Program Overview

Certificate in Writing

The Certificate in Writing, offered by the Magid Center for Writing and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, can be completed entirely online. This certificate provides an opportunity for distance students to take advantage of the University of Iowa's impressive culture of writing.

Online Curriculum

The online Certificate in Writing requires a student to successfully complete a minimum of 19 s.h. and maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA in all course work.

Writing Certificate Requirements

• Required Introductory Core Course (3 s.h.):
  • WRIT:1500: Writing Commons: A Community of Writers (3 s.h.)
• Additional Core Courses (6 s.h.):
  • LING:1003 / WRIT:1003: English Grammar (3 s.h.)
  • WRIT:1600: Fast Fixes: Improved Writing in 6 weeks (1 s.h.) (must be taken three times for 1 s.h. each with different topics)
  • LING:3080 / WRIT:3080: History of the English Language (3 s.h.)
  • CNW:3632 / ENGL:3732 / WRIT:3632: Prose Style (3 s.h.)
  • CW:4745 / WRIT:4745: The Sentence: Strategies for Writing (3 s.h.)
  • CW:4760 / WRIT:4760: The Art of Revision: Writing for Clarity (3 s.h.)
• Additional 6 s.h. may include one of these:
  • CLSA:1740 / WRIT:1740: Writing Strategies: Word Origins and Word Choice (3 s.h.)
  • CLSA:3742 / WRIT:3742: Word Power: Building English Vocabulary (3 s.h.)
• Focused Electives (9 s.h.) - must include courses from at least one of the categories below:
  • Writing for the Professions:
    • ARTH:1080: How to Write about Art (3 s.h.)
    • BUS:3000: Business Communication and Protocol (3 s.h.)
    • BUS:3800: Business Writing (3 s.h.)
    • COMM:1816: Business and Professional Communication (3 s.h.)
    • CNW:3640: Writing for Business (3 s.h.)
    • SRM:3300: Writing for Sport and Recreation Managers (3 s.h.)
    • WRIT:3005 / CW:3005 / INTD:3005: Professional and Creative Business Communication (3 s.h.)
    • WRIT:3526: The Business of Writing (3 s.h.)
  • Grant/Proposal Writing:
    • EALL:4130 / MUSM:4150: Introduction to Grant Writing (3 s.h.)
  • Literature, Language, and Translation:
    • ASIA:3208 / TRNS:3208 / WLLC:3208: Classical Chinese Literature Through Translation (3 s.h.)
    • JPNS:3201 / TRNS:3201: Workshop in Japanese Literary Translation (3 s.h.)
    • SPAN:2000: Spanish Language Skills Writing (4 s.h.)
    • SPAN:3000: Cultural Narratives for Heritage Speakers (3 s.h.)
    • SPAN:3010: Advanced Spanish Speaking and Writing (3 s.h.)
    • SPAN:3030: Translation Workshop: English to Spanish (3 s.h.)
    • SPAN:3050: Translation Workshop: Spanish to English (3 s.h.)
    • SPAN:3060: Introductory Workshop on Creative Writing in Spanish (3 s.h.)
    • SPAN:4950: Advanced Workshop on Creative Writing in Spanish (3 s.h.)
    • TRNS:3179 / CLSA:3979 / ENGL:3850: Undergraduate Translation Workshop (3 s.h.)
    • TRNS:4480: Literature and Translation (3 s.h.)
  • Political Science:
    • PBAF:3560 / POLI:3560 / RHET:3560 / SJUS:3560: Public Policy and Persuasion (3 s.h.)
    • POLI:3107: Writing in Political Science: Writing for "Science" and for "Politics" (3 s.h.)
  • Publishing:
    • CNW:2991 / ENGL:2741 / WRIT:2991: Publishing I: Introduction to Literary Publishing (3 s.h.)
    • CNW:2992 / ENGL:2742 / WRIT:2992: Publishing II: Advance Literary Publication (3 s.h.)
    • ENGL:2900 / ARTS:2900 / UICB:2900 / WRIT:2900: Book Design for Publishing (3 s.h.)
    • HONR:2900: Honors Publications: From Pitch to Print (3 s.h.) (taken two times, first time for 2 s.h. and second time for 1 s.h.)
    • WRIT:3000: Publishing Practicum: The Iowa Chapbook Prize (3 s.h.)
  • Science Writing:
    • CNW:2730: The Art and Craft of Science Writing (3 s.h.)
    • HHP:3900: Writing for Health and Human Physiology (3 s.h.)
  • Undergraduate Research:
    • BUS:1999: Introduction to Research in Business (1 s.h.)
    • BUS:4999: Honors Thesis in Business (arr.)
• Writing and the Literary Arts:
  • Creative Writing:
    • CW:2100 OR CW:1800: Creative Writing (3 s.h.) OR CW:1800 Creative Writing Workshop (3 s.h.)
    • CW:3002: Writing and Reading Young Adult Fiction (3 s.h.)
    • CW:3003: Writing and Reading Science Fiction (3 s.h.)
    • CW:3004: Writing and Reading Fantasy Fiction (3 s.h.)
    • CW:4894: Undergraduate Project in Creative Writing (arr.)
