The Professional Writing Minor

No matter the job or profession, writing and communication skills are vital to a successful and meaningful career. A minor in Professional Writing would benefit any CAS major, as well as majors outside CAS, such as in Business, Computer Science, Engineering, Health Sciences, and Journalism. Many fields today require an understanding of disciplinary discourses and an application of diverse writing skills. This minor will provide a wide range of opportunities for students to develop competency in understanding professional writing genres and environments, such as peer-reviewed publications; professional presentations; technical and training documentation; management of online domains related to one’s profession; and the creation and maintenance of a professional/career portfolio. Thus, students taking this minor will obtain preparation for graduate school and/or the workplace. The minor is structured so that students take required and elective courses, and can complete an optional experiential learning project.

Requirements for the minor in Professional Writing

Completion of the minor requires 21 credits, including WRT 102. At least 15 of the 21 credits must be taken at Stony Brook University. Transfer credits are awarded by permission of the PWR’s Undergraduate Program Director. Courses taken for the minor must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher.

I. 12 credits in the following required courses:

1. WRT 102Intermediate Writing Workshop
2. WRT 200Grammar and Style for Writers
3. WRT 201Principles of Professional Writing
4. WRT 304Writing for Your Profession

II. 9 credits from among the following elective courses:

1.  WRT 301 Writing in the Disciplines: special topics courses relevant to professional writing study and practice, such as Technical Writing, Business Writing, and Legal Writing. May be repeated for credit as the topic changes.
2. WRT 302Critical Writing Seminar: special topics courses relevant to professional writing study and practice, such as Writing for the Social Sciences, Writing for the New Media, Communicating Across Cultures and Contexts, Rhetoric and Culture, Visual Rhetoric, Global Literacies, Feminist Rhetorics, Fiction Writing, Creative Nonfiction, Playwriting, and Practice of Editing and Publishing. May be repeated for credit as the topic changes.
3. WRT 303 Personal Essay
4. WRT 305Writing for the Health Professions
5. WRT 380Advanced Research Writing
6. WRT 381Advanced Analytic and Argumentative Writing

Recommended experiential learning project: Students are also encouraged to complete a three-credit experiential learning project, either as a zero-credit WRT 444 attached to an upper-division WRT course or to a WRT independent study, or as a WRT internship focused on their writing in the area of their major.