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Professional Writing and Communication

The Professional Writing and Communication track is designed for students who want to enter the workplace with an advanced level of professional writing and speaking skills. The track provides options for you to build your own path from several different courses and professional internships. Courses in this track will help prepare you to write in ways employers will value, learn new professional genres, and develop versatile writing and communication skills. The track offers an immediate advantage to students who want to pursue employment in technical fields, including professional and technical writing and editing, as well as professional fields, such as law, education, and business.

Skills:

  • Design, deliver, and manage engaging content for workplace purposes and audiences.
  • Become a confident writer and speaker.
  • Develop strategies for critical participation across dynamic networks and virtual environments.
  • Create effective print, visual, digital, and spoken communication for varied audiences in varied genres and styles.
  • Develop persuasive strategies to propose ideas and create engaging messages.
  • Make complex information accessible to audiences through effective visualization.
Coursework:

5 classes/15 credits. These may be taken in any order, but students are encouraged to take ENGL 323 first and the capstone during their senior year.

  • Introductory (complete two). These foundational skills will set the stage for your other track courses. Learn how professional writing and communication differs from academic writing. Study rhetorical theories and criticism to facilitate understanding of arguments.
    • ENGL 323: Professional Writing
    • ENGL 322: Rhetorical Foundations
  • Special Topics (choose two)
    • ENGL 325: Visual Communication
    • ENGL 326: Digital Communication
    • ENGL 327R: Studies in Rhetoric
    • ENGL 328R: Studies in Composing
    • ENGL 335: Professional Speaking
  • ENGL 494: Capstone. Apply writing, communication, and persuasion skills to the production of a portfolio that demonstrates ability as a professional communicator.