PPW Course Clusters
Students may group related courses to create specialization and depth in writing for specific purposes and audiences. Course clusters are suggestions, not tracks. You are welcome to mix courses across clusters to suit your interests and goals, and you can always change your mind. Find more detail about these courses on our course description page.
Several of our courses carry "topics" numbers (such as ENGCMP 0500, 0550, 1200, and 1250). The content of these courses varies by instructor and term, and the courses are sometimes used for Study Abroad offerings. Topics courses are not listed in specific clusters, but depending on the topic, a given section may fit well within one or more cluster areas. Check the current course schedule or ask your advisor whether a particular offering fits your cluster goals.
PPW majors should also know that the Bridge Seminar (ENGCMP 1910), taken in the senior year, is an opportunity to draw on the expertise you've developed in your cluster. Your cluster can shape the research project you pursue in the Bridge Seminar.
Here are some sample clusters to get you started:
Writing for Science and Engineering
Choose this cluster if you're studying or planning to work in STEM fields and need to communicate technical information clearly to specialized or general audiences. It's a good fit if you're heading toward a career in research, engineering, health sciences, or any field where you'll write for both expert and non-expert readers.
Courses in this cluster develop your ability to write in the genres central to scientific and technical work, from abstracts and literature reviews to grant applications and technical reports. You'll learn to communicate data clearly and ethically, apply principles of accessible design, and navigate the rhetorical and ethical dimensions of writing for clinical, research, and public health contexts.
- ENGCMP 0430 Public Communication of Science and Technology
- ENGCMP 0450 Research Writing
- ENGCMP 0521 Writing with Data
- ENGCMP 0530 Writing for the Sciences
- ENGCMP 0535 Writing in the Health Science Professions
- ENGCMP 0545 Writing for Accessibility
- ENGCMP 0600 Introduction to Technical Writing
- ENGCMP 1101 Language of Science and Technology
- ENGCMP 1102 Language of Medicine
- ENGCMP 1207 Writing Machines
- ENGCMP 1402 Grant Writing for Research
- ENGCMP 1430 User Research and Reporting
- ENGCMP 1900 Internship: select a technical, science, or engineering site
Advertising and PR Writing
This cluster prepares you to write persuasively across marketing, public relations, and corporate communications. Take courses here if you're interested in a career in advertising, brand communications, media relations, or social media strategy.
Courses in this cluster develop your ability to write across the full range of advertising and PR genres, from press releases and brand copy to crisis communications and multi-platform campaigns. You'll build a grounding in rhetorical theory and the history and ethics of the field, develop a professional voice adaptable across platforms, and learn to write for global audiences with awareness of how cultural and professional norms vary across contexts.
- ENGCMP 0400 Written Professional Communication
- ENGCMP 0515 Persuasive Writing in Advertising
- ENGCMP 0520 Integrating Writing and Design
- ENGCMP 1103 Public Relations Writing
- ENGCMP 1104 Corporate Storytelling
- ENGCMP 1111 Professional Writing in Global Contexts
- ENGCMP 1112 Professional Uses of Social Media
- ENGCMP 1120 History and Ethics of Advertising and Public Relations
- ENGCMP 1900 Internship: select a PR, marketing, advertising, or community relations site
- ENGCMP 1906 Professional Experience: Writing, Editing, or PR
Black Rhetoric and Public Writing
This cluster centers the history, theory, and practice of Black rhetorical traditions and their role in public life. Choose it if you want to develop your writing through the lens of race, justice, and community engagement, and perhaps pursue work with organizations, advocacy groups, or media that reflect those commitments.
Courses in this cluster develop your ability to engage with foundational and contemporary scholarship in Black rhetoric; analyze how Black writers, activists, and public figures have used language to challenge power and shape public life; and produce original research and writing that critically engages with Black rhetorical traditions.
Because two of the courses in this cluster are topics courses whose specific focus shifts by term, students should check the current course schedule to see what each offering covers. The cluster's commitment to Black rhetorical theory and practice remains constant across all iterations.
- ENGCMP 0401: Written Professional Communication: Topics in Diversity
- ENGCMP 0570 Topics in Black Rhetoric and Public Writing
- ENGCMP 1270 Projects in Black Rhetoric
- ENGCMP 1900 Internship: select a media outlet, advocacy organization, community publication, or institution whose work engages with race, justice, and public life
Writing for Law and Government
This cluster builds the research, argumentation, and policy writing skills needed for careers in law, government, or public affairs. It's a good choice if you're considering law school, work in a public agency, or any role that involves navigating legal, civic, or policy-driven writing.
Courses in this cluster develop your ability to write in the genres central to legal and government contexts, from memoranda and policy memos to op-eds and grant proposals. You'll learn the structure and logic of legal reasoning, conduct sustained research and integrate it into persuasive arguments, and develop an understanding of the ethical responsibilities of writing in public interest contexts.
