Overview

Powerful writing is an invaluable asset for people in all walks of life. The Certificate in Professional Writing, offered by the Department of English, is designed to give students training that will prepare them to be polished communicators in a variety of professional environments, effectively use digital tools, skillfully convey field-specific information, productively collaborate with diverse teams, and competently interact with cross-cultural audiences. Students will put the specific knowledge and skills learned in their majors to work in publishing, editing, content-generation, development, communications, or administration in for-profit, non-profit, government and free-lance settings, among others. At the conclusion of the certificate, they will have assembled a portfolio of accomplished work. The certificate provides maximum flexibility, allowing students to focus on the specific skills and competencies that are most relevant for their chosen field.

Certificates are awarded only at the time of completion of the bachelor's degree and cannot be awarded either as a stand-alone program of study or after completion of the first bachelor's degree.

Campus Location: Main

Program Code: LA-PRWR-CERT

Contact Information

Please contact the College of Liberal Arts' Center for Academic Advising for more information on minors, certificates or other CLA programs.

Learn more about the undergraduate certificate in Professional Writing.

Requirements

Select a total of five courses in Writing. Two courses must be selected from the 2000 level options, two from the 3000 level options, and one additional elective from either list.

2000-Level Courses
Select two courses at the 2000 level from this list:6
Non-Fiction Writing
Writing for Business and Industry
Technical Writing
Writing the Research Essay
Beyond the Field: Sports and Storytelling
Writing the Memoir
Writing for the Arts
Literacy and Society
Science Writing
Medical Writing
3000-Level Courses
Select at least two courses at the 3000 level from this list:6
Building Electronic Portfolios
Career Internship (Must be taken for at least 3 credits.)
Intermediate Writing: Non-Fiction
Writers at Work
Topics in Professional Writing
Linguistics and Grammar
Electives
Select one elective from either list noted above.3
Total Credit Hours15

Students who are majoring in English may double-count no more than two courses between these programs.