Professional Writing Major FAQs

General Questions

How do I enroll in the PW major?

  • Students should enroll in the PW major no later than their junior year to ensure they will be able to complete their MQP their senior year. Make an appointment with the PW program director to discuss the program and resolve any questions.
  • Declare the major in Workday.
  • Academic Advising will assign a PW faculty member to be your PW advisor (if you are a double major, you will have an advisor for each major). Reach out to this advisor to continue discussing your goals and courses in the PW program.

Where can I find the PW major’s requirements?

What is the difference between the terms “WR courses” and “PW electives”?

WR courses are courses with the WR prefix (e.g., WR1010 or WR3112). It can get confusing because we allow certain HU3900 and HU3910 seminars to count toward WR course requirements in the curriculum if they are writing/rhetoric focused and taught by core Professional Writing faculty.

PW electives (referred to as “communication electives” in the new curriculum) are courses that substantively further your depth in communication and thus qualify as electives towards your Professional Writing major. PW electives can include:

What is the difference between the terms “PW major” and “WR minor”? 

PW major means the “Professional Writing major” that the Professional Writing program offers. We also use this to refer to the students who are majoring in Professional Writing (e.g., “They are a PW major”).

WR minor means the “Writing & Rhetoric minor” offered through Humanities and Arts (HUA) and taught by Professional Writing faculty. We also use this to refer to the students who are minoring in Writing & Rhetoric (e.g., “They are a WR minor”).

In general, what should I consider as I plan my PW major coursework?

  • First, be sure to enroll in the PW major (in Workday) no later than your junior year to ensure you will be able to complete your MQP your senior year. PW MQP planning begins D-term of the student’s junior year.
  • Understand which courses you have already taken might apply to the PW major. We allow a certain amount of double counting with other courses you may have already taken to fulfill other requirements.
  • If you matriculated before the 2026-27 academic year can follow either the old distribution requirements or the new distribution requirements. Otherwise, you must follow the new distribution requirements.
  • If you are following the new PW requirements, consider taking the Foundation Requirement courses sequentially. The Foundation Requirement courses are required and include:
    • WR2111 Designing Effective and Ethical Research Studies
    • WR3112 Rhetorical Theory
    • WR4500 Senior Seminar in Writing and Rhetoric
  • Consider which PW electives (“communication electives” in the new curriculum) you will take:
    • Consult the “PW Electives” section below for a list of pre-approved PW/communication electives. These courses automatically count as PW/communication electives toward the PW major.
    • If you want to confirm that a different course could count as a PW elective, petition for it as soon as possible. This will help you quickly ensure your coursework is on-track. See “PW Electives” section below for instructions.
  • All WPI students are required to take an inquiry seminar (HU3900) or practicum (HU3910). If you take a writing/rhetoric-focused HU3900 or HU3910 taught by core Professional Writing faculty, it also counts toward the PW Major.
  •  Plan your MQP in advance:
    • Do you want to complete a 3/3-unit PW-only MQP or a 4/3-unit interdisciplinary MQP?
    • When will you complete your MQP? Over how many terms?
    • For more MQP guidance, consult the MQP Resources and FAQs page.
    • We hold an MQP-planning event for PW majors every C or D term.
Transfer Credit

Will my AP/IB transfer credit count towards the PW major? If so, how?

AP/IB credit can count towards the PW Major. For example, if you received that credit as “WR1000,” you have the following options: 

  • WR 1000 could count as a PW elective OR as your 1000-level WR course. 
  • Why? You can only count 1 1000-level WR course towards the core WR requirements. Any additional 1000-level electives would count towards your PW electives.  
  • Example: You take WR1011 Writing about Science & Technology, and you have WR1000 transfer credit.
    • WR 1011 would count as your 1000-level WR course.
    • Because only 1 1000-level WR course can count toward the PW major, any additional 1000-level writing course credit (i.e., EN or WR) could count as one of your PW electives. 
WR Core Courses

Which courses count towards the WR core coursework requirement for the PW major?

WR core courses are:

  • Courses located in and offered by the Professional Writing program, which have a WR course number (e.g., WR1010, WR3112)
  • HU3900/HU 3910 seminars and practicums taught by Professional Writing core faculty
  • In the new curriculum, the WR Core is a specific category of courses that includes the foundation requirement, practitioner requirement, and WR electives.
PW Electives (“Communication Electives” in the New Curriculum)

Which courses count towards the PW/communication electives for the PW major?

Note that PW/communication electives can double-count elsewhere unless prohibited by another program.

HU3900 and HU3910: Inquiry Seminars and Inquiry Practicums

How can I count my inquiry seminar or practicum toward the PW major?

Writing/rhetoric-focused inquiry seminars (HU3900) or practicums (HU3910) taught by the core PW faculty count toward the PW major the same way a WR course counts. It will double count from your Humanities and Arts (HUA) requirement as a core WR writing course or a PW elective. If your HU3900 or HU3910 is not offered by a PW faculty member, it could still count as a PW elective if you can demonstrate that it furthers your depth in communication (see “PW Electives” section above). However, it would not count as one of your core WR writing courses.

Other Questions

I have read through the PW website and still have a question about my PW coursework.

If you are already declared as a PW major, contact your PW advisor. If you are not a PW major, contact the PW Director.