Applied & Professional Writing Program

Writing and communication skills are essential to many employers. That’s where our Applied and Professional Writing program comes in.

At WSU, you’ll learn from the best. Your professors have industry experience and publications in science and business writing, marketing, web and technical writing, as well as literary, non-literary, and digital publishing.

Declare Your Major in Applied & Professional Writing
Applied & Professional Writing
Become a communications specialist as a technical, web, or social media writer with the Applied and Professional Writing major.

Program at a Glance

The Applied and Professional Writing major consists of 40 credits.

You’ll learn how to write for different organizations and communities and how to edit in a variety of industries.

You’ll also complete coursework and projects in technical writing, grant writing, digital technologies, and social media.

Write for Clients & Companies

As an Applied and Professional Writing major, you’ll complete an internship with a local or regional employer of your choice.

This internship provides excellent on-the-job experience in writing, document design, and working with clients.

You could find yourself interning for marketing agencies, publishers, or even the Winona Post right in town.

Advanced courses in the program also offer opportunities to collaborate directly with regional businesses and non-profits, from Fastenal to Habitat for Humanity to Winona Health.

Get a Job in Any Field

Become a communications specialist in the private, public, or non-profit sectors.

Our program’s students have found exciting work as:

  • grant writers
  • journalists
  • marketers 
  • social media influencers
  • technical writers
  • web writers
Anjuli Harris ‘21
My English degree now helps me craft narrative sales proposals to sell Fastenal’s products and services to National Account customers. For large customers like these, a winning proposal can be worth millions of dollars in sales, so it’s exciting to see how powerful words can be!

Proposal Specialist
Fastenal | Winona, MN

Applied & Professional Writing major

Jake Pleschourt ‘20
Attorney General of Minnesota Keith Ellison shared that he selected me for my Human Resources role because of my strong writing background and skills. I use my English degree when on-boarding new employees, managing employee benefits, and announcing COVID-19 protocol.

Human Resources Assistant
Attorney General of Minnesota | St. Paul, MN

Applied & Professional Writing major

Contact the English Department 
Dr. Liberty Kohn
Professor
Email Dr. Liberty Kohn
Dr. Karen Schroeder
Writing Center Director, Associate Professor
Email Dr. Karen Schroeder