Are you considering a major in Professional Writing or English & Professional Writing?
During your first-year in the Professional Writing and English & Professional Writing programs, you’ll become part of a community of writers who learn to recognize and communicate in a variety of genres and styles appropriate to their audience.
Our first-year courses introduce you to university culture and provide you with a foundation that prepares you for assignments in the next level of the program. In small tutorials, you’ll have an opportunity to get to know other students in your program.
PRWR 1003 6.00
Professional Writing: An Introduction
Course Director (2024-2025): Professor Andrea McKenzie
Professional Writing: An Introduction introduces you to the exciting world of writing in different media and genres for different audiences. Writing is power, and learning to analyze a variety of texts, images, and multi-media productions enables you to craft your own pieces reflectively, with critical thinking and creative design. Whether you’re looking to enhance your skills in academic writing or for private industry and organizations, we’ll help you do just that. This course introduces the Professional Writing programs’ special areas, from personal essays and non-fiction to digital writing and videos. Along the way, you’ll learn how to read and incorporate other people’s writing and cite it, how to use reflection to deepen your own ideas, and how to use text, image, and sound in multi-media pieces. Writing is learning for life, and this course opens up the world of writing to you.
PRWR 1004 3.00
Research for Professional Writers
Course Director (2024-2025): Professor Stevie Bell
Professional writers have got to be on their toes when it comes to the quality and accuracy of their work. In this course, you’ll learn how to be original and create intellectual property you can be proud of! Together, we’ll experiment with strategies for: finding, evaluating, and engaging with sources; categorizing and using types of sources and research methods; and fact checking information, including images and videos. Get ready for generative AI to take centre stage in this course as the newest research tool (and challenge) for professional writers. Assignments will be challenging, fun, and experimental.