The Professional Writing Minor is an opportunity for undergraduates to expand their communication and writing skills. The minor is separated into distinct tracks: Business Communication, Civic Engagement, Multimedia Communication, Journalism, Professional Editing, and Science Communication. Each track includes two capstone courses and an internship. As an alternative to the internship, students may also take Public Speaking or Digital Storytelling. Students applying to the minor will indicate a first, second, and third choice and explain the reasons for their first choice selection.
Professional Writing Minors must be more than good students. They must be excellent writers and editors who are willing and able to function in a professional internship environment, to accept responsibility, to demonstrate initiative, to complete assignments, to meet deadlines, and to work collegially in group projects. Students considering the minor should think of it as an apprenticeship in the world of professional writing, not simply as a set of courses in which someone will tell you what to do.
How do I pursue the Professional Writing Minor?
Prerequisite for writing classes: Writing 2 or 2E or 2LK; upper-division standing. Writing 2 satisfies the Area A1 requirement.
Students have the option to take any 3 upper-division writing courses from the 105, 107, and 109 series of upper-division courses as prerequisite courses for the minor. These courses should be completed prior to the application for the minor in the fall quarter of the student's fall or graduating year. See the minor track pages for recommended courses for each specific track.
Students can take one of the following courses to met one of the three upper division prerequisites
Lower Division
*Writing 20 (Only lower division course that can be substituted for one of the upper division requirements).
Upper Division
*Writing 124 (four units) will also apply as one pre-requisite course toward the minor.
*Writing 131 (must be completed prior to applying to the minor) will also count as one pre-requisite course toward the minor.
*Writing 160 (for a letter grade) will also apply as one pre-requisite course toward the minor.
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. Because the Minor has limited space and the application process is competitive, students should put together the application with care.
If accepted into the minor, students will take their first capstone course for their track in the winter of their senior/graduating year. See the minor track pages for more information on the capstones for each track.
Minor students will take the second capstone of their track in the spring of their senior/graduating year. In addition, students will do an internship and/or take a fulfilling class (depending on which course is offered that year, the fulfilling class will be Public Speaking or Digital Storytelling). See the minor track pages for more information on the capstones and internship component for each track.