Learning Outcomes
Students who complete the Certificate in Writing develop:
- skills in the craft of writing, such as the ability to write clearly and concisely, control of mechanics and style, and the ability to communicate with particular audiences for specific purposes;
- skills in planning and using strategies to begin writing, overcome obstacles, obtain feedback, revise their work, and present their writing in public venues; and
- competence in discussing writing.
The undergraduate Certificate in Writing requires a minimum of 19 s.h. Students must maintain a grade-point average of at least 2.00 in work for the certificate.
The certificate may be earned by any student admitted to the University of Iowa who is not enrolled in a UI graduate or professional degree program. Undergraduate to Graduate (U2G) students may earn the certificate when the undergraduate classification is primary.
Certificate students explore and develop their own writing skills in a wide range of genres and for varied purposes, including creative writing (fiction, nonfiction, poetry); writing for the professions, such as the arts, business, journalism, or science; writing for organizations; and writing related to personal interests.
The Certificate in Writing also is available online for students unable to attend classes on campus, including professionals, distance education students, nondegree-seeking students, and international students. More information about the online Certificate in Writing is available at the Magid Center for Writing website. Some courses are available online; more online courses are added frequently.
Coursework for the certificate includes a minimum of 9 s.h. in core courses, a minimum of 9 s.h. in focused electives, and a minimum of 1 s.h. in a capstone course. Students may count a maximum of 6 s.h. earned for a major, a minor, or another certificate toward the certificate in writing. Up to 6 s.h. of transfer credit may be applied to the certificate. For questions regarding the double counting and transfer credit policies, contact the director.
Certificate students have the opportunity to participate in the Iowa City writing community through activities such as attending readings and lectures; presenting their own work in public; working with professional journals, newspapers, or other publications; and volunteering or interning with the Iowa Youth Writing Project literacy outreach program.
Certificate in Writing students may not earn the BAS degree with the creative writing emphasis.
See the section titled "Professional Track" for information and requirements regarding the literary publishing track for the Certificate in Writing.
The Certificate in Writing requires the following work.
| Requirements | Hours |
|---|---|
| Core Courses | 9 |
| Focused Electives | 9 |
| Capstone Course | 1 |
Core Courses
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| This course: | ||
| WRIT:1500 | Writing Commons: A Community of Writers (online or on campus) | 3 |
| 6 s.h. from these: | ||
| WRIT:1003/LING:1003 | English Grammar (online or on campus) | 3 |
| WRIT:1600 | Fast Fixes: Improving Your Writing in Six Short Weeks (to count as a core course, must be taken three times for 1 s.h. each with different topics) | 3 |
| WRIT:3080/LING:3080 | History of the English Language | 3 |
| WRIT:3632/CNW:3632/ENGL:3732 | Prose Style | 3 |
| WRIT:4745/CW:4745 | The Sentence: Strategies for Writing (online or on campus) | 3 |
| WRIT:4760/CW:4760 | The Art of Revision: Rewriting Prose for Clarity and Impact (online or on campus) | 3 |
| The 6 s.h. may include one of these: | ||
| WRIT:1030/LING:1030 | English Words | 3 |
| WRIT:1740/CLSA:1740 | Writing Strategies: Word Origins and Word Choice | 3 |
| WRIT:3742/CLSA:3742 | Word Power: Building English Vocabulary (online or on campus) | 3 |
Focused Electives
Students earn a total of at least 9 s.h. in focused electives, which they select from courses in at least two of the following categories (maximum of 6 s.h. from any one category) unless completing the literary publishing track (see "Professional Track").
- Writing for the Professions
- Writing and the Literary Arts
- Writing and the Media
- Writing in Context
- Student-Designated Writing-Intensive Course
Each focused elective course may be used to fulfill only one certificate requirement, even if the course is listed in more than one category. Some of these courses have prerequisites and other requirements for registration; students must complete a course's prerequisites and meet its registration requirements before they may register for the course.
