George Mason University

Students who do not wish to seek a full master’s degree may be interested in a PWR graduate certificate. This certificate provides graduate students with course work in nonfiction writing in specific genres, current writing practices and theories of writing in organizational settings, research methods in professional writing, and nonfiction literature.

Certificate Requirements (Catalog Year 2009-2010)

See the university catalog for policies governing all graduate certificates.

Students pursuing this certificate must complete 18 credits of English graduate courses, earning a grade of B or better in each, distributed as follows:

One core course (3 credits):

• ENGL 501 - Introduction to Professional Writing and Rhetoric Credits: 3

One course (3 credits) in research methods:

• ENGL 502 - Research Methods in Rhetoric and Professional Writing Credits: 3

Two courses (6 credits) in professional writing and rhetoric chosen from:

• ENGL 503 - Theory and Practice of Editing Credits: 3
• ENGL 504 - Internship in Writing and Editing Credits: 3
• ENGL 508 - Digital Rhetoric and Design Credits: 3
• ENGL 611 - Studies in Rhetoric Credits: 3
• ENGL 612 - Cultures of Professional Writing Credits: 3
• ENGL 613 - Technical and Scientific Writing Credits: 3
• ENGL 697 - Composition Theory Credits: 3

One course (3 credits) in nonfiction writing chosen from:

• ENGL 565 - Forms of Nonfiction Credits: 3
• ENGL 506 - Research for Narrative Writing Credits: 3
• ENGL 615 - Proseminar in Composition Instruction Credits: 3
• ENGL 619 - Special Topics in Writing Credits: 3
• ENGL 695 - Northern Virginia Writing Project Inservice Program Credits: 1,2,3
• ENGL 699 - Workshop in English Credits: 1-3

One elective course (3 credits)

 

Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.00 in course work presented on the certificate application.

Requirements may be different for earlier catalog years. See the University Catalog archives.

Contact Information

Tamara Harvey
Director of Graduate Studies
Robinson Hall A 487, MSN 3E4
Fairfax, VA 22030
703.993.2769
tharvey2@gmu.edu

Jennifer Stone
Robinson Hall A 487, MSN 3E4
Fairfax, VA 22030
703.993.1180
jstone22@gmu.edu