Pen in hand of student writing on a notepad

Public and Professional Writing

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Study Public and Professional Writing at Fordham

About the public and professional writing minor

Effective communication is necessary in any field, from business to science, media to the arts.  

At Fordham, you’ll gain the essential tools to write for any audience, in any situation. Use your rhetorical and analytical skills to harness the power of writing as a way to persuade and inspire people. And gain real-world experience across NYC, where you’ll learn how to write effectively on behalf of organizations and causes.

Our graduates go on to …

  • communications careers in fields like business, public policy, medicine, and more
  • law school and prestigious graduate programs
  • roles in book publishing, TV, journalism, and digital media

Visit the public and professional writing program page

Male student writing at his desk during class

Public and professional writing minor profile

  • Rose Hill CampusMinor
    Rose Hill
  • Lincoln Center CampusMinor
    Lincoln Center

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Program at a glance

70+

majors and minors to pair with your public and professional writing minor, so you can tailor your degree to your career path including communication and culture, English, political science, and international studies

6+

courses to complete the minor, with options ranging as widely as Writing Fashion, Writing about Music, Explorations in Climate Storytelling, and Politics of the European Union

15+

undergraduate publications including research journals, campus newspapers The Ram and The Observer, and The Ampersand, Fordham’s student-run literary magazine

Nonprofit and Advocacy Writing & Writing for Public Policy

two of the minor’s signature courses, teaching students to write on behalf of organizations and causes across cultures and contexts

Writing as Social Action

the minor’s core philosophy, treating professional writing as a tool that shapes public debates on language, diversity, globalization, and justice

Editing and Publishing, Media, Social Work, Public Policy, International Relations, and Nonprofit

industries the public and professional writing minor prepares students for

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Public and Professional Writing in Action

Elisabeth Buck outside Walsh Library, home of the Writing Center at Rose Hill.

Unlocking Your Voice                    

Learn more about Professor Elisabeth Buck, who runs Fordham’s writing centers and helps uncover “an authentic representation of a student’s perspective, rather than something that is grammatically perfect.”

The English Department's Family Meal with students and alumni in 2024.

‘Family Dinner’ with the English Department                    

Learn more about the Fordham English alumni network and see how Rams continue to stay connected in the world of publishing, media, culture, and beyond.

Sera Allen

A Scholarship for Women in Publishing                    

Sera Allen’s essay about pursuing a career in publishing to uplift women’s voices won her a prestigious award from the Women’s Media Group. Find out how interactive writing workshops at Fordham helped her raise her own voice.

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Public and Professional Writing program FAQ

  • At Fordham, you can pair public and professional writing with almost any of our 70+ majors and minors to graduate with a degree that helps you stand out in the job market. You’ll focus on clear writing and critical thinking—skills that can enhance your perspective across a range of possible majors, from English to economics, psychology to chemistry.

    Plus, you can connect with alumni through the Fordham Mentoring Program to receive one-on-one guidance and advice no matter what career you pursue.

  • You’ll be able to take a wide variety of courses to meet your minor requirements, covering topics including Writing Fashion, where you’ll study critical viewpoints about fashion collections, lifestyle brands, and design histories, and Explorations in Climate Storytelling, an overview of essential challenges and recent developments in climate change storytelling.

  • With New York City as your college town, you’ll have unmatched access to fields like law, government, business, media, and more. Here are just a few of the places public and professional writing minors have interned:

    • Goldman Sachs
    • The New York Times
    • HarperCollins
    • Hearst Media
    • United Nations

  • Students gain a knowledge base and a skill set valuable for careers in law, academia, education, journalism, nonprofits, government, business, and beyond. Recent grads have gone on to work in communication-centric fields, including media, public policy, international relations, business, social work, law, and healthcare.

  • Fordham is home to award-winning student-run publications including … 

  • At Fordham, you’ll use AI as a tool to enhance your learning. Our program will equip you with the skills to navigate the ever-changing landscape of AI in the workforce. As a public and professional writing minor, you might use AI to help improve the clarity, style, and impact of your writing.

    You’ll also be able to earn credentials and paid micro-internships through IBM SkillsBuild’s Getting Started with AI course. All Fordham students and graduates have access to AI training through RamConnect, the University’s alumni and experiential learning platform.

    Above all, you’ll learn skills that can’t be replaced by AI, such as critical thinking, problem solving, and experimentation.

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