Writing for the Professions
Art
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ARTH:1080 | How to Write About Art | 3 |
Business
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| WRIT:3005/CW:3005/INTD:3005 | Professional and Creative Business Communication (online or on campus) | 3 |
| WRIT:3526 | The Business of Writing | 3 |
| BUS:3000 | Business Communication and Protocol | 3 |
| BUS:3800 | Business Writing | 3 |
| CNW:3640 | Writing for Business | 3 |
| COMM:1816 | Business and Professional Communication | 3 |
| SRM:3300 | Writing for Sport and Recreation Managers | 3 |
Grant/Proposal Writing
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EALL:4130/MUSM:4150 | Introduction to Grant Writing (online or on campus) | 3 |
Journalism
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CINE:2600 | Writing Film Reviews and Criticism | 3 |
| CNW:2780 | The Art and Craft of Writing About Sports | 3 |
| JMC:2010 | Reporting and Writing | 3 |
| JMC:3410 | Magazine Reporting and Writing | 3-4 |
| JMC:3412 | Strategic Communication Writing | 4 |
| JMC:3415 | Writing Across Cultures | 4 |
| JMC:3470 | Narrative Journalism | 4 |
| SPAN:3020/JMC:3445/LAS:3020 | Journalistic Writing in Spanish | 3 |
Literature, Language, and Translation
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ASIA:3208/TRNS:3208/WLLC:3208 | Classical Chinese Literature Through Translation | 3 |
| JPNS:3201/TRNS:3201 | Workshop in Japanese Literary Translation | 3 |
| SPAN:2000 | Spanish Language Skills: Writing | 4 |
| SPAN:3000 | Cultural Narratives for Heritage Speakers | 3 |
| SPAN:3010 | Advanced Spanish Speaking and Writing | 3 |
| SPAN:3030 | Translation Workshop: English to Spanish | 3 |
| SPAN:3050 | Translation Workshop: Spanish to English | 3 |
| SPAN:3060 | Introductory Workshop on Creative Writing in Spanish | 3 |
| SPAN:4950 | Advanced Workshop on Creative Writing in Spanish | 3 |
| SPAN:4980 | Advanced Translation: Spanish to English | 3 |
| TRNS:3179/CLSA:3979/ENGL:3850 | Undergraduate Translation Workshop | 3 |
| TRNS:4480 | Literature and Translation | 3 |
Political Science
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CNW:2850 | The Art and Craft of Writing About Politics | 3 |
| POLI:3107 | Writing in Political Science: Writing for "Science" and for "Politics" | 3 |
| RHET:3560/PBAF:3560/POLI:3560/SJUS:3560 | Public Policy and Persuasion | 3 |
Publishing
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| WRIT:2900/ARTS:2900/ENGL:2900/UICB:2900 | Book Design for Publishing | 3 |
| WRIT:2991/CNW:2991/ENGL:2741 | Publishing I: Introduction to Literary Publishing | 3 |
| WRIT:2992/CNW:2992/ENGL:2742 | Publishing II: Advanced Literary Publication | 3 |
| WRIT:3000 | Publishing Practicum: The Iowa Chapbook Prize | 3 |
| HONR:2900 | Honors Publications: From Pitch to Print (taken two times, first time for 2 s.h. and second time for 1 s.h.) | 3 |
Sciences
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CNW:2730 | The Art and Craft of Science Writing | 3 |
| HHP:3900 | Writing for Health and Human Physiology | 3 |
Undergraduate Research
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BUS:1999 | Introduction to Research in Business | 1 |
| BUS:4999 | Honors Thesis in Business | arr. |
| An undergraduate thesis or writing-based capstone project related to any undergraduate discipline | 1-3 | |
Writing and the Literary Arts
Creative Writing
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CW:2100 | Creative Writing | 3 |
| or CW:1800 | Creative Writing Studio Workshop | |
| CW:3002 | Writing and Reading Young Adult Fiction | 3 |
| CW:3003 | Writing and Reading Science Fiction | 3 |
| CW:3004 | Writing and Reading Fantasy Fiction | 3 |
| CW:4894 | Undergraduate Project in Creative Writing | arr. |
| WLLC:1510/ASIA:1510 | Ghost Stories and Tales of the Weird in Premodern Chinese Literature | 3 |
Fiction
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CW:2870 | Fiction Writing (online or on campus) | 3 |
| CW:3870 | Advanced Fiction Writing (online or on campus) | 3 |