- ENGCMP 0410 Writing in the Legal Professions
- ENGCMP 0420 Writing for the Public
- ENGCMP 0450 Research Writing
- ENGCMP 0521 Writing with Data
- ENGCMP 0560 Writing Arguments
- ENGCMP 0641 Writing for Change
- ENGCMP 1099 The Language of Policy and Power: Topics in Diversity
- ENGCMP 1400 Grant Writing for Nonprofits
- ENGCMP 1900 Internship: select a public agency, government organization, JURIST, or a law office
Writing for Nonprofits
Choose this cluster if you're drawn to mission-driven work and want to develop skills in grant writing, fundraising, advocacy, and community-facing communication. It's well-suited to students who plan to work with foundations, social service organizations, or environmental and social justice groups.
Courses in this cluster develop your ability to write across the genres that sustain nonprofit organizations, from grant proposals and donor communications to newsletters and public comment letters. You'll develop an understanding of the nonprofit funding landscape, learn to compose sustained arguments that move audiences to action, and navigate the legal and ethical frameworks that shape writing on behalf of a community or cause.
- ENGCMP 0420 Writing for the Public
- ENGCMP 0432 Writing for Environmental Advocacy
- ENGCMP 0515 Persuasive Writing in Advertising
- ENGCMP 0521 Writing with Data
- ENGCMP 0641 Writing for Change
- ENGCMP 1099 The Language of Policy and Power: Topics in Diversity
- ENGCMP 1111 Professional Writing in Global Contexts
- ENGCMP 1112 Professional Uses of Social Media
- ENGCMP 1400 Grant Writing for Nonprofits
- ENGCMP 1401 Writing for Fundraising and Development
- ENGCMP 1900 Internship: select a nonprofit or foundation
Teaching and Composition Studies
This cluster is for students interested in how writing is taught, learned, and theorized, whether in K-12, higher education, or tutoring contexts. It's a good fit if you're considering a career in education, graduate study in rhetoric and composition, or work as a writing tutor or undergraduate teaching assistant. Even if you're not planning to teach, this cluster helps you develop strong reflective and analytical skills.
Courses in this cluster develop your ability to engage with scholarship in writing studies, composition theory, and literacy education, and to understand how language intersects with race, ethnicity, class, gender, and power. You'll develop proficiency as an editor and responder to others' writing and build habits of revision and attention to style, structure, and voice that will serve you in any writing context.
- ENGCMP 0415 Writing and Anxiety
- ENGCMP 0521 Writing with Data
- ENGCMP 0620 Theories of Writing and Teaching
- ENGCMP 1210 Tutoring Peer Writers
- ENGCMP 1510 Writing with Style
- ENGCMP 1520 Revising with Play and Purpose
- ENGCMP 1551 History and Politics of the English Language
- ENGCMP 1552 Language, Literacy, and Learning
- ENGCMP 1901 UTA: Teaching or Tutoring Writing
- ENGCMP 1900 Internship: select an education site
Writing for Business
Choose this cluster if you're planning to work in corporate environments and want to develop skills in professional communication, business storytelling, and writing for global and digital contexts. It complements majors like business, economics, or communication for students who want writing to be a clear professional strength.
Courses in this cluster develop your ability to write across the genres common to business and industry, from memos and proposals to brand communications and stakeholder writing. You'll learn to use data persuasively, develop a professional voice adaptable across platforms, and navigate the challenges of writing for global audiences with awareness of how cultural expectations and professional norms vary across contexts.
- ENGCMP 0400 Written Professional Communication
- ENGCMP 0510 Narratives of the Workplace
- ENGCMP 0521 Writing with Data
- ENGCMP 1100 Language of Business and Industry
- ENGCMP 1104 Corporate Storytelling
- ENGCMP 1111 Professional Writing in Global Contexts
- ENGCMP 1112 Professional Uses of Social Media
- ENGCMP 1420 Writing Proposals for Business
- ENGCMP 1900 Internship: select a corporate or business site
Public Engagement
This cluster is for students who want to use writing as a tool for civic participation, community connection, and social change. It's a good fit if you're drawn to service-learning, community-based projects, or careers at the intersection of writing and public life. Because many of these courses involve real community partners and on-the-ground research, you can build a portfolio that demonstrates not just writing skill but public impact.
Courses in this cluster develop your ability to research and write about public issues using archival work, fieldwork, and interviews to better understand how place, history, and geography shape community identity and public life. You'll engage with the histories and contemporary realities of working class, marginalized, and underrepresented communities, and learn to write across platforms and genres with attention to the specific audiences and stakes of each context.
