Students must complete a total of 9 semester hours of core writing courses. To view a list of core courses, please visit the UI Catalog.

Students earn a total of at least 9 semester hours in focused electives, which they select from courses in at least two of the following categories (maximum of 6 semester hours from any one category). To see which courses from each category are being offered in a given semester, please check MyUI or write to us at clas-writing-cert@uiowa.edu.

• Writing for the Professions–including art, business, grant writing, journalism, translation, publishing, science, and more.
• Writing and the Literary Arts–including creative writing, fiction, nonfiction, playwriting, and poetry.
• Writing and the Media–including television/screenwriting and other media.
• Writing in Context–including cross-discipline, cross-genre, and other specialized writing courses not listed above.
• Student-Designated Writing-Intensive Course–Students may petition to count a course not listed in our course database toward the certificate by submitting a course petition form.

Each focused elective course may be used to fulfill only one certificate requirement, even if the course is listed in more than one category. Some of these courses have prerequisites and other requirements for registration; students must complete a course's prerequisites and meet its registration requirements before they may register for the course.

Each student must earn 1 semester hour in a capstone course that serves as a culmination of their Certificate in Writing.

Guided Capstone Portfolio (WRIT:4001)

Guided Capstone Portfolio (WRIT:4001, 1 semester hour) is an 8-week portfolio-based course offered each spring semester to in-person and online students. The course allows students the chance to direct their own academic, professional, and creative learning experience by asking them to think critically about where they have come from and where they are headed. In the course, students revise a piece of their writing, generate one new piece of writing, participate in workshops and critiques, and create a digital portfolio of their work (five pieces total). Their final project also includes an essay that reflects on the work created and the skills gained while pursuing the writing certificate.

WRIT:4001 Required Forms and Deadlines

Students take the guided capstone portfolio course during their final spring semester of the writing certificate program. Students must submit the Registration Permission Form by their scheduled registration date for spring courses (viewable in MyUI under the Advising tab).  
WRIT:4001 Registration Permission Form

Independent Writing Project (WRIT:4000)

If circumstances prevent a student from enrolling in the Guided Capstone Portfolio course (e.g., a fall graduation date), an Independent Writing Project option (WRIT:4000) may be made available by prior approval of the Writing Certificate Program. The Independent Writing Project provides students with the opportunity to work one-on-one with a UI faculty mentor on a substantial writing project of students' choosing. Students find a mentor, write and submit a brief Project Proposal and Mentor Agreement (see below), and enroll in WRIT:4000 - Independent Writing Project for 1, 2, or 3 semester hours.

Students in the Independent Writing Project have the option to pursue an independent version of the guided capstone experience described under WRIT:4001 or to pursue another substantial writing project of their choosing. Past projects have included screenplays, anthologies, websites, poetry collections, policy reports, song lyrics, graphic novels, and even professional handbooks for small businesses and nonprofit organizations. Students are encouraged to use the Independent Writing Project to showcase how far their writing talents have come during the course of pursuing the certificate, with the additional goal of practicing skills that will benefit their future careers—such as creative project planning, time management, implementation of feedback, and deep revision.

The Independent Writing Project may be combined with an honors thesis or other senior project as long as combining is allowed by the home department, both mentors agree, and the proposed combination is approved by the director of the certificate in writing. Students interested in this option must submit a Combined Project Agreement (see below).

This is an exciting and rewarding class, but it’s important for students to note that the value of the experience (as well as their final grade) will depend greatly on their own commitment to independently set goals and meet deadlines, meet with and incorporate the feedback of their mentor, and participate to the fullest extent.

WRIT:4000 Required Forms

Students should generally take the Independent Writing Project during their final semester of the writing certificate program. Students and potential mentors should review the Student and Mentor Guide for more information about requirements, expectations, and deadlines. To receive permission to enroll in the Independent Writing Project, students must submit either the Project Proposal and Mentor Agreement Form or the Combined Project Agreement, depending on their project type, prior to the beginning of the semester in which they plan to pursue the Independent Writing Project.

WRIT:4000 Project Proposal and Mentor Agreement

WRIT:4000 Combined Project AGREEMENT

WRIT:4000 Deadlines

To ensure the independent project is on track to be successfully completed by the end of the semester, students are expected to meet the following milestone dates:

Students considering a career in literary publishing can learn the ins and outs of the industry and gain a competitive edge by enrolling in the literary publishing track. This unique educational experience provides a substantial understanding of the editorial, design, and managerial work essential to this profession. Students who enroll in the track complete the certificate's standard core courses and a publishing-related capstone. They take a series of three publishing-specific courses to fulfill the focused electives requirement:

• WRIT:2900/ARTS:2900/ENGL:2900/UICB:2900–Book Design for Publishing
• WRIT:2991/CNW:2991–Publishing I: Introduction to Literary Publishing
• WRIT:2992/CNW:2992–Publishing II: Advanced Literary Publication

The literary publishing track, interdisciplinary in scope, is a collaboration between the Nonfiction Writing Program in the Department of English, the School of Art, Art History, and Design, and the University of Iowa Center for the Book. As an interdisciplinary program, undergraduates pursuing any major are welcome, as are non-degree students. Note that the track is only available on campus. If you would like to learn more, send us an email at clas-writing-cert@uiowa.edu.

Students may earn either the Certificate in Writing with the literary publishing track or the Bachelor of Arts in English (publishing track) or the Bachelor of Arts in English and creative writing (publishing track). Students may not earn the publishing track in both the major and in the writing certificate.