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Professional Writing

Degree Type
  • Graduate Certificate
Location
  • Online
College
  • College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences
Format
  • Online

Now accepting applications for Fall semester!
Application Deadline: August 1

Why earn a Professional Writing Certificate?

Housed within the School of Writing, Language and Literature (SWLL), the Professional Writing Graduate Certificate adds value to your career and education by improving your ability to communicate effectively in the workplace. This one-year graduate certificate program provides a high-quality, applied-learning experience for:

  • Working professionals in any field, in any workplace and with any experience level
  • Radford University graduate students (any discipline) as an add-on to their program
  • Radford University faculty and staff wanting to improve their communication skills

Working with our experienced and passionate faculty, you will learn how to:

  • Interpret business communications and respond quickly, clearly and correctly
  • Convey complex information to various audiences in writing, orally and visually
  • Write and design for readers in digital environments, including social media
  • Develop effective proposals that make a difference in competitive situations

Please visit the School of Writing, Language and Literature Our Faculty and Staff for more information about our faculty and their areas of research, teaching and service.

Admission Requirements

The admission requirements for the Professional Writing Graduate Certificate are a combination of standards from the Office of Graduate Affairs and the School of Writing, Language and Literature (SWLL).

Criteria for admission into the certificate program for current Radford University students:

Criteria for admission into the certificate program for individuals not currently enrolled at Radford University:

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
  • Minimum grade-point average: 2.75
  • Unofficial transcripts from all college institutions, including any post-baccalaureate work. Admitted students will be required to later submit official transcripts prior to their first term of enrollment.
  • Testing:
    • The Graduate Record of Examination (GRE) test is not required for admission into the Professional Writing Certificate Program.
    • Note: International applicants from most non-U.S. institutions may be required to demonstrate English language proficiency through the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). See International Admissions for more information.
  • Standard resume
  • 500-word statement of interest in the certificate program
  • Graduate Application
  • Application fee: $50

Certificate Coursework

The Professional Writing Graduate Certificate is comprised of four interconnected courses and can be fully completed in one academic year. Each course within the program is seven weeks long, culminating in an ePortfolio capstone project. All courses are taught online and asynchronously through Desire 2 Learn (D2L), in addition to other technologies (e.g. Zoom, Teams, etc.) at the instructor’s discretion.

Below is the list of the four required courses for certificate completion (in order):

  • ENGL 607: Business Writing and Editing (first seven weeks of Fall semester)
  • ENGL 608: Professional Writing (second seven weeks of Fall semester)
  • ENGL 610: Proposal Writing (first seven weeks of Spring semester)
  • ENGL 609: Digital Writing (second seven weeks of Spring semester)

Contact Us

For more information about the Professional Writing Graduate Certificate, please contact Marti Wagnon, Ph.D. (Professional Writing Certificate Program Coordinator) or Sean Keck, Ph.D. (English Graduate Program Director).

For more information about the cost (tuition, fees, etc.) of the graduate certificate program, please contact the Office of the Bursar. For more information about financial aid availability, please contact the Financial Aid Office.

Current Radford University faculty and staff may be eligible for a tuition waiver and should contact Human Resources or their direct supervisor for more information.

  • Value Develop skills through web-based portfolio

  • Convenience Online courses + completion in one year

  • Excellence Work with experienced, dedicated faculty

"Through the certificate program, I gained knowledge in a broad range of professional writing skills from document design and website usability to editing and organization of information. Though I had a few years of proposal writing experience prior to starting the certificate program, participating in the program enhanced my credentials and helped to round out and compliment my experience and degrees. I was immediately able to apply many of the skills in the workplace and have continued to utilize course resources like the e-portfolio as my career progresses."

M. Barbaret

"The Professional Writing Certificate program had an amazing impact on my writing ability. The program was very flexible with my schedule of working full-time and having a family, while still being informative and in-depth. I use the skills I learned in this program every day in my workplace and am very thankful to have completed the program."

D. Spurlin
"The Radford University Professional Writing Certificate focuses on expanding and sharpening the skills necessary to succeed in any professional writing field. I have utilized these lessons in my career as a content writer for a real estate appraisal company and was recently accepted to a master’s program due in large part to my written prowess. I am very grateful for Radford’s professional writing program."
S. Dodd

Ready to Study at Radford?

We want to get to know you better and we are excited that you are ready to take your next step with us. We are here to help you and look forward to working with you.