Writing Certificates

Writing is a timeless and critical skill for all fields, occupations and sectors. Honing your ability to write clearly and concisely for technical, creative or scientific platforms will open doors to a variety of rewarding careers.

Program Overview

Acquire one of the most valuable professional skills.

Western Colorado University’s Writing Certificates will provide you with versatile skills in writing and analysis alongside more specialized forms of technical and professional writing. A complement to any major, a certificate in professional writing will serve as a competitive advantage when applying for jobs and graduate programs.

The 12-credit Writing Certificate offers foundational courses in English where you’ll learn to write clear prose that conveys complex ideas. The Writing Certificate also allows you to take courses in creative, argumentative, media or scientific writing, depending on your interest.

The 15-credit Professional Writing Certificate builds on the Writing Certificate by focusing more intensely on technical and professional writing, while offering you a range of written rhetorical skills. The Professional Writing Certificate establishes your ability to write well in professional settings and beyond.

Supplement your degree

Students learn to write creatively, technically and professionally through Western’s Writing Certificates, providing them with marketable and highly sought skills applicable to any industry.

Program Requirements

At Western, course rotations are crafted to encompass a variety of subject fields for a comprehensive education and versatile degree. For required courses and degree plans, visit the official University Catalog. Below is a general overview of courses at Western Colorado University related to this area of study.

Overview

Writing Certificate

The Writing Certificate enhances students’ skills in writing and analysis. A complement to any major, the curriculum builds expertise in written communication and enables students to demonstrate credentials to employers and graduate programs.

To earn a Writing Certificate, students must earn a “B” or better in each course and complete the exit assessment survey. Students taking ENG 475 must earn a "satisfactory." The Writing Certificate does not meet graduation requirements for an academic minor.

A minimum of 12 credits is required, including:

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
One of the following:		3
ENG 161	Introduction to Creative Writing (GT-AH1)
ENG 250	Critical Approaches to Literature
Nine credits from the following, three of which must be from upper division English courses:		9
CHEM 302	Chemical Information Literacy and Communication
COM 241	Media Writing
COM 306	Scriptwriting
ENG 151	Borderlands: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality
ENG 152	Women and Literature
ENG 153	Literary Culture of the American West
ENG 154	Popular Genre Fiction: Topic Variable
ENG 161	Introduction to Creative Writing (GT-AH1)
ENG 220	Grammar and the English Language
ENG 230	Environmental Literature (GT-AH2)
ENG 250	Critical Approaches to Literature
ENG 255	Ancient World Literature (GT-AH2)
ENG 270	Folklore
ENG 300	Creative Writing: Fiction
ENG 301	Creative Writing: Poetry
ENG 302	Technical Writing
ENG 303	Creative Writing
ENG 305	Creative Writing: Creative Nonfiction
ENG 331	Literature and Ethnicity: Studies in:
ENG 334	Poetry: Studies in:
ENG 335	Drama: Studies in:
ENG 336	Prose: Studies in:
ENG 337	Women Writers
ENG 358	Global Literatures: Studies in: The Underworld
ENG 370	Myth and Culture
ENG 372	British Literature: Medieval and Renaissance Texts
ENG 373	British Literature: Milton through the Romantics
ENG 374	British Literature: The Victorians to the Present Day
ENG 384	American Literature Early to Civil War
ENG 385	American Literature-Civil War to Present
ENG 445	Literary Magazine Submission and Production
ENG 463	Major British Authors:
ENG 464	Major American Authors:
ENG 475	Theories of Reading and Writing Discourse
ENVS 200	Writing the Environment
GEOL 302	Geoscience Writing
Total Credits		12

Careers

Top Skills

Attention to Detail
Collaboration
Creativity
Editing and Revision
Time Management
Writing

Career Pathways

Content Creator
Copywriter
Editor
Grant Writer
Journalist
Speechwriter

Take the first steps toward your academic and personal growth.

Fostering your intellectual development is the primary focus of every academic program at Western. Our professors and Office of Career Services will help you identify your strengths, hone your skills, define your goals, and prepare for a fulfilling and enriched life after graduation. Wondering how you can apply your program of choice to your intellectual and personal journey? Check out our “What Can I Do With This Major?” tool to explore the diverse opportunities and pathways within any degree program.

