Writing

Do words and their power fascinate you? Do you enjoy sharing stories, observations and speculations? Can you envision talking about great books with professors and other students who love reading as much as you do? Do you want to make your writing more memorable, your command of sentences, images, plots and scenes more secure and lasting? If your answers are yes, yes, yes and yes, welcome to the undergraduate English/Writing program at PennWest Edinboro.

Why Edinboro Stands Out.

At Edinboro, you will develop a practical understanding of contemporary writing and an appreciation of the wider literary tradition. You will gain experience working with genres including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, graphic novel writing and business and technical writing.

Under the guidance of experienced teachers who are also writers, you will acquire editorial skills, develop a sophisticated grasp of the standards of written English and learn to analyze the rhetorical demands of different writing situations.

During the Thesis Seminar in Writing, you will have the opportunity to complete a semester-long project in a single genre and present your work publicly at the end of the Spring semester. You will graduate ready to enter a wide variety of fulfilling professions and make meaningful contributions to the world around you.

How Edinboro Supports You.

We're here to help you write the next chapter of your life.

As a student, you will be encouraged to develop a range of writing forms and styles and to present and publish your work. The English Alumni Speaker Series offers information and advice about publication, careers, and other professional topics. Throughout the program, you will find your voice as you:

Learn from distinguished teachers who continually produce new work in a variety of genres.
Enroll in innovative courses, such as advanced writing workshops and special topics and authors seminars that provide in-depth experience with outstanding texts and authors.
Become a writing consultant at the University Writing Center.
Apply for internships at local and regional organizations, such as Fulton Books in Meadville, the Erie Reader, VertMarkets in Erie, Rowman and Littlefield Publishing, Bethesda Children's Home in Meadville, the Tom Ridge Center in Erie, and the Marketing and Communications offices on campus.
Receive expert advice on writing and publishing your work from faculty mentors.
Take advantage of opportunities to present your work.
Contribute to and/or edit Chimera, our award-winning student literary/art journal.
Select and edit work submitted to The Magazine, our annual online journal of undergraduate creative writing.
Work on the Spectator, Edinboro's student newspaper.

Your Future

Graduates of our Writing program report they were well prepared for graduate and pre-professional programs, as well as for employment in a variety of fields. Today, they work as editors, teachers, reporters, technical writers, lawyers, and librarians. Some are fundraisers, insurance brokers, and technology consultants. They publish books with reputable presses and manage online literary journals. The post-graduate lives of these alumni demonstrate the diversity of careers and life experiences the Writing program has inspired:

Mary Lindeman (BA ’19), Media Strategist, WebFX, Harrisburg, PA

Race Dauer (BA ’17), Document Specialist, Reed Smith LLP, Pittsburgh, PA

Kathlyn Longtine (BA ’17) Assistant Editor, Union Gospel Press, Cleveland, OH

Jessica Clair (BA ‘15) Marketing Content Coordinator, PCG Capital, Pittsburgh, PA

Aryn Balogh (BA ‘14) Registrar of Wills Office, Erie County Courthouse, Erie, PA