The M.S. in Written Communication

The Career

For those who choose to write for the workplace-as an employee or a consultant-there is increasing demand for proposals, manuals, internal and external newsletters, brochures, instructions, technical writing, and copy for PR and advertising-done for print or online. For those who prefer to write for themselves, the world of freelance writing-fiction or nonfiction-can be enriching and rewarding.

For freelancers, the market continues to expand because book and magazine sales are increasing so dramatically. Equally important, the new world of electronic publishing and print-on-demand ("p.o.d.") allows small or large books to get into print and distribution quickly and inexpensively, with the author in charge.

In business, the Department of Labor statistics only confirm what we already see around us: "the employment of writers and editors is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations, at least through the year 2006." Look at your own life, or the life of anyone you know in any white collar job anywhere. How much of the work day (and personal day!) is spent at a computer, reading and writing? The ability to write well is now part of almost all job descriptions. As information increases and ideas proliferate, the need to communicate rapidly and effectively also increases. Writing is the lifeblood of any technically advanced society because information is its most important and fastest-growing product.

From a professional standpoint, here's the key factor: do you want to write? If so, you want to write well. Because whether writing for an assignment or writing from inspiration, there's nothing like the satisfaction of looking at your finished copy and knowing that it's good-and knowing why it's good. That's what "professional" means: knowing what you're doing, not guessing or hoping. It's a great feeling.