Written communication is a fundamental requirement for any professional position in today’s age of information. Knowing the content in your field is no longer enough—you must also be able to communicate that content to your colleagues, your clients, the government, and so many others. Recruiters, in fact, list communication skills as one of the top skills that they look for in applicants. Communication skills are also pivotal for success in graduate and professional programs that you may choose to pursue. Moreover, the process of writing is also a process of discovery: through writing, you’ll learn the key meaning of your information so that you can convey it more effectively.

Although you’ll be increasing your communication skills through many courses across all undergraduate majors, you can hone your writing skills even more by completing either minor program. The Minor in Professional Writing focuses on applying writing expertise to any major, from where you’ll draw your content knowledge. The Minor in Journalism provides more specialized attention to the world of newswriting. In either minor, your demonstrated knowledge in writing complements the content knowledge from your major field—whether business, science, social science, and so on.

The Certificate in Healthcare Writing melds courses from writing and science to prepare you for a career related to writing in many aspects of the heatlhcare arena—from highly technnical documents in pharmaceutical research to topical pieces for patients, caregivers, and consumers.

Courses in Professional Writing provide practical learning through hands-on assignments, experiential projects, and service learning; in all cases, you’ll have the opportunity to develop a professional portfolio of publications to substantiate your success in this field. Other available opportunities include writing or editing for our student newspaper, The Dome, as well as other media groups on campus. Students may also achieve membership in SCJ—Society for Collegiate Journalists. Overall, you’ll find the faculty in Professional Writing & Journalism to be knowledgeable, available, and supportive.