Professional Writing Minor

Department of English and Foreign Languages

Department of English and Foreign Languages Professional Writing Minor Build an impressive portfolio when you minor in Professional Writing at Barry

Wondering why you should minor in professional writing?

Communicating your ideas clearly or cleverly in writing will help you advance in any career. A minor in professional writing allows you to hone your writing skills, explore your creative side, and become adept at a variety of writing styles.

What does it mean to minor in professional writing at Barry?

Professional writing minors study many formats for written expression, including fiction, screenwriting, technical, persuasive, and business writing.

At Barry, you’ll learn from devoted scholars with extensive professional experience as writers, journalists, and editors. They will guide you throughout your time as a student, as you create your own portfolio of polished writing samples and participate in the Professional Writing Internship Program.

You’ll have the right clips to write for Barry’s student-run newspaper, Barry Buccaneer. Another option for publishing your work is in our literary journal, What Oft Was Thought.

Tech savviness is an important element of your professional writing minor, too. You’ll learn how to create webpages and design online publications using software like Adobe Illustrator.

What can you do with a professional writing minor?

Barry’s professional writing minor truly trains you for the workplace of your dreams. You’ll begin with an advantage as you launch into a career in journalism, public relations, advertising, technical writing, editing, law, or whatever you’d like to pursue.

That’s because the program requires the hands-on experience of the Professional Writing Internship Program and a portfolio submission for completion. One-on-one career counseling from faculty will help you build your résumé and clips, guide you in writing query letters, and market your skills.

Barry students have interned at publications and companies like:

  • The Miami Herald
  • Modern Luxury Brides
  • Sony Music
  • Onboard Media
  • Miami New Times
  • Boardroom Communications
  • Miami Sports Tribune

Course Requirements (21 Credits)

A minor in Professional Writing requires completion of 21 credit hours of Professional Writing courses, which must include: ENG-374, ENG-406, and ENG-499. ENG-499 (Internship) can only be taken for 3 credits.

Required Courses (9 Credits)

  • ENG-374 Writing For The Internet (3 Credits
  • ENG-406 Rhetorical Analysis (3 Credits)
  • ENG-499 Internship (3 to 6 Credits)

Note: ENG-499 offers students the opportunity to work with a company or organization in their intended area of specialization and to build a portfolio.

Additional Courses (12 Credits)

  • ENG 300 S/T: Activist Rhetoric (3 Credits)
  • ENG 333: Introduction to Fiction Writing (3 Credits)
  • ENG 344: Professional Editing (3 Credits)
  • ENG 350: Theories of Rhetoric and Public DIscourse (3 Credits)
  • ENG 356: Creative Nonfiction (3 Credits)
  • ENG 362: Magazine Article Writing (3 Credits)
  • ENG 364: Multimedia Writing (3 Credits)
  • ENG 404: Persuasive Writing (3 Credits)
  • ENG 446: Screenwriting (3 Credits)
  • ENG 447: Technical Writing (3 Credits)
  • ENG 334: Introduction to Poetry (3 Credits)
  • ENG 444: Business Writing (3 Credits)
  • COM 416: Investigative Journalism (3 Credits)

Sign in to use the pins