As a PWR major, students work closely with faculty to determine their areas of interest and the PWR degree plan is flexible enough so that it can be tailored to an individual's interest or to prepare an individual for a particular career. Our major aims to help students become lifelong learners who will use writing throughout their lives in public, personal, and civic arenas.
Professional Writing graduates work in a variety of jobs, including government, publishing, industry, education, or the non-profit sector. They may work as writers, editors, and researchers on a range of texts--both print and multimedia: reports, proposals, press releases, brochures, manuals, films, newsletters, novels, social media marketing, and web documents. They may also become screenwriters, nonfiction writers, creative writers, or technical writers. Many graduates of Professional Writing go on to graduate school or professional schools such as law or medicine.
The PWR major includes courses in composition, technical and professional writing, editing, digital writing, grammar, creative nonfiction, and literature. Professional Writing majors also complete an internship for course credit during their junior or senior year, an experience that our graduates view as vital to getting (and keeping) a job. By the end of their senior year, PW majors will have compiled both print and digital portfolios that highlights their talents, skills, and interests and that they will use to go on the job market.