Minor Requirements

How do I pursue the Professional Writing Minor?

Students interested in the Professional Writing Minor must first take three prerequisite upper division Writing courses (detailed below), then submit an application in the fall quarter of their fourth or graduating year. Because the Minor has limited space and the application process is competitive, students should put together the application with care.

The following includes some requirements for students interested in participating in the Professional Writing Minor:

  • Explore this web site and consider each track and the recommended course work.
  • Take the prerequisite courses, to be completed before the application portfolio is due:
    • Writing 2 (or equivalent)
    • Three courses from the Writing 105AA-ZZ, Writing 107AA-ZZ, or Writing 109AA-ZZ series.
  • Compile and submit your application portfolio in the fall quarter of your fourth or graduating year. See the Application page for more information on the portfolio.
For one of the required prerequisite courses, you can petition to substitute a course that you have taken at another university or while studying abroad. The petition should include a portfolio of the work you did in the course, along with a statement explaining why you think the course is relevant to the work of the Professional Writing Minor. You can also petition to substitute a course for one of the capstone courses or the internship course, but please be advised that these petitions are accepted very rarely. Please contact the Writing Program Undergraduate Advisor for the substitution form and if you have questions about this process.

Recommended Courses

As mentioned above, one requirement for students interested in the Professional Writing Minor is three upper-division writing courses from Writing 105AA-ZZ, Writing 107AA-ZZ, and/or Writing 109AA-ZZ. Below are some recommended courses for each specific track. Please note that these are only the recommended courses, not the required courses for each track.

Prerequisite courses recommended for all tracks

  • Writing 105CD: Writing with Code
  • Writing 105G: Grammar and Stylistics
  • Writing 105M: Multimedia Writing
  • Writing 105PS: Writing for Public Speaking
  • Writing 107B: Business and Administrative Writing
  • Writing 107DJ: Digital Journalism
  • Writing 107G: Writing for Global Careers
  • Writing 107J: Journalism and News Writing
  • Writing 107M: Magazine Writing for Publication
  • Writing 107P: Writing for Public Relations
  • Writing 107WC: Writing Web Content

Additional courses recommended for each track

Professional Editing

  • Writing 105R: Rhetoric and Writing
  • Writing 107L: Legal Writing

Writing for Civic Engagement 

  • Writing 105PD: Writing for Public Discourse
  • Writing 105S: Writing About Sustainability
  • Writing 105WE: Writing and Ethics
  • Writing 105SW: Science Writing for the Public
  • Writing 107L: Legal Writing
  • Writing 109ED: Writing for the Teaching Professions
  • Writing 109HP: Writing for Health Professionals

Multimedia Communication 

  • Writing 105R: Rhetoric and Writing
  • Writing 105SW: Science Writing for the Public

Business Communication

  • Writing 107EP: Writing for Environmental Professions
  • Writing 107T: Technical Writing

Science Communication 

  • Writing 105C: Creative Nonfiction
  • Writing 105PD: Writing for Public Discourse 
  • Writing 105R: Rhetoric and Writing 
  • Writing 105S: Writing about Sustainability
  • Writing 105SW: Science Writing for the Public
  • Writing 107EP: Writing for Environmental Professions
  • Writing 109HP: Writing for Health Professionals 
  • Writing 109ST: Writing for Science and Technology
  • Writing 107T: Technical Writing

Journalism

  • Writing 107J: Journalism and News Writing
  • Writing 107M: Magazine Writing for Publication
  • Writing 107DJ: Digital Journalism
  • Writing 105C: Creative Nonfiction
  • Writing 107P: Writing for Public Relations

For more information regarding each track specifically, please visit the main Professional Writing Minor page.