Desktop News | May 2024
Students are using the English Department’s new minor in Digital, Public, and Professional Writing as a complement to their academic coursework in a variety of degree programs across campus. We have students from pre-health and pre-law, as well as the humanities, taking courses such as Science Writing EN 381, Business Writing EN 382, Writing Across Media EN 313, Technical Writing EN 319, Legal Writing EN 383 and our new Grant Writing course EN 384. Courses in the DPPW minor give students opportunities to practice how writing works in the world by learning skills such as visual design, digital composition, audience analysis and project management. Digital, Public and Professional Writing conveys the importance and power of writing in a variety of professions and for diverse public audiences. In our courses, students conduct academic and organizational research to write everything from creative nonfiction to digital stories, from legal writing to editing and publishing. Students may choose from suggested paths or create their own path through the minor to hone the critical skills and rhetorical awareness necessary for effective communication in their chosen careers.
The English Department also offers internships that provide practical application of classroom skills through professional writing opportunities with community partners, including New Heights Community Resource Center, Tuscaloosa’s One Place, Historic Tuscaloosa, Five Horizons Health Services, Turning Point and Arts ‘n’ Autism, as well as with law firms, local judges and public defenders’ offices. The internship is a great way for students to expand their work experience and imagine their future. In addition, students can gain publishing experience through any number of outlets, including Ripple Arts Review, Dewpoint Magazine and Red Rook Press.
Students interested in pursuing a Digital, Public and Professional Writing minor or concentration, or taking a stand-alone class, are encouraged to reach out to Dr. Marni Presnall at mpresnall@ua.edu .