Professional Writing and Editing, BA
It also prepares you for advanced academic work in a range of fields, including the humanities and legal studies. You will put your skills to work in a capstone internship that prepares you for roles as writers, editors, and analysts. If you double-major in PWE and another discipline are doubly-prepared to succeed given your writing skills and subject matter expertise!
Eligible PWE students may earn both the BA degree and a master’s degree in 5 years.
Your Degree Plan
The Professional Writing and Editing major consists of 10 courses (30 credit hours): 3 core courses, 1 professional or technical writing course, a capstone internship, and 2 approved courses related to a specific topical area.
The topics areas below serve as examples.
Editing and Publishing (choose 2)
- WRIT 302 Editing
- WRIT 303 Multimedia Writing
- WRIT 306 (Renamed) Intro to Digital Humanities
- WRIT 402 Publishing
OR
Creative Writing and Narrative Strategies (choose 2)
- ENGL 312 Creative Writing Workshop: Fiction
- ENGL 314 Creative Writing Workshop: Creative Nonfiction
- ENGL 318 Special Topic in Creative Writing
OR
Theories of Literacy and Language (choose 2)
- WRIT 309 Approaches to Teaching Composition
- WRIT 321 History of the English Language
- WRIT 460: Appalachian Englishes
- WRIT 490: Teaching Practicum (Dialect Project or Tutoring)
Writing Theory and Practice
WRIT 301
Tradition and contemporary approaches to rhetoric and writing theory for professional writing and editing students who wish to develop their abilities to analyze and produce written texts.
Editing
WRIT 302
A comprehensive approach to editing, including the correctness and effectiveness of a document, information design, and editorial responsibility. Students gain a realistic perspective on workplace practice through real-world scenarios, case studies, and technological applications.
Multimedia Writing
WRIT 303
Study of communication and design issues in multimedia composition. Focuses on communication, creative expression, persuasion, interactivity, and rhetorical principles. Practice in composing multimedia documents such as online publications, interactive literary works, and tutorials.
Business and Professional Writing
WRIT 304
Students analyze different writing contexts, meet the needs of different audiences, and organize and present material in letters, memos, and reports. Includes some research, online components, and a review of style, grammar and usage.
Technical Writing
WRIT 305
Writing in scientific and technical fields. Introduces students to typical genres, workplace practices, document design, and conventions of writing for experts and non-experts.
English Professional Field Experience
ENGL 491
(May be repeated up to a maximum of 18 hours.) Prearranged experiential learning program, to be planned, supervised, and evaluated for credit by faculty and field supervisors. Involves temporary placement with public or private enterprise for professional competence development.
Honors
Expand your curiosity and enhance your curriculum through the WVU Honors College. Two programs are offered: Honors Foundations and Honors in Action.
The WVU Difference
What sets this program apart?
- Capstone internship and professional development seminar at the end of the degree.
- Eligible students may earn both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in 5 years.
- Earn academic credit through Eberly internship courses.
- 500+ scholarships awarded annually by the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.
- Academic Enrichment Program offers funding for activities that complement, extend, and enhance your academic experience.
Learn by Doing
Get involved outside the classroom.
- The West Virginia Dialect project studies language variation and fosters understanding and appreciation of the speech of West Virginians. Undergraduate research assistants study the intricate nature of Appalachian dialects while gathering cultural information.
- Service-learning courses in which students develop project management skills and public-facing deliverables. (Recent partnerships have included the WVU radio station, Girls on the Run, the West Virginia and Regional History Center, the Morgantown Area Partnership.)
- WVU offers several study-abroad opportunities as well as a Certificate in Global Competency.
- Digital/public writing opportunities (partnerships with the libraries, Wikipedia Edit-a-thon).
View all of the student organizations you can join.
