Micro-Certificate in Technical Writing

The Winthrop Department of English is poised to provide a streamline of highly skilled graduates to serve as proposal and grant writers as well as technical and professional writers in other industries and has developed a new Micro-Certificate in Technical Writing with emphasis in proposal and grant writing to meet growing market demands for trained technical writers.

The Winthrop University undergraduate Micro-Certificate in Technical Writing is open to students from all majors and is designed to sharpen students’ technical writing skills, develop expertise in professional communication, and credential students in the field of technical writing.

Curriculum

students listening to a lecture in a classroomThe curriculum for the Micro-Certificate in Technical Writing includes a newly designed course, WRIT 365: Proposal and Grant Writing, and additional updated and modified courses in technical writing, professional communication, and editing. These courses are designed to cultivate skills in professional communication, technical writing, technical editing, grant and proposal writing, writing for new media and digital platforms, risk assessment, industry-specific research, resume writing, interviewing, and revising technical documents to meet industry standards. Students may also elect complete an internship in a relevant field rather than completing a third course in the program.

The Micro-Certificate in Technical Writing is available to all Winthrop students and will be particularly valuable to students majoring in fields such as English, writing, business, healthcare management, mass communication, STEM fields (including chemistry, biology, nutrition, or environmental science), sports management, psychology, and social work. Course curricular options and individual course descriptions are included below.

Undergraduate Micro-Certificate in Technical Writing with E-badge Options

Option A - With Internship (7-9 hours)

Required Courses

  • WRIT 365 or WRIT 365X: Proposal and Grant Writing (3 hrs.)
  • WRIT 366: Technical Communication (3 hrs.)
  • WRIT 431, 432, or 433: Academic Internship in Proposal Writing Industry Field (1-3 hrs.)

Option B - Without Internship (9 hrs.)

Required Courses (6 hrs.)

  • WRIT 365 or WRIT 365X: Proposal and Grant Writing (3 hrs.)
  • WRIT 366: Technical Communication (3 hrs.)

Required Additional Elective in Professional and Technical Writing (3 hrs.)

Select at least one course from among the following options:

  • WRIT 465: Rhetoric in the Professional Workplace
  • WRIT 367: Technical Editing (3 hrs.)
  • WRIT 501: Writing for New Media (3 hrs.)
  • WRIT 502: Digital English Studies (3 hrs.)
  • WRIT 566: Writing for STEM, Health, and Medicine (3 hrs.)
  • ENGL 530: Grammar in Theory and Practice (3 hrs.)

Courses Supporting the Program

 

Student Success Criteria

Students who complete the required coursework with a GPA of 2.0 or higher will earn the MicroCertificate and an E-badge credential that can be included on resumes and on LinkedIn profiles.

Department Faculty Expertise

Dr. Heather Listhartke

Heather Listhartke

  • Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition from Miami University at Oxford, Ohio with Specialization in Professional and Technical Writing
  • Specialized graduate training in industry proposal and grant writing
  • Experience crafting proposals for higher education and nonprofits working with STEM initiatives

Dr. Devon Fitzgerald

Devon Fitzgerald

  • Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition from Illinois State University with expertise in professional writing and writing for new media
  • Experience teaching courses in grant and proposal writing and writing for the sciences

 

Ms. Amanda Covington

Amanda Covington

  • Master’s degree in English Language and Literature from Winthrop University
  • Doctoral coursework (ABD) in literature and professional/technical writing from Texas A&M University
  • Experience in corporate management positions

 

Ms. LeeAnn Pounds

  • Master’s degree in Professional and Technical Communication from UNC Charlotte
  • Doctor of Law (JD) degree from The University of Alabama
  • Experience writing for the legal professions

Department and Institutional Support Structures

  • Center for Career Development and Internships resources and support
  • Department of English professionalization workshops on résumé writing, preparing for the workforce, etc.
  • Department of English Internship Coordinator (Dr. Listhartke) to oversee and mentor interns
  • Regular offerings of courses required and recommended in the proposed Undergraduate Certificate in Technical Communication
  • Working with Dean of CAS and community partners to ensure funding for institutional access to database for proposal and grant writing

Winthrop’s Commitment to Excellence

a photo of Scholars Walk with a Winthrop banner on a lamppostWinthrop University is a four-year, public comprehensive university located in the upstate region of South Carolina. Founded in 1886, Winthrop University offers its undergraduate and graduate students a rigorous educational experience that blends liberal arts, professional programs, global awareness, and civic engagement. Numerous national accolades reflect the sustained high quality and value of the Winthrop Experience, including the most recent U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of Winthrop as one of the top ten public comprehensive universities in the South. Winthrop University is one of only eight institutions in the world recognized by and formally affiliated with The Foundation for Critical Thinking in Berkeley, California, for its substantive and rigorous instruction in critical and analytical thinking.

an English professor speaking to her classThe Winthrop Department of English boasts a vibrant and collegial team of 15 full-time faculty members, over 100 undergraduate majors and minors, and an M.A. program. The English major is a growing, thriving major; currently the fourth largest major in Winthrop’s College of Arts and Sciences, the major boasts an eight-point higher five-year retention rate than the rate for the university as a whole, reflecting the exemplary mentorship and instruction students receive in the major. The major’s curriculum was completely revised in 2016 to meet 21st century workplace demands, increase curricular flexibility, and emphasize the attainment of vital soft skills needed in today’s global workforce. The department offers specialized instruction, including a concentration, in technical and professional writing; a graduate certificate in professional writing; an undergraduate Micro-Certificate in technical writing; and a thriving and growing internship program. Technical and professional writing courses are taught by a dedicated team of highly skilled faculty with specialized expertise and advanced degrees in professional and technical writing and professional communication.

two students talking on campusWinthrop is an active member of the Rock Hill community and recognized as a key component of the region’s economic resurgence. Approximately 20 minutes from Charlotte, North Carolina, Winthrop has direct access to and is engaged in a broad and expansive regional business community, including year-round access to student internships with industry leaders in diverse fields such as marketing, journalism, finance, and grant writing.