Technical and Professional Writing
Certificate
About this program
The Certificate in Technical and Professional Writing helps you learn how to communicate clearly in workplace settings. You’ll write instructions, reports, and digital content while building editing and design skills. This program is useful if you want to enter fields like tech, business, or health where strong writing is essential. It’s designed for current students or professionals looking to improve their writing for practical, real-world use.
Program Curriculum and Requirements
Program Scope
In order to be accepted to an undergraduate certificate program, a student must have completed 56 semester units of undergraduate course work with a 2.0 (C) grade point average. A maximum of 6 Technical and Professional Writing advisor-approved transfer units is allowed toward the certificate.
Before completing the certificate, students must demonstrate appropriate writing competency by successful completion of the required 18 units of upper-division, writing-intensive Technical and Professional Writing course work.
Admission to the Certificate Program
Non-matriculated students should apply through Cal State Apply. Please upload your unofficial transcripts of all colleges attended to the Cal State Apply website.
If selected for admission, you will be required to submit official transcripts to the SF State Grad Studies office in order to secure your offer of admission. Please note: if you previously attended SF State, you do not need to submit a SF State transcript.
If you ARE currently a matriculated undergraduate student at SF State and you wish to apply for admission to the program, please submit a Certificate of Admission Application by email to: english@sfsu.edu along with your unofficial transcripts.
The deadline to apply for fall semester has been extended to July 31; the deadline to apply for spring semester is December 1.