English 306 introduces students to the field of professional writing through a sustained engagement with its practices and principles. Students will produce a variety of documents (across a variety of genres) in terms of and in the context of key theoretical understandings of that work: namely, rhetorical theory, ethics, information design, and decision architecture. As future professional communicators, students will be continually required to analyze (that is, theorize) audiences, activities, organizations, and contexts. Professional writing practice is always predicated on a prior theoretical understanding or framework.

Throughout the semester, students will engage readings and one another, complete a variety of in-class exercises, and produce a range of documents in exploring (both theoretically and in practice) the work of professional writing. All work in the course will stress the importance of primary research, document design, effective writing, and audience awareness, considerations that will shape the professional lives of students.