Undergraduate Studies
Overview of the Professional Writing Major
The undergraduate major in Professional Writing at Purdue University centers on coursework in technical writing and in writing and publishing. Housed in the Department of English, the program is noted for cultivating expertise in writing for digital workplaces, user experience and usability, digital publishing, and writing in high tech industries.
Professional Writing is nationally recognized for its innovative faculty, its outstanding alumni network, and its leadership in cutting edge professional and technical writing approaches to teaching and research. Students students must supplement their Professional Writing major with a minor in another discipline to ensure robust content knowledge and subject matter familiarity. Common minors include information technology (IT), journalism, agricultural communication, art and design, and computer graphics technology.
Undergraduate students have excellent scholarship opportunities, as well as the chance to study abroad through Purdue’s well-known Study Abroad program. Numerous internship opportunities are also available to provide students practical experience working in high-tech industries, healthcare, publishing, and content development. Crouse Scholarships, available for undergraduate and graduate students, are awarded annually to promising and outstanding students in PW.
The Purdue alumni network in Professional Writing and Rhetoric and Composition is wide and has binding ties to important sites in academia and industry. For more information about the Professional Writing major and minor, contact the Director of Professional Writing Major, Professor Richard Johnson-Sheehan.
Professional Writing Minor
The Professional Writing undergraduate minor provides students an opportunity to complement their major courses with classes and experiences in Professional Writing. Students will have opportunities to develop professional design and research skills through composing written, visual, and multimedia materials for print and digital environments.
Students enrolled in the minor will be introduced to foundational principles of professional writing, research in professional writing, digital publishing, and more. Students will gain professional workplace experience through an internship and corresponding seminar as part of the minor. Students interested in adding a Professional Writing minor should contact their advisor and the Director of Professional Writing Major, Professor Richard Johnson-Sheehan.