Master of Arts in English, Professional Writing Concentration

Dr. Julia Romberger, Coordinator

Old Dominion University offers two graduate programs in Professional Writing. The M.A. concentration is designed for those who seek an intense investigation into professional writing. The Graduate Certificate in Professional Writing is designed for professionals who want to supplement their undergraduate degrees or graduate students in other programs who want to sharpen their writing and communication skills.

Professional Writing Degree Requirements

Required:

• ENGL 539 Writing in Electronic Environments
• ENGL 685 Writing Research
• ENGL 706 Visual Rhetoric and Document Design
• ENGL 715 Professional Writing Theories and Practice

Three hours from:

• ENGL 686 Introduction to Rhetoric and Writing Studies
• ENGL760 Classical Rhetoric and Theory Building
• ENGL 765 Modern Rhetoric and Theory Building

Three hours from

• ENGL 540 General Linguistics
• ENGL 550 American English
• ENGL 577 Language, Gender and Power
• ENGL 595 Topics (when Advanced Grammar)

Three hours from

• ENGL 664 Teaching College Composition
• ENGL 665 Teaching Writing with Technology
• ENGL 680 Second Language Writing Pedagogy
• ENGL 720 Pedagogy and Instructional Design

Three hours from

• ENGL 527 Writing in the Disciplines
• ENGL 535 Management Writing
• ENGL 573 Writing with Video
• ENGL 581 Advanced Public Relations
• ENGL 595 Topics (when relevant to Professional Writing)
• ENGL 662 Cybercultures and Digital Writing
• ENGL 668 Graduate Internship & Project in Professional Writing
• ENGL 673 Discourse Analysis
• ENGL 686 Introduction to Rhetoric and Writing Studies
• ENGL 695 Topics (when relevant to Professional Writing)
• ENGL 701 Texts and Technologies
• ENGL 716 Professional Writing in/for International Contexts
• ENGL 720 Pedagogy and Instructional Design
• ENGL 760 Classical Rhetoric and Theory Building
• ENGL 765 Modern Rhetoric and Theory Building
• ENGL 766 New Media Theory and Production I
• ENGL 771 New Media Theory and Production II

Electives

Approved, Open Electives (6 hours)

No more than 12 credit hours on the 500 level may be counted toward a degree. 

MA Thesis, Portfolio, or Oral Examination

Portfolio Option: As one of their oral exam options (just oral exam and thesis being the other two), students may choose to develop a portfolio as the capstone project for the MA in English degree. Students choosing this option will propose the scope of their individual projects to the Graduate Program Director and the committee chair. Portfolios are a collection of individual texts with a metanarrative that explains the connection between these texts and the portfolio's intellectual underpinnings. The entire portfolio should range between 10,000 and 15,000 words. Portfolios can be, but are not limited to, a collection of extensively revised course work, a collection of teaching materials, or a collection of new media texts. Portfolios can be submitted in a notebook or electronically. To help prepare the portfolio, students will be encouraged to take an independent study for up to 3 units as one of their electives; the student's committee chair should direct this independent study.