New Courses

The M.A. in Writing Program is proud to announce two new courses for Fall 2008:

490.658 – Techniques of Science-Medical Writing
This new foundation course in our science-medical writing concentration develops and hones fundamental skills in reporting, creative writing, and explanatory language. In addition to writing assignments and exercises in journalistic and literary writing, students will complete field trips and other real-world experiences. The course covers interviewing, ethics, and the use of scientific journals and databases. In some cases, students may be able to choose from a range of writing topics, including nature, technology, health, space, biology, medicine, or other technical or scientific issue. Science-Medical Writing students should complete this course before enrolling in a writing workshop. Enrollment is encouraged by other students interested in this growing professional and creative field. This course will be offered at both the Homewood Campus in Baltimore and the Washington D.C. Center at Dupont Circle. The two groups will be linked by live video conference, with instructors assigned to each location. The team of instructors will include Nancy Shute, Melissa Hendricks, and Mary Knudson. For more information about this new course, contact Mary Knudson by calling 301-495-9379 or e-mailing mknudson@jhu.edu.

490.712 – Teaching Writing: Theory, Practice & Craft
This new elective course, for students in all concentrations who now teach writing or wish to, combines practical aspects such as creating a syllabus and responding to student writing, with a discussion of the use of technology, the role of teacher as expert or facilitator, and the philosophical consideration of what matters most to you as a teacher. While teaching at different venues will be covered, the focus is the college level. Students will design two courses, one on teaching a specific concentration (fiction, poetry, nonfiction, etc.) and a second on composition or literature. The course concludes with each student teaching part of a class. This course will be offered at the Washington D.C. Center and will be taught by Mark Farrington, the program’s fiction advisor and winner of both Writing Program and Advanced Academic Programs teaching awards. For more information about this course, email Mark Farrington at mfarrin1@jhu.edu.

For more on program courses, see the writing program course descriptions.