The study and contemporary application of ancient Greek and Roman rhetorical theory. Students will apply rhetorical theory in ongoing analyses of a wide range of communication media (written, spoken, visual) and in their own writing.

Exploration of current theories and processes of visual communication within the public sphere. Drawing on notions of visuality in rhetoric, visual studies, cultural studies, art history, media studies, and communication studies, this course considers the role of the visual in our increasingly hyper-visualized and digital world.

Emphasis on combining textual and graphic components to accomplish production-oriented, informative, instructional, and persuasive tasks. Students will acquire a broad understanding of the fundamentals of visual communication and document design. Students will then evaluate the effectiveness of design choices for particular rhetorical situations and apply those principles to specific projects using industry-standard design/publishing software.