Choosing the Right Major: Ben's Story

Hello! My name is Ben, and I’m a sophomore here at SMSU! I’m originally from North Mankato, MN, and I graduated from Mankato West High School. I am an athlete here at SMSU, running cross-country and track, and I am also a student worker in the Admission office.

My major is Professional Writing and Communication, and I am minoring in Public Administration. The PWC major is an English major with emphasis in professional writing styles, such as technical writing. We also take courses in public speaking and graphic design. 

Originally, I came to SMSU to study communications and political science, but after meeting with the English professor in my freshman writing course, I was inspired to switch majors, and I’m super happy I did. The communications and political science programs are great too, I just found my passion in professional writing. 

As a PWC major, I’m able to develop my skills as a writer, and apply those skills to my career interests. I want to work in local and state government, so I added the Public Administration minor to work towards that goal. 

PWC students are often involved with clubs on campus, such as the SMSU English club, and The Spur (SMSU’s campus newspaper). Any student from any major can join The Spur, and students can actually get paid to write for it.

PWC students can also study areas such as graphic design, management, natural sciences, exercise science, marketing, and broadcasting & digital media. Graduates from the program have found careers in marketing, publishing, journalism, and technical writing, If you’re interested in a flexible major that has a wide array of career opportunities, check out the PWC major!