Professional & Technical Writing Certificate

Learn to write effectively and clearly communicate complex information in digital environments, workplaces, and community organizations.

Why Professional & Technical Writing?

Communicating complex information and writing effectively and clearly in today's  digital environments, workplaces, and community organizations. The Certificate in Professional & Technical Writing will teach you to analyze and engage readers, design documents and web pages, use a variety of genres and media, and contribute ethically to workplaces and organizations. These skills complement your work in any major and are widely appealing to employers and graduate programs.

In fact, jobs in technical writing are growing faster than the national average, and the median annual pay for technical writers in 2016 was $69,850, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In Arizona, technical writing jobs are projected to grow by more than 20 percent by 2024, according to O*Net Online (sponsored by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Whether your goal is to strengthen your writing skills, to challenge yourself to learn new media and technologies, or to make connections with businesses and communities, the Professional & Technical Writing Certificate can help you achieve that goal and signal to future employers that you have valuable writing skills.

How to Earn the Certificate

The certificate is currently only offered to degree-seeking undergraduate students at the University of Arizona.

1. Review the requirements below for completing the certificate
2. Complete the Professional & Technical Writing Certificate Interest Survey. This lets us know you intend to get the certificate.
3. Take ENGL 307 OR ENGL 308, ENGL 313, and an elective. If you want another writing class you have taken to count as your elective, send the course syllabus and your request for it to count as an elective to Sharonne Meyerson.
4. When you are ready to enroll in ENGL 494P (the 1-credit portfolio course that is the culmination of the certificate), contact Sharonne Meyerson, who will verify that you have completed the required courses.
5. Complete your portfolio in ENGL 494P.
6. Upon completing your portfolio, contact Sharonne Meyerson to complete the form we will send to the registrar to make sure the certificate shows up on your transcript.

Certificate Requirements

This certificate can be completed online or through in-person courses. You can also complete the entire certificate using just one textbook bundle (if you take ENGL 307, 308, and 313). 

Introductory Course

Choose one:

Required Course

Electives

Choose one course:

*Not all electives are offered every semester. Check Schedule of Classes in Catalog. If you would like to substitute another class for the elective, send the course syllabus and your substitution request to Sharonne Meyerson.

Questions?

Contact Sharonne Meyerson with any questions about registering for a Professional & Technical Writing course and/or about the certificate.