Professional Writing Career Opportunities
Professional writing skills are relevant across industries. The average professional spends 10 to 40% of their work time writing and collaborating with others to plan and write documents. Working professionals can use the certificate to help them develop the communication skills that can stimulate their careers.
Recent graduates can use the graduate certificate to prepare them to enter the workforce as skilled communicators and writers and to qualify for jobs as writers, editors, and content designers in a number of industries. The program appeals to graduates with degrees in STEM fields who can use the graduate certificate as a qualification for careers as technical writers, and to graduates with strong writing skills who can use the graduate certificate as a gateway to careers in professional writing.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook handbook estimates that the average growth rate for the technical writing profession is faster than average at 15 percent over 10 years with a 2012 median pay of $65,500 per year.*
*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Technical Writers