- ENGCMP 0401 Written Professional Communication: Topics in Diversity
- ENGCMP 0420 Writing for the Public
- ENGCMP 0435 The Public Athlete
- ENGCMP 0521 Writing with Data
- ENGCMP 0565 Writing Places
- ENGCMP 0568 Public Lab: Writing as Witness
- ENGCMP 0581 Composing Social Class: Public Writing and the Working Class
- ENGCMP 0641 Writing for Change
- ENGCMP 0712 Critical Making
- ENGCMP 1099 The Language of Policy and Power: Topics in Diversity
- ENGCMP 1551 History and Politics of the English Language
- ENGCMP 1552 Language, Literacy, and Learning
- ENGCMP 1900 Internship: select a nonprofit, agency, or government site
- ENGCMP 1906 Professional Experience: Writing, Editing, or PR
Writing for Advocacy and Change
This cluster is for students who want to use writing to advance social, environmental, and civic causes. Choose it if you're drawn to work with advocacy organizations, grassroots movements, environmental groups, or public interest media, or if you want your writing to engage with questions of power, justice, and community.
Courses in this cluster develop your ability to write persuasively across platforms and genres, from op-eds and policy memos to digital and visual media. You'll learn to conduct research that supports advocacy arguments, understand the rhetorical and ethical dimensions of speaking out and documenting others' experiences, and engage with the historical and political contexts that shape public debates about justice, environment, and policy.
- ENGCMP 0432 Writing for Environmental Advocacy
- ENGCMP 0568 Public Lab: Writing as Witness
- ENGCMP 0581 Composing Social Class: Public Writing and the Working Class
- ENGCMP 0641 Writing for Change
- ENGCMP 1099 The Language of Policy and Power: Topics in Diversity
- ENGCMP 1900 Internship: select a nonprofit, advocacy organization, community group, or public interest media outlet
Composing Digital Media and Using Design
Choose this cluster if you're interested in how writing, design, and digital tools work together to create compelling content across platforms. It suits students heading toward careers in digital content creation, UX writing, multimedia journalism, or fields where visual and written communication intersect. (NB: You may also be interested in Digital Narrative and Interactive Design’s elective cluster in Interactive Media for Public Engagement.)
Courses in this cluster develop your ability to compose across multiple media, including audio, video, web, and print, using professional tools and open source platforms. You'll learn how visual rhetoric and design work together with writing to produce audience-centered documents and digital experiences, and critically examine the ethical implications of automation, surveillance, and artificial intelligence for writers and communicators.
- ENGCMP 0425 Digital Humanity
- ENGCMP 0520 Integrating Writing and Design
- ENGCMP 0521 Writing with Data
- ENGCMP 0565 Writing Places
- ENGCMP 0610 Composing Digital Media
- ENGCMP 0712 Critical Making
- ENGCMP 1112 Professional Uses of Social Media
- ENGCMP 1130 Projects in Digital Composition
- ENGCMP 1207 Writing Machines
- ENGCMP 1430 User Research and Reporting
- ENGCMP 1900 Internship: select a site where you'll work hands-on with digital content: a nonprofit or a business needing digital materials, for example.
Technical Writing
This cluster prepares you to produce clear, accurate, and accessible documentation for technical products, systems, and processes. Follow it if you're interested in a career as a technical writer, content strategist, or documentation specialist in industries like software, engineering, or healthcare.
Courses in this cluster develop your ability to write in the genres central to technical work, from reports and documentation to user-facing content for digital products. You'll learn to conduct user research, test the usability of technical communications, apply principles of accessibility and Universal Design, and critically examine how emerging technologies are reshaping the practice and ethics of technical writing.
- ENGCMP 0430 Public Communication of Science and Technology
- ENGCMP 0521 Writing with Data
- ENGCMP 0535 Writing in the Health Science Professions
- ENGCMP 0545 Writing for Accessibility
- ENGCMP 0600 Introduction to Technical Writing
- ENGCMP 0610 Composing Digital Media
- ENGCMP 1101 Language of Science and Technology
- ENGCMP 1207 Writing Machines
- ENGCMP 1430 User Research and Reporting
- ENGCMP 1900 Internship: select a technical, science, or engineering site
Health and Medicine Writing
This cluster is for students interested in the many forms of writing that shape how we understand, communicate, and advocate for health. It's a good fit if you're heading toward careers in healthcare, public health, medical research, health communication, or any field where writing bridges clinical, scientific, and public audiences.
Courses in this cluster develop your ability to write in the genres central to health and medical contexts, from biomedical abstracts and literature reviews to patient-facing documents and personal statements for health professions programs. You'll learn to apply principles of accessibility and Universal Design, use health science research responsibly, and engage with the ethical dimensions of writing about health, illness, and vulnerable populations.
