Digital Writing and Literature, Cognate - COLA, UNH

Undergraduate

Digital Writing and Literature

Explore diverse areas including creative storytelling, business writing, digital reporting, and teaching while developing expertise across multiple digital platforms.
2026
Degree
Cognate
Location
Durham, NH
Courses
3
Credit
12 hrs.
Full-time
Varies
Part-time
Varies
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students at computers

English

The Digital Writing and Literature cognate at UNH offers a cutting-edge education that teaches you the reading and writing skills needed for success in today's digital communication landscape. Here you'll be able to explore diverse areas including creative storytelling, business writing, digital reporting, and teaching while developing expertise across multiple digital platforms. 

With hands-on experience through internship opportunities, the ability to build a professional digital portfolio, and access to visiting writers and scholars, this cognate complements any major by strengthening your critical thinking and communication skills. This minor can be combined with programs in business, science, or liberal arts. You'll graduate ready to excel in roles from marketing and public relations to technology writing and web content production.

English Department

Key Links

Tuition Costs

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Carla Cannizzaro
Carla.C@unh.edu
Hamilton Smith Hall, Room 230f, Durham, NH 03824
(603) 862-3970

What is digital writing and literature?

The digital writing and literature cognate will introduce you to the reading and writing skills necessary to succeed in the modern digital workplace. You’ll have the opportunity to focus on areas such as creative storytelling, business writing, digital reporting or teaching, and you’ll become adept at communicating in a variety of digital platforms. Combine this cognate with a major in business, science or the liberal arts to improve your skills in critical thinking, analysis and communication.

Why study digital writing and literature at UNH?

This cognate gives you a way to develop wide-ranging and adaptable professional skills while pursuing your major. You can gain valuable on-the-job experience through our internship option, and also compile a digital portfolio of your work. The English Department offers a number of institutes and programs that provide unique opportunities locally and abroad, as well as regular on-campus series featuring visiting writers, scholars and journalists.

Potential career areas

  • Business
  • Communications
  • Journalism
  • Marketing
  • Public relations
  • Social media
  • Teaching
  • Technology writing
  • Web content production

Curriculum & Requirements

01
Program Description
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Many jobs nowadays require not only solid reading and writing skills; but also the ability to deploy and adapt these skills in a variety of electronic, professional, public and semi-public platforms. This cognate builds students' ability to comprehend and interpret difficult texts (including complex instructions); to edit, proofread and frame their work for different audiences and contexts; and to navigate rudimentary markup (code) and varied electronic interfaces with confidence and independence.

In consultation with a program advisor, students may choose to follow a specialized track. For example, selecting courses such as Creative Nonfiction and Multimedia Storytelling can form a "creative" track for those interested in digital storytelling and audio production. Similarly, Special Topics in Literature may provide pathways into cultural heritage management or nonprofit careers. Alternatively, students already focused on a specific field, such as journalism, may explore complementary digital tools—such as taking Digital Reporting to strengthen their digital reporting skills.

Contact the Department of English, 230F Hamilton Smith Hall or (603) 862-1313, with questions.

02
Requirements for the Program
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  • Credit toward the cognate will only be given for courses passed with C- or better, and a 2.00 grade-point average must be maintained in courses for the cognate.
  • Courses taken on the pass/fail basis may not be used for the cognate.
Required
ENGL 501Introduction to Creative Nonfiction4
or ENGL 502 Professional and Technical Writing
Select two courses from the following:8
ENGL 602
Advanced Professional and Technical Writing
ENGL 620
English Major Internship (Digital Archiving and Editing)
ENGL 623
Creative Nonfiction (see advisor for help in identifying appropriate section)
ENGL 631
Digital Reporting
ENGL 693
Special Topics in Literature (Topic N, Introduction to Digital Humanities)
ENGL 712
Multimedia Storytelling
ENGL 789
Special Topics in English Teaching (Teaching English in the 21st Century)
Total Credits12

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