Professional and Technical Writing - Minor

The most important skills that employers want universities to emphasize are (a) critical thinking and analytical reasoning, (b) the ability to analyze and solve complex problems, and (c) the ability to communicate effectively in writing (Hart Research, 2015). These are exactly the skills you'll develop and practice with a Minor in PTW.

In (non-WRD) college courses that require writing, the focus is typically trained on only one or two forms: the finished essay or report. But professionals in every field make knowledge every day through many other forms of writing, too. Such genres are often informal, temporary, coordinative, and transformative. This is how professional and organizational knowledge is produced. According to a 2015 Hart Research study, the ability to communicate effectively in writing and the ability to communicate effectively orally are among the top four skills employers tell colleges to emphasize. We see in articles and blog posts, over and over, the need for students from across the disciplines to write well. And we know that demand for technical writers remains strong. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, career prospects (2012–2022) for technical writers are nearly double that of other media jobs, with projections strongly outpacing the rate of aggregate occupations in the U.S. economy.

The organizations that hire UK students will assume that they’re good at things their major covered. What they really want are candidates who are good at writing and communicating in the ways that professionals write and communicate. This is what the PTW Minor is designed to address.