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UWM

Academic Catalog 2020-2021
  • Home»
  • Letters and Science (College of)»
  • English»
  • Professional Writing and Communication, Graduate Certificate

English

  • English, BA
  • English, MA
  • English, MA/​Library and Information Science, MLIS
  • English, Minor
  • English, PhD
  • English, Writing, Editing, and Publishing Minor
  • Professional Writing and Communication, Graduate Certificate
bnr-professional-writing-communication
College of Letters and Science

Professional Writing and Communication, Graduate Certificate

  • Overview
  • Requirements

This program is currently not accepting applications.

The Professional Writing and Communication Graduate Certificate is designed for post-baccalaureate students seeking professional training and education to advance their careers.

The Certificate is a joint offering by the Professional Writing Program in the Department of English and the Department of Communication. It is a popular option for anyone seeking academic credentials and will qualify graduates to compete for jobs involving writing or communication or for advancement opportunities at their current places of employment. 

There is no single “typical” certificate student, but many of our students are:

  • BA/BS graduates in a major other than English or Communication with little or no related work experience in writing who are seeking a change in their job or career.
  • Happy with their current employer, but hoping to qualify for more writing and communication responsibilities or for promotional opportunities that might involve project management, assessment, training, and other activities that require writing or communications experience.
  • Seeking specialized and current instruction in writing or communication to qualify for more jobs or assist their employer in keeping up with current technologies, concepts, and standards in professional writing or communication.

It’s possible to complete all the Certificate courses online, but many students also choose to take both online and face-to-face courses to complete their Certificate.

On This Page
  • Admission Requirements 
  • Credits and Courses
  • Additional Requirements

Admission Requirements 

Application Deadlines

Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.

Application

  • Students wishing to obtain this certificate must declare their intention by applying to the program office or director.
  • All graduate certificate applicants—even those already enrolled in a UWM graduate program—must apply to the Graduate School through the Panthera Admission Application.
  • Graduate degree and previously admitted graduate non-degree students who decide to pursue a certificate program must submit the Panthera application before completing 6 credits in the certificate sequence.
  • Applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree and have a minimum 2.75 cumulative undergraduate grade point average to be admitted in to a certificate program.
  • In addition, send the following items directly to the Department of English1:
  1. A portfolio of writing samples.
  2. Two letters of recommendation from persons knowledgeable about applicants’ recent academic or work experience.
  3. A statement of purpose that identifies the applicants’ knowledge of workplace communication practices and business operations, their professional experience, or basic undergraduate coursework in business writing, technical writing, and communication.
  4. A statement describing the applicants’ access to and operational knowledge of online communication technology, including a PC or equivalent computer system with Internet access and other applications sufficient to participate in the program’s online learning activities.
  5. An unofficial transcript from each undergraduate and graduate institution attended.
1

Mailing Address: Department of English, Attn: Certificate Program, UWM, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0413

Eligibility and Admission

Students must have completed a bachelor’s degree with a minimum GPA of 2.75.

Credits and Courses

Students must complete 15 credits of coursework as outlined below. The Certificate will be awarded when students achieve the following:

Course List
Code Title Credits
Select three of the following: 19
ENGLISH 431
Topics in Advanced Communications: (subtitle)
ENGLISH 435
Rhetoric and Professional Writing
or ENGLISH 708
Advanced Professional Writing
ENGLISH 436
Technical Documentation
ENGLISH 437
Project Management for Professional Writers
ENGLISH 439
Information Design
ENGLISH 443
Grant Writing
ENGLISH 444
Technical Editing
ENGLISH 708
Advanced Professional Writing
ENGLISH 709
Rhetoric, Writing, and Information Technology
ENGLISH 710
Advanced Project Management for Professional Writers
ENGLISH 711
Topics in Public and Professional Writing: (Subtitle)
ENGLISH 712
Theories in Public Rhetorics and Community Engagement
ENGLISH 713
Research Methods in Rhetorics, Literacies, and Community Engagement
Select two of the following:6
COMMUN 550
International and Global Communication
COMMUN 665
Introduction to Mediation
COMMUN 710
Managerial Communication
COMMUN 762
Argumentation in Theory and Practice
COMMUN 772
Rhetorical Leadership and Ethics
COMMUN 810
Studies of Communication in Organizations
COMMUN 813
Seminar in Mediated Communication
COMMUN 815
Communication Technologies in Organizations
COMMUN 820
Communication in Customer Service Settings
COMMUN 823
Seminar in Small Group Communication
COMMUN 827
Seminar in Instructional Communication
COMMUN 830
Negotiation
COMMUN 865
Theory and Practice of Mediation
COMMUN 873
The Digital Mirror
COMMUN 893
Rhetoric of/and the Internet
Total Credits15
1

Students who within the past five years have successfully completed courses equivalent to these required English courses may, with the approval of the Certificate Coordinator, substitute alternate English graduate courses.

Additional Requirements

Transfer Credit

No more than 20% of the required credits may be taken at an institution other than UWM. These courses are subject to Graduate School transfer policy and must be approved by the director of the certificate program.

Grade Point Average Requirement

A minimum cumulative 3.00 grade point average in certificate courses taken at UWM is required.

Articulation with Degree Programs

  1. Credits and courses required for a certificate may double count toward meeting UWM graduate degree requirements subject to the following restrictions:
    • Degree programs must approve the courses from certificates that can double count toward the degree.
    • All credits taken in completion of certificate requirements may count towards a UWM graduate degree as long as they do not contribute more than 90% of the total credits needed to obtain the degree. (Note: Students in PhD programs must still complete the minimum residency requirements)
    • Certificate courses used toward meeting degree requirements must be completed within the time limit for transfer credit.
  2. Courses completed for a degree may be counted toward a subsequent certificate, subject to all certificate policy requirements.
  3. A course may count toward no more than one certificate and one degree.
  4. Students may not earn a certificate subsequent to a concentration in the same area.

Time Limit

Certificate program time limits shall be established as follows:

  • 18 or fewer credits/Three years from initial enrollment in the certificate sequence.
  • 19 or more credits/Four years from initial enrollment in the certificate sequence.

For certificates that are designed as add-ons to degree programs and are awarded concurrent with the degree, the time limit shall be the same as that of the degree program.

Apply Now Request Info Program Website

English

  • English, BA
  • English, MA
  • English, MA/​Library and Information Science, MLIS
  • English, Minor
  • English, PhD
  • English, Writing, Editing, and Publishing Minor
  • Professional Writing and Communication, Graduate Certificate
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Contact Information

dclark@uwm.edu

http://uwm.edu/techcom/

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Our Catalog is a general source of information about course offerings, academic programs and requirements, expenses, rules, and policies. The University reserves the right to change the information published in this Catalog without notice. Students are advised to consult with their individual School/College or department for the most up-to-date information about program requirements.

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