- National Council of Teachers of English
- American Copy Editors Society
- American Medical Writers Association
- Association for Business Communication
- Association for the Rhetoric of Science, Technology and Medicine
- Association of American Publishers
- Association of Writers and Writing Programs
- Coalition for Community Writing
- Editorial Freelancers Association
- IEEE Professional Communication Society
- National Association of Science Writers
The 2021 Research Report, How College Contributes to Workforce Success: Employer Views on What Matters Most, specifically notes that “internships lead the list of what makes employers ‘much more likely to consider’ hiring a candidate” (p.10). Internships are a signature component of this degree.
Since spring of 2019, WVU students pursuing a Professional Writing and Editing emphasis within the English major have interned at over 42 distinct sites and several have resulted in job interviews or offers for permanent positions. Please see a sample of student projects from ENGL 491A, the capstone internship course.
- American Council on Rural Special Education – Writing and Editing Internship
- Appalachian Prison Book Project – Writing and Multimedia Design Internship
- Appalachian Studies Association – Writing and Editing Internship
- Berwyn Development Corporation, IL – Blog Development Internship
- Change Seven Magazine – Digital Publishing Internship
- Citizens Bank of Weston– Writing and Editing Internship
- Fitness Information Technology – Publishing internship
- Great Lakes Publishing – Editorial Internship
- Higinbotham & Higinbotham, PLLC – Legal Internship
- Land & Sea – Promotion and Marketing Internship
- Mindfit Academic Enhancement – Communication and Instruction Internship
- Morris Hayhurst LaunchLab – Multimedia Writing Internship
- New South Media – Multimedia Writing and Editing Internship
- West Virginia Humanities Council – Writing and Editing Internship
- WVU College of Law – Editing Internship
- WVU Go Media – Writing and Editing Internship
- WVU Office of Global Affairs – Writing Internship
Careers and Outcomes
How does this degree prepare students for a career?
Career options
Our Professional Writing and Editing majors and minors become lawyers, doctors, technical writers and editors, and professionals of all kinds. They work in publishing and technical fields, make a difference with nonprofits and government jobs, write and edit web content, and foster community-focused partnerships. Here’s what some are doing now:
- Editor/Editorial Consultant
- Marketing Consultant
- Technical Communications
- Corporate Communications
- Proposal Coordinator and Editor
- Business Analyst-Editor
- Grant Writer
- Research Specialist
- Website Architect or Editor
- Documentation design
- Government writing
- Public advocacy (NGO work, non-profit)
- Public policy (organizations that require analytical and research skills)
- Speech writing
- Teaching
- Education (writing for education companies or agencies)
Who’s hiring our grads
- Administrative Technology Solutions
- AMEX International, Inc. (government contractor)
- Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc.
- Bodymind Institute in Wheeling, WV
- Chevron in Pittsburgh
- Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
- Johns Hopkins University Press
- JPMorgan Chase and Co.
- KeyLogic Systems, Inc.
- Kroger Marketing Team
- Lockheed Martin in Clarksburg, WV
- Metabiota
- National Environmental Services Center
- National Research Center for Coal and Energy
- N-Play RE LLC
- Quadax
- Red Hat, Inc.
- WebFX
- Westinghouse Electric Company
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the Professional Writing and Editing major, first-time freshmen must meet WVU's first-time freshman admission requirements. Interested in transferring? Review the transfer admission requirements.
Tuition and Aid
How much does Professional Writing and Editing at WVU cost? And how can you save?
Tuition and Fees
Estimated rates are available on our tuition website. Anyone who is not a current West Virginia resident, including international students, will be charged non-resident rates.
Ways to Save
Beyond scholarships, here are other ways to reduce your cost of attending WVU.
Financial Aid
The most important step toward funding your future with financial aid for the Professional Writing and Editing, BA is submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.
Start at Another WVU Campus
You can start your career with WVU at another campus and transfer to WVU Morgantown.
Transfer Articulation Agreements
To simplify the transfer process, we have formal agreements with certain institutions. These agreements outline the courses you should take to prepare for transferring to WVU.
Review the full list of transfer articulation agreements to see if your institution is listed.
Request Info
Want to know more about Professional Writing and Editing at WVU? Fill out our request form to receive more information.
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