Program Overview

Professional Writing Undergraduate Certificate

The Professional Writing Undergraduate Certificate is designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in professional writing. This certificate program requires students to complete 18 hours of selected writing courses with a grade point average of 3.0 or better.

Certificate Requirements

To earn the certificate, students must complete the following requirements:

• ENGL 2400 or ENGL 2410
• ENGL 4890
• Four additional courses chosen from the list of Professional Writing Genre Courses, Academic Writing Courses, Creative Writing Courses, Honors Courses, and Capstone Course

Professional Writing Genre Courses

• ENGL/MEDIA ST 2080: Advertising Copywriting (3 credits)
• ENGL 2125: Introduction to Technical Communication (MOTR ENGL 110) (3 credits)
• ENGL 2180: Introduction to News Writing (3 credits)
• ENGL 3120: Business Writing (3 credits)
• ENGL 3130: Technical Writing (3 credits)
• ENGL/MEDIA ST 3150: Feature Writing (3 credits)
• COMM 2180: Public Relations Writing (3 credits)
• ENGL 4162: Writers at Work (3 credits)
• ENGL 4860: Editing and the Production Process (3 credits)
• ENGL 4870: Advanced Business and Technical Writing (3 credits)
• ENGL 4871: Publishing: Writers, Editors, and Readers (3 credits)
• ENGL 4880: Writing for Teachers (3 credits)

Academic Writing Courses

• ENGL 2120: Topics in Writing (3 credits)
• ENGL 2400: Rhetorical Ways with Words (3 credits)
• ENGL 2410: Literate Lives (3 credits)
• ENGL 2810: Traditional Grammar (3 credits)
• ENGL 3090: Turning the Kaleidoscope: How We Look at Texts (3 credits)
• ENGL 3100: Junior-Level Writing (3 credits)
• ENGL 3110: Junior-Level Writing for International Students (3 credits)
• ENGL 3160: Writing in the Sciences (3 credits)
• ENGL 3200: Composing Disability (3 credits)
• ENGL 4160: Special Topics in Writing (3 credits)
• ENGL 4790: Rhetoric and Social Justice (3 credits)
• ENGL 4810: Descriptive English Grammar (3 credits)

Creative Writing Courses

Students may take up to 2 creative writing courses:

• ENGL 2020: Introduction to Creative Writing (3 credits)
• ENGL 2030: Poetry Writing Jumpstart (3 credits)
• ENGL 2040: Fiction Writing Jumpstart (3 credits)
• ENGL 3030: Improving on the Blank Page: Writing Poetry (3 credits)
• ENGL 3040: Lying to Tell a Truth: Writing Fiction (3 credits)
• ENGL 4130: A Machine Made of Words: Writing Your Best Poems (3 credits)
• ENGL 4140: Polishing Your Stories: Producing a Publishable Short Story (3 credits)
• ENGL 4150: Creative Non-Fiction (3 credits)
• ENGL 4180: Novel Beginnings (3 credits)
• ENGL 4895: Editing "Litmag" (can be taken as a capstone) (3 credits)

Honors Courses

• HONORS 2020: Inquiries in the Fine and Performing Arts (3 credits)
• HONORS 3100: Honors Advanced Composition: Writing The City (3 credits)
• HONORS 3020: Advanced Honors Seminar in the Fine and Performing Arts (3 credits)

Capstone Course

• ENGL 4890: Writing Internship (Required. Usually taken as the last course in the program. Must include an extensive final project.) (3 credits)
• ENGL 4892: Independent Writing Project (3 credits)

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, certificate earners will be able to:

• Write clearly, correctly, and concisely
• Develop knowledge of how writing impacts work and behavior in professional settings
• Employ a repertoire of writing strategies and practices in the workplace
• Effectively adapt content to a variety of professional audiences
• Discern the appropriate tone, style, and format needed for a given writing purpose, audience, and context
• Demonstrate advanced knowledge of rhetorical strategies to achieve specific results
• Practice solid revision and editing skills
• Integrate expectations about professional standards and persuasive, content-based thinking into their written communication
• Recognize and adjust to expectations in the global workplace setting
• Develop a portfolio of professional writing that would serve in a job search
• Work independently and collaboratively on complex professional documents
• Adapt to new writing challenges quickly