Professional Writing, Certificate

Dr. Kavita Surya, Coordinator

Kavitasurya@clayton.edu

Professional Writing, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate

The Professional Writing certificate will provide students with skills in writing for today’s complex workplace environments. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, written communication skills rank highly in desirable attributes for prospective employers in 2021, with almost three-quarters of employer respondents (73.4%). The Bureau of Labor Statistics (2021) also predicts a higher-than-average growth rate for technical writing positions from 2020 – 2030.

Students will prepare for careers as professional or technical writers, or enhance writing, editing, design, and collaborative abilities needed for other positions by achieving the following outcomes:

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Compose in a variety of professional writing genres for diverse audiences.
  2. Acquire expertise in designing digital and print texts.
  3. Engage in meaningful collaborations to write, edit, and design texts.
  4. Develop a portfolio of professional writing texts to share with employers.

Program Requirements

  • The certificate is designed for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree from an accredited international institution.
  • Students will be required to complete 15 course credit hours from a select menu of courses.
  • The certificate is offered 100% online and can be completed in one year. These credits may not include any required graduate courses in students’ degree programs. Electives in students’ graduate degree program may count toward the certificate.
  • Since students in the program are considered non-degree seeking, financial aid is not available. 
  • Students are expected to observe School of Graduate Studies and University Graduate Rules, Regulations and Academic Policies. Students are expected to maintain Good Academic Standing, which is defined as a minimum institutional GPA of 3.0.
Required Courses6
ENGL 5900Professional Writing3
ENGL 5045Digital and Multimedia Writing3
Electives (Choose three courses from the following):9
ENGL 5230Grammar for Professional Writ.3
ENGL 5910Professional Editing3
ENGL 5050Advanced Document Design3
ENGL 5650Writing for Nonprofits3
ENGL 5240Grant Proposal Writing3
ENGL 5025Writing Creative Nonfiction3
Total Credit Hours15

Admissions

Beginning the application process for a certificate is simple:

  • Graduate Application
  • $50 application fee
  • One official transcript showing bachelor's degree awarded