    • WLLC:1510 / ASIA:1510: Ghost Stories and Tales of the Weird in Premodern Chinese Literature (3 s.h.)
    • CW:2870: Fiction Writing (3 s.h.)
    • CW:3870: Advanced Fiction Writing (3 s.h.)
    • CW:4870: Undergraduate Writers' Workshop: Fiction (arr.)
    • CW:4897: Novel Writing (3 s.h.)
    • CNW:1620: Introduction to Creative Nonfiction (3 s.h.)
    • CNW:2680 / ENGL:2730: The Art and Craft of Creative Nonfiction (3 s.h.)
    • CNW:2700: The Art and Craft of Personal Writing (3 s.h.)
    • CNW:2840: The Art and Craft of Travel Writing (3 s.h.)
    • CNW:3630 / ENGL:3730: Advanced Nonfiction Writing (3 s.h.)
    • CNW:3633 / ENGL:3733: Personal Writing (3 s.h.)
    • CNW:4631 / ENGL:4731: Advanced Essay Workshop (3 s.h.)
    • CNW:4635 / ENGL:4735: Advanced Creative Nonfiction Writing (3 s.h.)
    • CNW:4690: Undergraduate Project in Nonfiction Writing (arr.)
    • THTR:2301: Playwriting I (3 s.h.)
    • THTR:2320: Playwriting in Global World (3 s.h.)
    • THTR:3301: Playwriting II (3 s.h.)
    • THTR:3310: Undergraduate Playwriting Workshop (3 s.h.)
    • THTR:3421 / GWSS:3421: Performing Autobiography (3 s.h.)
    • CW:2875: Poetry Writing (3 s.h.)
    • CW:3875: Advance Poetry Writing (3 s.h.)
    • CW:4875: Undergraduate Writers' Workshop: Poetry (arr.)
• Writing and the Media:
  • TV and Screenwriting:
    • CINE:1150: Introduction to Screenwriting for Nonmajors (3 s.h.)
    • CINE:1300: Foundations of Screenwriting (3 s.h.)
    • CINE:2600: Writing Film Reviews and Criticism (3 s.h.)
    • CINE:3361: Screenwriting: Short Form (3 s.h.)
    • CINE:3367: Screenwriting: Long Form (3 s.h.)
    • CINE:4377: Advanced Screenwriting I (4 s.h.)
    • CINE:4378: Advanced Screenwriting II (4 s.h.)
    • CNW:3661 / ENGL:3761: Film and Writing (3 s.h.)
    • COMM:2077: Writing and Producing Sitcoms (3 s.h.)
    • THTR:3320: Writing for Film (3 s.h.)
    • THTR:6310: Special Topics in Playwriting (3 s.h.)
    • WRIT:3325 / THTR:3325: Iowa Writers' Room (3 s.h.)
    • WRIT:4325: Iowa Writers' Room: Advanced Pilot Writing (3 s.h.)
  • Other Media:
    • CNW:2770: The Art and Craft of Writing for New Media (3 s.h.)
    • CNW:3660 / ENGL:3760: Multimedia Writing (3 s.h.)
    • CW:3218 / INTD:3200: Creative Writing for New Media (3 s.h.)
    • JMC:3600: Topics in Designing/Producing (3-4 s.h.)
    • RHET:2070: Persuasive Stories (3 s.h.)
• Writing in Context:
  • CNW:2710: The Art and Craft of Food Writing (3 s.h.)
  • CNW:2720: The Art and Craft of Writing About Culture (3 s.h.)
  • CNW:2740: The Art and Craft of Writing About the Environment (3 s.h.)
  • CNW:2760: The Art and Craft of Writing for Social Change (3 s.h.)
  • CW:3107 / INTD:3107: Creative Writing for the Health Professions (3 s.h.)
  • CW:3215 / INTD:3300: Creative Writing and Popular Culture (3 s.h.)
  • CW:4751: Creative Writing for the Musician (3 s.h.)
  • EDTL:4355 / CNW:4355: Approaches to Teaching Writing (3 s.h.)
  • GWSS:3138 / SJUS:3138: Writing to Change the World (3 s.h.)
  • IWP:3191 / ENGL:3595 / TRNS:3191 / WLLC:3191: International Literature Today (1,3 s.h.)
  • RHET:2350: Forensic Rhetoric (3 s.h.)
  • RHET:3220: Honors Writing Fellows: Writing Theory and Practice (3 s.h.)
  • WRIT:2100: Writing and Community Outreach (3 s.h.)
  • WRIT:2300: Writing Toward Empathy (3 s.h.)
• Required Capstone (1 s.h.):
  • WRIT:4001: Guided Capstone Portfolio (1 s.h.)

How to Add the Certificate to Your Program of Study

Students may add a certificate program to their plan of study at any time. Declaring a certificate will allow you to request a degree audit for the certificate requirements in MyUI. There is no penalty to remove a certificate from a plan of study, and one may be removed at any time.

Current BAS/BLS students can add a certificate program to their plan of study at any time by sending an email to their assigned academic advisor asking to formally declare the certificate. Once added, a separate degree audit will be produced.

How to Remove the Certificate from Your Program of Study

Current BAS/BLS students can email their assigned academic advisor to ask to remove the certificate from their plan of study. There is no penalty to remove a certificate program from a plan of study, and one may be removed at any time.