Professional Writing and Editing
The Department of English offers a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Professional Writing and Editing.
Students who pursue a BA in Professional Writing and Editing (PWE) do more than simply translate complex, technical information into easy-to-read prose: they assess the information needs of audiences from different languages and cultural backgrounds, and analyze how written texts circulate through the organizations in which they work. Professional writers and editors possess the critical, rhetorical and technical knowledge necessary to produce successful and effective communications. Students who double major in PWE and another discipline are doubly-prepared to succeed given their writing skills and subject matter expertise!
Students learn to:
- Recognize and evaluate ethical, social legal, and political values intertwined in the production and consumption of technical communications.
- Analyze the uses and applications of new communication technologies.
- Acquire historical and critical understanding of rhetorical theories and practices.
- Master research and analytical methods, those related to oral, written, and visual communication.
- Acquire a practical and theoretical understanding of workplace dynamics, including client relations and project management skills.
This degree prepares students for a variety of career options, including technical writing and editing, project management, writing consulting, writing instruction and advanced graduate study in rhetoric and composition. The degree is designed for both newly-graduated undergraduates and working adults who want more training in writing and editing.
How will I focus my studies?
Students complete professional writing electives in related subjects to narrow their focus. Elective areas include development and circulation of texts, humanities computing, communication theory, design and production of texts, language theory and online text production