The department of Journalism and Professional Writing will be launching a new graduate certificate in Professional and UX/UI, created to entice students who are interested in working in professional communications and high paying specialties.
The five-course certificate is set to launch in Fall 2023, led by Professor Kim Pearson. With permission, seniors and juniors may also enroll in these courses. This flexible program is designed for a range of professions, from alumni who are mid-career to those who are looking to transition from one field to another.
The Certificate in Professional and UX/UI Writing prepares graduates to design and publish content across media platforms tailored to specific audience needs and objectives. In addition, It provides students with an introduction to foundational concepts in the theory, method and ethics of digital rhetoric along with immersion in the practical application of these theories in professional communications settings.
The certificate program will include the following classes: Foundations of Professional Writing, Writing and Production for Digital Media, Audience and Community Engagement, UX/UI Writing, and a capstone project.
In UX/UI Writing, students will learn to become conversant with the growing field of audience and community engagement in professional communication contexts. Professor Kim Pearson explained, “UX/UI Writing is a career that has to do with optimizing user experience, as opposed to traditional web writing where you’re trying to get a message across.”
Students will design, execute and evaluate audience engagement campaigns that reflect a mastery of digital rhetoric. As a culminating exercise, students will present their campaigns and underlying research in a public forum and author a report on a current issue in social media policy for a professional audience.
Writing and Production for Digital Media will provide students who have some level of multimedia skills exposure to emerging technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality, as well as data visualizations.
The program emphasizes fundamental skills that can be applied to a variety of professional contexts. Seniors, recent graduates and professionals will enhance their skills and credentials in such applied communications fields as technical writing, user experience research, social media marketing, public relations, and online community management.
Additionally, the courses that make up the graduate certificate program can also be used in conjunction with other fields of study, including communication studies and business studies.
-Kelly Stephens ‘22