Credit Hours: 1 TO 4
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Topics and credit hours vary each semester. Contact department for current semester's topic(s). Repeatable for Credit.