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Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Studies

What can a Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Studies major do for you?

The Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Media (WRD) is the home for writing at the University of Kentucky. WRD understands that the 21st century hasn’t diminished the importance of writing and the need for understanding writing has only increased. You will learn to understand the intricacies of representing one’s ethos (or an organization’s ethos) in written formats, understand how to make persuasive arguments in writing and know how to organize the huge amounts of information coming at us every day. Working on the forefront of digital culture, WRD courses also delve into visual rhetoric and digital composing (including documentary production), social media, and public advocacy. The WRD major serves a variety of interests and gives you an advantage in many careers including publishing, politics, the writing of literary non-fiction, environmental issues, community advocacy, science and technical writing, and business and entrepreneurship.


120 Semester Hours

39 Credit Hours

30 Core Hours


What skills does studying WRD develop?

  • rhetorical skills
  • argumentative/persuasive skills
  • organizational skills
  • media skills
  • web skills 
  • research skills
  • storytelling skills 
  • information creation skills 

Career opportunities

Majoring or minoring in WRD allows you the oppertunity to pursue a number of career options

Career opportunities in Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Studies

  • Specific Industries as a content creator or writer
  • Media relations
  • Media relations
  • Documentation design
  • Government (technical documentation, lobbying, politics
  • Research specialists (think tanks, legal bodies, industry)
  • Creative content (video game development, entertainment)
  • Education (writing for education companies or agencies)
  • Social media
  • Website design
  • App creation
  • Technical writing
  • Health industry (documentation, medical information, app development)
  • Public advocacy (NGO work, non-profit)
  • Public policy (organizations that require analytical and research skills)
  • Grant writing
  • Speech writing
  • Science writing
  • Teaching
Want to learn more?

Contact:

Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Studies
(859) 257-7002
1353 Patterson Office Tower
Lexington KY 40506-0027

wrd.as.uky.edu