Curriculum

Classes are taught by a diverse and committed faculty, each of whom brings industry experience and scholarship from a variety of disciplines and fields (e.g., technical communication, writing studies, rhetoric and composition, editorial/journalism, public relations, and creative writing).

Flexible Schedule: Full-time (three courses per semester) or part-time (one or two courses per semester) enrollment.

Graduation Timeline: Assuming a full-time course load of 9 hours per semester, students could easily complete the program’s 30 credit hours and graduate in four semesters.

Modality: Courses are taught synchronously through Zoom once a week. Asynchronous options are also available.

Required Classes (30 credit hours)

• 4 Core Classes
• 5 Electives
• Enrollment in ENGL 590 and completion of a thesis or capstone

Core Classes (12 credits):

• ENGL 501: Seminar in Professional Writing Styles and Approaches
• ENGL 510: Introduction to Professional Writing Research Methods
• ENGL 514: Advanced Grammar and Copyediting
• ENGL 520: The Professional Document

Electives (15 credits):

• ENGL 530: Theory and Craft of Writing
• ENGL 531: Professional Writing for the Web
• ENGL 532: Public Relations and Organizational Writing
• ENGL 533: Professional Writing about Places
• ENGL 534: Visual Rhetoric in Professional Writing
• ENGL 536: Administrative and Technical Writing
• ENGL 540: Theories of Electronic Writing
• ENGL 541: Studies in Journalistic Literature
• ENGL 542: Currents in American Journalism
• ENGL 589: Current Topics in Professional and Digital Media (Topic Varies)*
  
  * Students may take ENGL 589 twice. Recent Topics: Review of the Arts, Professional Writing for Social Media, and Community Writing.
  
  In consultation with the graduate coordinator, 2 courses from other graduate programs may be taken.

ENGL 590 - Thesis in Professional and Digital Media Writing (3 credits):

When a student is ready to graduate, they have the option of writing a thesis or creating their own capstone project. Students will propose a topic of significance for a thesis in professional and digital media writing or a significant professional writing capstone project with a scholarly component. As part of the thesis/capstone process, candidates will assemble a committee, complete a prospectus, and present the scholarly, professional, and/or artistic significance, methods, and findings of their research project during an oral defense.

Sample Theses:

• M. Slowinski (2024): The Stigmatized Romance Genre on Bookstagram
• K. Lanigan (2024): Fan Labor, Youtube Fan Communities, and the Cases of Five Nights at Freddy’s and Hello Neighbor.
• S. Romberger (2024): The Effects of Semi-structured Journaling in a Small Population of Men
• C.J. Steffy (2020): Do No Harm: Ethical Reporting of Health News
• K.E. Kraemer (2019): Female Politicians and Rhetoric: The Case of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Sample Capstones:

• G. Hanson (2024): Legends and Lore of New Jersey: Travel Essays from the Garden State’s Underground (travel essays)
• M. Vyskocil (2024): Food for Family and Friends: Recipes for a Home Chef’s Repertoire (cookbook)
• K. Santoro (2022): Connected: A Personal Journal for Ketamine Therapy
• C. Breese (2024): Designed and published SAGE Dining Services style manual from scratch.