Rhetoric
MIT's Comparative Media Studies/Writing program offers this course on the theory and practice of rhetoric and rhetorical criticism. Students work as both rhetors, using persuasive techniques in oral and written form, and as critics analyzing the rhetorical strategies of others. The course builds skills in argument analysis, persuasion, oral presentation, and critical thinking through assignments that treat each piece of writing or speech as a real attempt to create new knowledge rather than a classroom exercise. Materials available through MIT OpenCourseWare include the syllabus, assignments, and readings covering classical and contemporary rhetorical theory. The course suits students interested in how language is used to argue, convince, and shape public understanding, whether they plan to write persuasive text themselves or to critique the persuasive attempts of politicians, advertisers, and other public speakers.