What is the Minor in Professional Writing?

The Minor in Professional Writing offers exposure to a range of communication practices in academic and professional communities through three prerequisite courses, two senior capstone courses, and an internship. The courses emphasize the design and production of documents that meet the information needs of varied audiences. Students in the Minor in Professional Writing complete the two-quarter capstone courses during their senior year, and they prepare a portfolio that demonstrates their accomplishments.

You should think of the Minor in Professional Writing as an apprenticeship in the world of professional writing, and not simply as a set of courses in which someone else (the instructor) will tell you what to do. Minors in Professional Writing must be more than good students. They must be excellent writers and editors. They must be able and willing to function in a professional internship environment, to accept responsibility, to demonstrate initiative, to complete assignments, to meet deadlines, and to work collegially in group projects.


What is the internship requirement?

Minors in Professional Writing are required to arrange for an internship that begins no later than the first week of spring quarter, 2007. Internships are generally (not always) off-campus; some are paid, some not. Minors may earn two or four units for the Internship experience (8-16 hours per week).


What are the requirements for the Minor in Professional Writing?

Download the following Word document: Requirements for the Minor in Professional Writing. (also available in PDF format).


How do I pursue the Minor in Professional Writing?

Though it is not possible to "declare" a Minor at UCSB, we strongly urge you to begin by scheduling an appointment with the Writing Program Undergraduate Advisor. Unfortunately, because there are not at the present time enough seats in the senior capstone courses for all students who wish to complete the Minor in Professional Writing, the Advisor will help you to plan your academic preparation for the Minor in a way that may increase your eligibility to complete the capstone courses in your senior year. In the fall quarter of your senior year, you will need to complete an application for the capstone courses.


What are the tracks for 2006-2007?

Professional Editing (Writing 150, 151 A-B): Conceptual and technical editing of documents with attention to audience, genre, tone, and style. Students will learn the responsibilities of the professional editor, including interaction with authors, revision strategies, and the grammatical and mechanical requirements of The Chicago Manual of Style and other style guides. The final portfolio will include resume, analytical essays, reader's report, and edited documents.

Technical/Multimedia Communication (Writing 150, 155 A-B): Evaluation, design, and production of effective multimedia content for professional audiences. Advanced computer skills are not required, but willingness to learn new software is essential. The final portfolio will include individual and collaborative multimedia projects as well as traditional documents such as memos, proposals, progress reports, and a résumé.

Business Communication (Writing 150, 157A-B): Development of written, visual, oral and collaborative skills for the workplace (business, government, non-profit or organizations), with a focus on design, development, and re-purposing of hardcopy and new media documents. A final portfolio will include examples of a variety of professional genres--such as letters, e-mails, status reports, proposals, press releases, feasibility reports, policies and procedures, brochures--presented in both print and digital form.

"Capstone Courses" taken as the final sequence of courses in the Minor: