Professional Writing

Did you know? Computer classrooms, wireless classrooms and computer labs with print, and Web-publication software are just a few of the options within our department.

Recent Professional Writing Student Success:

“I was looking for a professional writing program, but there aren’t many because professional writing is a fairly new thing. Ohio Northern had one of the most well-developed programs I could find."

--Carol Wilson, Professional Writing and History major '10, and one of ten students nationally to be awarded a Gilder Lehrman History Fellowship

Selected Professional Writing Alumni:

Autumn Steiner '09, Marketing Coordinator, Alloway Corporation

Mark Ciepiel '05, Attorney, Cleveland, OH (Case Western JD/MBA)

Jessica Shaw '05, Editor, Authorhouse

Adam Wallace '06, Duke University Law School and US Army

Scott Wortman '04, Associate Director of Media Relations, Wake Forest University

Nicholas Vidovich (Computer Engineering and Webmaster '04 of Delirium Journal, PW program webzine), Software Engineer, Battelle Memorial Institute

Carrigan Hayes '02 (Professional Writing and Chemistry), Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Otterbein University

Lainie Guiddy '02, Assistant Associate Director of Media Relations (Athletics), University of Virginia

The Professional Writing major is one of the five majors offered in the ONU Department of English, offering a practical option for those interested in the many career possibilities of English. This versatile major trains students to work as writers and editors in a variety of professional settings. Articulate writers are needed in public relations, advertising, editing, screenwriting, online writing, science writing, magazine writing, technical writing, publishing, cultural criticism and more. Students build a strong English foundation through a core curriculum of literature, language, critical thinking, rhetoric and writing. They polish their skills by working on departmental publications and completing the Senior Seminar capstone. In addition, professional writing majors are required to expand their career possibilities through a professional internship. Professional writing requires 59 credit hours in English, along with a secondary major, minor or concentration.

Sample ONU Professional Writing Internships:

McGraw Hill Publishing, Columbus; The Heritage Foundation, Washington, DC.; The Washington Center, Washington, DC.; Microsoft, Redmond, WA.; Redeye Post-production, Washington, DC.; National Organization for Women, Washington, DC.; Red Cross, Columbus, OH; Office of Public Information, ONU; Arizona Diamondbacks AAA Minor League, South Bend, IN; The Lima News, Lima, OH.

Distinctive Program Features:

Professional experience through a required internship
Opportunity to develop original work appropriate for publication in the Senior Seminar Capstone
Training in desktop publishing software, including Adobe Photoshop and InDesign
Participation in Sigma Tau Delta, an award-winning national,honor society that sponsors professional and social activities
Exposure to cultural events and speakers through enrichment programs
Study-abroad options
Required secondary concentration allows students to customize their major to a future career
Advanced seminars with intensive faculty mentoring
Exposure to varied writing syles and formats, including business, legal and technical writing

For more information on the Professional Writing program, please contact Dr. Jonathan Pitts