New Certification in UWG English Department

     UWG’s Department of English is offering a new certification program in Publishing and Editing. Three of the courses will be available for students to register for starting Oct. 22.
 
     There are four courses in the 12-hour certification program. These include Technology for Editors and Writers, Studies in English Language—Grammar, Internship, and the Publishing and Editing Capstone.
 
     “I was the person who, with a group of instructors and faculty, consulted and designed the certificate, then sent it through all of the committees as well as the senate to be ratified,” said Dr. Emily Hipchen, an English professor at UWG who spearheaded the certification program. “The first course was run while it was being approved three semesters ago in the fall of 2017.”
 
     Although a certificate is different than a minor anyone can go through the process to get this certificate on their transcript.
 
     “You can have a major, a minor and a certificate. None of these excludes the others,” said Hipchen. “Anyone in any major can take any of these courses and get a certificate, so long as he or she completes the prerequisites for the courses.”
 
     One course stands out from the rest—the capstone. The Publishing and Editing Capstone is a course designed around the skills students will need in order to enter the workforce with applicable knowledge. They will learn to hone in on their writing, copy-editing and designing content for publishing platforms.
 
     “Once you get through the capstone course you can decide whether or not you want the certificate to appear on your transcript,” said Hipchen. “The registrar manually enters the certificate, so when you call for your transcript to give to your future employer, it will show that you have this particular certificate.”
 
     Although anyone could potentially get this certificate, it becomes unavailable for students to enroll in post-graduation.
 
     “The certificate is right now just for undergraduates, but you can do a master’s degree in English with a focus in this area,” said Hipchen.
 
      Luke Barnwell, a student currently taking the capstone course, chose to get certified in order to gain experience and attract future employers in his field of study. 
 
    “Apart from the writing aspect, we’ve learned an interesting amount of branding and marketing lessons, which ended up landing me a new job,” said Barnwell. “Dr. Hipchen has taught a number of invaluable lessons ranging from salary negotiation, general editing tips and the power of language precision. The capstone is far more than you’d expect.”
 
     Students can begin looking towards gaining the certification when registration opens on Oct. 22.

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