I do a lot of writing at work and recently I got the idea :thinkerg: of searching out some professional writing cert programs. Here's what I found: West Virginia Distance Learning Black Hills State Professional Writing Certificate Northern Arizona Professional Writing Certificate: NAU Extended Campuses - Degree Details CSUDH (technical writing) Online Technical Writing Classes If anyone knows of others I'd appreciate it if you'd list them here. Thanks.
Look here: Certificate Programs in Technical Writing & Technical Communication | Technical Communication Center many are online. La Tech is fairly inexpensive.
Another option from the University of Wisconsin University of Wisconsin System eCampus - UW Online Education
I've now had the chance to go through the entire list from Kevin's link and while it's a great resource, it's almost entirely about Technical Writing, not Professional Writing. As I am coming to understand, they are two seperate areas within the writing field. If anyone has any other links or info regarding Professional Writing I'd appreciate it if you'd post them here.
Online Professional Writing Certificate Online Effective Professional Writing Professional Writing | Chatham University Fairfield University University College Professional Writing Certificate MA in Professional Writing - Department of English - Carnegie Mellon University
Kevin - Clearly you've got a line on this area. Do you think these certs (prof & tech writing) have sufficient value to warrant the time/money? :thanks:
It depends on the ultimate goal. Technical writing is great for those that write specs, documents (procurements or proposals) etc... Professional writing has a broader application in that you can do most of the technical portion and use the skills in management. It irks me when managers cannot reward subordinates because of their inability to put on to paper the employees accomplishments, benefits to the organization, etc... I often state that the few rewards that can given to employees are more money (awards, quality salary increases, bonuses) or time off. Both of these efforts require writing and/or justification and then the ability to defend a position. For a resume, these certs could demonstrate many of the core competencies needed for upward mobility. Every managerial position will require the abilities to communicate both orally and in writing, as well as being able to defend a position or persuade an audience (often diverse and potentially comprised of technical and non-technical persons).
Univ of Colorado Denver BA in English Writing Univ of Memphis BA English (Prof Writing Concentration) Mercy College BA in English Grand Canyon Univ BA in English Literature Southern New Hampshire Univ BA Creative Writing Perelandra College BA in Writing (DETC) National Univ BA in English Regent Univ BA in English (Creative Writing Concentration) Univ of Massachusetts Amherst (Univ Without Walls) BA Journalism Studies
Typically, those who do professional writing (copywriters, ghostwriters, etc.) obtain writing gigs based on the quality of their previous work. I'm not optimistic that you would see any real ROI from a professional writing cert.
True, to an extent. As a freelance writer myself I can point to two important facts that you are leaving out: 1) Probably any of these programs, either BA's or Certs, will improve your writing skills. That will improve your chances of getting a gig. 2) For your first few jobs you will need to submit a resume to the potential employer. Demonstrating that you've pursued professional training in the field will always enhance your chances. Now, I'm not saying that any educational credentials are absolutely required to enter this field. I myself have only an AA (and that was pretty recent). But there are at least tens of thousands of writers out there, and those numbers have greatly increased in the last few years thanks to the economy.
I do not expect that this cert, by itself, will result in some huge shift in my career. However, as one small part of a larger collection of qualifications it might contribute to a sort of credential tipping point in the hiring/promotion process. If I feel that the costs are in-line with the value I will pursue one of these programs. I haven't paid any attention to costs so far but now that I have a good representation of offered programs I'll be checking out that factor next. Thanks for all the input.
Here is another resource. For many years I have belonged to the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA). This is an organization of professional writers. The majority of them specialize in copywriting, proof reading and technical writing: http://http://www.the-efa.org/ The organization has an ongoing series of courses in their areas of specialty. No distance programs, as far as I know. The group does have branches throughout the US.
This is an excellent thread. I want to add several certs. And this thread is where I will hang my hat. Thanks guys.
