Professional Writing Certificate

Description

The Graduate Certificate in Professional Writing is designed for working professionals and Radford University graduate students preparing to enter the workforce in any discipline who seek to strengthen their professional, technical, and business writing skills and enhance their knowledge of how to use digital media to remain competitive and viable in today’s diverse workplace and rapidly changing employment landscape. The courses are taught entirely online by faculty experienced in applying online learning and workplace communication best practices. Students can complete the flexible four-course program of study in one academic year, when courses are taken in consecutive terms. The curriculum is designed for immediate use and relevance in the workplace. Each course blends theory and practice, providing students with opportunities to apply writing, editing, and design strategies, in both print and digital formats, to a wide range of organizational contexts and audiences. By completing workplace-based projects, students gain valuable experience and skills in collaborating across disciplines and thinking rhetorically to solve a variety of real-world organizational problems.

Admissions Criteria:

An applicant who is currently a matriculated graduate-degree-seeking student at Radford University may apply for a certificate by submitting an approved “Add a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Form”. Applicants who are not in a degree program and are seeking only the certificate should apply as “Certificate Students” and must meet the established criteria for admission as well as other requirements indicated by the specific certificate. C

No course prerequisites are required for entry into the Professional Writing Graduate Certificate program. No GRE score is required.

Established criteria for admission into the Professional Writing Graduate Certificate program are as follows:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• Minimum grade point average of 2.75
• A TOEFL minimum score of 550 on the paper-based test, 79-80 on the Internet-based test, or 213 on the computer-based test; or an IELTS minimum score of 6.5 (for international students)

A complete application for applicants seeking a Graduate Certificate in Professional Writing includes:

• An official application completed and submitted with a nonrefundable application fee of $50
• Official transcripts from all institutions from which the applicant has earned a degree or course credit following a degree conferral
• Resume
• 500-word statement of interest

Sudents seeking a Professional Writing Graduate Certificate are subject to all established policies of probation and suspension, and any student who maintains a minimum grade point average of 3.00 in graduate courses will be in good standing.

Course Listing:

The Graduate Certificate in Professional Writing is 12 credit hours and consists of four online courses that can be completed in an academic year when the courses are taken in consecutive terms. ENGL 607  and ENGL 608  are seven weeks each and offered in the fall (Fall A and Fall B, respectively). ENGL 610  and ENGL 609  are seven weeks each and offered in the spring (Spring A and Spring B, respectively). The courses are as follows:

• ENGL 607 - Business Writing & Editing Credits: (3)
• ENGL 608 - Professional Writing Credits: (3)
• ENGL 609 - Digital Writing Credits: (3)
• ENGL 610 - Proposal Writing Credits: (3)