Professional Writing
Director: C. Demetry (ME) Associated Faculty: M. Elmes (MG), L. Higgins (HUA), K. Lemone (CS), A. Rivera (HUA), R. Smith (HUA)
The goal of the Professional Writing program is to prepare communication professionals who can bridge the gap between the public and scientists, engineers, physicians, managers, policymakers, and other experts by presenting technical information in useful and accessible ways.
Professional Writing is an interdisciplinary major or double major that combines work in written, oral, and visual communication with a strong concentration in a scientific or technical field. Students receive individual attention from academic advisors as they design a plan of study that fulfills the program’s distribution requirements and best suits their intellectual interests and career aspirations. If they wish, majors can select courses and projects in one of four areas of concentration:
- Science writing, medical writing, health communication
- Writing in the public interest, writing for nonprofits
- Digital media, visual communication, information design
- Bilingual professional communication, translation
The Professional Writing major provides excellent preparation for students interested in careers in technical and scientific communication, writing and editing, web authoring, information design, public relations, medical writing, translation, and intercultural communication. It also prepares students for graduate work in fields such as writing and rhetoric, technical communication, journalism, education, law, public health and medicine, and the study of culture.
MQP opportunities are available on campus and with local companies, newspapers, public agencies, and private foundations. More information about project and career opportunities for Professional Writing majors can be found on the program web site.
Program Distribution Requirements for the Professional Writing Major
| PROFESSIONAL WRITING | Minimum Units |
|---|---|
| 1. Scientific and/or technical concentration (Note 1) | 6 |
| 2. Writing and Rhetoric concentration (Note 2) | 3 |
| 3. MQP | 1 |
Notes:
- The student's scientific and/or technical concentration must be a plan of study, approved by the student's program review committee, with a clear underlying rationale in mathematics, basic science, computer science, engineering, and/or management.
-
The Writing and Rhetoric concentration consists of 1 unit in each of the 3 following categories of courses. Courses taken to fulfill these distribution requirements will not include courses that fulfill other degree requirements, such as the Humanities and Arts requirement and the Social Sciences requirement. Exceptions to this restriction, not to exceed 1 unit, must be approved by the student's program review committee, and will be granted only under unusual circumstances.
-
Written communication (1 unit)
Recommended courses:
EN/WR 2210 Introduction to Professional Writing
EN/WR 2211 Elements of Writing
EN/WR 3011 Peer Tutoring in Writing
EN/WR 3210 Technical Writing
EN/WR 3214 Writing About Disease and Public Health
or equivalent writing courses or ISPs
-
Rhetoric and communication studies (1 unit)
Recommended courses:
RH 3111 The Study of Writing
RH 3112 Rhetorical Theory
RH 3211 Rhetoric of Visual Design
or ISP or any of the courses listed in Category A not used to fulfill that requirement. -
Electives (1 unit)
The 1 unit of electives must be coherently defined and approved by the student's program review committee.
Students may draw on:
Courses in science, technology, and culture studies (such as AR/ID 3150, CS 3041, CS 3043, EN 2252, HI 2330, HI 2334, HI 2402, HI 3331, HI 3333, HI 3334, HI 3342, IMGD 2000, IMGD 2001, STS 2208, GOV 2302, PSY 2406);
Philosophy and ethics courses (such as PY 2711, PY 2713, PY 2714, PY 2716, PY 2717, PY/RE 2731, PY/RE 3731);
Foreign language courses;
Management courses.
-
Written communication (1 unit)
Last modified: February 05, 2009 13:09:25