Professional Writing Certificate

Students may earn the Certificate in Writing by completing 18 hours in selected writing courses with a grade point average of 3.0 or better. Courses for the certificate should be chosen with the guidance of Jeanne Allison, Program Coordinator (447 Lucas Hall; (314) 516-5587 or allisonjea@umsl.edu).

Students should contact Jeanne Allison for an application to the program as soon as they begin work on the certificate. Upon completion of four or five writing courses, they should consult the coordinator to make arrangements for ENGL 4890. ENGL 4890 is required. Five additional courses are to be chosen from the following list:

Professional Writing Courses
MEDIA 2212 Broadcast Writing and Reporting
MEDIA 2217 Script Writing
ENGL 2080 Advertising Copywriting (or MEDIA 2080)
ENGL 3120 Business Writing (See Coordinator for waiver for non-business majors)
ENGL 3130 Technical Writing
ENGL 3140 News Writing (or MEDIA 3214)
ENGL 3150 Feature Writing (or MEDIA 3150)
ENGL 3180 Reporting (or MEDIA 3180)
ENGL 3280 Writing for Public Relations (or MEDIA 2228)
ENGL 4880 Writing for Teachers
ENGL 4870 Advanced Business and Technical Writing
ENGL 4850 Topics in Teaching Writing
ENGL 4860 Editing
Academic Writing Courses
ENGL 2120 Topics in Writing (topics vary from semester to semester)
ENGL 3090 Writing About Literature
ENGL 3100 Junior-Level Writing
ENGL 3110 Junior-Level Writing for International Students
ENGL 3160 Writing in the Sciences
ENGL 4160 Special Topics in Writing (may vary from semester to semester)
Creative Writing Courses (students may take up to two creative writing classes)
ENGL 2030 Beginning Poetry Writing Workshop
ENGL 2040 Beginning Fiction Writing Workshop
ENGL 2060 Introduction to the Writing of Poetry and Fiction
ENGL 3030 Poetry Workshop: Lyric and Form
ENGL 3040 Fiction Workshop: Narrative Structure
ENGL 4130 Advanced Poetry Writing
ENGL 4140 Advanced Fiction Writing
ENGL 4895 Editing Litmag (NOT a substitute for ENGL 4890)
Honors Courses
HON 2020 Inquiries in the Fine and Performing Arts (if Topic is writing and approved in advance)
HON 3100 Advanced Composition: Writing the City
HON 3020 Advanced Seminar in the Fine and Performing Arts (if Topic is writing and approved in advance.)
Capstone Course
ENGL 4890 Writing Internship. (This course is required. It involves a 160-hour internship.)
ENGL 4892 Independent Writing Project (limited availability)

Upon completion of the requirements for the certificate, the coordinator will notify the university registrar and the college from which the student will graduate. Upon graduation, completion of the Certificate in Writing will be noted on the official transcript and a certificate will be mailed to the graduate. Students who have graduated before completing the Certificate in Writing will receive the certificate in the mail and will have the certificate entered on their official transcripts.