This course aims to improve students' argumentation skills. The 
first half of the course is devoted to making students 
conversant with argumentation concepts and techniques as they 
operate in public discourse. The second half of the course 
aims to improve both written and oral argumentation skills. 
Students will write papers applying prior theoretical and 
academic research. Students will also acquire competence in 
the oral practice of argumentation by developing debate cases 
and arguing these cases against classmates.

Week 1	Defining argument	
Week 2:	Rationale for the study of argument
Week 3:	Narrative Argument
Week 4:	Audience Analysis			 
Week 5:	Fields of Argument
Week 6:	Language in Argument			
Week 7:	Argument Types & Writing arguments
Week 8:	Ground of Argument
Week 9:	Argument in Law	
Week 10:Argument in Politics	 
Week 11:Evidence
Week 12:Basic Debate		
Week 13:Advanced Debate
Week 14:Debates		 
Week 15:Debates
Week 16:Debates

“Academic honesty is – defined broadly and simply – the 
performance of all academic work without cheating, lying, 
stealing, or receiving assistance from any other person or 
using any source of information not appropriately authorized or 
attributed” (From the Preamble to “A Culture of Honesty”). The 
University, the Department of Communication Studies, and I 
personally take academic honesty very seriously. Every student 
at the University of Georgia should be familiar with the 
booklet, “A Culture of Honesty: Policies and Procedures on 
Academic Dishonesty.” If you are not, please obtain one of 
these booklets and read it carefully. This document has a 
thorough presentation of four types of academic dishonesty, 
including plagiarism, unauthorized assistance, lying/tampering, 
and theft, as well as the procedures that are in place to 
adjudicate alleged incidents of academic dishonesty. The 
policies and procedures described in “A Culture of Honesty” 
will be strictly followed. University Mandated Statement 
Concerning the University Honor Code & Academic Honesty All 
academic work must meet the standards contained in “A Culture 
of Honesty.” Students are responsible for informing themselves 
about those standards before performing any academic work. More 
detailed information about academic honesty can be found at
http://www.uga.edu/ovpi/honesty/acadhon.htm.