“Professor Rach was the first professor I had when I came to MU. She helped me transition from the traditional kind of writing we did in high school to writing for the workplace. I plan to try to add the professional writing minor while I am here at Methodist.” — L eslie Ann Byrd ‘14 Benson, North Carolina Pre-Nursing
Engage. Enrich. Empower. Contact Information Amber Rach, Director Professional Writing Certificate Program
Trustees 331 5400 Ramsey Street, Fayetteville, NC 28311 Tel: (910) 630 - 7103 ♦ Fax: (910) 630 - 7679 E-mail: arach@methodist.edu methodist.edu/writing www.facebook.com/muprofessionalwriting
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Professional Writing Minor
Professional Writing Minor Methodist University’s Professional Writing Minor prepares undergraduates for advancement in careers in every discipline. Excellent communication skills are the number one skill set sought by employers, so a Professional Writing Minor will distinguish graduates as leaders among their peers. The Professional Writing Minor focuses student learning on practical, career-related writing, including business, technical, and professional communication. Students declaring the Professional Writing Minor prepare themselves for advancement in the field of their choice.
A PROFESSIONAL WRITING MINOR will prepare me to advance quickly in what career fields? ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
B usiness C opy Editing E ducation E ngineering G rant Writing H ealthcare M anagement M ass Communications
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
M ilitary Work Ministry N on-Profit Administration P ublic Relations S cience Fields T echnical and Professional Writing W eb Design
Course of Study
Methodist University’s Professional Writing Minor includes 12 semester hours of core courses and six hours of electives. Core Courses (Required courses) Advanced Grammar (ENG/WRI 322) provides a comprehensive history and analysis of grammar: parts of speech, sentence patterns, and prose style. Copyediting and Proofreading (WRI 433) provides instruction on how to copyedit and proofread various kinds of text, both in hard copy and electronically. Includes a review of grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and usage.
Desktop Publishing (COM 353) provides an introduction to the fundamentals of desktop publishing and offers instruction in the use of publishing software and in the incorporation of both text and visual materials into print-based media and Internet Web pages. Technical Writing (ENG/WRI 321) develops the writing skills necessary for producing clear technical, business, corporate, and scientific documents for publication.
Electives (Choose two) Advanced Expository Writing (ENG/WRI 323) provides an overview of the study and analysis of models of excellence; practice in various techniques and types of composition; and use of computers specific to the discipline of English. Business Writing (ENG/WRI 320) offers instruction on writing practical business communications—letters, memoranda, reports, proposals, and resumes. Creative Writing: Fiction (ENG/WRI 324) develops fictionwriting skills, using short stories and novels as models. *Grant Writing (WRI 330) offers a comprehensive overview of the grant writing process from research to submission. Students will write a grant for a nonprofit organization. Variations on the traditional grant writing process and what to do following an award or rejection will also be discussed. Lecturers offer specialized expertise. Writing for Mass Communications Media I (COM 257) provides instruction on news gathering and writing news and feature structures, including preparation of copy for publications. Experience and practice in reporting techniques and problems and ethics in laboratory work is also offered. Writing for Mass Communications Media II (COM 258) develops advanced news and feature writing skills, including writing for the broadcast media. *Professional Writing Certificate Option: Students who wish to complete the Professional Writing Certificate in addition to the Professional Writing Minor will take Grant Writing as one of their two elective courses and complete Professional Writing (WRI 220) during their senior year or immediately following graduation.