Students who are in the PWE certificate program should follow the advising sheet below.

To download this advising sheet click on the link below.

PWE Cert, Advising Sheet

Professional Writing and Editing Certificate Advising Sheet 07-08

Applicants must be currently admitted to graduate study or approved for enrollment through Extended Studies. Because only 6 hours of extended studies credits may be applied toward the Certificate, students who initially take courses in the certificate program through Extended Studies should apply for admission to the program after the completion of 6 credits of course work, at the latest. Other students are also strongly urged to apply after completing 2 certificate courses. Completion of course work is not in itself a guarantee of admission to the Certificate. Applicants must submit an analytical writing sample of at least 1,000 words, a goals statement, two letters of recommendation, and a portfolio of their writing or editing.

The certificate may be pursued concurrently with any of several degree programs in English and elsewhere in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Part of the work toward the certificate may be applicable to these degrees.

Certificate Requirements

Certificate candidates must complete 18 hours of English graduate courses, earning a grade of "B" or better in each, distributed according to the plan below and chosen from the following courses: English 503, 504, 505, 506 (Research for Narrative Writing), 513, 565, 611, 612, 613, 616, 660, and 685.

Plan of Study

_____ One course in editing or publications writing: 503 (Theory and Practice of Editing), or 505 (Computer-Assisted Publications Writing and Design)

_____ One course in writing in organizational settings: 504 (Internship), or 612 (Cultures of Professional Writing)

_____ One course in nonfiction writing: 565 (Forms of Nonfiction), 611 (Studies in Rhetoric), 613 (Scientific and Technical Writing), or 616 (Nonfiction Writing Workshop)

_____ One course in nonfiction literature. Each year the English Department will designate sections that fulfill this requirement among the following courses: 513 (Advanced Special Topics in English), 660 (Twentieth Century American, 685 (Selected Topics, Movements, or Genres of Literature).

_____ One course on research: 506 (Research for Narrative Writing, 701 (Literary Scholarship--by permission of instructor).

_____ One elective chosen from the list above.