The Certificate in writing provides an opportunity for our distance students to take advantage of the University of Iowa’s impressive culture of writing.

Online Curriculum

The ONLINE Certificate in Writing requires a student to successfully complete a minimum of 19 s.h. and maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA in all course work.

Click the course link to view the distance education offering in MyUI/Courses. If MyUI displays "no course is found" then a distance education section is not offered in the semester you searched. Use the “Session” drop-down list to change the semester you are viewing.

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Writing Certificate Requirements Prior to Fall 2023

Writing Certificate Changes Beginning Fall 2023 (side-by-side with previous requirements)
 

Required Introductory Core Course (3 s.h.):

• WRIT:1500 Writing Commons: A Community of Writers (3 s.h.)

Additional Core Courses (6 s.h.): 

• WRIT:1003/LING:1003 English Grammar (3 s.h.)
• WRIT:1600 Fast Fixes: Improved Writing in 6 weeks *This is a 1 s.h. course. To count as a core course, must be taken three times for 1 s.h. each with different topics.
• WRIT:3742/CLSA:3742 Word Power: Building English Vocabulary (3 s.h.)
• WRIT:4745/CW:4745 The Sentence: Strategies for Writing (3 s.h.)
• WRIT:4760/CW:4760 The Art of Revision: Writing for Clarity (3 s.h.)

Focused Electives (9 s.h.) - must include courses from at least two of the categories below:

Writing for the Professions:

• BUS:3000 Business Communication and Protocol (3 s.h.)
• COMM:1816 Business and Professional Communication (3 s.h.)
• CW:3005/INTD:3005/WRIT:3005 Professional and Creative Business Communication (3 s.h.)
• EALL:4130/MUSM:4130 Introduction to Grant Writing (3 s.h.)
• JMC:3412 Strategic Communication Writing (3 s.h.)

Writing and the Literary Arts:

• CNW:1620 Introduction to Creative Nonfiction (3 s.h.)
• CW:2100 Creative Writing (3 s.h.)
• CW:2870 Fiction Writing (3 s.h.)
• CW:2875 Poetry Writing (3 s.h.)
• CW:3870 Advanced Fiction Writing (3 s.h.)
• CW:3875 Advanced Poetry Writing (3 s.h.)
• CW:4897 Novel Writing (3 s.h.)
• THTR:2301 Playwriting I (3 s.h.)

Writing and the Media

• CINE:1150 Introduction to Screenwriting for Nonmajors (3 s.h.)

Required Capstone (1 s.h.):

• WRIT:4001 Guided Capstone Portfolio (1 s.h.)

How to add the certificate to your program of study

Students may add a certificate program to their plan of study at any time.  Declaring a certificate will allow you to request a degree audit for the certificate requirements in MyUI.  There is no penalty to remove a certificate from a plan of study and one may be removed at any time.

Current BAS/BLS students can add a certificate program to their plan of study at any time by sending an email to their assigned academic advisor asking to formally declare the certificate. Once added, a separate degree audit will be produced.

How to remove the certificate from your program of study

Current BAS/BLS students can email their assigned academic advisor to ask to remove the certificate from their plan of study. There is no penalty to remove a certificate program from a plan of study and one may be removed at any time.