A Graduate Certificate in Professional Writing for International Audiences is offered through the Master of Arts in Professional Writing Program in the English Department, College of Humanities and Social Sciences. A four-course, non-degree program, this Certificate is designed for professionals who write for or work with an international population.

English as an International Language

Given the ease of global communication (especially due to the Internet), the increasing dependence on English as an international link language, the expansion of corporate interests worldwide, and the rapid growth of international residents in metro Atlanta, this Certificate fulfills a vital communicative need in a variety of professional settings. Business professionals may incorporate insight gained from the Certificate into their international corporate documents by preparing them with an increased awareness of cultural and linguistic nuances of English varieties around the world. For example, a growing body of scholarship has documented how Asian English (e.g., Singaporean, Indian, and Malaysian) differs from Standard American English due to the cultural contexts of its users. An awareness of these differences will allow business professionals to avoid communicative breakdowns due to differences in culture and English usage. Similarly, educators (college, high school, corporate trainers) will benefit from this Certificate by understanding the language variety and rhetorical strategies used by writers from other countries whose use of English may differ from that of their U.S. counterparts. Educators who are aware of these differences can use this insight in classrooms, particularly in cases when international students work with American students on writing projects and other classroom activities. This Certificate will also benefit professionals working in non-profit organizations, government employees, and others who work with or write for a large population of non-native English speakers.

Focus on Effective Professional Writing

As the name implies, the Certificate will be writing-based, which distinguishes it from traditional Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) programs. The certificate is distinctive from TESOL programs because it does not focus on teaching English to non-native users. Rather the focus will be on how English users from different cultural and linguistic traditions can communicate more effectively in a variety of written media such as e-mail, Web pages, brochures, and formal documents. Consequently, there will also be an emphasis on the process of document creation that requires collaboration between native and non-native English speakers and the need for cultural and linguistic sensitivity to increase the effectiveness of the working relationship.

Application Process
An application for admission is available in the KSU catalog or online. Application materials should be sent to the MAPW Graduate Office:

MA in Professional Writing
Kennesaw State University
1000 Chastain Rd #2701
Kennesaw GA 30144

Application deadline for Fall 2007-Summer 2008: March 15, 2007

Application deadline for Fall 2008-Summer 2009: March 1, 2008

Criteria for Admission
Applicants will be admitted to the Graduate Certificate in Professional Writing for International Audiences when they have satisfied the KSU non-degree admission requirements.

1. A bachelor’s or graduate degree from an institution accredited in a manner accepted by KSU 
2. A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale and a minimum graduate grade-point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
   
   The application documentation for this Certificate consists of:

1. A completed KSU application form, indicating application to the Graduate Certificate in Professional Writing for International Audiences
    
2. An application fee
    
3. Official undergraduate transcripts
    
4. Official graduate transcripts, if applicable
    
5. A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale or a minimum graduate grade-point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
    
6. The KSU Health Clinic will contact newly admitted students tat actually enroll regarding immunizations for measles, mumps and rubella. The KSU Health Clinic website is http://www.kennesaw.edu/col_hhs/hc/.
    
7. A statement of purpose that explains: what the student wishes to achieve from the program; Any experience the student already has in writing, i.e., workshops, reading and writing habits, membership in writers’ organizations, awards, publications
    
8. A writing sample
    
9. Optional: A letter of reference from someone who can evaluate the applicant's writing skills

Curriculum for the Certificate in Professional Writing for International Audiences

I. Three Required Courses

The following three courses are required of all students seeking the Graduate Certificate in Professional Writing for International Audiences.

• History of second language (L2)writing
• The writers themselves: composition strategies, contrastive rhetoric, implications of diverse pedagogical backgrounds
• The texts that L2 writers produce
• The role of reading in L2 writing
• Pedagogical strategies
• The place of grammar instruction
• Assessment issues
• Responding to ESL writers
• Political/ideological implications (both in educational and "real world" settings)

• Different varieties of English (e.g., American vs. Indian or Nigerian English)
• Linguistic elements of different varieties of English
• Issues of standards given the ease of global communication
• An acceptable variety for international education and other professional interests
• Linguistic imperialism
• Literary traditions in English in non-native English contexts (e.g., post-colonial literature in Africa, India)

For more information, contact Terri Brennen, the graduate secretary, at (770) 499-3335 or tbrennen@kennesaw.edu, or contact Dr. Jim Elledge, graduate director, at (678) 797-2039 or jelledg1@kennesaw.edu