Let your passion for writing inspire your career.

Professional Writing students gain valuable skills in workplace communication, project management, digital media, and technical writing. If you are interested in turning your passion for writing into a career, a Professional Writing major, minor, or collateral may be for you.

Our program incorporates plenty of experiential learning activities, including internships that often lead to full-time employment. Graduates of FMU’s Professional Writing program find positions in any number of fields including:

Technical Writing
User Experience and Content Writing
Publishing and Editing
Corporate Communication
Health Sciences
Law
Marketing and Public Relations
Information Design
Project Management

For more information about the Professional Writing program, contact:

Dr. Christine Masters-Wheeler
Professional Writing Program Coordinator
Founders Hall 102
(843) 661-1806

Courses

In the Professional Writing major, you will earn a total of 33 credit hours in English, which includes professional writing, creative writing, and literature courses as well as an internship. Note that general education classes must also be completed for a degree. Those pursuing a minor or a collateral are eligible to complete an internship; see below for more details.

The major requires 33 hours in English-Professional Writing above the 299 level:

  • ENG 305, Business Writing
  • ENG 317, Editing and Publishing
  • ENG 318, Technical Communication
  • ENG 411, Multimedia Writing
  • ENG 495, Professional Writing Capstone
  • ENG 498, English Internship
  • One creative writing course from ENG 366, 367, 370, 372
  • Three additional writing courses at the 300- or 400-level
  • ART 206, Introduction to Visual Communication
  • One literature course at the 300- or 400-level

Requirements for the minor include:

  • ENG 305 Business Writing
  • ENG 317 Editing and Publishing
  • ENG 318 Technical Communication
  • ENG 495 Professional Writing Capstone
  • Plus two additional courses chosen from 300-400-level writing courses, which may include ENG 498 English Internship. To be eligible for ENG 498, minors must earn an overall grade point average of at least 2.33 and a minor grade point of 3.0, plus at least a B in 305 and 318.

Requirements for the collateral include:

  • ENG 305 Business Writing
  • ENG 318 Technical Communication
  • One writing course chosen from 300-400-level writing courses. Plus ENG 317 Editing and Publishing, or an additional course chosen from 300-400-level writing courses. To be eligible for ENG 498 (English Internship), collateral students must earn an overall grade point average of at least 2.33 and a collateral grade point average of 3.0, plus at least a B in 305 and 318.

Experiential Learning

The Professional Writing program at FMU augments classroom study with experiential learning, allowing students to serve real clients in the workplace. A number of classroom projects, as well as individual internships, have involved traveling to client sites, locally, nationally, and internationally. Blending practical applications with academic rigor offers Professional Writing students a life-changing learning opportunity.

Internships

Some Professional Writing internships have led to excellent job opportunities. Participants in the Professional Writing program have completed internships at a diverse array of organizations:

  • ACS Technologies*
  • Belle Baruch Foundation
  • Care House of the Pee Dee
  • Darlington Public Library
  • Florence Chamber of Commerce
  • First Reliance Bank*
  • FMU Career Services*
  • FMU International Programs
  • FMU Office of Communications
  • FMU School of Health Sciences
  • Jebaily Law Firm*
  • Lipe & Associates Accounting Firm
  • McLeod Health Marketing and Public Relations*
  • The Naomi Project
  • National Estuary Research Reserve
  • Pee Dee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Assault*
  • Pee Dee Land Trust
  • Snow Island Review Journal
  • South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
  • Spartanburg YMCA
  • Sumter Police Department*
  • United Way of Florence County
  • Zenta Mortgaging Processes

* These organizations have offered full-time employment to students who completed internships.

How do I apply for an internship?

To begin an internship in Summer or Fall, students must complete an application during Spring semester. To begin an internship in Spring semester, students must complete an application during Fall semester. Contact Dr. Masters-Wheeler for more information or view the internship information page.