The professional writing major is noted for cultivating expertise in writing for the digital workplace; in teaching and researching multimedia writing, visual rhetoric, usability, and emergent technologies; in print and digital publishing; and for emphasizing collaboration, community service, and open-source development and documentation. Skills learned include the ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing; to edit, revise, and design professional documents; to analyze, interpret, and present data; to present information clearly and creatively; and to understand how people use writing to teach, delight, and persuade. Students may focus on writing for the arts or writing for industry, and they must choose a minor that will give them additional expertise.

All liberal arts majors prepare students with the skills identified as contributing to managerial success:  communicating and listening well, possessing insights into others, creative/critical thinking, problem solving, and the ability to make connections across complex ideas.

Careers in Professional Writing

• Grant Writer
• Editor
• Technical Writer
• Publisher
• Marketing
• Attorney
• Advertising
• Public Relations