| CW:4870 | Undergraduate Writers' Workshop: Fiction | arr. |
| CW:4897 | Novel Writing (online) | 3 |
Nonfiction
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CNW:1620 | Introduction to Creative Nonfiction (online or on campus) | 3 |
| CNW:2680/ENGL:2730 | The Art and Craft of Creative Nonfiction | 3 |
| CNW:2700 | The Art and Craft of Personal Writing | 3 |
| CNW:2840 | The Art and Craft of Travel Writing | 3 |
| CNW:3630/ENGL:3730 | Advanced Nonfiction Writing | 3 |
| CNW:4631/ENGL:4731 | Advanced Essay Workshop | 3 |
| CNW:4635/ENGL:4735 | Advanced Creative Nonfiction Writing | 3 |
| CNW:4690 | Undergraduate Project in Nonfiction Writing | arr. |
Playwriting
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| THTR:2301 | Playwriting I (online or on campus) | 3 |
| THTR:2320 | Playwriting in a Global World | 3 |
| THTR:3301 | Playwriting II (online or on campus) | 3 |
| THTR:3310 | Undergraduate Playwriting Workshop | 1-3 |
| THTR:3421/GWSS:3421 | Performing Autobiography | 3 |
Poetry
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CW:2875 | Poetry Writing (online or on campus) | 3 |
| CW:3875 | Advanced Poetry Writing (online or on campus) | 3 |
| CW:4875 | Undergraduate Writers' Workshop: Poetry | arr. |
Writing and the Media
TV and Screenwriting
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CINE:1150 | Introduction to Screenwriting for Nonmajors | 3 |
| CINE:1300 | Foundations of Screenwriting (online) | 3 |
| CINE:2600 | Writing Film Reviews and Criticism | 3 |
| CINE:3361 | Screenwriting: Short Form | 3 |
| CINE:3367 | Screenwriting: Long Form | 3 |
| CINE:4378 | Advanced Screenwriting II | 4 |
| CNW:3661/ENGL:3761 | Film and Writing | 3 |
| COMM:2077 | Writing and Producing Television | 3 |
| THTR:3320 | Writing for Film | 3 |
| THTR:6310 | Special Topics in Playwriting | 3 |
| WRIT:3325/THTR:3325 | Iowa Writers' Room | 3 |
Other Media
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CNW:2770 | The Art and Craft of Writing for New Media | 3 |
| CNW:3660/ENGL:3760 | Multimedia Writing | 3 |
| CNW:3663/ENGL:3763 | Radio and Writing | 3 |
| CW:3218/INTD:3200 | Creative Writing for New Media | 3 |
| JMC:3600 | Topics in Designing/Producing | 3-4 |
| RHET:2070 | Persuasive Stories | 3 |
Writing in Context
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| WRIT:2100 | Writing and Community Outreach | 3 |
| WRIT:2300 | Writing Toward Empathy | 3 |
| CNW:2710 | The Art and Craft of Food Writing | 3 |
| CNW:2720 | The Art and Craft of Writing About Culture | 3 |
| CNW:2740 | The Art and Craft of Writing about the Environment | 3 |
| CNW:2760 | The Art and Craft of Writing for Social Change | 3 |
| CW:3107/INTD:3107 | Creative Writing for the Health Professions | 3 |
| CW:3215/INTD:3300 | Creative Writing and Popular Culture | 3 |
| CW:4751 | Creative Writing for the Musician | 3 |
| EDTL:4355/CNW:4355 | Approaches to Teaching Writing | 3 |
| GWSS:3138/SJUS:3138 | Writing to Change the World | 3 |
| IWP:3191/ENGL:3595/TRNS:3191/WLLC:3191 | International Literature Today | 1,3 |
| RHET:2350 | Forensic Rhetoric | 3 |
| RHET:3220 | Honors Writing Fellows: Writing Theory and Practice | 3 |
Student-Designated Writing-Intensive Course
Students may petition to count a course not in the previous lists toward their elective requirements. Petitions must be submitted online and receive prior approval from the Certificate in Writing advisor. Students may also complete WRIT:4000 Independent Capstone Project or WRIT:3900 Writing: Undergraduate Internship.
Students may also request permission to count a maximum of 3 s.h. earned in a non-writing intensive course numbered 3000 or above as credit toward the focused elective requirement. For this option, students must propose a writing-related project that extends the writing focus of their chosen course. They must have the approval of the faculty member teaching the course and the writing certificate advisor.
Capstone Course
Each student must earn 1 s.h. in a capstone course that serves as a culmination of their Certificate in Writing.
