About the Certificates

Business and Technical Writing, a division of the Writing Program and the Department of English at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, offers two writing certificates: the Professional Writing Certificate and the Technical Writing Certificate.

Students completing the certificate should submit the Completion of Writing Program Certificate form (which you can fill out online and then print). The form is also available as a Word document to print and fill out by hand. Submit the form to Jessica Hedges in Murray 108 on the College Avenue Campus.

The Professional Writing Certificate Program (16-18 credits) is open to all interested undergraduate students, while the Technical Writing Certificate Program (18 credits) is open to undergraduates with majors or minors in an approved scientific or technical subject area. The primary goal of the programs is to enhance the writing proficiency of business and science students in order to increase their eligibility for employment in professions that require advanced writing competency. Students at Rutgers College can now complete a minor of 18 credits in Business and Technical Writing, for which the requirements are the same as those of the certificate program with the exception that students must complete a 3-credit internship and complete a full 18 credits. See your Dean for more information on requirements at your college and for your major.

These certificates are only available to students enrolled in an undergraduate division of Rutgers University. We hope eventually to make these certificate programs available to people in the community at large, but we currently can only serve full time and part time Rutgers students.

Professional Writing Certificate (16-18 Credits)
The need for college graduates who can research and communicate information at a high level of competence in business, industry, and government is well established. The Professional Writing Certificate is designed to give students a firm grounding in the skills of oral, written, and electronic communication so that they are prepared to enter professions that require extensive writing skills. To obtain a Professional Writing Certificate, students must successfully complete 16 credits in selected courses, including a 1-credit CASE unit or 3-credit Internship (students using the certificate as a minor program at Rutgers College must complete the 3-credit internship for the full 18 credits). The certificate is administered through the Writing Program as part of the English Department at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. For further information contact the Director of Business and Technical Writing at (732) 932-9273 or bizntech@rci.rutgers.edu.

Technical Writing Certificate (18 credits)
The need for technical writers capable of communicating scientific or technically sophisticated information to various audiences is well established, and technical writing skills are in demand in a wide range of fields. This certificate program is designed to give students with a science or technical background a strong grounding in the skills of oral, written, and electronic communication. In order to receive a Technical Writing Certificate, students must successfully complete a major or minor in an approved scientific or technical field (such as biology, mathematics, engineering, or computer science) and 18 credits in selected courses, including a 3-credit internship. Students at Rutgers College can use the Technical Writing Certificate to fulfill a minor program requirement. The certificate is administered through the Writing Program as part of the English Department at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. For further information contact the Director of Business and Technical Writing at (732) 932-9273 or bizntech@rci.rutgers.edu.

Area Requirements

The certificates in both professional and technical writing require six courses in four key skill areas:

• two courses of writing training

• one course of research practice

• two courses to improve computer knowledge

• and one internship experience

More specific requirements and options are described below:

Writing Training
Since writing competence is at the heart of the certificate programs, students must complete two elective writing courses intended to improve writing, editing, collaboration, and general communication skills. Elective courses include:

• 01:355:202 Technical Writing Essentials (3)
• 01:355:203 Business Writing Essentials (3)
• 01:355:315 Writing Grant Proposals (3)
• 01:355:342 Science Writing (3)
• 01:355:352 Writing as a Naturalist (3)
• 01:355:355 Writing in the Professions (3) - not typically offered
• 01:355:365 Technical Editing (3)
• 01:355:375 Collaborative Writing Practices (3)

Research Practice
In the information and technology economy, the ability to conduct research and use information to develop viable plans of action is essential to success and advancement. Students therefore must complete a research writing course in business or technical writing. These courses will also fulfill most students' second-term or level-III writing requirements (consult your major advisor or your dean for specific requirements in your program). Research writing courses include:

• 01:355:302 Scientific and Technical Writing (3)
• 01:355:303 Writing for Business and Professions (3)
• 01:355:312 Writing for Biology / Natural Sciences (3)
• 01:355:315 Writing Grant Proposals (3)
• 01:355:322 Writing for Engineers (3)

Computer Knowledge
Basic computer knowledge and the ability to learn new programs quickly are essential to success in business and technical writing environments. Students in our program will be introduced to general and advanced writing software in many classes and they will be required to pass an introductory course in computer science. Though several of our courses will expect students to learn relatively simple programs (such as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint), students are also required to take a course that teaches advanced writing software, covered in our 400-level workshop courses. These include:

• 01:355:402 Advanced Writing Workshop (3) - not typically offered
• 01:355:415 Information Design (3)
• 01:355:425 Web Authoring (3)

Students will also need to pass one of the following introductory computer science courses:

• 01:198:110 Intro. to Computers and Their App. (3)
• 01:198:111 Introduction to Computer Science (4)
• 01:198:170 Computer Applications for Business (3)

Internship Experience
Hands-on training in work environments offers an invaluable, practical component to the certificate, providing students with useful experience while encouraging professional attitudes toward work. In our program, students will have the option of fulfilling an independent Internship or taking credits through the Citizenship And Service Education (CASE) Program:

• 01:355:396 Internship (3)
• 01:351:399 CASE (1)
• 01:351:400 CASE (1)

Students seeking a Technical Writing Certificate will be required to fulfill a three-credit internship and will be encouraged to take an internship at a high technology firm. Students pursuing a Professional Writing Certificate may fulfill this requirement with one CASE credit or seek an independent internship experience.

The internship program is administered by the Director of Business and Technical Writing. Contact the Director of Business and Technical Writing at bizntech.rutgers.edu. Interns must keep a journal describing their work, submit time reports from their supervisor, and fulfill from 40 hours (1 Credit) to 120 hours (3 Credits) of work. Please visit our Internship web site for complete details about the internship program, which is described over several pages. You may also submit an Internship Application form online.

Required Courses for the Certificates (16-18 credits)

To clarify the requirements for our writing certificates, here is a simplified listing of courses:

1) Two electives from among the following writing courses (6 credits):

• 01:351:312 Literature and Technology (3)
• 01:355:202 Technical Writing Essentials (3)
• 01:355:203 Business Writing Essentials (3)
• 01:355:315 Writing Grant Proposals (3) - may not be counted twice
• 01:355:342 Science Writing (3)
• 01:355:352 Writing as a Naturalist (3)
• 01:355:355 Writing in the Professions (3)
• 01:355:365 Technical Editing (3)
• 01:355:375 Collaborative Writing Practices (3)

2) One of the following research writing courses (3 credits):

• 01:355:302 Scientific and Technical Writing (3)
• 01:355:303 Writing for Business and Professions (3)
• 01:355:312 Writing for Biology and Natural Sciences (3)
• 01:355:315 Writing Grant Proposals (3) - may not be counted twice
• 01:355:322 Writing for Engineers (3)

3) One of the following workshop courses using computers in writing (3 credits):

• 01:351:312 Literature and Technology (3)
• 01:355:402 Advanced Writing Workshop (3)
• 01:355:415 Information Design (3)
• 01:355:425 Web Authoring (3)

4) One course in the Computer Science Department (3-4 credits)

• 01:198:110 Introduction to Computers and Their Application (3)
• 01:198:111 Introduction to Computer Science (4)
• 01:198:170 Computer Applications for Business (3)

5) One writing internship (1 or 3-credit for those seeking a Professional Writing Certificate; 3-credit internship for those seeking a Technical Writing Certificate; 3 credits for those completing a minor program in Business and Technical Writing):

• 01:355:396 Writing Internship (3)
• 01:351:399 CASE (1)
• 01:351:400 CASE (1)