Graduate Certificate in Professional and Technical Writing

Following the MA concentration in professional and technical writing, the certificate is centered on workplace uses of language. Students who do not seek a full master's degree may be interested in a Certificate in Professional and Technical Writing. The certificate program enables a student to attend graduate courses associated with writing and rhetoric without requiring those in the study of literature or literary research or the writing of a thesis. It is an eighteen hour program, a full and unified course of study in itself. This certificates is valuable for anyone pursuing an MA in English who is also interested in workplace and technical writing whether they are starting a career or are already experienced in the field and are looking for professional development. This certificate is also beneficial for those who are wanting to grow within their current careers.

An earned baccalaureate degree from a Mason-recognized accredited institution of higher education, or international equivalent, verified from copies of unofficial transcripts uploaded to the online application portal.
Copies of unofficial university transcripts from any earned degree uploaded to the online application portal from all universities attended.
All transcripts from colleges or universities outside the United States must be translated into English, if applicable, and submitted for evaluation to the Mason Office of Admissions. Mason will provide evaluation service free of charge for all international transcripts, however, some programs may request an outside evaluation be completed.
A minimum 3.00 GPA on a 4.00 scale in baccalaureate study
All transcripts from colleges or universities outside the United States must be translated into English, if applicable, and submitted for evaluation to the Mason Office of Admissions. Mason will provide evaluation service free of charge for all international transcripts, however, some programs may request an outside evaluation be completed. Because of volume, more time may be needed to process applications requiring a Mason evaluation. You should submit your application 6 weeks prior to the deadline if you plan to utilize Mason's free evaluation service. For expedited service, students may submit their documents to any NACES member organization at their own expense. If you decide to use an external evaluation service or if your program requires an outside evaluation, GPA and Degree equivalences must be included with your course-by-course evaluation.

The submitted goals statement should be 750 - 1000 words and describe particular areas of interest within a chosen concentration. Read More

Applicants are required to send in the names and email addresses (via the online application) of the two individuals who will be submitting the required letters of recommendation. The recommendations should be academic, rather than professional or personal Read More.

Applicants should submit a 1,500 to 2,000-word writing sample (uploaded online) of literary analysis. Read More.

Applicants to the certificate in professional and technical writing are encouraged to submit a portfolio (uploaded online) that showcases nonacademic/workplace writing. Applicants should submit a 10-15 page portfolio of their nonfiction work such as technical or business reports, editing projects, or any other materials reflecting interests and skills in nonfiction writing. The portfolio should include 2-3 samples of writing oriented to the applicant's professional or educational interests. The admissions committee would prefer to see at least one sample of professional or technical writing (newswriting, report, feature article, instructions, web design, etc.) but any piece that has a clear audience and rhetorical purpose is acceptable. On a cover sheet, discuss the audience and purpose of the writing sample. The cover sheet should be uploaded with the portfolio.

2 Recommendation Letters
Resume

IELTS - 7.0 total band score, with a minimum of 6.5 in each subsection
TOEFL iBT - 88 points, minimum 20 in each section