- ENGCMP 0430 Public Communication of Science and Technology
- ENGCMP 0521 Writing with Data
- ENGCMP 0535 Writing in the Health Science Professions
- ENGCMP 0540 Introduction to Disability Studies
- ENGCMP 0545 Writing for Accessibility
- ENGCMP 0600 Introduction to Technical Writing
- ENGCMP 1102 Language of Medicine
- ENGCMP 1402 Grant Writing for Research
- ENGCMP 1430 User Research and Reporting
- ENGCMP 1900 Internship: select a healthcare organization, public health agency, hospital, or health communications firm
Publishing
This cluster is for students drawn to the editorial side of writing, editing, shaping, and producing written work for print or digital publication. It’s a good choice if you're considering a career at magazines, literary presses, publishing houses, or media organizations.
Courses in this cluster develop your ability to edit across the full range of editorial work, from developmental editing through copyediting and proofreading, with proficiency in industry-standard style guides. You'll learn to integrate writing and design using professional tools, develop your own voice and perspective as an essayist, and use revision not just to correct but to deepen and reimagine your work for real-world submission.
- ENGCMP 0400 Written Professional Communication
- ENGCMP 0520 Integrating Writing and Design
- ENGCMP 1151 Professional Editing in Context
- ENGCMP 1220 The Art of the Essay
- ENGCMP 1510 Writing with Style
- ENGCMP 1520 Revising with Play and Purpose
- ENGCMP 1900 Internship: select a magazine, press, or publishing house
- ENGCMP 1906 Professional Experience: Writing, Editing, or PR
Public Storytelling
This cluster is for students who want to bring research, observation, and craft together to write for public audiences, through documentary work, essays, or place-based and archival storytelling. Choose it if you're drawn to careers in journalism, magazine and digital publishing, documentary film, podcasting, or public humanities, or if you simply want to develop your ability to tell true stories well for broad audiences.
Courses in this cluster develop your ability to conduct original research through archival work, interviews, fieldwork, and observation, and to shape that research into sustained prose across multiple genres. You'll develop your voice and craft at the sentence and paragraph levels and think carefully about the ethics of representing others' experiences and the responsibilities that come with bearing witness.
- ENGCMP 0420 Writing for the Public
- ENGCMP 0435 The Public Athlete
- ENGCMP 0510 Narratives of the Workplace
- ENGCMP 0568 Public Lab: Writing as Witness
- ENGCMP 0581 Composing Social Class: Public Writing and the Working Class
- ENGCMP 1170 Writing Pittsburgh
- ENGCMP 1220 The Art of the Essay
- ENGCMP 1410 Advanced Research and Documentary Writing
- ENGCMP 1900 Internship: select a media outlet, community organization, cultural institution, or public-facing publication
Disability Studies
Take this cluster to explore the social, cultural, and rhetorical dimensions of disability along with practical skills in accessible writing and design. It's a good fit for students interested in accessibility work, disability advocacy, or any career where designing for diverse audiences matters. This cluster is also valuable for any student who wants to think critically about how language shapes perceptions of ability and access.
Courses in this cluster develop your ability to engage with foundational theories and histories in Disability Studies and to analyze how language, design, and representation construct and challenge assumptions about ability and normalcy. You'll develop proficiency in accessibility, apply principles of Universal Design to your academic and professional writing, and conduct user research to identify and anticipate the needs of diverse audiences.
- ENGCMP 0415 Writing and Anxiety
- ENGCMP 0540 Introduction to Disability Studies
- ENGCMP 0545 Writing for Accessibility
- ENGCMP 1430 User Research and Reporting
- ENGCMP 1900 Internship: select an accessibility consulting firm, disability advocacy organization, or education site
Preparing for Law or Graduate School
This cluster builds the close reading, rigorous argumentation, and polished writing skills that law school and graduate admissions require. Choose it if you're planning to pursue advanced study and want your PPW coursework to sharpen the analytical and written communication skills those programs demand.
Courses in this cluster develop your ability to analyze arguments critically, conduct sustained research, and compose persuasively across a range of forms and genres. You'll learn to write and revise at the sentence and paragraph level with attention to style, syntax, and precision, with the goal of producing polished analytical essays, research papers, and writing samples ready for real-world submission.
- ENGCMP 0401 Written Professional Communication: Topics in Diversity
- ENGCMP 0410 Writing in the Legal Professions
- ENGCMP 0440 Critical Writing
- ENGCMP 0450 Research Writing
- ENGCMP 0521 Writing with Data
- ENGCMP 0560 Writing Arguments
- ENGCMP 1099 The Language of Policy and Power: Topics in Diversity
- ENGCMP 1220 The Art of the Essay
- ENGCMP 1510 Writing with Style
- ENGCMP 1520 Revising with Play and Purpose
- ENGCMP 1900 Internship: select a law office or agency related to your field of interest