The B.A. in Professional Writing degree program at Marshall University prepares students for a variety of writing careers using various media and digital tools. Working professional writers require a range of writing skills that cross all fields and disciplines. They must write with clarity, purpose and a solid understanding of their audience. This takes training, and it’s the goal of the Department of English at Marshall University to prepare students to meet every writing challenge with skill and confidence.
MU students who pursue a bachelor’s in Professional Writing degree will deepen their understanding of writing styles, rhetorical situations, compositional processes, research and media. A degree in Professional Writing enables students to develop professional portfolios by creating and working with a wide range of documents such as proposals, business plans and reports, while also learning to compose and communicate for digital environments.
There are many endowed scholarships especially for our majors, including the Jack and Barbara Brown Scholarship (for the sophomore English Department major with the highest GPA), the Harwood Scholarship for Aspiring Writers, the Ruth Flower Brown Memorial Award (given annually to an outstanding English Department major).
A major in Professional Writing can prepare you for a career in law, business, teaching, sales, human relations, customer service, social services, management, public relations, advertising, media, fundraising, law, politics, consulting and publishing. Here’s a closer look at two key professional pathways focused on writing: technical writer and public relations specialist.
Professional Writing majors at Marshall have access to many internship opportunities. In recent years, interns have worked with several local businesses and organizations to use and develop their skills in research and writing for an array of audiences and in a variety of forms. Here are a few examples of where Professional Writing majors completed their internships:
- Mountain State Press
- Huntington Museum of Art
- Branches Domestic Violence Shelter
- Developmental Therapy Center
- Robert C Byrd Institute
- Ronald McDonald House Charities
- Huntington Steel
- Cabell County Public Library
Career Outlook
Students graduating with a BA in Professional Writing are prepared to succeed in any field where excellent communication and collaboration skills are needed and valued.
Professional Writing skills are necessary in career fields across the spectrum. Here’s some of the critical roles that writing plays in supporting major sectors in our economy:
Business: Writing pitches, memos, reports, letters, memos, social media content, resumes, proposals and plans
The arts: Writing grant proposals, magazine articles, artist statements, blog and other online posts, professional website content and resumes
Engineering: Writing memos, project updates, reports and proposals
Health sciences: Writing patient referrals, grant proposals, promotional materials and web content
The sciences: Writing lab reports, memos, articles, social media and other web content, proposals, plans, and more.
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