New Applicants: New applicants must apply for the certificate through Apply Yourself (Graduate School). 

Current Students: Students who wish to enroll in the certificate program who are currently enrolled in a degree program at WCU, or are currently non-degree seeking WCU students, must apply for admission by contacting the English Graduate Program Director.

Program Description: The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program in Professional Writing is designed for students seeking advanced preparation for entering successful, professional writing careers in fields that regularly recruit new writers, editors, publishing assistants, or promotional talents. The program is especially targeted to those who are already working and need or wish to brush up on their writing and editing skills, but who do not wish, at this time, to pursue a complete graduate program. The Certificate Program in Professional Writing leads to a Certificate awarded by the Graduate School and a designation on the official transcript. Should students wish to pursue a graduate degree, the courses in the Certificate Program can be applied toward a Master’s degree in English with a Professional Writing Concentration. The program requires 15 hours of course work:

Required Core Course:

• ENGL 603 - Writing for the Marketplace Credits: 3

Electives:
9 hours selected from either the creative track, the professional writing track, or a combination of both:

• ENGL 604 - Writing for Electronic Environments Credits: 3
• ENGL 605 - Technical Writing for Business and Industry Credits: 3
• ENGL 606 - Nonfiction Writing Credits: 3
• ENGL 607 - Breaking into Publishing Credits: 3
• ENGL 608 - Fiction Writing Credits: 3
• ENGL 609 - Poetry Writing Credits: 3
• ENGL 501 - Writing for Careers Credits: 3

Capstone Course:

• ENGL 589 - Co-op: Writing and Editing Credits: 3, R6