PWE Graduate Courses and Internship

The MA in Professional Writing and Editing requires 30 hours of coursework. For more information about degree requirements, see the graduate catalog.

Required Courses and Course Goals

The following courses are required, totaling 9 hours.

English 601: Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric

Students will leave the course with the ability to

• Analyze key texts, current trends, and critical questions in the field of rhetorical studies
• Evaluate ancient and present-day rhetorical theories and apply them to contemporary composition instruction and professional writing practice
• Comprehend concepts at the core of rhetorical studies including the rhetorical situation, stasis, kairos, the three rhetorical appeals (logos, ethos, pathos), and the five rhetorical canons (invention, arrangement, style, memory, delivery)
• Know varying definitions of rhetoric and understand what constitutes rhetorical studies in sub-fields
• Synthesize rhetorical theories, writing processes, and pedagogical practices, in order to reflect on the ways course readings inform students’ own writing practices and the teaching of writing

English 602: Theory and Practice of Editing

Students will leave the course with the ability to

• Comprehend the editing process, including manuscript editing, comprehensive editing, electronic editing, project management, collaboration with authors, and the roles of the editor
• Know the development of stylistic and grammatical rules in English as well as comprehend the grammatical and rhetorical principles of style and usage
• Apply the fundamentals of editing theory
• Evaluate case studies, genres, and issues derived largely from the field of professional and technical editing
• Edit documents at each stage of the process and at all levels—from line editing to comprehensive editing

English 605: Professional Writing Theory

Students will leave the course with the ability to

• Know the theories that inform and validate the practices of academics and professionals working in the broad field of professional writing
• Comprehend the similarities, differences, and disputes regarding definitions for professional, technical, and business writing
• Evaluate the role of ethics and the law in the professional writing classroom and workplace
• Analyze critical approaches to the uses of technology in the professional writing classroom and workplace
• Apply theories of professional writing to English 304 Business Writing and English 305 Professional Writing classroom pedagogies

Professional Writing Electives (6 credit hours)

Students choose 6 hours of electives. The following courses are a sample of courses offered through the Department of English.

English 606: Humanities Computing

Students will leave the course with the ability to

• Synthesize the conceptual vocabulary of both classical and contemporary rhetoric to analyze digital communication and digital media
• Evaluate rhetorical vocabulary through examination of and engagement with a variety of digital media and communication artifacts
• Evaluate current and evolving approaches to research and criticism of digital communication and digital media
• Know the key historical and theoretical developments in the evolution of communication technologies and network society
• Know and apply a variety of functional and practical new media literacies used by professional writers and editors

English 607: Topics in Rhetoric and Composition

Students will leave the course with the ability to

• Discuss current directions in rhetorical studies and use this knowledge to explain their significance and implications within the larger field of English
• Demonstrate understanding of the course topic through a series of analytic reading responses
• Demonstrate scholarship by researching and evaluating sources that address a specific question relevant to the course topic
• Apply research in a well-organized and supported conference-length paper for fellow scholars
• Reflect, analyze, and interpret across texts

English 701: Seminar in Rhetoric

Students will leave the course with the ability to

• Explain a current issue or debate and its significance and implications within the larger field of composition and rhetoric
• Demonstrate in-depth scholarship by researching and evaluating sources that address a specific question relevant to the specialized focus of the seminar
• Apply specialized research in an extended, original, article-length argument of about 25 pages that would be suitable for an audience of a journal or collection related to the specific focus of the seminar
• Reflect, analyze, and interpret across texts

Practical Application (3-6 credit hours)

Students choose between completing a graduate thesis or internship.

English 610: PWE Internship

Students will leave the course with the ability to

• Analyze and assess the field of professional writing and editing through first-hand experience
• Evaluate career goals within a professional writing and editing context
• Apply discipline-related knowledge and research in order to accomplish a variety of tasks including writing, editing, proofreading, research (library or Internet based), web design, document production (as in brochures, promotional materials, educational materials), grant writing, document analysis
• Synthesize and reflect on a compiled portfolio of work

Students in English 610 should use the following documents and forms:

English 698: PWE Thesis

Students who choose the thesis option will receive formal supervision during the thesis-writing process.