Professional Writing and Editing Concentration/Minor/Certificate

Do you think writing will be central to your career? Do you simply want to be prepared more fully for writing in the workplace? Courses in Professional Writing and Editing will help you make the most of your skills. Four courses are now available online as part of WVU's Distance Education program, or as part of the regular course offerings through WVU's Department of English. While you can take just one or two of the courses, successful completion of all four courses and an internship will earn a Professional Writing concentration within an English major, or a Professional Writing minor that you can combine with any other major. Non-degree seeking students will earn a Professional Writing and Editing certificate upon completion of the courses.

OVERVIEW

The cluster of courses in Professional Writing and Editing are designed to introduce you to the theory and practice of writing business and technical documents to prepare you for writing in the professional world. The Professional Writing and Editing courses will help you:

• Understand the varied roles of writing in professional contexts .
• Apply the conventions of different types of professional writing (memos, reports, etc.).
• Understand what makes writing usable or accessible for different types of readers.
• Explain and describe specialized information for both technical and non-expert readers.
• Develop visual design skills, including the use of graphics and page design.

REQUIREMENTS

Prerequisites:

English 101 and 102 are prerequisites for these courses. Online versions of English 101 will be offered every Fall and Summer I. Online versions of English 102 will be offered every Spring and Summer II. Contact Extended Learning for schedule updates.

Requirements:

To be eligible to earn a minor/concentration certificate, you must first complete the following courses with a B average. You are, of course, welcome to take courses without applying for certificate credit. Please note: You can take these courses in any order.

• English 201 (soon to become 301): Advanced Composition (offered every Spring)
• English 302: Editing (offered every Fall)
• English 304: Business and Professional Writing (offered every Fall, Spring, and Summer II)
• English 305: Technical and Scientific Writing (offered every Fall, Spring, and Summer I)

English 491, Internship Experience:

Only those students who have completed the four required courses with an average grade of B or better are eligible to propose an internship for course credit (English 491). The Distance Writing Coordinator must approve all internships.

For more information, please contact Dr. Catherine Gouge, Distance Writing Coordinator, at (304) 293-3107 x33441 or via e-mail at Catherine.Gouge@mail.wvu.edu