Guided Capstone Portfolio (WRIT:4001, 1 s.h.) is an asynchronous, online, portfolio-based course that allows students the chance to direct their own academic, professional, and creative learning experience by asking them to think critically about where they have come from and where they are headed. Students take the guided capstone portfolio course during the semester they plan to complete the writing certificate. In the course, students revise a piece of their writing, generate one new piece of writing, participate in workshops and critiques, and create a digital portfolio of their work (five pieces total). Their final project also includes an essay that reflects on the work created and the skills gained while pursuing the writing certificate.
Professional Track
Literary Publishing
Students considering a career in literary publishing can learn the ins and outs of the industry and gain a competitive edge by enrolling in the literary publishing track. This unique educational experience provides a substantial understanding of the editorial, design, and managerial work essential to this profession.
The literary publishing track, interdisciplinary in scope, is a collaboration between the Magid Center for Writing, the Nonfiction Writing Program in the Department of English, the School of Art, Art History, and Design, and the University of Iowa Center for the Book. For more information, contact the Magid Center for Writing.
Students may earn either the Certificate in Writing with the literary publishing track or the Bachelor of Arts in English (publishing track) or the Bachelor of Arts in English and creative writing (publishing track). Students may not earn the publishing track in both the major and in the writing certificate, and credit earned toward the English or English and creative writing publishing track cannot be counted toward the Certificate in Writing literary publishing track. Students may double count a maximum of 6 s.h. earned for another major, minor, or certificate toward the certificate in writing literary publishing track.
Students who enroll in the literary publishing track complete the certificate's core courses (9 s.h.; see "Core Courses") and capstone (1 s.h.; see "Capstone Course"). They fulfill the focused elective requirement with the following coursework.
Literary Publishing Track Focused Electives
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Both of these: | ||
| WRIT:2991/CNW:2991/ENGL:2741 | Publishing I: Introduction to Literary Publishing | 3 |
| WRIT:2992/CNW:2992/ENGL:2742 | Publishing II: Advanced Literary Publication | 3 |
| One of these: | ||
| WRIT:2900/ARTS:2900/ENGL:2900/UICB:2900 | Book Design for Publishing | 3 |
| WRIT:3000 | Publishing Practicum: The Iowa Chapbook Prize | 3 |
Recent Certificate in Writing graduates have gone on to work in various fields that are wide-ranging in scope and background. Graduates have found work as teachers, copywriters, editors and publishers, government administrators, freelance journalists, magazine writers, and more. Additionally, graduates often go on to pursue professional programs of study and advanced degrees in law and writing, among other fields. Finally, many recent graduates have found internships during and after their time in the program with publishing companies and magazines across the country.
The Pomerantz Career Center offers multiple resources to help students find internships and jobs.
Sample Plan of Study
Sample plans represent one way to complete a program of study. Actual course selection and sequence will vary and should be discussed with an academic advisor. For additional sample plans, see MyUI.
Writing, Certificate
| Second Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Any Semester | Hours | |
| WRIT:1500 | Writing Commons: A Community of Writers | 3 |
| Certificate: core course (prefix WRIT) a | 3 | |
| Certificate: core course (prefix WRIT) a | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Any Semester | ||
| Certificate: core course (prefix WRIT) a | 3 | |
| Certificate: focused elective b | 3 | |
| Certificate: focused elective b | 3 | |
| Internship: consider applying for internship with the Iowa Youth Writing Project or another organization (not required to earn the certificate but encouraged) | ||
| Hours | 9 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Any Semester | ||
| Certificate: focused elective b | 3 | |
| Certificate: capstone project c | 1 - 3 | |
| Hours | 4-6 | |
| Total Hours | 22-24 | |
- a
- Students must complete 9 s.h. of core courses from the list of approved options. See General Catalog for more information.
- b
- Students earn a total of at least 9 s.h. in focused electives, which they select from courses in at least two of the following categories (maximum of 6 s.h. from any one category) unless completing the literary publishing track: Writing for the Professions, Writing and the Literary Arts, Writing and the Media, Writing in Context, and Student-Designated Writing-Intensive Course.
- c
- Students choose from WRIT:4001, WRIT:4000, WRIT:3900, or petition to count an additional 3 s.h. writing course approved as a core or focused elective course as their capstone.