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Professional and Technical Writing Major

What is a Major in Professional and Technical Writing?

The major is a great fit for creative and imaginative students who are fascinated by the kinds of writing that take place in professional and public situations. For our students, user manuals, university mailers, and social media posts are ripe with meaning and possibilities. They understand the rules and boundaries of writing within professional settings, but also how to break those rules in ways that are refreshing, attention-grabbing, and thought-provoking. Students seek to understand how public audiences read a wide variety of texts. The program teaches them to translate complex information into plain language so that it is accessible to a public audience.

Why Study Professional and Technical Writing at Virginia Tech?

Our students are excited by challenging questions that come with writing in the 21st century: 

  • How do we use writing as a tool for social action? 
  • How do emerging technologies change how we write and how users engage with texts? 
  • What is the role of writers in shaping a humanistic approach to technology design? 

This program prepares students to write while being focused on target audiences in a thoughtful and professional approach. You will explore the complex relationships between writing, rhetorics, technology, and culture through a humanistic lens. Our graduates go on to create user guides, online documentation, website content, scientific reports, content strategies, and other professional documents.

 
3
Study Abroad Programs

 
22
Average Class Size

 
100+
English Courses Offered

Careers and Further Study

What Can You Do with a Professional and Technical Writing Major?

Jobs Held by Our Graduates

  • Technical writers
  • Technical editors
  • Content strategists
  • Copywriters
  • User experience researchers
  • Usability specialists
  • Experience architects
  • Social media coordinators

Beyond the Classroom

Experiential Learning

Collaborate 

Talk to a professor about designing your own research project to take a deeper look at a topic of your interest. You'll work closely with a faculty advisor to plan a course of action and discuss your findings. You can also participate in a collaborative project where you help a faculty member with their research.

collaborate
Get Experience

Engage in your profession by writing, researching, editing, and making connections with employers across the country. Apply the knowledge and skills you learn in the classroom to the workplace. Internships earn academic credit and provide valuable professional experience. 

collaborate
Come with us

We host a faculty-led trip to London, an exchange program with Loughborough University, and a Wintermester Experience that visits different locations each year. These experiences enrich your understanding of the history and culture of the English language and its literature.

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collaborate
Strong Community

You will join an active and welcoming community. Our student organizations include the English Club, Linguistics Club, Creative Writing Club, and Sigma Tau Delta. We hold an annual literary festival, Glossolalia, that features original works including readings and performances by students and visiting writers.

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Student Council

Become a member of the PTW Student Advisory Council, a small group of PTW majors or minors who work with faculty as they provide feedback on curriculum, policy, and other aspects of the program from a student perspective.

To learn more about the PTW Student Advisory Council, contact program director Jennifer Sano-Francini.

Students sitting in circle collaborating

Bachelor of Arts in English Degree

Professional and Technical Writing Major Requirements

  • Document Design
  • Technical Editing and Style
  • Creating User Documentation
  • Intercultural Issues in Professional Writing 
  • Developing Online Content
  • Science Writing
  • Grant Writing

Minor and Elective Hours

Our program gives you the opportunity to build knowledge in another area by pursuing a minor, double major, or cognate.


120 hrs
B.A. English

45 hrs
General Education

39 hrs
Major Requirements

36 hrs
Elective


 

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