Ithaca College

Take Science Writing (WRTG-31400, CRN 42664) this semester to fulfill the ICC Writing Intensive requirement.

This advanced expository course (offered 9:25 AM Tuesday, Thursday in Smiddy 109) teaches journalistic and literary scientific writing for general and specialized periodicals. Students learn to communicate scientific facts and theories to professional and sophisticated lay readers through description, analogy, narrative, and argument. The course also discusses the technical and scholarly conventions of formal scientific writing, such as research proposals, publishing formats, and APA and CSE citation. Class readings include major humanistic essays from the history of science and articles and features from contemporary popular and scientific publications.

An elective in our major’s feature and professional writing concentrations, Science Writing also serves students in communications, environmental studies, and the health and natural sciences. Accordingly, the course encourages dialogue, debate, and collaboration between aspiring journalists, creative nonfiction writers, publicists, and lobbyists and future clinicians, educators, researchers, scientists, and technicians. Its primary focus, therefore, is institutional science itself, examining its history, organization, politics, and ethics through the lenses of rhetoric and writing.

Download a syllabus at:

• https://faculty.ithaca.edu/direnzo/docs/syllabi/314/

Course prerequisites: Junior standing (sophomores and freshmen with permission of instructor); WRTG 20100 or WRTG 21300 and two courses in COMP, BIOC, BIOL, CHEM, ENVS, MATH, or PHYS: or three courses in COMP, BIOC, BIOL, CHEM, ENVS, EXSS, HLTH, MATH, or PHYS. The alternative prerequisites allow access to students who are not Writing majors and minors. Should you experience problems enrolling online, contact Dr. Anthony Di Renzo at 274-3614 or direnzo@ithaca.edu.

Science Writing will not be offered again until Spring 2021. Please take advantage of this opportunity and discover why science writing is America's fastest growing publishing field.