6 College Majors to Consider If You Want to Become a Writer

what college major to choose to become a writer

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If you’ve decided that you want to become a writer after graduating from college, you might be wondering which major will best prepare you for this interesting and challenging job. The following list will help you identify 6 different college majors that an aspiring writer will want to consider:

Journalism

A journalism major is useful if you want to write news stories, current events articles or sports reporting for media outlets. It is possible to specialize in a specific kind of journalism such as sports journalism, broadcast journalism, investigative journalism, documentary journalism, or data-driven journalism.

In addition to relevant writing courses, journalism students often complete coursework in media law, media ethics, and statistics.

Communication

Communication is a practical major that will prepare you well for a variety of careers in the media. This is a major that doesn’t limit your options; in addition to copywriting and content writing jobs, you’ll be well-prepared to seek jobs ranging from content marketing manager to executive producer.

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Creative Writing

A creative writing major isn’t as versatile as a communications or journalism major; but if you’re positive that you want to become a writer, it could be a fantastic choice. If you want to write a novel, this is an excellent choice of majors to consider.

As a creative writing major, you’re likely to spend much of your college career immersed in activities such as reading, writing, and editing. You’ll be required to read, interpret, and analyze classic works of literature in addition to writing your own prose and poetry.

Technical Writing

Technical writing is a practical major for anyone who is fascinated by software or gadgets. Good technical writers have a natural curiosity for discovering how things work. This type of job typically requires a writer to create instruction manuals, instruction sheets, or tutorials for consumer products or software products. It’s a collaborative job calling for excellent interviewing, listening, and thinking skills in addition to outstanding writing ability.

English

English is a straightforward choice of majors for anyone who wants to become a writer. This major typically requires students to study and analyze classic English literature as well as tackle numerous writing assignments. An English major’s coursework typically encompasses poetry, creative writing, non-fiction, and philosophy.

Finance

Does the inclusion of finance on this list have you puzzled? Perhaps you’re wondering, “what does finance have to do with writing”? How will a degree in finance help me with my writing career?

Writers each have to write about something, and finance is one of the most lucrative topics you could possibly learn to write about. If you want to become a direct response copywriter, finance is one of the two most viable topics you’ll want to understand. (The other is health.) Many copywriters specialize in just one topic–and finance is a great specialty for copywriters who want to earn a comfortable living.

These 6 college majors are not your only possibilities for niches that would be suitable for aspiring writers. There are many other majors that would provide a fantastic educational background. Knowledge gained from virtually any major could become the basis for a successful writing career since writers all need topics to write about. However, these are 6 of the most straightforward and directly relevant possibilities to consider.

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