Western’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.

Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.

Find your Scholarships

Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.

Find your Scholarships

Alumni Association Future Alumni Scholarship

The Alumni Association Scholarship is a one-time scholarship of $1,000 and is applicable for the student’s junior or senior year at Western.

Any child or grandchild of an alumni is eligible to receive the Future Alumni Scholarship.

This is a one-time non-renewable scholarship of $1,000.
Only one Future Alumni Scholarship will be awarded per academic year.
GPA must be 3.2 or above (college).

Due date has been extended to April 30 for 2024. An Alumni selection committee, appointed by the Alumni Advisory Council, will review applicants and select awardee by June 1.

Apply

Alumni Legacy Scholarship

The Alumni Legacy Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western (incoming freshman or new transfer students are eligible).

Do you have a son or daughter looking at college? Have they considered attending Western? As an alumni, your son, daughter and/or grandchildren are eligible for certain benefits distributed through this scholarship, as follows:

This is a one-time scholarship of $1,000.
Nominee must be an incoming first-year student or new transfer.
The cost of orientation is reduced by half (a $45 value).
GPA must be 2.5 or above (high school or college of transfer).

The applicant must fill out the application form found below. Application forms are accepted year-round. If the applicant meets the GPA guidelines, the scholarship will be awarded.

Apply

Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship

The Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western. This scholarship is not available to midyear transfers or students beginning in the spring semester.

Are you an alumni or employee of Western and know a prospective (or incoming) student who would be a great fit at Western? A recommendation from alumni and employees can support any new student and provide them a $500 scholarship their first year. (Western employees may not recommend a spouse or dependent receiving tuition benefits).

Any Western alumni/employee may nominate only one student per academic year to receive the $500 scholarship (distributed $250 per semester).
The scholarship is good for the first year only and is non-renewable.
The recommended student must be a full-time undergraduate student, attending Western for the first time.

The applicant must fill out the application form found here. The nominating alumni/employee must fill out the application form and submit the required documents by June 1. The recommended student must meet university admissions acceptance standards and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Presidential Promise

The Presidential Promise is guaranteed to students who have received a scholarship through the Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) and/or GearUp—and are eligible for a Pell Grant.

For students who meet these criteria, Western will cover the cost of tuition and fees through the combination of federal, state and institutional aid. For more information on the Presidential Promise, visit our scholarships page.

Tuition Discount Programs

Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) or Central Plains (CP) tuition represents a substantial savings relative to normal, out-of-state tuition. Students eligible for the WUE or CP program will be charged 150% of Western’s total in-state tuition. For 2018-19, total in-state tuition was $8,934. WUE/CP tuition was $13,401. The WUE/CP discount is valued at $4,695.

For more information about the WUE and CP geography-based programs, visit Western’s Tuition Discount Programs Page.

Western Merit Scholarship

Immediately upon acceptance at Western, every student is considered for a merit scholarship worth between $2,500-$4,500 per year for in-state students and $8,000-$10,000 for out-of-state students. The amount is based on the student’s GPA and ACT/SAT scores. Visit our Net Price Calculator at western.edu/cost to determine whether you qualify for a merit scholarship.

For more information about merit scholarships at Western, visit our scholarships page.

Note: Students enrolled in a Western-CU Boulder Partnership Program (i.e. major) do not qualify for Western Merit Scholarship programs. See the Rady Merit Scholarship section above for scholarship opportunities.

Get Involved

Apply your education to the real-world.

Take your education outside of the classroom—build your professional network, gain practical experience and jump-start your career.

Contemporary Writer Series: Emerging and established literary artists visit campus and community venues.
Playwriting: Script plays for the Theatre program.
Sigma Tau Delta: Join the international English honor society.
Teaching Assistantships: Students help fellow students in challenging writing courses.
Wordhorde: This group hosts slam poetry and fiction at open-mic nights.
Writing Center: Work as a writing consultant for the greater campus community.

Delve into your passions

The Writing Certificate provides foundational courses in English and is flexible so students may take courses in their areas of interest—whether that be creative, argumentative, media or scientific writing.